Martial Peak
chapter-4929

In particular, D-4 was puzzled by how Yang Kai wanted him to enter his Small Universe. He knew that Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and the Small Universe of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was no more than an immaterial existence that could not accommodate living beings. So, how could he enter Yang Kai’s Small Universe?

In the midst of his confusion, Yang Kai actually reached out to grab him, opened the portal to his Small Universe, and unceremoniously stuffed him inside. D-4 felt his vision blurring for a moment, then he found himself in another world all of a sudden. Looking around his surroundings, he was filled with utter confusion.

A moment later, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar appeared in front of him and resolved his confusion.

…

In the void, the aftermath of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor gradually subsided. A large part of the Spirit Province was shattered, resulting in countless casualties among the Black Ink Clan and the Black Ink Disciples.

Before those who were lucky enough to survive could recover from their shock though, numerous figures appeared in small groups. They silently emerged out of nowhere and charged straight at the survivors. These were the Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Human Race, as well as a large number of warships. The brutal attacks that blasted out from the warships sent the surviving Black Ink Clan into a panic.

This was definitely an attack that had been carefully planned for a long time, so the Black Ink Clan was completely caught off-guard as a result. Moreover, due to the immense gap in strength, they suffered huge losses in this encounter.

With each passing moment, either a Black Ink Clansman or Black Ink Disciple would lose their life. Whenever a Black Ink Clansman died, dense Black Ink Strength would erupt from their bodies to form Black Ink Clouds that scattered across the void. Similarly, numerous Black Ink Disciples perished. The movements caused by the destruction of their Small Universes reverberated through the void.

Even though all the Black Ink Disciples were once Masters from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises, nobody could afford to show any mercy under these circumstances. As soon as they encountered each other, it became a situation where one party had to die.

Yang Kai watched from a distance for a moment before he rushed forward with a flicker of his body. For him, this was an opportunity. As long as he could prove that he was not corrupted by the Black Ink, then he could join the Masters from the Human Race and leave the Black Ink Clan’s domain.

It was not easy to come across such an opportunity. Yang Kai had been serving beside Nu Yan for more than two years now, and during this period, he passed through countless Black Ink Clan territories and gained some information from the leisurely chats he had among the Black Ink Disciples.

Although the Human Race would occasionally take the initiative to invade the Black Ink Clan’s domain, these incursions occurred very rarely. One invasion in 100 years would be considered frequent. The main reason was that they could not occupy this territory for long even if their invasion turned out to be successful; therefore, the great pass guarded by the major Cave Heavens and Paradises was the line of defence that they had always steadfastly maintained. Their biggest aim, whenever they launched a raid, was to weaken the strength of the Black Ink Clan. Once they killed a certain number of the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples, they would swiftly withdraw their forces. That was why such raids generally did not last for long.

More importantly, Yang Kai might not encounter another opportunity this good again if he let this chance slip through his fingers. How could he afford to hesitate under such circumstances? Nevertheless, it was going to be difficult to prove his identity. There was not much time for him to prove his innocence on the battlefield, but it should not be an issue if he could kill a Black Ink Clansman in front of a Human Race cultivator. A true Black Ink Disciple was completely loyal to the Black Ink Clan, so it was impossible for them to turn against their Masters.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Yang Kai quickly came to a decision. His body swept forward more and more quickly. Under the urging of the Space Principles, it only took him a brief moment to return to the battlefield with a few flickering movements.

Everywhere he looked, Yang Kai could see numerous warship artifacts navigating across the battlefield. Powerful Secret Techniques constantly blasted out from these warships without pause, giving the Black Ink Clansmen and the Black Ink Disciples endless grievances. There were also many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and even Eighth-Order Masters who either fought in small groups or hunted down enemies on their own.

A sharp Divine Sense locked onto Yang Kai the moment he returned to the battlefield. Immediately after that, he felt his skin tightening as a great sense of crisis washed over him. He turned to look in that direction and saw a woman in white fluttering robes watching him intently with her beautiful eyes, an extraordinary aura pulsing from her figure.

Holding a sharp longsword in her hands, she slashed at him without hesitation. Her movements showed no mercy, and the strength she displayed unmistakably belonged to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The attack contained an overwhelming power, and the sword wave flickered irregularly like the tongue of a spirit snake. Yang Kai could feel an overbearing sense of pressure behind the attack before she even approached him.

Shocked, he lowered his voice and shouted, “Senior, stop!”

A trace of grief and pity flashed through the woman’s eyes when she heard those words; even so, she did not pause her actions. With a flick of her longsword, she transformed it into a sword curtain that shrouded over his head.

Yang Kai was desperate to cry but was unable to shed any tears. He knew that the other party thought of him as a Black Ink Disciple, which was why she was showing no mercy with her attack. Unfortunately, there was no point in trying to explain himself at this moment. No matter what he said, she would not believe him unless he killed a Black Ink Clansman in front of her.

He did not know which Cave Heaven or Paradise this woman came from, but her strength in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was absolutely extraordinary. Seeing the sword curtain that was looming over on him, Yang Kai did not dare to hesitate. He quickly raised his arm and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear before exerting his Supreme Limitless Spear Art to its maximum. At this time, his priority was to ensure his survival. It would truly be a huge joke if he was accidentally killed during the confusion and chaos.

A series of explosions rang out as Yang Kai’s eyes bulged with surprise. He was sent flying backward by a violent burst of power and the vitality in his chest churned restlessly. Dense sword wounds also appeared all over his body, causing his physique to tremble and writhe.

[This woman… is strong!] Yang Kai was secretly amazed. Although he was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he had killed a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before and had fought many others in the past; he was familiar with the might of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. However, he had never come across anyone who could hold a candle to this woman among all the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters he encountered previously.

While Yang Kai was surprised, the woman was even more taken aback. It had to be said that she had been immersed in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm for 3,000 years. Having lived most of her life on the Black Ink Battlefield, it could be argued that her strength had reached the very peak of the Seventh Order, leaving her just one step away from the Eighth Order. On top of that, her combat experience was beyond the comparison of those who lived a comfortable life in the 3,000 Worlds

Even though she did not use her full strength earlier, her attack was not something an ordinary Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple could resist. Since the beginning of the raid until now, more than twenty Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples and Black Ink Clansmen of similar strength had perished at her hands. She was confident that her previous attack contained enough power to take this Black Ink Disciple’s life. Be that as it may, reality proved to be beyond her expectations. Yang Kai might have been injured, but he survived.

[This Black Ink Disciple… seems a little different!] The murderous intent in the woman’s eyes blazed more vigorously than before. The more a Black Ink Disciple stood out from the others, the more she had to ruthlessly kill him here and now. If she failed to kill him here, then her Juniors on the battlefield might end up dying to him in the future.

However, a loud whistle resounded through the void before she could pursue him once more. Raising her sword before her, she glanced in the direction where Yang Kai had been sent flying and hesitated for a moment before she turned and left.

The loud whistle seemed to be some sort of signal as after it sounded, all the Human Race Masters slaughtering their way across the battlefield immediately retreated from battle, quickly re-grouped, and left like a great gust of wind.

[They’re leaving just like that!?] It took great effort for Yang Kai to stabilize his figure. Nevertheless, how could he willingly give up when he saw the situation before him? He quickly chased after them, only to quickly notice something strange behind him, like something was swiftly approaching his position.

When Yang Kai turned to look behind him, the pupils of his eyes contracted at what he saw. A mass of Black Ink was rapidly permeating the void, flowing like the swift currents of the tide. Consequently, everything was dyed pitch-black wherever this mass of Black Ink went.

Moreover, the countless powerful auras hidden inside the mass of Black Ink made the scalp of Yang Kai’s head tingle with fear. There was one aura in particular, which made him shudder both mentally and physically despite the distance between them. This aura reminded him of the feeling he experienced when he first came into contact with the Will of a Black Ink Royal Lord. The Will was absolutely overwhelming and made him feel as insignificant as an ant.

[A Black Ink Royal Lord is coming!] Now that the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor of the Human Race had made a move, the Royal Lord of this region could not sit by the sidelines. Only a Royal Lord could fight back against the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor of the Human Race.

No wonder the Human Race was in such a hurry to retreat. It turned out that they were anticipating this situation and took the necessary precautions.

A Ninth-Order Old Ancestor might not be inferior to a Royal Lord in strength, but they would only be evenly matched in a battle. This place was still within the hinterland of the Black Ink Clan, so while it was okay to launch a swift raid and then flee after obtaining a certain degree of victory, it would not be wise to engage the Black Ink Clan in a prolonged battle here.

The darkness approached quickly. Almost as soon as Yang Kai noticed the invasion of the Black Ink Cloud, the darkness was already upon him. He did not dare to make any rash movements and simply stood quietly in place. It didn’t take long before Black Ink Strength washed over him like the advancing tide.

Gigantic figures of various shapes and sizes rushed past, each one of them exuding a powerful aura. They were the Black Ink Territory Lords and Black Ink Feudal Lords. These Masters had no interest in Yang Kai and regarded him as insignificant. Although the Divine Senses of several Black Ink Clansmen probed towards him, they did not take any action against him.

Yang Kai was secretly grateful for their indifference.

A short while later, the Black Ink tide swirled past him in tight pursuit of the Human Race retreating in the front and promptly departed into the distance. Yang Kai shuddered in fear, but just as he was about to chase after them, a voice entered his ears, “A-1!”

Yang Kai turned to look in the direction of the sound and felt his brow twitching slightly at the sight. The person calling him turned out to be Nu Yan! [I can’t believe this guy is still alive!]

During the chaos just now, Yang Kai had only focused on protecting D-4 and withdrawing from the battlefield. He had not bothered to pay attention to the survival of the others, much less thought about returning to Nu Yan’s side.

On the other hand, Nu Yan had managed to locate Yang Kai after some effort. Moreover, B-2 and E-5 were also by his side. It was just that all three of them seem to be suffering from varying degrees of injuries and their auras were clearly weakened. E-5 seemed to be in relatively good condition, but there were obvious traces of blood at the corners of B-2’s mouth.

Upon further consideration, this was not strange. They had been at the gambling arena when the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor attacked. The impact that struck the gambling arena was relatively small, so it was not strange for those with Sixth-Order strength to survive.

A hint of hesitation flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes, but in the end, he cupped his fist in greeting, “Master!”

On the other hand, Nu Yan seemed very happy, “It’s good that you didn’t die.”

Yang Kai was his cash cow after all. It didn’t matter if any of the other Black Ink Disciples under his command died, but Yang Kai was the sole exception. That was why Nu Yan began searching for Yang Kai’s whereabouts as soon as the Human Race Masters retreated. It was fortunate that he found him rather quickly.

“Let’s go! Follow me!” Nu Yan beckoned and took the lead to charge forward.

For the Black Ink Clan, it was impossible for them to stand around doing nothing now that even a Royal Lord had taken action. It didn’t matter how much or how little they contributed to the battle, they had to follow their leader to war.

Nu Yan didn’t even bother to pay any attention as to whether D-4 had survived. In his opinion, the most important thing was that A-1 had survived. As for D-4 who was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would not matter much even if he died.

Conversely, it was B-2 who quietly asked Yang Kai, “Where did D-4 go?”

Yang Kai was silent for a moment before he responded solemnly, “He died!”

B-2 looked a little sad, but didn’t say anything more.

The three of them followed closely behind Nu Yan, doing their best to recover their strength as quickly as possible while pursuing the enemy.