Martial Peak

The void rippled, and with each expanding wave, a portal gradually revealed itself. Soon after, figures emerged from the portal, one after the other.

Yang Kai quickly sealed it up again, making it appear as though nothing had happened.

Ou Yang Lie took out a Universe Chart of the Black Ink Battlefield and, after a few comparisons, he determined that they were standing somewhere in the area of the Blue Sky Theatre that was once occupied by the Black Ink Clan. It was quite far from where Blue Sky Pass was originally positioned, much closer to the Royal City.

It was at Blue Sky Pass where Yang Kai had risen to prominence, bringing Purifying Light to the Human Race and designing the Purifying Black Ink Battleships, turning what had once been an ordinary Great Pass among many into a shining beacon of hope. 

Besides that, Yang Kai’s presence allowed Blue Sky Pass to establish the first forward outpost outside of a Royal City. Using the numerous Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens nearby, Blue Sky Pass set up numerous traps that inflicted heavy losses upon the Black Ink Clan, severely damaging the latter’s foundation in the Blue Sky Theatre.

This victory set the stage for a Crusade, with the Blue Sky Army becoming the first to conquer part of the Black Ink Clan’s territory, earning it a reputation that echoed through the ages.

Yang Kai also took out his Universe Chart and identified the direction they needed to go in, then led his 10 companions towards the depths of the void.

Ou Yang Lie followed behind him, completely puzzled, so he asked, “Junior Brother, aren’t we going in the wrong direction? The No-Return Pass is that way.”

The direction they were taking was completely different from where the No-Return Pass was located, leaving Ou Yang Lie confused.

Although Yang Kai was tempted to explain everything to him, he chose to hold his tongue, fearing the consequences, “Senior Brother, please be patient. I’ll explain everything once we arrive.”

Upon hearing that, Ou Yang Lie suppressed his doubts and followed silently.

Along the way, Yang Kai left several Space Beacons behind to be used as waypoints, knowing he would have to come back once he had escorted Ou Yang Lie and the others to their destination.

They passed by the Royal City that was once magnificent, but was now ravaged by the previous wars. The entire Universe World was in shambles and broken into numerous fragments, faintly showing the devastation from the battle millennia ago.

When the Blue Sky Army had set forth on their crusade, the Black Ink Clan’s forces in the Blue Sky Theatre had not fully recovered, so they were left defenceless against the formidable might of Blue Sky Pass. In the end, the Royal City was reduced to rubble and their Army was decimated. The Old Ancestor of Blue Sky Pass, aided by some of the strongest Eighth-Order Masters, had beheaded the Royal Lord in that battle.

The Royal Lord’s demise marked the complete defeat of the Black Ink Clan in the Blue Sky Theatre.

But that was all in the past now, and Yang Kai had long since left Blue Sky Pass. When Blue Sky Pass went on its crusade, Yang Kai was leading his comrades into battle as part of the Great Evolution Army. 

To avoid running into teams from the Black Ink Clan who were harvesting resources, the Humans had to venture deeper into the Black Ink Battlefield. Only by putting enough distance between themselves and the enemy could they avoid any disastrous encounters.

Only after a month’s journey beyond where the Royal City was located did Yang Kai stop and sweep the area with his Divine Sense. Here, there were many dead Universe Worlds with little evidence of mining, making it an obvious place for a fruitful harvest.

“This is the spot,” Yang Kai declared.

The Eighth-Order Masters didn’t object, except for Ou Yang Lie, who wore a dark expression and remained silent. He might be impulsive at times and not skilled in cunning schemes, but that didn’t mean he was stupid. The many signs on the way here made him understand that this mission might not be as straightforward as he had imagined.

There was a high chance that he got tricked by Big Head Mi!

While he was lost in thought, Yang Kai had already dispersed with the other nine Eighth-Orders Masters. He then opened the portal of his Small Universe, releasing all the cultivators stored inside. Besides them, there were many Warships, including two Purifying Black Ink Battleships.

Ou Yang Lie’s suspicion grew as he took in the sight before him. The cultivators who had been released were mostly of the Fourth and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, some were even in the Third-Order, and almost all of them were elderly, not the type of lineup one would expect for a significant combat mission. It was more like they were on a retirement trip.

Yang Kai turned to the Eighth-Order Masters and said, “I entrust this matter to you. Here is a Space Beacon for each of you. Please keep it close. Every 100 years or so, I will come to find you and collect the resources you’ve gathered.”

It would be troublesome to send everything back that tens of thousands of people had mined. Only Yang Kai could handle it personally. By handing over the Space Beacons, it would also be convenient for him to locate them in the future. As long as they weren’t too far away, Yang Kai could easily locate them and arrive instantly.

The Eighth-Order Masters accepted the Space Beacons and stored them carefully, except for Ou Yang Lie who was now glaring at Yang Kai with eyes spewing flames of anger.

With a wry smile, Yang Kai grabbed his arm and slapped a Space Beacon into his hand, apologising, “Senior Brother Ou Yang, if you have any questions, please ask the other Senior Brothers later. Junior Brother has other important matters to attend to and can’t stay long.”

The truth was, he couldn’t face Ou Yang Lie’s disappointment.

Turning his head, he reminded other Eighth-Order Masters, “If you encounter any danger that cannot be resolved, please lead everyone to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, where the Suppressing Black Ink Army is stationed and Dragon Clan Senior Fu Guang is assuming command.”ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ɴovᴇl(ꜰ)ir(e).nᴇt

This statement caught everyone off guard. They had never heard of the Suppressing Black Ink Army and had no idea that Supreme Headquarters had made such arrangements. Moreover, they were surprised to learn that the Dragon Clan’s Fu Guang, who had disappeared for so many years, was actually guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction this whole time.

One of the Eighth-Order Master immediately nodded and said, “Junior Brother may rest assured. Leave them to us and we shall protect them. But what’s this about the Suppressing Black Ink Army? Can you enlighten us about it?”

Everything regarding the Suppressing Black Ink Army had been done in secrecy previously to prevent news from spreading and affecting the morale of the Human Race, but there was no harm in sharing this information with these veteran Eighth-Order Masters.

Yang Kai thus briefly explained the situation with the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and Army. 

An Eighth-Order veteran suddenly realised, “No wonder so many elites were reassigned from the various battlefields by the Supreme Headquarters 130 years ago. It was all to form the Suppressing Black Ink Army!”

Another Master asked with concern, “Is the situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction serious?” 

“It’s still within a controllable range, and Senior Fu Guang is personally guarding that place, so there’s no need to worry,” Yang Kai replied.

With these words, everyone was relieved. Apart from Giant Spirit God Ah Er, who was still fighting the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Barren Territory, Divine Dragon Fu Guang was currently the strongest Master on the Human Race’s side. Having such a Master guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was indeed reassuring.

A moment later, under the gaze of the Eighth-Order Masters, Yang Kai took a step forward, and his figure gradually faded away.

Ou Yang Lie didn’t stop him, but turned to the other Eighth-Order Masters and asked through gritted teeth, “Shouldn’t you all give me an explanation now?”

One of the Eighth-Order Masters who had a good relationship with Ou Yang Lie sighed and stepped forward to explain the mission they were tasked with. 

Learning that this trip was not for any major battle, but just to oversee the gathering of resources, Ou Yang Lie furiously exclaimed, “Big Head Mi, I curse you and your Ancestors!” 

The Master quickly advised, “Junior Brother Ou Yang, calm down. Although there is no war here, this place is still of great significance to the Human Race. Our soldiers need resources for cultivation and healing, and with the current shortage, we can only resort to such measures. Even compared to killing enemies on the battlefield, our mission is no less important. We are all working for the future of the Human Race!”

“Right, right…” Another Master went along.

“Right my foot!” Ou Yang Lie exploded, his red hair blazing like fire and his whole body seeming to be burning up. He had left Profound Nether Territory for one reason, to kill the enemy on the battlefield, not to come here and babysit these Third, Fourth, and Fifth-Order cultivators tasked with mining resources.

In a fit of rage, he strode towards the depths of Black Ink Battlefield.

“Where are you going, Brother Ou Yang?” The Eighth-Order Master who tried to calm him down called out in alarm.

“I’m going to Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction! I’m joining the Suppressing Black Ink Army to kill the enemy!” His voice echoed as he flew off into the distance.

The other nine Masters looked at each other, unsure of whether to stop him or not. In the end, Ou Yang Lie disappeared without a trace.

After a while, one of them finally said, “Thank goodness he didn’t go to the No-Return Pass impulsively…”

Going to the No-Return Pass alone was a death sentence, but going to Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and joining the Suppressing Black Ink Army was still acceptable.

“Don’t worry, he’ll come back,” another Eighth-Order Master said.

“How do you know?” 

“Brother Ou Yang may not be from Great Battle Heaven, but ever since he ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he has fought on the Black Ink Battlefield. He has long become accustomed to military life, and he’s a true soldier. Although he has a foul temper, he won’t act recklessly in defiance of orders; otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed in Profound Nether Territory for so many years just to get his transfer order stamped,” the Master explained.

Everyone felt that what he said made sense. Ou Yang Lie’s behaviour was indeed like this. If he was someone who truly acted on impulse, he wouldn’t have stayed in Profound Nether Territory for so long.

As expected, half a day later, Ou Yang Lie appeared from the depths of the void, still a little mad, but his fury somewhat subsided. 

An Eighth-Order Master welcomed him back personally, patted his shoulder, and laughed, “Ou Yang Lie, just accept it. Isn’t this Mi Jing Lun’s favour to us old friends?”

Everyone understood why they were sent here to look after the mining team.

Each of them had experienced countless life-and-death crises, and each had accumulated many hidden injuries. As they got older, their conditions deteriorated, and some of them had already fallen from their peak state.

They all had great passion for protecting and serving the Human Race, but if the day came when the Human Race defeated the Black Ink Clan, cleared the ashes of war, and rebuilt order, the experience of the older generation would be an indispensable guide for the new generation.

Sending them here to look after this resource-gathering team was not only Mi Jing Lun’s favour, but also for the future of the Human Race!

Ou Yang Lie immediately snorted, “Do I need him to take care of me? I’m still strong, and age has only made me tougher! If we’re going to fight the Black Ink Clan, what are we old guys good for if we don’t lead the way and instead shove all the heavy burdens onto those young brats?”