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Translator: Silavin & Tia
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
When it came to who killed the most Royal Lords over the past thousands of years, it would undoubtedly be Fu Guang. There were precedents where Ninth-Order Old Ancestors had successfully killed Royal Lords on the Black Ink Battlefield, but no Ninth-Order Old Ancestor had ever killed as many Royal Lords cumulatively. It was just that Fu Guang’s impressive battle record was due to special circumstances, so his achievements could not be replicated.
Under Wu Kuang’s full control, the gap that was opened in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction could only allow Territory Lords to pass through safely. The same could not be said for the Royal Lords.
The only consequence of forcing their way through the gap was being injured by the Grand Restriction as well as suffering bombardment from the Suppressing Black Ink Army. Accordingly, none of the Royal Lords who charged out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction came out intact. Most of them only had 70% of their strength left, so how could they survive against a Master like Fu Guang?
Wu Kuang paid a heavy price for this feat though. Although he was now a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he needed to exert all his strength to control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. For that reason, even his cultivation had been set aside. When Yang Kai came to ask him about the situation, he only spared a few words before cutting off their contact, apparently worried that he might make a mistake that would lead to irreparable damage.
The situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was stable for the time being, so there was nothing for Yang Kai to worry about. In reality, there was nothing he could do either.
He even took the time to travel to the Chaotic Dead Territory and delivered a generous amount of Five Elements materials to Zhang Ruo Xi. Although he left some for her last time, that was only enough to last 1,000 years. Now that several hundred years had passed, she had probably exhausted most of them already.
Having not seen Ruo Xi for so many years, the increase in her strength was very obvious. Compared to when she first advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, her aura had undoubtedly become several times more substantial. The reason behind everything was the continuous refinement of her Heaven’s Order Bloodline and the increase in the heritage of her Small Universe. That was especially true for the latter reason.
Ordinary cultivators had to refine a full set of Seven Elements materials to maintain balance in their Small Universe, but Zhang Ruo Xi had the help of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, so she only needed to refine Five Elements Power while pure Yin and Yang were simply supplied directly to her. As a result, her cultivation period was reduced by some 30% compared to ordinary cultivators.
Both Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan attached great importance to Ruo Xi’s cultivation. Over the years, they had been encouraging her to cultivate the Five Elements materials without the slightest pause.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruo Xi herself had the kind of character that could endure great loneliness and hardship. Knowing that she would only shine brightly in the upcoming war if she became stronger, she had doubled her diligence over the past few years. In this way, it was only natural for her strength to grow in leaps and bounds.
In the blink of an eye, 1,000 years had passed since Yang Kai reached an agreement with Mo Na Ye to receive 30% of the cultivation resources from the Black Ink Clan.
Over the past 1,000 years, Yang Kai not only travelled to the Chaotic Dead Territory and the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but also the No-Return Pass. He had ferried the resources gained by the Human Race Masters from various places to the Supreme Headquarters, perfectly acting as a delivery man, providing the best guarantee for the cultivation of the Human Race Masters.
When Yang Kai was weak, months and years seemed like an extremely long time, but now that he was stronger, 1,000 years was nothing to be bothered about. Especially considering the war between both Races had lasted for hundreds of thousands of years
Yang Kai had not been actively cultivating over the recent years, but he would still take time to contemplate the Grand Daos of Space and Time during his downtime. Even so, he had reached the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
His Small Universe had been expanded to its limits and he could clearly perceive the invisible shackles surrounding it, restricting him from further improvements to his strength. These were the inherent shackles produced by the Open Heaven Realm method. Aside from the Heaven’s Order Bloodline that Zhang Ruo Xi carried, which allowed her to ignore these shackles, nobody had ever succeeded in breaking these bonds since ancient times.
Inside the Main Hall of the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye was reading various reports regarding the front lines. One of the battlefields had suffered a strong attack from the Human Race and experienced heavy losses recently, so the number of troops there needed to be replenished. The Territory Lords of another battlefield had been slaughtered, so more Masters needed to be transferred over…
Recently, he could clearly sense that the battle between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race had become more fierce. That was not just caused by the continuous development of the situation, but also the increasing number of Masters among the two Races.
After so many years, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and the Territory Lords were no longer comparable to when the invasion of the 3,000 Worlds began. The more Masters there were, the more fierce the battles became.
Mo Na Ye had a vague feeling in his heart that the current situation between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race would not last for much longer. When the Masters of both Races reached a critical number, or some external factor was triggered, the flames of war would fully erupt and engulf the entire Universe.
Mo Na Ye had been helping Royal Lord Mo Yu manage the affairs of the Black Ink Clan for many years now, so he naturally knew how to deal with the situation at hand. The only thing that troubled him was the other Pseudo-Royal Lord, Meng Que.
Ever since Meng Que advanced to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord, he had been restless and anxious, wanting nothing more than to slaughter the Human Race Masters to prove his strength. Fortunately, the Royal Lord did not allow him to act. Leaving aside their agreement with Yang Kai, it was problematic for a Pseudo-Royal Lord to appear on the battlefield. Even without the agreement, Meng Que was one of the Black Ink Clan’s hidden trump cards, so how could they reveal their hand so easily?
Slaying a small number of Human Race Masters would not affect the larger picture, so Meng Que should only reveal himself during a critical situation. It would be best if he could reverse the power balance between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race in one fell swoop, which would lay the foundation for the success of the Black Ink Clan.
Besides, Mo Na Ye suspected that there were new Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among the Human Race. Take Xiang Shan for example. It had been many years since he disappeared. Even if Meng Que made an appearance, the Humans might not be helpless against him.
Mo Na Ye had considered the best interests of the Black Ink Clan and Meng Que, but Meng Que refused to understand his kindness, becoming more and more presumptuous over the years. When the Royal Lord forbade him from leaving the No-Return Pass, Meng Que had the brilliant idea of splitting authority instead.
Therefore, Mo Na Ye couldn’t help feeling a headache. A dozen Innate Territory Lords had performed the Source Fusion Technique, so why did Meng Que have to succeed?
Mo Na Ye prided himself on being able to see the bigger picture while not being blinded by authority and power. Everything he did was for the sake of the Black Ink Clan to one day dominate the Universe; hence, he naturally refused to split his authority with Meng Que. Having handled the affairs of the Black Ink Clan for so long, Mo Na Ye knew better than anybody about the difference between one compared to two people issuing orders. Fortunately, the Royal Lord favoured Mo Na Ye. Faced with Meng Que’s many requests, Mo Yu only focused on soothing Meng Que and did not actually promise the latter anything.
It was just that Meng Que had hung around, and his nonsense was very grating on the ears. Mo Na Ye tried his best to ignore Meng Que’s rantings as he conveyed order after order, until one day, all of a sudden, wild laughter mixed with joy came from somewhere.
Inside the Main Hall, Mo Na Ye, who was processing various reports, and Meng Que, who was chattering away endlessly, couldn’t help glancing at each other. They both saw the doubts in each other’s eyes.
If their guess was correct… The laughter belonged to the Royal Lord. Moreover, the source of the laughter was the Black Ink Nest where the Royal Lord was currently inhabiting.
Mo Na Ye hurriedly stood up and rushed outside. Not to be outdone, Meng Que hurriedly followed.
The laughter was very hearty, lasting for quite a while. When the two Pseudo-Royal Lords arrived in front of the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, the Royal Lord Mo Yu’s laughter gradually subsided and a voice came from inside, “Come in!”
Mo Na Ye was about to step forward, but Meng Que deliberately took a step ahead and walked ahead of him. Used to this kind of behaviour, Mo Na Ye just quietly followed behind.
Very soon, the two Pseudo-Royal Lords stood before the Black Ink Clan’s true Royal Lord in the depths of the Black Ink Nest.
Meng Que was the first to speak, “Sir, did something joyous happen?”
Mo Yu nodded with a happy expression, “Indeed. Something joyous has occurred.”
He did not explain himself clearly. People generally became cheerful during joyous occasions, and the Black Ink Clan was no exception. Instead, he probed his two closest aides for their thoughts, “Tell me, where does this joy come from?”
Meng Que was stunned and did not know what to say in response. It was true that he was a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but he had always been known for his bad temper and straightforward temperament. Wit and intelligence were not his strong points. He frowned and pondered for a moment, then laughed in embarrassment, “Sir, this subordinate can’t think of an answer!”
“Keep thinking and speak whatever comes to mind!” Mo Yu said lightly.
Meng Que tentatively made a guess, “The Black Ink Clan enjoyed a huge victory on the front lines and slaughtered countless Human Race Masters?”
If that was the case, it made sense for the Royal Lord’s cheerful demeanour.
Mo Yu glanced at Meng Que quietly without confirming or denying the statement. Then, he glanced towards the silent Mo Na Ye, “What do you think, Mo Na Ye?”
Mo Na Ye considered the question and replied, “Has progress been made at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Mo Yu laughed, “Correct! You’re as smart as usual, Mo Na Ye. We have indeed made progress at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
Mo Na Ye smiled with pride but looked neither smug nor overly humble.
Meng Que instantly became upset and grumbled, “How did you know?”
Mo Na Ye ignored Meng Que and thought to himself scornfully, [It’s so obvious, only a fool like you would not realise the truth.]
Then, he heard the Royal Lord speaking, “Explain it to him.”
Since the Royal Lord had spoken, Mo Na Ye could only obey, “Over the years, the Royal Lord has remained quietly in the Black Ink Nest without taking a single step outside. I have been managing all the affairs of the Black Ink Clan’s war efforts. Under ordinary circumstances, I have refrained from disturbing Sir Royal Lord with matters regarding the front lines. Even if we attained a great victory on the battlefields and slaughtered countless Human Race Masters, the news would reach me first. Since I was not informed of such matters, then it must not be related to the front lines.”
“Moreover, Sir Royal Lord has always remained in contact with those in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. 1,000 years ago, Sir once mentioned that our clansmen were trying to find another gap in the Grand Restriction; hence, the reason for Sir’s joy must be thanks to good news from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.”
Meng Que frowned at the explanation. Although Mo Na Ye had explained the situation clearly, he remained unconvinced.
Mo Yu followed up, “Meng Que, you should learn more from Mo Na Ye. Strength alone is not enough against the Human Race. You need to use your wits. You know what happened to Di Wu back then. Nothing good will come from underestimating the Humans.”
Meng Que calmed down and bowed, “Meng Que will never forget your order, Sir.”
Mo Na Ye asked, “Sir, what was the news you received from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Mo Yu grinned, “A group has succeeded in sneaking out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
That was extremely sensitive and confidential information. If it were an ordinary Black Ink Clansman, then they naturally had no right to know such information; however, the ones standing here were two Pseudo-Royal Lords, which was why Mo Yu did not bother to hide anything from them.
(╭ ರ_⊙) Great
With that Meng Que’s personality, though, it might not be a good idea to tell him that