Chapter 5457: Battle Outside the Universe Temple
This was also the reason why Yang Kai had not brought the Remnant Army back to the 3,000 Worlds via this particular route.
After gathering the Remnant Army, they numbered almost 5,000. There were simply too many of them. In a unique environment like this Void Corridor, Yang Kai was only capable of protecting one or two people at most; thus, he could not bring all of them with him. If they were caught up in the Void Turbulence, they were bound to be swept away into the Void Crack, never to find their way out again.
Thinking about the Remnant Army, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling depressed. 5,000 of them had attacked the No-Return Pa.s.s, but less than 3,000 made it through. Not to mention, that was with the a.s.sistance of the Old Ancestor and Niu Niu holding back their enemies. Without their help, all 5,000 of them would have died that day.
Composing himself, Yang Kai concentrated on forging a path forward.
The Void Corridor to Black Territory was much longer than the one at the No-Return Pa.s.s. At present, he had to open a path in front of him while simultaneously closing it behind him; therefore, it was a huge challenge to his mastery of the Dao of s.p.a.ce.
Ji Lao San, who had transformed into a small Dragon resembling a snake, had wrapped himself tightly around Yang Kai’s arm. Looking around at the dangerous Void Turbulence swirling around them in all directions, he secretly felt speechless.
It was his first time entering a place like the Void Crack. In the past, he had heard from the Phoenix Clan at the No-Return Pa.s.s that Void Cracks were extremely dangerous and the slightest negligence could cause a person to lose their way forever. Nevertheless, he did not truly understand the risks since he only heard stories but never experienced them in person.
He once asked one of the Phoenix Clan members to bring him deep into the Void Crack so that he could experience the environment for himself, but that Phoenix Clan member had sternly reprimanded him for making such a request. After all, though the Phoenix Clan was proficient in the Dao of s.p.a.ce, most would rather choose not to venture deep into a Void Crack for no reason, much less bring another person along with them.
Yang Kai’s movements had a sense of rhythm and order to them, even though he looked like he was struggling somewhat.
[This guy’s attainments in the Dao of s.p.a.ce are probably higher than most of the Phoenix Clan members’!] Ji Lao San secretly speculated in his heart. Not only was Yang Kai an Ancient Dragon, allowing him to be proficient in the Dao of Time, but he also had such profound attainments in the Dao of s.p.a.ce. Just what kind of a freak was he…
On the other hand, Yang Kai did not know what nonsensical thoughts were running through Ji Lao San’s head as he was focused solely on pa.s.sing through the Void Corridor safely.
It was impossible to tell how much time had pa.s.sed when the obstruction ahead finally vanished without warning and he abruptly found himself standing in the vast void. An irregular portal filled with chaos and nihility remained open behind him. He quickly turned around, reached out his hand in a swiping motion, and manipulated s.p.a.ce Principles to make the portal vanish out of sight. It was not until he finished hiding the entrance to the Void Corridor that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking around, Yang Kai did not see any scenery that was familiar to him, there was only pitch-black darkness that seemed darker than certain areas on the Black Ink Battlefield. Be that as it may, he knew that he had arrived at Black Territory!
In the past, he had entered the Void Corridor that brought him to the Black Ink Battlefield from this very spot.
Without further delay, he immediately consumed some Open Heaven Pills to replenish the energy he had used up and quickly set off towards the Territory Gate.
More than 10 years had pa.s.sed since Yang Kai led the Remnant Army to the Barren Territory, so there was no way to know what the situation there was now. For that reason, he pressed down the urge to return to the Star Boundary. Even though he wanted to go back and check on the Star Boundary, he knew that now was not the right time to return. His greatest priority at the moment was to rush towards the Barren Territory as soon as possible.
If he wanted to reach the Barren Territory, then he would first need to head towards the Shattered Heaven. He took out a Universe Chart of the 3,000 Worlds and quickly figured out his direction, then he hurried on his way.
Ji Lao San seemed to have gotten used to this travelling method and did not change back to his original form, simply choosing to remain wrapped around Yang Kai’s arm. If one did not observe carefully, one would have a.s.sumed that Yang Kai was wearing a fancy bracelet.
To arrive at the Barren Territory as soon as possible, Yang Kai pushed his speed to its limits as he travelled through Great Territory after Great Territory. It was fortunate that he had left his Imprint on a large number of Universe Temples, allowing him to save a significant amount of time.
One day, Yang Kai’s figure appeared atop a Universe Temple’s Universe Array of a certain Great Territory before he immediately flew out.
The cultivator guarding the Universe Temple didn’t even have the time to check Yang Kai’s ident.i.ty before the latter disappeared without a trace. Hence, he was stunned by the strange and fleeting incident.
The Universe Temples located in each Great Territory had been left behind by the Human Race in ancient times and were presently under the joint control of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Most Great Territories had a Universe Temple, with the rare exception of several Great Territories located in extremely remote regions. For example, the Great Territory in which the Star Boundary was located had not contained a Universe Temple originally. That was because the Martial Dao in that particular Great Territory was too backward, and there were no cultivators who could shuttle through the void.
Guarding the Universe Temple could be considered a kind of training for the disciples of the various Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, the task was boring since fighting was forbidden inside the Universe Temples. That was why very few disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would willingly volunteer to guard these places.
Most of those a.s.signed to these posts had relatively low cultivations. Aside from the mandatory Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master presiding over the Universe Temple, the rest were either in the Fifth-Order or below. Not to mention, their numbers were not high.
Yang Kai was currently in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, which would make him a Supreme Elder or Ancestor-level character in any Cave Heaven or Paradise. How could these guards in the Fourth and Fifth Order possibly trace his whereabouts?
In any case, he had no plans to stay here for long because he had to continue on his journey; however, today, he noticed a battle between cultivators right outside the Universe Temple. Two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and a Seventh-Order Master were locked in an intense fight for some reason.
Although there was a clear gap in their cultivations, the two Sixth-Order Masters were holding their own against their opponent in a two-against-one battle. That was an unusual sight indeed as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was considered a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. How could two Sixth-Order Masters be a worthy opponent for such a foe?
Yang Kai observed for a while and soon figured out the reason!
The two Sixth-Order Masters were clearly disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so the artifacts in their possession were excellent, and their Secret Techniques were powerful. They were most likely peak Sixth-Order Masters.
On the contrary, the Seventh-Order Master’s aura was clearly unstable. It looked like not much time had pa.s.sed since he broke through to the Seventh Order. Which great force he came from was unknown, but he clearly did not originate from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling surprised.
According to convention, any Seventh-Order Master who did not come from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises in the 3,000 Worlds was absorbed into the Cave Heaven or Paradise closest to them. They would also be given the position of Guest Elder without any real responsibilities.
Take the Great Battle Heaven for example. They were affiliated with more than 10 Great Territories. If a cultivator within any of these Great Territories advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, they would then be absorbed into Great Battle Heaven.
However, all the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who became Guest Elders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises in this manner would vanish without a trace soon after. There were no exceptions to this unspoken rule since time immemorial.
As a result, the general public in the 3,000 Worlds had various misunderstandings towards the Cave Heavens and Paradises. The general a.s.sumption was that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were using their authority to suppress all other great forces to prevent any unaffiliated cultivators from reaching the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, lest the foundation of their ruling position be shaken. That was why they immediately captured and subdued any cultivator who was discovered to have advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Of course, the truth of the matter was that most of those cultivators who advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm were sent to the Black Ink Battlefield. As for the others, they simply entered seclusion in the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
It was not that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were trying to suppress the other great forces; on the contrary, they wanted more Seventh-Order Masters to appear as such cultivators could not be considered weak. They were qualified to become Squad Leaders and Vice Squad Leaders on the Black Ink Battlefield. For countless years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had nurtured countless disciples who were then dispatched to the Black Ink Battlefield. As a result, they suffered countless casualties as the same cycle repeated generation after generation.
If Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were born from other great forces, then they should also do their part to maintain the peace of the 3,000 Worlds; however, partic.i.p.ation was not mandatory.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were welcomed into the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be told about the secret of the Black Ink Battlefield by the Sect Master in person; then, they were given the choice to enter the Black Ink Battlefield and contribute to the safety of the Human Race or remain within the Sect for the rest of their lives.
Information regarding the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Strength could not be leaked to the public; therefore, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were aware of this secret could only remain within the confines of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Consequently, only the Cave Heavens and Paradises could be ranked as First Cla.s.s forces. No matter how large or powerful other great forces became, they could only be considered Second Cla.s.s because no Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were overseeing them.
Due to these circ.u.mstances, many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Second Cla.s.s great forces did not dare to advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm even though they had the heritage and capital to do so as they were worried that they would suffer at the hands of the Cave Heavens and Paradises if they did so.
It was not that these great forces were too weak and could not produce Seventh-Order Masters, but that the cultivators simply did not dare to advance to that Realm.
That was also how some Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters eventually found themselves hiding in Shattered Heaven. They secretly snuck into the Shattered Heaven before reaching the Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order in order to avoid the pursuit of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Although they seemed free and relaxed, only they knew about the pain and suffering they endured; after all, the Shattered Heaven was not a pleasant place.
Even though this practice of the Cave Heavens and Paradises caused great dissatisfaction among the countless Second Cla.s.s great forces, there was nothing that could be done. They could not allow the information regarding Black Ink Strength to become common knowledge. If that were to happen, those with immoral intentions would inevitably take the initiative to seek out Black Ink Strength.
Even Vice Sect Master Yuan Du of Lang Ya Paradise could not resist the temptation of Black Ink Strength. He had actively sought out Black Ink Strength and absorbed it into his body before spreading it to a number of elite disciples, transforming them into Black Ink Disciples.
It had to be said that Yuan Du was a Vice Sect Master belonging to one of the 72 Paradises. If even such a character could not resist temptation, how were others with lower strength, status, and talent do so? Most cultivators would gain the courage to break the rules and make some unexpected choices when faced with the limitations of their Martial Dao.
Over the years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises might have made mistakes in other aspects. Nevertheless, there was no denying that they had performed splendidly in terms of protecting the 3,000 Worlds!
Outside this Universe Temple, the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were fighting a newly advanced Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai only needed a single glance to determine that the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had come from one of the Second Cla.s.s great forces and not one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
There was also a large s.h.i.+p outside the Universe Temple with several Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters standing on the deck, observing the battle.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was an old man with a white head of hair and beard. After advancing to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he thought that he could easily escape the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Golden Antelope Paradise, but it wasn’t until they started fighting that he realised how powerful these two were.
He could only lament the fact that it had not been long since his advancement, so he could not bring out the full strength of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If he had the opportunity to cultivate in retreat for several dozen to 100 years to consolidate his cultivation and familiarize himself with it, then two trivial Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would have been nothing to him.
Seeing that he could not escape, the old man shouted, “The Cave Heavens and Paradises have been gathering Fifth and Sixth-Order Masters from the Second Cla.s.s great forces in every Great Territory recently, it’s obvious that they are planning to destroy the foundation of all Second Cla.s.s great forces to prevent their ruling authority from being shaken! They have revealed their wolfish ambitions! How long are the rest of you going to stand there and watch the show!?”
The expressions of the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters standing on the large s.h.i.+p changed drastically upon hearing those words.
It was just as the old man had said. They were cultivators from various Second Cla.s.s great forces in this Great Territory which was under the jurisdiction of Golden Antelope Paradise. In recent years, Golden Antelope Paradise had gone around gathering Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from various Second Cla.s.s great forces. It was just that they had not explained the purpose of their actions, so many people became uneasy about the situation.