Wujiang's death dealt a tremendous blow to Hong Hu. The most obvious sign was the way he had completely lost his composure under the five Eighth-Order cultivators' siege.
Ding Yao and the others would never miss such an opportunity. Instantly, their figures flickered as they closed the distance to Hong Hu in the blink of an eye.
They had originally been only a few hundred li apart, and now they were practically face to face.
The five Eighth-Order cultivators' auras interlinked, forming an array that transformed into a binding force suppressing the enemy at its center. The closer the five of them were positioned, the more powerful this force became.
When they were still pressing Hong Hu from several hundred li away, he had already found it nearly impossible to move. The Ink Power flowing through his body was sluggish, robbing him of nearly half his strength. By the time the five Eighth-Order cultivators surged to within arm's reach, Hong Hu's entire body went rigid on the spot. Though he struggled with all his might to break free, his movements seemed to have been slowed countless times over. At that point, never mind the five Eighth-Order cultivators surrounding him — even a single Seventh-Order could have dispatched him easily.
Knowing there was no escape, Hong Hu let out a bitter laugh, gave up struggling entirely, and simply stared at Ding Yao. "What are you going to do?"
Ding Yao ignored him completely. Instead, he produced a peculiar box from his Space Ring. The box was square and compact, though no one could tell what material it was made from.
The moment this box appeared, not just Ding Yao, but the other four Eighth-Order cultivators as well grew cautious and solemn — even betraying a hint of wariness. Whatever was inside was clearly no ordinary object, something that could pose a threat even to Eighth-Order cultivators.
And that was only to be expected. After all, this was designed to deal with a Domain Lord. If it held no threat to Eighth-Order cultivators, it would naturally be useless against a Domain Lord either.
Their attitude only deepened Hong Hu's unease. Under his tense gaze, Ding Yao activated a spell to open the box and gently blew a breath toward it — a gust infused with the mighty power of heaven and earth.
A white, mist-like substance drifted from the box and drifted toward Hong Hu, trapped within the array.
The next instant, frost crystallized across Hong Hu's body. The ice spread rapidly, quickly enveloping him entirely and encasing him in a massive block of ice.
Yang Kai and the others watched from afar. The ice was perfectly translucent, and Hong Hu frozen within looked startlingly lifelike, frozen in the exact posture he had held before the ice overtook him — even the terror in his eyes was clearly visible.
But it was not over yet. Ding Yao raised his hand again and produced a coffin-like object. It was enormous, clearly not made for humans — it had been specially crafted for the Ink Clan.
Under his spell's guidance, the frozen Hong Hu was sent into the giant coffin. The lid sealed shut, and Ding Yao formed hand seals, sending wave after wave of visible, radiant light into the coffin.
Before long, the surface of the coffin lid began to glow with flickering runic symbols, their light shifting between bright and dim. The multitude of runes coalesced into chains that wound around the coffin loop after loop before slowly fading from sight.
Mission accomplished!
Ding Yao and the others exchanged glances and nodded in quiet satisfaction.
Capturing a Domain Lord alive — this was the first time in countless years that the human Eighth-Order cultivators had attempted such a feat. Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly with no significant mishaps.
With a Domain Lord in hand, the weapon against the Ink Clan could be developed that much faster.
"Well done, all of you."
Just as Yang Kai and the others watched with rapt attention, a voice suddenly sounded from nearby.
They turned to look and saw Xiang Shan in his green robes, hovering quietly to one side. Though everyone was exhausted in body and mind after the battle, the fact that Xiang Shan had approached without anyone noticing spoke volumes of his formidable foundation.
"Greetings, Senior Xiang!" Everyone bowed.
Xiang Shan raised a hand, and Yang Kai and the others straightened involuntarily.
"In terms of raw strength, Hong Hu ranks as only average among all Domain Lords — middling at best. But when it comes to caution and vigilance, he stands above the rest. Your efforts lulled him into complacency and drew him out successfully. Though I could have advanced to the Eighth-Order at any time, I had to choose the perfect moment to act. If I moved too early, I would have alerted him. The moment he sensed trouble, he would have fled without hesitation. So when I finally struck, I had to be certain I could keep him engaged."
Wan Zhengxin, captain of the Clear Wind Squad, pressed his lips together. "This Disciple understands!"
He knew that the reason Xiang Shan had bothered to explain himself to a group of Seventh-Order cultivators was because of the Clear Wind Squad's warship — the one Hong Hu had attacked. At that time, had Xiang Shan intervened, the warship could certainly have been saved, and there would have been no dozen severe injuries, no three casualties.
But that had not been the right moment for Xiang Shan to act.
He did not owe them any further explanation. Wan Zhengxin was a Seventh-Order cultivator after all — he understood the situation well enough. And yet Xiang Shan had explained anyway.
"The junior brothers who set foot on this battlefield of Ink have long harbored the resolve to sacrifice themselves. To fall in battle is their finest resting place — and a wish we all share."
Xiang Shan nodded gently. "Now that this matter is settled, you will remain here with me and rest for a time."
"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.