"You're talking nonsense."
"Good to hear."
Zhong Liang added, "But there's no rush. Why don't you stay in the Pass a while longer? I can fill you in on the
Yang Kai cast him a sidelong glance. "The Corps Commander may have spent countless years fighting on the
With that, he stepped forward to leave.
But Zhong Liang seized his arm. Yang Kai turned his head, and the two locked eyes. Zhong Liang gritted his teeth. "Fine. If you want to leave the Pass, I won't stop you. But I'm going to lay down three conditions. If you don't agree, there's no way I'm letting you leave."
Yang Kai frowned. "Go ahead."
Zhong Liang held out his hand. "Give me your Universe Map."
Yang Kai didn't know what he intended, but he produced the map as requested. It was the very same Universe Map of the Ink Battlefield that
Zhong Liang took it, did something to it that Yang Kai couldn't discern, then casually tossed it back. "Condition one: you cannot cross the boundary line I've just drawn on this map. Inside the boundary is roughly safe. Outside it, there may be powerful Ink Clan cultivators, and your Dawn Squad may not have the strength to hold them off."
Yang Kai sent his spiritual sense into the map and indeed found that Zhong Liang had marked a boundary line. Recalling his past experiences living in Ink Clan territory, he compared the line's position against his memories and understood the general limits. He nodded. "Rest assured, Corps Commander. This life is mine, and I'll cherish it more than anyone."
Hearing him agree so readily, Zhong Liang relaxed slightly and nodded. "Condition two: under no circumstances should you use the Purifying Light against the Ink Clan unless it's absolutely unavoidable. And if you do use it, you must ensure that every last one of them is eliminated!"
Yang Kai frowned. "Why?"
The Purifying Light could disperse and purify Ink Force—it was the only means of curing Ink Slaves and warriors corrupted by Ink Force. But beyond that, it was also a devastating weapon against powerful Ink Clan.
When Yang Kai had first arrived at Biluo Pass, he had used the Purifying Light to severely wound an Ink Clan Domain Lord, and
Zhong Liang said, "From ancient times until your arrival, our Human Race had no effective means of dispelling Ink Force corruption. That is the greatest reason we've been confined to defending our Passes all this time, unable to take the offensive. If the Ink Clan learns that you possess such an ability, it will inevitably draw the attention of their powerhouses. They might even send a Royal Lord to personally assassinate you. How would you defend against that then? So if you don't act, that's fine—but once you do act, you must leave no survivors. We cannot afford to let word get out."
Yang Kai suddenly understood. "I see. But Corps Commander, I already used it once on the battlefield before. The Ink Clan may have taken notice."
Zhong Liang waved his hand. "One time is fine. Even if some Ink Clan powerhouse noticed, they won't think too much of it. But if you use the Purifying Light repeatedly and the Ink Clan finds out, then we'll have a real problem. This condition is especially critical. If the fact that you can unleash the Purifying Light is exposed, you won't be able to leave the Pass freely ever again."
"And the third condition?" Yang Kai asked.
Zhong Liang's expression turned solemn. "The third condition is this: if you encounter danger, I will permit you to escape alone, and you must escape alone! You command the Dao of Space and have reached the Seventh Order. In the void, so long as a Royal Lord doesn't personally intervene and you don't walk into a trap, the Ink Clan shouldn't be able to do much against you. Do you hear me?"
Yang Kai was silent.
Zhong Liang fixed him with a hard stare. "If you can't agree to these three conditions, I will not let you leave today—no matter what."
After a long pause, Yang Kai let out a quiet sigh. "Fine. I agree."
Zhong Liang clapped him on the shoulder. "Remember this: your existence is of vital importance to the Human Race. Do not put yourself in unnecessary danger."
Yang Kai nodded and cupped his fists. "If the Corps Commander has no further instructions, this Disciple will take his leave."
Zhong Liang opened his mouth, as though he wanted to say something more, but in the end simply waved his hand. "Go, then."
Yang Kai cupped his fists once more and soared into the sky.
Moments later, he descended into Feng Ying's courtyard. She had been waiting for him and hurried over the moment she saw him return. "How did it go?"
Yang Kai smiled. "Gather the team. We're preparing to leave the Pass."
Feng Ying was stunned. "The Corps Commander lost?"
The commotion between Yang Kai and Zhong Liang had been so great that their bet had become common knowledge throughout Biluo Pass. Feng Ying hadn't held out much hope—after all, Zhong Liang had even unfurled his Small Universe to cover the entire Pass, and Yang Kai could hardly have hidden anywhere within it. Being caught was only a matter of time. Yet now it seemed Zhong Liang had lost the bet.