Martial Peak

Yuan Du’s attitude made Gu Ling’er and the others, who calmed down earlier, become nervous again. Crowding around Yang Kai, they mobilised their World Force and prepared to attack at any moment. There was bound to be some trouble if they killed Yang Kai here, but compared to their identities as Black Ink Disciples being exposed, they had no other choice. Besides, they only needed to come up with a random excuse. They could claim that Yang Kai became lustful and made unwanted advances towards Gu Ling’er. In this situation, those claims would be enough to conceal the truth; after all, his image as a heartless thief had been deeply engraved into the hearts of the people. Having abandoned Gu Pan after thoughtless sleeping with her, it would not be strange for him to set his eyes on Gu Ling’er’s beauty. Yang Kai looked around him flatly. His ice-cold gaze frightened Gu Ling’er and the others. They couldn’t help remembering the scene of their battle against him during the training. With the strength he previously displayed, it was extremely easy for him to defeat them. That was why they hoped from the bottom of their hearts that this battle would never break out, regardless of Yuan Du’s intentions. “Senior…” Yang Kai’s head drooped low, and his voice was low, “One’s Small Universe is one’s greatest privacy. It is not something that can be investigated so casually. This Junior understands that you have doubts about my identity; however, this Junior has already provided proof earlier. Why are you being so insistent, Senior?” Yuan Du quickly said, “I have to be absolutely sure!” Yang Kai raised his head, looked Yuan Du straight in the eyes, and grinned fiercely, “Senior, since you know that I am a Grand Dragon, you should also know that it won’t be easy for you to kill me even if we are inside your Small Universe. If it comes down to a fight, I will definitely suffer, but it won’t end well for you either, Senior.” Yuan Du’s expression changed slightly, “Are you threatening me?” “I wouldn’t dare. I’m just telling you about the current situation, Senior,” Yang Kai smiled in a carefree manner. Gu Ling’er and the others were stunned. Yang Kai had always been polite and courteous. He was also unusually humble in front of an Elder like Yuan Du. For him to become so intimidating all of a sudden made him seem like a different person altogether, so it was rather difficult for them to adjust to the change. Thinking about it again though, it was true that he had the qualifications to speak to Yuan Du as equals on account of his identity as a Grand Dragon. It was just that his identity as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master caused everybody to subconsciously forget about his terrifying combat prowess when he transformed into a Grand Dragon. Showing Yuan Du due respect as a Junior was nothing more than a courtesy. If any of them thought of him as nothing more than an ordinary Junior because of his behaviour, then they were greatly mistaken. “It’s bad enough if that’s all that will happen. But, if the aftermath of our battle leaks to the outside, our identities as Black Ink Disciples will also be revealed to Lang Ya Paradise. The consequences of that will be disastrous!” Yang Kai took a light breath. Yuan Du’s expression was unfriendly and his voice was frigid, “This King is well aware of that, but if you are not a Black Ink Disciple… Our identities will also be exposed to the world; therefore, no matter what happens, I must check your Small Universe today!” Yang Kai furrowed his eyebrows tightly, “Why must you do this, Senior!?” “What are you hiding!?” Yuan Du shouted. The more Yang Kai refused, the more uneasy he felt. [I just want to check his Small Universe. Is there a need for him to react so strongly? Unless he is not a real Black Ink Disciple! But, I clearly saw him mobilising the Black Ink Strength just now! I just don’t understand!] Yang Kai fell into silent contemplation for some time. A long while passed before he gave a long sigh, “You’re right, Senior. I am hiding some secrets, but they have nothing to do with my identity as a Black Ink Disciple. Forget it; even if it comes down to a fight, it won’t end well for anybody. Since you are so persistent, Senior, this Junior will do as you wish!” While saying so, he activated his World Force. The illusory phantom of his Small Universe appeared behind him. However, he did not show them his entire Small Universe. He only showed them the part where he had suppressed and Sealed the Black Ink Strength. At this moment, he was secretly glad that he collected all the Black Ink Strength left behind after Shi Zheng’s death into his Small Universe to suppress and seal; otherwise, he would have had no means to overcome the situation he faced today. In that situation, the end result would undoubtedly have triggered an intense battle. Inside Yuan Du’s Small Universe, things would not end well for him even if he transformed into his Grand Dragon Form. In the eyes of Yuan Du and the others, the illusory phantom of the Small Universe behind Yang Kai churned chaotically with an energy that resembled Black Ink. They immediately felt relieved at the sight, but in the next moment, they were flooded with astonishment, puzzlement, and shock! Retracting the illusory phantom of his Small Universe, Yang Kai looked at Yuan Du, “Senior, does that prove my identity?” Yuan Du’s expression clouded slightly at those words. He nodded after some thought, “This King was overly suspicious. Please forgive me, Martial Nephew!” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, “You were simply being cautious, Senior. I can understand that.” Both of them spoke warmly, almost as if their aggressive argument earlier had been nothing more than an illusion. Gu Ling’er parted her red lips, “Junior Brother Yang… Your Small Universe has already fully materialized?” Similarly, Zong Yu Quan and the others also had extremely shocked expressions on their faces. They immediately realised the moment they saw Yang Kai’s Small Universe. His Small Universe was extremely solid, unlike their own. But… Yang Kai was clearly only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! How could his Small Universe transform from immaterial to material!? Wasn’t that a privilege that belonged only to Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters!? No wonder he was against letting anybody investigate his Small Universe! This was the secret he was trying to hide! That was truly an unbelievable secret. Since ancient times, the Small Universe of Open Heaven Realm Masters would only materialize when they advanced into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. That was the path forged by countless predecessors over innumerable years. There had been no exceptions recorded in history. On the other hand, Yang Kai had crushed the common sense that everybody knew. “No wonder Junior Brother Yang’s heritage is so much more magnificent even though we are all in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!” Zong Yu Quan revealed a look of understanding. Before this, they assumed that Yang Kai was invincible among those in the same Order because of his Dragon Clan bloodline; even so, he had not used the power of the Dragon Clan during the training. It was only at the last moment when he was being besieged by hundreds of Open Heaven Realm Masters that he transformed into his Grand Dragon Form to escape. What he relied on the whole time was the heritage of his Small Universe! With a Small Universe that had transformed from immaterial to material, it was only natural that his heritage was beyond what ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could compare to. Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment before he casually explained, “To be honest, I don’t know the reason why my Small Universe is so different from others either. It was already like this when I first advanced into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Over the years, I’ve speculated that this difference is related to my proficiency in the Dao of Space.” Zong Yu Quan and the others gasped in surprise. For one’s Small Universe to transform into a substantial existence after advancing into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm was beyond their comprehension. In any case, they had no reason to suspect Yang Kai’s explanation. They were not knowledgeable in the Dao of Space after all. Who could know whether one’s proficiency in the Dao of Space could cause such changes in the Small Universe? “This is my biggest secret. Please do not leak this information to the others,” Yang Kai urged. Yuan Du nodded, “Don’t worry, Martial Nephew. This secret will only be limited to the few of us. Nobody else will learn of it.” Yang Kai turned to look at Yuan Du. After hesitating for a while, he finally said, “Senior, although Divine Spirits can resist the Black Ink Strength to a certain extent, it doesn’t mean that Divine Spirits cannot be corrupted by the Black Ink.” Yuan Du smiled, “You are a Black Ink Disciple. That’s something I fully understand now.” Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m not talking about myself. Rather… there are others!” Yuan Du looked stunned, “Martial Nephew, have you seen other Divine Spirits who were corrupted by the Black Ink?” Gu Ling’er and the others also looked over in curiosity. The Black Ink Disciples had always known everything about each other, and there were no Divine Spirits among the Black Ink Disciples. Yang Kai shook his head again, “It’s not a Divine Spirit, but an existence far greater than the Divine Spirits.” Yuan Du was slightly shocked, “What existence could be far greater than the Divine Spirits?” Yang Kai stared straight into Yuan Du’s eyes, “A Giant Spirit God!” The sound of people gasping rang out across the room. Even Yuan Du had a look of disbelief on his face. He shook his head and said, “That’s impossible. How powerful is a Giant Spirit God? A Black Ink Insect would have absolutely no effect against one.” Yang Kai pointed at his eyes, “Everything is possible. I witnessed it with my own eyes!” Yuan Du felt his heart pounding in his chest and his lips going dry, “Where!?” For Black Ink Disciples like himself, it would be like adding wings to a tiger if they had a Giant Spirit God corrupted by the Black Ink on their side; after all, a Giant Spirit God was such a powerful existence that even the Cave Heavens and Paradises could only look up to them. If there truly was a Giant Spirit God corrupted by the Black Ink, the strength of the Black Ink Disciple would soar in an instant. Even if they accidentally revealed their true identities, they could rely on the strength of the Giant Spirit God to deal with the Cave Heavens and Paradises. They would no longer need to act so carefully and secretively. Contrary to expectations, Yang Kai abruptly changed his tune and shook his head regretfully, “It’s a pity that the Giant Spirit God is dead.” “D-Dead!?” The enormous wave of disappointment after hearing those words was so at odds with his initial feelings of excitement and anticipation that Yuan Du nearly coughed up blood as a result. “Even a Giant Spirit God can die?” Zong Yu Quan asked incredulously. The Giant Spirit God Clan stood at the top of all the other Races in the vast universe. Who could kill one? Yuan Du was depressed for some time, then he suddenly collected his emotions and opened his mouth, “Even if the Giant Spirit God is dead, his corpse will not rot or decay. The Black Ink Strength inside his body will not disappear either. Martial Nephew, where did you see this Giant Spirit God?” Yang Kai asked, “Senior, have you ever heard of the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land?” Yuan Du pondered for a moment and exclaimed in realisation, “This King has heard rumours about the so-called Ancestral Land of all the Divine Spirits said to be located in the depths of the Shattered Heaven, but I’ve never seen that place for myself. Nobody has ever confirmed the rumours before either. Could it be that the rumours are real?” Yang Kai nodded, “It’s true. I saw the Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land.” Yang Kai had his own reasons to reveal the information about the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. The first reason was to remove Yuan Du’s doubts. The other reason was that the Giant Spirit God corrupted by the Black Ink would be an extremely important existence to the Black Ink Disciples. Even the Black Ink Clansman hidden in the shadows could not ignore this matter. As long as this information was delivered to the Black Ink Clan, Yang Kai could use the chance to approach the real ringleaders and learn the hiding place of the true Black Ink Clansman. “Several decades ago, I entered the Shattered Heaven for training. During that time, I ran into some trouble and offended some people. More importantly, I was relentlessly pursued by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Bright Sun Divine Monarch. With no other choice, I could only flee deeper and deeper into the Shattered Heaven.” “Bright Sun Divine Monarch!” Yuan Du raised his eyebrows at the name, “I’ve heard of this person before. He is indeed an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!” Meanwhile, Gu Ling’er had a mixture of shock and admiration on her face. While they were cultivating peacefully in Lang Ya Paradise, Yang Kai had gone to the Shattered Heaven and even been hunted by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. That must have been a thrilling and terrifying experience.