Martial Peak
chapter-4921

Yang Kai watched for a while, but soon discovered that it should not be difficult for D-4 to win this battle because the latter was clearly much stronger than his opponent.

That was indeed the case. Following an intense battle, the opponent’s momentum gradually declined and D-4 grasped the opportunity to rush forward, using his twin daggers to slice a bright arc through the air as he brushed past his opponent.

The battle subsided in a single moment. When D-4 turned around, a crimson line of blood appeared on his opponent’s neck. Immediately after that, fresh blood gushed out like a fountain, and a powerful force sent his opponent’s head flying into the sky. The headless corpse swayed slightly and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Nu Yan laughed loudly. Stretching out his hand, he tossed a World Sphere into the arena. The World Force escaping from the dead Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was immediately absorbed and sealed within the World Sphere.

D-4 held the World Sphere in both hands, then his short figure flickered several times. He came to stand in front of Nu Yan and bowed his head, “Master!”

Taking the World Sphere, Nu Yan smiled and nodded, “Very good!”

Lang Ya, who was standing by the side, had an ugly expression on his face. Although he had several Black Ink Disciples under his command, they did not come easily. How could he not feel pained after losing one of them? The muscles in his face twitched slightly as he shouted, “Again!”

Nu Yan teased, “Why don’t we forget it and challenge each other again another day?”

“Cease your nonsense!” Lang Ya had just lost one of his Black Ink Disciples, so how could he be willing to back down now? He pointed at a sturdy middle-aged man beside him and shouted, “You go!”

Upon hearing the command, the middle-aged man nodded and jumped into the crater in a flash.

Lang Ya glanced at Nu Yan with a provocative expression, “If you’re scared, you can leave. I won’t force you!”

The Black Ink Clan was innately prideful, so how could Nu Yan admit that he was scared in front of such a large crowd? Giving a cold snort, he turned to look at A-1 and B-2. The opponent dispatched by Lang Ya was a Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple; therefore, only A-1 or B-2 could face this opponent. After pondering in silence for a moment, he lifted his chin in A-1’s direction, “Go.”

A-1 silently cupped his fist before he turned around and stepped into the battlefield.

Inside the crater, the two Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples took their positions. Neither of them attacked immediately; instead, they cupped their fists at each other in greeting. In the next moment, World Force flared. They both simultaneously unleashed their Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques at each other as though they had discussed in advance. Like before, this battle was also very intense. Both parties attacked mercilessly. Many Secret Techniques shone brightly, and World Force collided endlessly.

Yang Kai watched for some time but could not figure out who had the edge. Both the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters undoubtedly came from the Cave Heavens and Paradises and there was barely any difference between their strengths. It was similar to the first battle he had watched. In the end, the final winner would be decided by luck.

Afterward, he turned to observe D-4.

The battle earlier had consumed a lot of D-4’s energy. Fortunately, he did not suffer any serious injuries. As he had already battled once, the following battles would no longer involve him even if there were any; hence, he was no longer as anxious and uneasy as before. His expression had relaxed considerably.

Sensing Yang Kai’s gaze on him, he took the initiative to explain, “This is a gambling match between the Black Ink Clan. It’s very common. You should watch carefully. There’s no telling whether your turn might come in the future.”

“I heard something about a life bout and a deathmatch just now,” Yang Kai spoke softly, “What’s the difference?”

D-4 replied, “Exactly as the name suggests. A deathmatch does not end until one side is dead. Just like my previous battle, and the current battle. On the other hand, in a life bout, it’s enough once a winner is determined. As our Masters’ servants, we are the pieces in the deathmatch, as well as the prize. When either side dies, the World Force in their Small Universe will go to the winner. Meanwhile, in a life bout, both parties will agree upon a bet before the match. For example, betting on the ownership of the Black Ink Disciples or simply betting with Black Ink Coins.”

Yang Kai nodded lightly to indicate his understanding, “Did you say that this kind of gambling is common among the Black Ink Clan?”

D-4 shrugged nonchalantly, “That’s indeed the case. Didn’t you notice how many people are gathered here? They all came here to gamble. The Black Ink Clan is quite fond of this activity. If the Black Ink Disciples under their command are strong enough, then they can obtain many benefits for their Master. Don’t be fooled by the fact that we are the Master’s servants. Many times, the strength of the servants also symbolises the Master’s pride. The tide has to rise for the ship to sail after all.”

Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Thank you for your instruction.”

D-4 waved his hand casually to indicate that it was okay. Then, he suddenly furrowed his brow and solemnly looked down at the fight below.

In such a short period of time, there seemed to have been some unexpected changes. A clear distinction had appeared between the two parties who were originally equal in strength. A-1 was gradually being pushed back under the opponent’s fierce onslaught.

Nu Yan’s expression immediately became tense. On the other hand, Lang Ya stood beside Nu Yan with a smirk on his face. He looked like somebody whose trick had succeeded.

“That person is from Bright King Cave Heaven!” D-4 suddenly exclaimed. His voice was neither loud nor soft. Although he looked like he was talking to Yang Kai, he was actually explaining the circumstances to Nu Yan, “The people from Bright King Cave Heaven mainly cultivate Body Tempering. We’ve been tricked!”

Likewise, Yang Kai had also noticed that A-1’s opponent inside the crater was from Bright King Cave Heaven. He once came into contact with a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Bright King Cave Heaven named Xu Wang in the Shattered Heaven. Later, a Seventh-Order Master from Bright King Cave Heaven also came to Shattered Heaven and captured Blood Crow Divine Monarch.

Cultivators from Bright King Cave Heaven had extremely tough bodies. Whenever they fought against others, they rarely used any artifacts as their bodies were their greatest artifacts available. Be that as it may, A-1’s opponent had only used Secret Techniques at the beginning of the battle. That was why nobody had noticed his origins.

It was clearly one of the opponent’s tactics. A-1 was concentrating on a battle of Secret Techniques to decide the winner when his opponent suddenly rushed at him aggressively and launched a close combat assault. The sudden attack had taken him by surprise.

In a fight between Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, the slightest mistake could be fatal.

After A-1 fell into a disadvantage, he was steadily overwhelmed by his opponent and soon could only defend himself, becoming powerless to fight back. Although he wanted to put some distance between them, his opponent shadowed him closely like maggots on rotting bones. It was obvious that the opponent wanted to use his strong point against his enemy’s weakness.

“You cheated!” Nu Yan suddenly turned to glare at Lang Ya and shouted through gritted teeth.

Lang Ya chuckled, “How can one cheat in a fight between Black Ink Disciples? Your slaves are simply too weak!”

Nu Yan was practically spitting fire from his eyes. How could he not know that he had fallen for the other party’s tricks? Lang Ya first tricked him into complacency with the defeat of a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, then sent out a Sixth-Order Master to battle instead. It was obvious that the trap had been prepared for him, and he had walked right into it.

The crater below might span several hundreds of metres, but that was far too little space for manoeuvring in a battle between Open Heaven Realm Masters. They would not be able to display their full abilities at all. If this were a battle in the void where there was enough space around them, A-1 might not necessarily have ended up in this situation. Unfortunately, in such an environment, the person with better close-combat ability would be at a big advantage!

Whether it was the Black Ink Clan or the Black Ink Disciples, they all knew that a Black Ink Disciple from Bright King Cave Heaven held an absolute advantage in this gambling arena. That was especially true if they managed to close in on their enemy. They could be said to be almost invincible under those circumstances.

It was well known that nobody could defeat a Black Ink Disciple from Bright King Cave Heaven in this particular environment, unless they were also a Black Ink Disciple from Bright King Cave Heaven. That was why Black Ink Disciples from Bright King Cave Heaven were very sought-after in the gambling arena. Furthermore, nobody would accept the challenge if a Black Ink Disciple from Bright King Cave Heaven was sent into the arena.

Lang Ya’s provocation earlier had caused Nu Yan to carelessly send out A-1, his strongest Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple, without much consideration. It was not until this moment that he realised he had been tricked. Be that as it may, it was too late for regrets. It was impossible for Black Ink Disciples to retreat from the gambling arena during a deathmatch, regardless of the circumstances.

In truth, A-1 was very strong and had most likely been in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm in his prime; however, his opponent was equally powerful. Despite facing a barrage of Secret Techniques from A-1, he neither dodged nor avoided the attacks and charged ahead like a mad beast on a rampage.

A-1 was flustered by this style of combat. What’s more, there was a barrier covering the crater that prevented him from bringing out his full abilities. His strength was gradually being shaved away as a result.

D-4 suddenly sighed, “A-1 is doomed!”

He might only be in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm now, but he had not lost his discerning eye. Besides, he was not the only person who could predict the outcome of the situation in the field. Anybody with the slightest insight would be able to tell that A-1 was simply struggling in the throes of his imminent death. As one of Nu Yan’s Black Ink Disciples, D-4 couldn’t help feeling a little sad to see A-1 struggling futilely against a fate that was already determined.

Nu Yan’s expression was becoming more and more ugly. On the other hand, Lang Ya smiled extremely happily. The World Sphere in his hand was already at the ready. Playing with it in his hands, he was ready to toss the World Sphere into the crater to seal the World Force at any moment. The sight of Lang Ya’s behaviour made the rage in Nu Yan’s heart burn even hotter.

Watching this battle made Yang Kai despondent, but there was nothing he could do, making him feel extremely vexed in his heart.

After struggling for some time, A-1’s defences were finally broken through by his opponent. His opponent immediately approached him up close. Even though he fought hard, A-1 eventually lost to the indiscriminate bombardment of his opponent’s iron fists. Fresh blood splattered across crater; even A-1’s defensive artifact was broken to the point where its light grew dim. As those fists smashed his body fiercely, his aura swiftly weakened at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A loud explosion filled the air as blood mist scattered across the sky. A-1’s body was gone, smashed to death.

Meanwhile, his opponent landed lightly in the middle of the crater. He was soaked in blood that came from both himself and A-1. It was a grotesque sight indeed.

The entire arena was filled with cheers. It was obvious that the Black Ink Clan was very satisfied by this bloody scene.

Lang Ya threw his World Sphere into the crater to absorb and seal the World Force that originally belonged to A-1. Then, he immediately turned to look at Nu Yan, “A third round?’

Nu Yan was silent. His originally pitch-black face was now blacker than the bottom of a pot. He might have won the first round, but that was just a fight between Fifth-Order Masters. In contrast, he had lost a Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple in the second round. This was such a huge loss that he felt as though he picked up some sesame seeds only to lose a watermelon.

Although Lang Ya invited him to a third round, how could he possibly agree? Without counting Yang Kai, he only had four Black Ink Disciples under his command in the first place. It was a blessing that he had picked up another Black Ink Disciple on the way to the Fierce Wind Estate; otherwise, this loss would have caused him distress for many years to come.

It was not easy for them to obtain Black Ink Disciples. First, a Black Ink Clansman had to keep themselves safe on the battlefield; then, they had to release their Black Ink Strength to corrupt a Human cultivator. More importantly, even if the Human cultivators were corrupted by the Black Ink Strength, success was not guaranteed.

Nu Yan had spent thousands of years just to build up his current heritage, so how could he carelessly squander it at will?