On the tower ship, the Lord-level Ink Race member's eyes lit up at the sight, and he cried out in surprise, "My Lord, this one is about to break! He's already started severing territory from his Small Universe!"
The two races had been locked in conflict for so many years that they knew each other inside and out.
When a human Open Heaven Realm cultivator was corrupted by the power of Ink, severing territory from their Small Universe as a last resort was a common sight on the battlefield. That was why, after every major battle, mysterious floating lands would appear scattered across the field—they were all torn away from the Small Universes of human Open Heaven Realm cultivators.
And once a human resorted to such measures, it meant they had reached a dead end. It was like drinking poison to quench thirst—though it could temporarily stave off the fate of being corrupted by the power of Ink, the damage to their Small Universe foundation would cause their strength to plummet. In the chaos of the battlefield, such cultivators sometimes died even faster, more easily consumed by the Ink transformation.
Yang Kai's performance up to this point had been so fierce, with countless Ink Race members falling to his spear, that he was nothing like a normal Seventh Rank Open Heaven cultivator.
Only now, having severed territory from his own Small Universe, did the Ink Race finally feel at ease. This human was not invincible after all—he could be defeated, he could be killed.
Back when he had offered up the Heavenly Spring at Biluo Pass, Yang Kai had once severed a small portion of his own territory. The soul-rending pain from that experience remained fresh in his memory.
If he had any other choice, he would never resort to this.
But on this mission, he had to appear as a normal Seventh Rank Open Heaven would. No matter how powerful a Seventh Rank Open Heaven cultivator might be, after fighting the Ink Race for so long, it was impossible to fully resist the corruption of the power of Ink. That was why he had so brazenly consumed a "spirit pill" earlier, and why he was now willing to sacrifice territory from his own Small Universe.
Everything he did was simply to make what came next appear natural and unforced.
Fortunately, he now possessed the World Tree's branch. Even if he severed parts of his Small Universe, under the branch's influence, it would gradually repair itself over time. There was no need to worry about permanent damage to his foundation.
The instant he severed the territory, that soul-rending pain once again swept through his entire body, making Yang Kai roar like a wounded beast, his whole frame trembling.
In that same moment, countless attacks exploded toward him, hammering him until he swayed on his feet, blood spraying in every direction.
The loss of Small Universe territory caused his strength to plummet. If the combat power he had displayed before exceeded that of an ordinary Seventh Rank Open Heaven, then now he was roughly equivalent to a freshly advanced Seventh Rank.
At such a level, in such a hostile environment, how could he possibly protect himself?
The Ink Race members surrounding him had clearly noticed this as well. Gone was their earlier hesitation—they attacked with renewed ferocity.
Yang Kai's situation deteriorated impossibly fast.
Before the time it took to burn half an incense stick, a dark mist shrouded his face once more, looking as though the power of Ink had corrupted his Small Universe again.
But with another chunk of floating land severed away, the situation was immediately alleviated.
On the tower ship, Heiyuan watched quietly, and even he couldn't help but offer a word of praise: "A ruthless one."
He didn't know exactly how much pain a human had to endure when severing their own Small Universe territory, but it certainly wasn't a pleasant experience. On most battlefields, a human warrior who could steel himself to sever even once was already considered remarkably strong.
Yet this spear-wielding young man had severed twice in rapid succession!
How much courage and resolve did that require? This human was ruthless not only toward the Ink Race, but even more so toward himself!
"My Lord, shall I go take him down?" The Lord who had been hanging back from the fight all this while now actually volunteered.
It was simple: after severing his Small Universe twice, Yang Kai's aura had dropped again and again, nearly unable to sustain even Seventh Rank pressure. One more time and he would likely collapse back to the Sixth Rank.
Before, when Yang Kai had been cutting through everything in his path, this Lord hadn't dared approach. Now that Yang Kai was clearly at the end of his rope, what was there to fear?
If he could actually bring this man down, it would be a fine credit before the Domain Lord.
Heiyuan merely let out a cold snort: "You? You think you're worthy?"
The Lord immediately fell silent, not daring to speak. Though he didn't know what the Domain Lord had in mind, he could read the signs—the Domain Lord had taken an interest in this human and was likely planning to turn him into an Ink Servant. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been delaying along the escape route like this.
On the battlefield, Yang Kai's hair hung in disheveled strands, his appearance wretched and pathetic.
But this wasn't an act—he really was running on empty. Even with the World Tree's branch as insurance, having severed his Small Universe twice in succession had inflicted enormous damage on him. After prolonged fierce combat, his injuries had grown ever more severe, and the power of his Small Universe had nearly dried up entirely.
Yet the Ink Race member he had been waiting for still hadn't shown himself.
He could sense it—the mysterious Domain Lord on that tower ship had been watching his situation all along, yet still showed no intention of making a move.
The Domain Lord's extreme caution meant his injuries must be grave. Without absolute certainty of a killing blow, he would not act rashly.
If that was the case, then Yang Kai would simply have to give him a nudge.
Making up his mind, Yang Kai gritted his teeth, swept his spear outward to blast back the surrounding Ink Race, then slammed the butt of his weapon into the ground before him. His aura, which had plummeted to rock bottom, now surged upward rank by rank.
With a single disdainful sweep of his gaze, his imposing presence reasserted itself.
The surrounding Ink Race members, bewildered, momentarily dared not advance.