Martial Peak

Chapter 5549: A Turtle Hiding in Its Shell?

The Star Boundary was currently the most important stronghold of the entire Human Race. Likewise, High Heaven Palace was also very well-known. Yang Xiao and the others, who came from High Heaven Palace, were extremely strong, so they were naturally famous among the Hunters. Not to mention, quite a lot of the Hunters hiding in the shadows here had been rescued by the High Heaven Palace Squad in the past.

After realising that the attacking party was none other than the High Heaven Palace Squad, the hidden Hunters no longer hesitated.

“Everyone, when else will we fight if not now!?” One of the Hunter Squads leapt out impatiently. It was hard to tell which Great Force the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the lead came from, but he gave a loud shout and rushed ahead with his companions, evidently planning to help out in the battle.

It was certainly impossible for stray soldiers like themselves to contend against the Black Ink Clan Army of 100,000; however, the current situation was different. Two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were taking the lead, and three extremely powerful Squads were with them. If they stepped forward at this time, they would be just in time to help. They had been waiting for so many days just for the sake of an opportunity like this after all.

“Kill!” With someone taking the lead, others quickly followed.

In an instant, numerous Hunter Squads revealed themselves from the shadows. Some raised their arms above their heads and shouted with great fighting spirit. Some remained silent, but their murderous intent blazed around them.

“What a bunch of fools!” One of the other Hunters lamented, “Why are they making such a racket!? Isn’t it better for us to sneak up and catch the enemy by surprise?”

This person was clearly used to acting stealthily; thus, he was very annoyed by the actions of the other Squads who revealed their whereabouts. Despite his complaints, he also rushed forward with the rest of them. There was no helping it. Everybody had already revealed themselves, so there was no point if he alone remained hidden.

Out of the Black Ink Clan Army of 100,000, more than 10% of them died in just 10 breaths of time. Leaving aside an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Feng Ying, the other three Squads were also filled with talented people and there was no lack of Seventh-Order level Masters among them.

On the other hand, there were no Territory Lords in this Black Ink Clan Army. The Feudal Lords were their strongest Masters here, so faced with so many Human powerhouses, they could only wait to be slaughtered despite having the absolute advantage in terms of numbers. 

It was important to note that this situation was playing out under the premise that everybody was already injured. If they were at their peak strength, then they would have butchered the Black Ink Clansmen even faster.

Yang Kai did not make a move as he had to find the location of the portal to the Universe Cave Heaven as soon as possible and open it. Only then could he enter the Universe Cave Heaven to recuperate from his injuries.

The energy in the surroundings was extremely chaotic, which made it slightly harder for him to search for the portal. Fortunately, his attainments in the Dao of Space were extraordinary, so it was not difficult for him to find what he was looking for as long as he concentrated.

A short while later, Yang Kai figured out the general location of the portal. The next steps were simple as he only needed to manipulate Space Principles to force open the gateway. Having done similar actions many times in the past, this was not difficult for Yang Kai.

Before he could open the portal though, he suddenly perceived something and turned to look around. Streams of light were rushing over from all directions. Some of them were yelling loudly while others were unleashing fierce murderous intent.

[Hunters?] He quickly figured out their identity.

These Hunters had been hiding in the shadows, but seeing the battle break out, they immediately revealed themselves. It was clear that they were here to help. Moreover, their numbers were not low. There were at least 1,000 of them altogether. With so many people whose strengths were fairly impressive, they were enough to form a Battalion on their own.

They had chosen not to enter the formal Army, refusing to fight the Black Ink Clan on the dozen or so frontline Great Territories. This was not due to their fear of death though; if they feared death, they would not have chosen to become Hunters. The dangers that Hunters faced were no less than the dangers of fighting on the front lines. In fact, fighting on the front lines was not very dangerous as long as the Army did not collapse. On the other hand, Hunters were bound to die if they accidentally encountered a large Black Ink Clan Army or a Territory Lord.

It was just that everybody had their own way of living. Some preferred a life of excitement, some were not suitable for large-scale military operations, and some believed that Hunters had higher chances of obtaining more resources to increase their strength. There were many different reasons for their choices, but regardless of their motives or methods, they were fighting the Black Ink Clan and contributing to the future of the Human Race.

At this moment, these Hunters leapt out from the shadows just when Yang Kai and Feng Ying were leading their three Squads against the enemy. It could be said that their arrival was extremely timely.

A short while later, the Hunters who rushed out from all directions joined the battle. The situation of the Black Ink Clan Army became worse and worse as a result, and the 100,000 troops reduced in numbers at a speed that was visible to the naked eye.

Yang Kai ignored the massacre around him. At this moment, he was manipulating Space Principles to forcibly open the portal of the Universe Cave Heaven. Thanks to his efforts, a spinning vortex gradually appeared in the Void. The vague aura of another world wafted from within. The vortex seemed slightly turbulent when it first appeared; however, it did not take long for it to stabilise completely.

“Yang Xiao, enter!” Yang Kai shouted.

“Yes!” Yang Xiao, who was killing an enemy, quickly agreed before he rushed into the portal.

At the same time, the trapped Humans inside the Universe Cave Heaven were staring at the vortex that was gradually emerging in the Void with solemn expressions.

The portal was being forced open! For them, that was extremely bad news. The reason they were safe and sound was that the portal to the Universe Cave Heaven had remained closed all this time. They had a chance of survival if they remained hidden inside the Universe Cave Heaven, but the Black Ink Clan would surely pour into the Universe Cave Heaven now that the portal was forcibly opened. How many of them would survive if that were to happen?

With several Squads in the lead, Warships floated in the air. Meanwhile, Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters stood at the ready and communicated with each other through their Divine Senses. Regardless of the circumstances, if the portal was forcibly opened, then their only option was to fight!

Soon, there were faint traces of somebody trying to enter the portal, so they immediately gathered their strength to teach him a harsh lesson as soon as they appeared.

In the next moment, a voice came from the outside and entered the Universe Cave Heaven.

“I am Yang Kai of the Star Boundary. Please do not panic!” The striking voice reverberated throughout the Universe Cave Heaven.

Hearing those words stunned many of the Humans gathering their strength, and then they became overjoyed. That was especially true for those standing on the Warships as they all looked pleasantly surprised.

Yang Kai was here! No wonder the portal was being forcibly opened. They initially thought that it was the work of the Black Ink Clan, but it turned out to be the work of Yang Kai.

Out of the 10,000 Humans hidden here, most of them had heard of Yang Kai’s name. Nevertheless, only those on the Warships had a deeper understanding of his strength. That was because they were warriors who had come from the Black Ink Battlefield!

These Squads were responsible for gathering and evacuating the Humans in Acacia Territory. Unfortunately, they were unlucky and failed to leave in time several decades ago. With no other choice, they could only remain hidden inside this Universe Cave Heaven.

Yang Kai was highly proficient in the Dao of Space, which was not a secret on the Black Ink Battlefield. He once opened countless Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises scattered outside Blue Sky Pass, Yin-Yang Pass, and Myriad Demons Pass, allowing a large number of traps and ambushes to be set inside that killed many Black Ink Clansmen.

If it was truly Yang Kai, then it was not strange for him to be capable of forcing open the portal here.

In the next moment, Yang Xiao rushed out of the vortex in bloodied white clothes. He did not know that a Yang Kai had already sent a voice transmission through, so he hurriedly shouted as soon as he appeared, “I am Yang Xiao of the Star Boundary. I am not part of the Black Ink Clan! Everyone, please do not attack!”

It was not hard to guess the thoughts of those hiding inside the Universe Cave Heaven, which was why he immediately revealed his identity as soon as he entered. It was to prevent himself from being mistaken for a Black Ink Clansman and then being bombarded from all sides. Even if he was part of the Dragon Clan, he would not get away unscathed if he was attacked by a massive, desperate mob.

After revealing his identity, he immediately activated his power to protect himself. In fact, he would have revealed his Dragon Form if not for the fear that he might cause further unnecessary misunderstandings.

Looking around, he saw a large group of people staring at him from all directions. He even sensed the energy fluctuations coming from those who had gathered their World Force and his heart pounded in anxiety. Still, he quickly composed himself and cupped his fist, “Star Boundary’s Yang Xiao greets Fellow Brothers and Sisters.”

He couldn’t help feeling a sense of lingering fear. [Thank goodness for my quick-wittedness. If I had not introduced myself immediately, I would have been beaten to a pulp by now. How can Adoptive Father do this to me? How can he ask me to carry out such a dangerous task? Doesn’t he cherish me?]

One of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters came forward and cupped his fist, “Red Sun Army’s Li Zi Yu greets Fellow Daoist Brother. What is the current situation outside?”

Li Zi Yu of the Red Sun Army was also a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Although Yang Xiao looked young, they were both Seventh-Order level Masters, so it was not wrong for him to address the latter as ‘Fellow Daoist Brother’.

Yang Xiao hastily answered, “My Adoptive Father was ordered to come and rescue all of you. The Black Ink Clan Army is currently laying siege outside the Universe Cave Heaven, and Adoptive Father is confronting the enemy.”

Li Zi Yu was very doubtful, but that could not be helped; after all, Yang Xiao was covered in blood. Not only were his injuries severe, but it was also evident that he had gone through a tough battle as his aura was fluctuating a bit unstably.

Be that as it may, Li Zi Yu raised his arms above his head and shouted, “Everyone, reinforcements have arrived to rescue us! Follow me onto the battlefield!”

10,000 people immediately cheered in excitement.

They had been trapped in here for several decades now. With the Black Ink Clan Army laying siege outside, they did not dare to leave arbitrarily; however, they knew they were not safe despite hiding inside this Universe Cave Heaven. If the Black Ink Clan forcefully shook the nearby Void, there was a chance that they might discover the portal and the people hiding within. As a result, these people had been living in dread and anxiety over the past few decades. It was only natural for them to be overjoyed upon hearing that rescue had arrived.

When Li Zi Yu raised his arms above his head and shouted, he immediately received an overwhelming response.

“Wait! Wait!” Yang Xiao hurriedly stopped them, “Adoptive Father is planning to enter soon. Please don’t be so impatient.”

Li Zi Yu immediately objected, “They can’t come in! If they come in, then we’ll all become turtles hiding in our shells! While Brother Yang is fighting the enemy outside, we should take this opportunity to rush out and support him. That’s the only method to escape being trapped inside here!”

Having been stuck in here for several dozen years, they knew the pain of being trapped inside such a small place. That was why it was not a wise move for Yang Kai to enter the Universe Cave Heaven. On the contrary, that would be equivalent to binding his hands and feet. It was easy enough to enter, but extremely difficult to leave.

Yang Xiao sighed. How could he not know something as simple as that? But…

“The situation is complicated. Er… Territory Lords are pursuing us. In addition, Adoptive Father and the others are severely injured. They need to come inside and recuperate first.”

“Territory Lords!” Li Zi Yu’s expression changed slightly.

After the crusade, all the Territory Lords at the time were slaughtered, so the current Territory Lords were all Innate Territory Lords who came directly from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, each one of them possessing extremely high strength.

If Yang Kai was being chased by Territory Lords, then he probably came here to escape danger.

During their conversation, a constant stream of people rushed in through the vortex. As many as several dozen people emerged in the blink of an eye.

Yang Xiao looked over but did not recognise any of them, figuring they were the Hunters who had appeared out of nowhere earlier.