Martial Peak

Chapter 5700: On the Hunt

The main reason Mo Na Ye had not taken action previously was so that he did not interfere with the healing process of the Territory Lords; however, interrupting their healing was nothing compared to the dangers of the current situation.

The Black Ink Nest Space continued to vibrate, sending urgent signals to the outside world. Consequently, the Territory Lords who were sleeping and healing inside the incompletely hatched High-Rank Black Ink Nests across the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield were startled awake.

It did not take long before figures began to appear in the Black Ink Nest Space, each one representing one of the High-Rank Black Ink Nests. Although these Territory Lords who had been disturbed from their healing process were not in a good mood, they did not dare to express their dissatisfaction in front of a Pseudo-Royal Lord like Mo Na Ye. Hence, they simply stood there respectfully and waited quietly.

Mo Na Ye kept counting the number of consciousnesses who arrived until no other figures appeared. In the end, though, there were four fewer presences than there should have been!

Mo Na Ye’s complexion went pale as he realized that no matter how cautious he had been, he was still one step behind the enemy. The four missing figures in the Black Ink Nest Space meant that four High-Rank Black Ink Nests had been destroyed! Needless to say, the Territory Lords treating their wounds inside those High-Rank Black Ink Nests were bound to have suffered tragic fates.

That was nearly 60 Innate Territory Lords! A massive loss!

Calculating the position and distance between the four High-Rank Black Ink Nests, Mo Na Ye immediately concluded that Yang Kai was the assailant as only he could cross the space between those four High-Rank Black Ink Nests in such a short time or destroy the Black Ink Nests and slaughter those Territory Lords with such efficiency!

[The message transmitted to the communication bead earlier was definitely not sent by Yang Kai himself! That bastard tricked me! He considered everything and even took countermeasures based on how I would react! Hateful!]

“Sir, did something happen?” One of the Innate Territory Lords raised the question after noticing the strange expression on Mo Na Ye’s face.

Mo Na Ye quickly composed himself and replied, “You don’t need to hide anymore. Head to the No-Return Pass as quickly as possible. We will make arrangements to receive you. If you meet a Human Master along the way… Do not fight him. He is very strong and possesses numerous dangerous methods. He is not somebody you can defeat.”

The expressions of the Territory Lords stiffened in shock at those words. Just what kind of Human Race Master could frighten a Pseudo-Royal Lord so badly?

Another Innate Territory Lord thus asked, “Sir, what should we do if we encounter this person?”

Mo Na Ye answered decisively, “Scatter and flee so that as many of you can escape as possible.”

“What about the Black Ink Nests?” Yet another Territory Lord inquired.

If they were going to escape, then it was only natural for them to abandon the Black Ink Nests. Unfortunately, High-Rank Black Ink Nests were extremely important and valuable to the Black Ink Clan. They were also the highest quality Black Ink Nests produced directly in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Every High-Rank Black Ink Nest contained a trace of the Supreme One’s Source Strength. Even Mo Na Ye could not bring himself to abandon them so easily.

After a moment of deep contemplation, Mo Na Ye made his decision, “Bring the Black Ink Nests with you, but if the situation turns disadvantageous, abandon them immediately! Now go!”

Mo Na Ye gave a wave of his hand, and the Territory Lords departed. It did not take long before numerous Territory Lords flew out from the High-Rank Black Ink Nests scattered across the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. With a surge of Black Ink Strength, they retrieved the Black Ink Nests before they began rushing towards the No-Return Pass from all directions.

Inside the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye personally took action and headed out to meet the Territory Lords. Many powerful Innate Territory Lords also formed Four Symbols and Five Elements Formations as they began spreading out.

Almost all of the Territory Lords in the No-Return Pass were dispatched, leaving only Royal Lord Mo Yu and Pseudo-Royal Lord Meng Que, with a dozen or so Territory Lords in charge of arranging and activating the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array at any moment just in case Yang Kai decided to attack.

Inside a certain Universe Fragment, the hidden Sun Zhao could not help trembling in fear as he detected many overwhelming auras approaching from afar and then speeding into the distance quickly. Instinctively, he knew that the movements of these Masters were related to the Dao Lord. Although he wanted to send a message to warn the Dao Lord, he had neither the power nor the means to take such action. The only thing he could do was pray for the Dao Lord’s safety in secret.

Deep in the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai stood in the middle of some ruins. He had just discovered yet another High-Rank Black Ink Nest and annihilated all the Territory Lords hidden within.

This was the second High-Rank Black Ink Nest that he destroyed since he returned from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Combined with the previous two Black Ink Nests, a total of four had been destroyed by him. He had slaughtered nearly 60 Innate Territory Lords by this point.

Be that as it may, Yang Kai did not show the slightest hint of joy. His achievements only revealed just how many of the Black Ink Clan’s hidden forces were scattered around the Black Ink Battlefield. He had to find as many hidden Territory Lords and Black Ink Nests as he could before the No-Return Pass realised what was happening and took countermeasures.

Taking out the small Black Ink Nest that he obtained outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai frowned slightly. The small Black Ink Nest had started to vibrate once more when he was killing the Territory Lords earlier; furthermore, the vibrations were much stronger than previously.

Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering what the Black Ink Clan was trying to accomplish. The Black Ink Nest had fallen silent by now, but he did not dare to pour his Divine Sense into it to investigate, lest he expose himself.

Turning to look in the direction of the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai wondered whether that brat called Sun Zhao was safe. The urgency of the situation and the lack of suitable helpers left Yang Kai with no other options at the time. He was forced to randomly choose a disciple from the Void Dao Temple to hide outside the No-Return Pass and hold the communication bead on his behalf. In this way, he could create the illusion that he was still there to confuse Mo Na Ye and buy himself some more time.

Putting the miniature Black Ink Nest away, Yang Kai embarked on his bloody journey to search for Black Ink Nests once more. Time was running out, so he continuously activated Space Principles, causing his figure to flicker across the void erratically. Thanks to his previous experiences, Yang Kai had gained some understanding regarding where Mo Na Ye had positioned these High-Rank Black Ink Nests.

Several days later, Yang Kai was passing by a dead Universe World when he suddenly turned around and landed at a certain spot, looking around with a slight frown as soon as he touched the ground. There were strong traces of the Black Ink Strength remaining in this area, which was rather abnormal. Moreover, traces were indicating that something had once been attached to the ground. Judging by the size, the object was not small.

[A Black Ink Nest!] It would seem that there used to be a High-Rank Black Ink Nest here; however, the Black Ink Clan had used various means to remove it. That was why there were hints of the Black Ink Strength lingering in the area and traces of something being attached here.

Recalling how the small Black Ink Nest he obtained previously had vibrated strongly, Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing. [Mo Na Ye, that bastard! Does he have a dog’s nose? How does he have such a keen sense of smell!? I’ve only destroyed four Black Ink Nests so far! How did he notice so quickly?]

There was no way the Black Ink Nest positioned here would be removed for no reason, not unless there was an order from the higher-ups of the Black Ink Clan. Seeing as Mo Na Ye was currently in charge of all the Black Ink Clan’s affairs, the order could only have come from him.

It would seem that Yang Kai’s precautions were not enough to fool Mo Na Ye. There was no room for carelessness in a battle of wits against an enemy like Mo Na Ye. If even the slightest flaw existed, the other party would eventually deduce the truth from the various insignificant clues. Nevertheless, Yang Kai did not expect this moment to arrive so soon even though he had mentally prepared himself for this situation when Wu Kuang repaired the flaw in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.

After a brief pause, Yang Kai soared into the sky and rushed in the direction of the No-Return Pass.

The Territory Lords who escaped out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction previously had hidden themselves outside the No-Return Pass under Mo Na Ye’s orders. The reason for this was simple; Mo Na Ye did not wish for their presence to be exposed because he planned on catching the Human Race by surprise at a critical moment in the war. Now that these Territory Lords’ presence had been exposed though, it was only natural for Mo Na Ye to prioritise their safety. From his point of view, the best solution to the current situation was for them to head towards the No-Return Pass immediately.

Yang Kai knew that he could not intercept all of the Territory Lords. That was an unrealistic notion. Be that as it may, he could put his best effort into hunting down as many of them as possible as they gathered towards the No-Return Pass. In doing so, he could relieve some of the pressure that the Human Race would face in the future.

[I still have a chance…]

Not only were the Territory Lords heavily wounded, but they were also carrying the half-hatched High-Rank Black Ink Nests with them. In terms of speed, it was impossible for them to compete with Yang Kai who was proficient in the Dao of Space.

Furthermore, Mo Na Ye had placed them far away from the No-Return Pass to prevent these Territory Lords and Black Ink Nests from being discovered by Yang Kai. These positions were generally located beyond the ruins of previous Royal Cities scattered throughout various Theatres; hence, the distance between these positions and the No-Return Pass was extremely vast.

When Yang Kai travelled from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass under Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s orders, it took him more than a year without using Space Secret Techniques. Comparatively, the ruins of previous Royal Cities were located far beyond each Great Pass, which would add several more months of travel to a journey.

Even if these Territory Lords could move faster than the Yang Kai of the past, they were destined to spend at least half a year to arrive at the No-Return Pass. That would allow Yang Kai to ambush them.

Half a day later, Yang Kai spotted a cloud of dense Black Ink Strength in the distance. With time being of the essence, Yang Kai did not bother to conceal his arrival. In any case, the murderous intent wrapped around him during the chase could not be hidden.

At the same time that Yang Kai sensed this group of Territory Lords, the Territory Lords also discovered his presence. Their Divine Senses surged as they quickly communicated among themselves.

“Is that an Eighth-Order Human?”

“Yes, it’s an Eighth-Order Human Master!”

“Split up and flee!”

“Why are we fleeing? It’s just an Eighth-Order Human!”

“But, Sir Mo Na Ye ordered us to split up and flee if we encountered a Human Race Master!”

“Sir Mo Na Ye was probably referring to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. This guy is just an Eighth-Order…”

“He’s already here! How is he so fast?!”

…..

The endlessly surging Divine Senses froze at that moment as a Full Moon rose alongside a Great Sun into the void. At the same time, Time and Space became chaotic in the local area. The Territory Lords felt their perceptions becoming completely disrupted as a result. In the next moment, the wounded Territory Lords were horrified to discover that they could neither speak nor move. Not only did the space around them become extremely warped, but they couldn’t even perceive the passage of time properly…

Naturally, they were terrified. It was only at this moment that they understood the warning Mo Na Ye gave them. If they encountered a Human Race Master, they absolutely should not try to fight. On the contrary, they should immediately split up and escape so that as many of them could flee as possible. This person’s methods were strange indeed, far beyond their ability to comprehend.

The Territory Lord who previously looked down on the approaching Human for only being in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm was filled with a deep sense of regret. He initially thought that killing an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master when there were so many Innate Territory Lords on their side would be effortless even if they were wounded; however, it only took a single breath for him to become the fish on the chopping block instead.

He was secretly resentful that Mo Na Ye had not given them a more detailed explanation. As a result, he had mistakenly assumed that Mo Na Ye was warning them that a Ninth-Order Master was prowling around and thus stupidly underestimated the Eighth-Order Human before him.

The power of the Sun and Moon Divine Seal exploded as both Time and Space in the vast void were stretched and distorted wildly. It felt like there was an invisible millstone of Space-Time Strength grinding everything to dust.