You should know that he had previously used the Power of Ink from his Small Universe to deceive the Ink Disciples of the Langya Blessed Land. If the other end of the Void Corridor truly led to the Ink Battlefield, there was a high probability of encountering Ink Clan or Ink Disciples. Yang Kai's disguise could provide a significant measure of safety.
Outside the Void Corridor, the many Divine Lords took turns sharing with Yang Kai everything they knew about the Ink Battlefield.
Yang Kai committed it all to memory.
However, as Six Wood Divine Lord had mentioned before, they didn't know much about the Ink Battlefield either. The intelligence they had gathered had all been relayed from outside No Return Pass. Once inside the Ink Battlefield, such information could be overheard with a bit of effort—but for Yang Kai, it could still prove tremendously helpful.
Time flew by, and several days passed.
The speed at which the ancient seal's power within the Void Corridor was dissipating seemed to have increased considerably.
Mo Sha Divine Lord spoke: "We can't wait any longer. Let's begin the sealing as soon as possible."
Yang Kai nodded. "Please wait a moment, seniors!"
As he spoke, he turned and walked toward the Lingxiao Palace contingent.
The women stood at the very front, each gazing at him with complex expressions. Their eyes were filled with worry and reluctance to part. As he approached, Yang Kai offered them a faint smile but didn't try to offer comfort. At a time like this, comforting words would only be self-deception. Everyone knew how dangerous this journey would be.
Yu Rumeng, standing at the very front, moved her red lips slightly as if wanting to say something, but in the end the words wouldn't come. A thousand sentiments condensed into a single exhortation: "Be careful in everything!"
Yang Kai nodded. "I will."
His gaze suddenly swept past the crowd, looking deep into the void. In the distance, several streaks of light could be faintly seen hurtling toward them at great speed.
Looking more carefully, someone was indeed racing toward them. Yang Kai let out a long breath—at least they had arrived at the last moment.
Soon, the streaks of light arrived and took form. The one leading them was Lan Youruo, who had left the Black Domain months ago and returned to the Star Realm.
Perhaps from having rushed the entire way, even though Lan Youruo was now a Seventh-Order Open Heaven master, she was greatly depleted. Her aura was unsteady, and her face was slightly pale.
"You've worked hard, Boss Lady!" Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Lan Youruo glared at him, then looked toward the Void Corridor, her voice pained. "So it really has come to this in the end?"
Yang Kai said helplessly, "There's no other way."
Lan Youruo pressed her lips together without answering. She understood as well—the trend of the times could not be altered by individual strength. Since even the Blessed Lands and Cave Heavens had made their decision, the only option now was to proceed as planned.
Yang Kai looked at the people behind her. Chen Tianfei, bloated into a ball of flesh, along with Yun Xinghua, Hei He, and Hua Qingsi had all been brought from the Star Realm by the Boss Lady.
The group hurried to bow.
Yang Kai gave a slight nod, calling each by name: "Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, Zhou Ya, Hui Gu, Hei He, A-Fei, Yun Xinghua!"
"Present, sir!" The seven stepped forward.
"Years ago, for various reasons, I entered your names into the Loyalty Register. I know some of you hold resentment toward me and don't truly accept my authority. But that doesn't matter. You've worked hard all these years, and it is your many contributions that have made the current Lingxiao Palace and Void Lands possible. All of you have rendered great service to the sect. I may not survive this journey, so today I grant you your freedom. You may stay or leave as you choose. I only hope that when we meet again someday, we can share a drink in friendship rather than meet as enemies."
As he spoke, Yang Kai produced the Loyalty Register. He took out the Xiezhi horn, squeezed a drop of essence blood onto it, and wiped away their names one page at a time.
The blood seeped into the Loyalty Register, and the names on each page gradually faded until they vanished entirely.
The seven who had been listed on the register felt an immediate lightness of spirit, an inexplicable sense of liberation.
Mao Zhe furrowed his brow slightly, his expression somewhat complex as he regarded Yang Kai.
Of everyone bound by the Loyalty Register, he had been the most defiant toward Yang Kai. He had endured all those years of servitude with the sole hope of one day advancing to the Seventh Order and breaking free of the Register's constraints.
He had only heard that reaching the Seventh Order could free him from the Register—he didn't know if it was true—but he had indeed been striving toward that goal all these years.
He had never imagined that Yang Kai would voluntarily release them from the master-servant bond. It surprised him slightly, and yet also brought a measure of relief.
During these recent days, he was well aware that Yang Kai intended to seal the Void Corridor. He also knew what Yang Kai might face.
His own life, along with Geng Qing's and Zhou Ya's, was tied to Yang Kai's. If anything happened to Yang Kai, their lives would be in jeopardy.
But now, with the Register's constraints removed, he no longer had to worry about Yang Kai's fate endangering the three of them.
And yet, he wasn't as happy as he had imagined.
Recalling his days at the Void Lands and Lingxiao Palace, he had lived an exceedingly comfortable and pleasant life. He had status, position, and an abundant supply of cultivation resources!
His failure to advance to the Seventh Order had been due to his own insufficient comprehension.
Now that he had his freedom, even if he left the Lingxiao Palace and the Void Lands, where else could he find such a generous cultivation environment?
Yang Kai's decision to do this at the last moment showed that he had been thinking about it all along. It also indirectly confirmed just how dangerous this journey was.
Even Yang Kai himself was not certain whether he would survive.