Outside the center of the Black Domain's cage, Divine Lord Liu Mu and four other Eighth-Order Supreme Elders were closely monitoring the situation.
Yang Kai had already been inside for some time. Earlier, the formation ahead had undergone changes — undoubtedly triggered by Yang Kai. At this point, they couldn't even determine whether he was alive or dead, let alone what was happening inside the cage.
At a certain moment, ink-like power suddenly broke through the great formation's seal and surged outward. That tide of darkness rolled in like a savage army pressing upon their borders.
Accompanying this ink tide was a vast, indistinct will.
Liu Mu and the others' expressions turned grave.
The Ink's power was leaking out, which meant the flaws in the super formation were growing larger — large enough for them to faintly sense the Ink Clan's existence.
All of this should have been related to Yang Kai; otherwise, there was no reason for such a development. In other words, Yang Kai had probably survived.
Fortunately, although the super formation's power had weakened, its influence still remained. The amount of Ink power leaking was small and heavily restricted. The Ink Clan wouldn't be able to break free in the short term. But given this trajectory, it was only a matter of time before the Ink Clan regained its freedom.
"We need to make preparations early. If we wait any longer, it will be too late," Liu Mu said gravely.
The other four nodded slightly.
They exchanged glances, then turned and sped outward without a word.
At the same time, inside the cage, the Ink Clan was struggling frantically, trying to break free from the formation's bindings. The secret-technique chains piercing through its body clanked and rattled as it used its only free limb — a long, bladed leg as sharp as a razor — to saw wildly at the chains.
And the leakage of Ink power was precisely a manifestation of the small measure of freedom it had obtained.
---
In the Celestial Venerables' stronghold, within the great council hall, numerous Eighth-Order Supreme Elders had once again gathered to discuss the matter of the Ink Clan.
Liu Mu first gave a brief account of what had happened, then shook his head. "That young Yang ventured deep inside, and we have no way of knowing whether he lives or dies."
Before his words had even settled, someone cut in: "He's not dead!"
Everyone turned to look. The speaker was Lan Youruo, the only Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator present, who had some ties to the Xuanyuan Cave Heaven.
Divine Lord Liu Mu said, "That young Yang is a fine fellow, and he has means of dealing with the Ink Clan. I wouldn't want anything unfortunate to happen to him either. But he's currently infiltrating the depths of that cage alone, and the outcome is impossible to predict."
Lan Youruo said, "When I say he's not dead, I have proof."
With that, she lightly clapped her hands. From outside the hall, a figure immediately walked in.
The various Eighth-Order cultivators turned to look and saw that this person was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven, presumably a member of the Ascending Heaven Peak.
Lan Youruo said, "Mao Zhe once swore a Blood Oath of Loyalty to Yang Kai, binding his life to Yang Kai's. If Yang Kai were dead, Mao Zhe would not survive either. Since he is perfectly well, that means Yang Kai is in no mortal danger."
Mao Zhe stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the assembled Eighth-Order elders.
Liu Mu's eyebrows rose upon hearing this. "If that's truly the case, then it's good news." He then asked Mao Zhe, "Since you and that young Yang are connected by the Blood Oath, can you sense his current condition?"
Mao Zhe shook his head. "The Blood Oath of Loyalty can only verify life or death. I have no way of perceiving the Sect Master's current state."
Though he had his suspicions, hearing Mao Zhe say this, Liu Mu still felt somewhat disappointed.
Lan Youruo waved her hand, and Mao Zhe bowed again before withdrawing. He had come solely to prove that Yang Kai was still alive.
One of the Eighth-Order Supreme Elders spoke up. "So you're saying the Ink Clan's signs of breaking free are likely connected to Yang Kai's infiltration?"
Liu Mu nodded slightly. "That's what I'm thinking too. That young Yang has a weapon against the Ink Clan. He may have provoked the Ink Clan, and combined with the earlier weakening of the super formation, this is the result."
Lan Youruo frowned. "Senior, you're not blaming him, are you?"
Liu Mu waved his hand. "That's naturally not what I mean. Even if the Ink Clan truly breaks free, it has nothing to do with young Yang. Moreover, by risking himself, with him inside the cage tying down the Ink Clan, he might actually be delaying the Ink Clan's escape. This is a great contribution!"
As he spoke, he turned to look at the other Supreme Elders. "My point is that the Ink Clan situation cannot be delayed any longer. We old folks possess extraordinary cultivation, yet we've left a young man to face the Ink Clan head-on and risk his life. How does that look?"
Many of them nodded in agreement.
Someone said, "The Ink Clan must be dealt with. But how? The super formation's influence is immense. Even we couldn't stay for long in the deepest part of the cage where the formation's power is strongest, to say nothing of battling the Ink Clan there."
"That's right. We've faced this problem before. If the super formation issue can't be resolved, then there's no way to deal with the Ink Clan."
Numerous divine senses began crossing and intertwining as they debated back and forth.
Divine Lord Liu Mu watched coldly from the sidelines.