Zhu Feng had only ever heard of beings at the Emperor Realm but had never actually encountered one.
Cultivators at the Emperor Realm simply could not survive on the Ink Battlefield.
And today, he'd actually seen one in the flesh.
Under normal circumstances, this kind of weak ant would need nothing more than a glance from Zhu Feng to be obliterated on the spot.
But with his body gravely wounded, suffering backlash from that forbidden technique, his Domain Lord's might completely depleted—the sudden appearance of an Emperor Realm cultivator at this moment was a lethal threat. And this Emperor Realm cultivator had clearly been released from Yang Kai's own Small Universe.
The middle-aged man had evidently received prior instructions from Yang Kai. The moment he appeared from the Small Universe, he struck without hesitation, slashing his sword straight at Zhu Feng.
Zhu Feng's expression changed drastically. He forced himself to gather what breath he could and spat a plume of dark Ink energy from his mouth, shooting it directly at the middle-aged man.
The energy was incredibly thin and wispy—clearly, Zhu Feng couldn't muster any more Ink Force.
The middle-aged man paid it no heed. He channeled his own power to shield his body, passed straight through the dark energy, and his sword light blazed like a rainbow as it came crashing down.
The strike landed squarely on Zhu Feng's massive neck, where a wound already existed. Under the force of this blow, the wound immediately widened until it was nearly deep enough to expose bone, and dark Ink Blood gushed forth.
After landing his strike, the middle-aged man immediately pulled back. His hands shifted through a rapid series of seals as he tapped several points on his own body. Then, without a sound, he crumpled limply to the ground.
On the verge of losing consciousness, the middle-aged man turned his gaze toward where Yang Kai stood and rasped, "Supreme... I did my best..."
Yang Kai gave a slight nod.
But Zhu Feng burst into loud laughter. "Ants think they can kill me? One isn't enough—bring on a few more!"
The middle-aged man's strike had indeed inflicted no trivial wound, but it certainly hadn't been enough to take his life. While such an injury might look terrifying, for a Domain Lord it was nothing more than a flesh wound.
The only thing he found somewhat regrettable was that after delivering his blow, the ant had immediately placed a seal on himself and knocked himself unconscious. Had that not been the case, with his Emperor Realm cultivation he would have been completely unable to resist the erosion of the Ink Force. In just two or three breaths, he would have been converted into an Ink Servant—turned into a weapon against Yang Kai, used to kill Yang Kai in return.
But since Yang Kai had dared to release him from his Small Universe, he had clearly anticipated this possibility and would never let it happen.
The elder's self-sealing must have been Yang Kai's instruction from the very start.
Zhu Feng laughed and laughed, but gradually his laughter began to falter—because Yang Kai was watching him with an expression full of mockery and pity.
He drew in a sharp breath. "You have more help?"
Yang Kai scoffed. "I have an army at my disposal. Prepare to die!"
As he spoke, the gateway to his Small Universe swung open once more, and another figure shot out.
This person was like the middle-aged man before him—possessing only Emperor Realm cultivation, and not even as robust as the elder had been.
The situation played out exactly as before. The moment this person appeared, he charged straight at Zhu Feng and delivered a devastating slash—right into the wound on his neck, instantly widening it further and leaving a visible mark on the neck bone.
Having landed his blow, this person also retreated immediately, sealed himself with the same technique, and collapsed unconscious in an instant.
From the gateway of the Small Universe, yet another figure shot forth...
Zhu Feng screamed in terror, scrambling forward with both hands and feet. At this point, he truly, genuinely felt the threat of death.
One Emperor Realm cultivator was nothing to him. Two were of no consequence. But if they kept appearing one after another like this, sooner or later he would be killed on the spot.
Many ants can indeed kill an elephant. In the past, Zhu Feng had scoffed at this saying, but today he was experiencing it firsthand. The tragic part was that he was the elephant about to be brought down by ants.
Figure after figure poured continuously from the Small Universe. Every single one possessed only Emperor Realm cultivation, and every single one had only one chance to strike—but every single blow landed on the same spot.
Zhu Feng's injuries grew increasingly severe, his neck nearly severed.
When the fifth person emerged from Yang Kai's Small Universe, his sword came down, and Zhu Feng's massive head was instantly separated from his body, rolling a considerable distance away.
From the neck stump, only a small amount of dark Ink gushed out before subsiding—clearly, the Ink Blood in Zhu Feng's body had nearly dried up.
The one who delivered the final blow was a young man at the Third Level of the Emperor Realm. Having succeeded with his strike, he was slightly surprised, but still quickly placed a seal on himself. Before losing consciousness, he cupped his fists toward Yang Kai. "Mission accomplished!"
With that, he toppled face-first to the ground, swift and decisive.
Zhu Feng's head and body were separated—he could not possibly be more dead. Yet those eyes still twitched faintly, brimming with unwillingness.
An exalted Domain Lord of the Ink Clan—with no King appearing on the battlefield, the only beings in this world who could stand as his match were the human race's Eighth-Order Open Heaven masters. And yet such a figure had ultimately been brought down by a handful of Emperor Realm cultivators working together.