Despite being aware of this, Yang Kai continued to exert himself without cease, but to little effect. The entrance to that Universe Cavern seemed to be sealed behind an impossibly heavy door, one that no amount of force could push open.
The battle raged on.
Black Crow's sudden emergence with a crowd of followers instantly split the battlefield into two zones. One was Zhu Jiuyin taking on four opponents, holding her own against the four High-Rank Open Heaven cultivators. The other was a vicious melee involving dozens of Mid-Rank Open Heaven.
Though Zhu Jiuyin's clash with the four High-Rank was earth-shattering, every combatant in that group possessed extraordinary powers. Despite unleashing all their techniques, none could gain a decisive advantage over the others. The situation had reached a stalemate, though injuries were unavoidable. Ti Zheng bore the brunt of it — Zhu Jiuyin was still furious over his earlier insolent remarks, and the bulk of her attacks were directed his way, beating him until he could barely keep from crying out.
On the other hand, in the second engagement, screams of agony erupted regularly as combatants fell, their lives extinguished one after another.
In terms of numbers, both sides were roughly equal, and their cultivation ranks were comparable. But when it came to actual strength, Black Crow's forces were noticeably inferior. Just as Mo Mei, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven, had been no match for Luan Baifeng, every one of Black Crow's subordinates had only recently broken through to Open Heaven and had little time to consolidate their foundations. They were no match for the Mid-Rank Open Heaven cultivators that Ti Zheng and the others had brought.
Whether in terms of divine abilities or the Artifacts in their hands, they lagged significantly behind the enemy.
Yet once the fighting truly began, the two sides were surprisingly evenly matched — Black Crow's people even held a slight edge.
Every one of Black Crow's Mid-Rank Open Heaven subordinates had been fitted with a hidden restriction when he released the Blood Dao seals on them, giving him complete control over their lives. At Black Crow's command, none dared hold back, throwing everything they had into the fray, fighting as if their very survival depended on it — which, in truth, it did.
What's more, when Black Crow had first charged out with his followers, he had already dispatched several opponents. Bolstered by the momentum of those kills, they pressed forward with unstoppable ferocity.
In a head-on collision, the Mid-Rank Open Heaven from the Caverns Heavens and Blessed Lands found themselves beaten back until they could barely breathe.
This dynamic only grew more pronounced after Black Crow himself joined the fight.
Black Crow had seized the body of Zhou Yi from the Great Thousand Blood Land. Although Zhou Yi had been a Core Disciple of that force, he was no match for the likes of Qu Huachang — he had only condensed Fifth-Order power.
As a result, Black Crow inherited Zhou Yi's foundation, having attained only Fifth-Order Open Heaven when he first broke through.
But after activating the Grand Extinction Indestructible Blood Radiance Scripture and devouring the vital blood of several slain Mid-Rank Open Heaven cultivators, his aura had skyrocketed to the level of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven!
He was, after all, an ancient monster who had lived for countless ages before being reborn through possession. Now armed with the power of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven, with no High-Rank cultivators in the field, who could possibly challenge him?
Techniques from the Grand Extinction Indestructible Blood Radiance Scripture came to his fingertips effortlessly, each one devastating in power. Amid the swirling blood mist around his body, crows of blood scattered outward, cawing shrilly, disrupting the minds of their targets. Every single blood crow was a nightmare to deal with — and each time one was destroyed, it dissolved into a layer of bloodlight that enveloped the enemy, weakening their form and reflexes considerably.
If three or four layers of bloodlight accumulated on someone, they were effectively helpless in a battle of this caliber.
In barely the time it took an incense stick to burn, five or six of the Mid-Rank Open Heaven on the Caverns Heavens side had been captured alive. Black Crow bound their cultivation with restrictive techniques and handed them over to a subordinate to guard.
These people were obviously meant to be taken back and slowly processed, to serve as his blood food.
Meanwhile, the casualties from the chaotic melee were even greater. In this brief span of time, more than a dozen cultivators on both sides had fallen. The Caverns Heavens and Blessed Lands had suffered enormous losses, and several of Black Crow's subordinates had also perished.
Regardless of who fell, under the shroud of the Grand Extinction Indestructible Blood Radiance Scripture, every drop of their vital blood was swiftly devoured by Black Crow.
The blood qi surrounding Black Crow grew denser and denser, his aura more and more terrifying, showing signs that he was on the verge of pushing to the very peak of the Sixth-Order.
The disastrous losses outside the Heavenly Net Formation did not go unnoticed by the four High-Rank Open Heaven cultivators trapped within. Ti Zheng roared furiously, while others issued constant threats, howling that they would one day flay Black Crow alive.
Black Crow cackled with glee, paying them no mind.
Opportunities like this did not come along often. His current strength was considerable, but if he actually had to face a High-Rank Open Heaven head-on, he would likely have no choice but to flee — otherwise he would not have hidden himself away in the Broken Heaven in the first place.
But now the High-Rank cultivators of the Caverns Heavens were all pinned down by the Sacred Spirit Zhu Jiuyin. He had absolutely no worries about being attacked from behind.
To so brazenly take advantage of the Caverns Heavens in their hour of need — what a thrill!
Although doing so effectively helped Yang Kai, Black Crow was the one reaping tangible benefits, so he could not be bothered to quibble over the matter. As for his grudge against Yang Kai, he could settle that slowly once his cultivation was fully restored.
Watching his subordinates dying in droves, knowing that if they did not retreat now they would all be annihilated here, Ti Zheng fended off Zhu Jiuyin's furious assault while bellowing at his Mid-Rank Open Heaven cultivators: "All of you — fall back!"
He had brought them here in the first place to deploy the Celestial Net Spirit-Locking Formation to restrain Zhu Jiuyin. Now that the formation had been broken, there was no point in staying. They would only be picked off one by one by Black Crow. At least some of them were still alive — the priority was to get as many out as possible.