This time, Zhufeng had been gravely wounded and lay dormant in the Ink Nest to recuperate. With no one left to back Bai Yi up, several Territory Lords who had long harbored resentment naturally seized the opportunity to teach her a lesson—remind her of her place.
That was how the earlier ambush had come about. Who would have guessed that Bai Yi's reflexes were extraordinarily swift? She dodged the strike, though it left her looking disheveled. It hadn't caused her any real harm.
Bai Yi's hostile tone only inflamed the attacking Territory Lord's anger further. Just as he was about to reprimand her again, he suddenly spotted Yang Kai behind her and exclaimed in surprise, "You brought back a human captive?"
The other two Territory Lords also showed curious expressions and looked over.
One had to understand—Bai Yi was known for her mastery of long-range kills. In virtually every engagement she participated in, there were no survivors. She had never once brought back a prisoner before. Seeing one today was enough to pique the curiosity of all three Territory Lords.
The first Territory Lord frowned. "What's his cultivation level?"
Yang Kai's strength had been sealed by Bai Yi's secret technique, so these Territory Lords couldn't perceive his cultivation at all.
Bai Yi furrowed her brow, hesitated briefly, then answered, "Seventh-Order."
"Seventh-Order!" All three Territory Lords' eyes lit up, their gazes toward Yang Kai turning heated.
A Seventh-Order human corresponded to a Territory Lord of the Ink Clan, but in single combat, Territory Lords were generally no match for Seventh-Order cultivators. Not being defeated was considered a stroke of luck, let alone capturing one alive.
Capturing a Seventh-Order would be no small merit for a Territory Lord. Whether they converted him into their own Ink Disciple or presented him to the Domain Lord, it would bolster the Ink Clan's strength.
"Where is the Master?" Bai Yi asked. Although she could all but confirm that Domain Lord Zhufeng was recuperating here, this matter needed to be absolutely certain.
The Territory Lord who had spoken earlier flashed a gleam in his eyes and grinned. "The Master returned wounded and is currently recuperating inside the Ink Nest. He must not be disturbed. Bai Yi, hand over the Seventh-Order human you've captured to me. Once the Master wakes, I'll present him to the Master personally."
As he spoke, he reached out to grab Yang Kai.
But the moment his body moved, Bai Yi suddenly drew her bowstring to full extension. A point of golden light flickered into visibility, aimed squarely at the Territory Lord's forehead.
The Territory Lord's hand froze in midair, his face darkening as he stared at her. "What's the meaning of this?!"
Bai Yi regarded him coldly, throwing his own words back at him. "What's the meaning of this?!"
The Territory Lord said, "My meaning has been made perfectly clear. The question is yours—are you trying to kill me? Go ahead and try. Let's see whether the Master will let you off easily when the time comes!"
Bai Yi remained unmoved. "By then, you'll already be dead. Whether the Master pardons me or not—what would that have to do with you?"
The implication was unmistakable: she was perfectly capable of killing this Territory Lord. He felt himself being looked down upon and flew into a rage. "Nothing but an Ink Disciple—how dare you be so insolent!"
Bai Yi's voice turned cold. "Open those dog eyes of yours and take a good look. My merit—is that something you think you can steal?"
Yang Kai, who had been positioned behind Bai Yi throughout, found the situation both headache-inducing and alarming.
Though he had known when formulating the plan that things would certainly not go smoothly and that complications were inevitable—and that when they arose, the two of them would have to play it by ear—neither of them had expected to be challenged by a group of Territory Lords before they had even laid eyes on Domain Lord Zhufeng.
These Territory Lords clearly intended to steal Bai Yi's merit. Capturing a Seventh-Order human alive meant that Zhufeng's forces would gain an additional Seventh-Order Ink Disciple. The merit was considerable, and these Territory Lords were naturally jealous.
Under normal circumstances, they would never dare do such a thing. But now, with Zhufeng dormant inside the Ink Nest and oblivious to the outside world, all they had to do was seize Yang Kai and drive Bai Yi out of this Secret Realm, and the merit would be theirs.
This situation gave Yang Kai quite the headache.
But what truly alarmed him was that this Secret Realm was shrouded in Ink Force. Though not especially dense, it was still Ink Force nonetheless.
As long as one remained within this Secret Realm, one was constantly subjected to its corrosive influence.
For him, it didn't matter—he possessed the Heaven and Earth Spring. Even if Ink Force invaded his body, it would be suppressed within his Small Universe, unable to accomplish anything.
But Bai Yi was different. Once her Small Universe had been corroded to a certain degree, she would inevitably be converted back into an Ink Disciple.
The problem was that she didn't dare use her power to resist the Ink Force's encroachment at this moment. If she did, it would immediately arouse suspicion among the Territory Lords before her.
While entangled with these Territory Lords, she could only allow the Ink Force to seep into her body unchecked.
Yang Kai didn't know how long she could hold out, but it certainly wouldn't be long. If Bai Yi was converted back into an Ink Disciple again, not only would this plan fail, but he himself would also be plunged into grave danger.
Bai Yi clearly understood this as well. Though she had usually yielded to these Territory Lords' bullying in the past, this time her attitude was extremely forceful—which only infuriated them further.
In just a few exchanges, both sides had reached a breaking point.
Bai Yi stopped arguing with them and instead raised her gaze toward a certain direction. There, a massive object resembling a giant flower bud stood tall. The bud seemed to possess a life of its own, and with each rhythmic expansion and contraction, Ink Force surged from within it, spreading outward in all directions.
The Ink Force that permeated this Secret Realm was generated by this very bud.