The human race did not possess the Innately powerful physiques of the Ink Clan, nor did their growth cycles come anywhere close in length. But humanity had its own advantages—an eclectic arsenal of Artifacts and secret techniques.
Secret techniques in particular had given nearly every Domain Lord cause for grief. Among them, certain soul-based secret techniques were the most troublesome of all, virtually impossible to guard against.
If they could truly refine this Warm Spirit Lotus, then what soul-based Artifacts would they need to fear in the future? Should any human dare deploy a soul technique against them again, they would only be smashing their own feet with a rock.
It was for this reason that the elderly Ink Servant's proposal had been so tempting to Hundi.
As the most senior Domain Lord present, Hundi naturally stepped forward without hesitation: "I'll give it a try."
With that, he advanced a single step, channeling his soul power in a surging wave toward the Warm Spirit Lotus. The other Domain Lords were slightly displeased, but none felt they could object.
The two Ink Servants exchanged a glance and quietly withdrew, finding the companion who had been wounded by Yang Kai earlier. They helped him resist the Soul Sacrifice Thorn that had been driven into his body.
When Yang Kai had entered this Ink Nest Space, he had first outright killed one Ink Servant, then wounded another. The injured Ink Servant had been struggling against the Soul Sacrifice Thorn's power ever since, but he was only an Ink Servant, not a genuine Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, and the effort was wearing on him.
His two companions had arrived at just the right moment. A little later, and he might not have held on. With their assistance, the wounded Ink Servant finally managed to stabilize his condition. But expelling the Soul Sacrifice Thorn entirely would require painstaking effort over a long period of time—and the process was certain to be fraught with peril and uncertainty. The slightest misstep would result in total annihilation.
The Ink Nest Space fell silent. The only sound was the fluctuation of Hundi's soul power as he ceaselessly drove it against the lotus.
Half a month later, Hundi lost patience and withdrew his power. "This thing repels everything—it can't be refined. If any of you wish to try, be my guest!"
He had spent half a month and burned through a considerable amount of soul power, all for nothing. Hundi was thoroughly frustrated, yet he could hardly deny the other Domain Lords their turn. Just because he had failed did not mean someone else would.
Everyone deserved the chance to try.
The moment he stepped back, another Domain Lord eagerly moved forward to make the attempt.
But half a month later, he too withdrew in disappointment—just as Hundi had.
Four Domain Lords tried in succession, and not one achieved any effect. This drove home a grim truth: the Warm Spirit Lotus could not be refined so easily, especially while its master still lived.
To refine this Heaven-and-Earth treasure, one would need to kill its owner first.
But that human had remained hidden inside the lotus bud ever since it appeared. The Domain Lords had no idea what state he was in, and without a way to breach the Warm Spirit Lotus's defenses, how could they possibly kill him?
It was a perfect dead end.
Just then, the elderly Ink Servant came forward to deliver bad news: "My lords, Brother Wan is about to give out. Could one of you open this space so his soul can return to his body for healing?"
The Brother Wan he referred to was the Ink Servant wounded by Yang Kai.
Hundi turned to look and saw at once that the Wan-surnamed Ink Servant's soul was unstable and continuing to weaken.
Hundi frowned. "He was fine before—how did it come to this so suddenly?"
The elderly Ink Servant gave a bitter smile. "You may not be aware, my lord, but the three of us currently have our physical bodies situated within three Domain Lord-level Ink Nests. We connect our minds to the Ink Nest's willpower through our own Heavenly Might, using our bodies as a bridge, in order to enter this Ink Nest Space. Put simply—as long as the three of us remain here, the Ink Nests are constantly devouring the power of our Small Worlds. By my reckoning, we have been here for two months now. We are Eighth-Order cultivators with deep reserves, but Brother Wan's soul was already severely injured. Combined with the continuous drain on his physical body's strength, he can no longer hold on."
It was not only Brother Wan—even he and the other uninjured Ink Servant could not remain in this Ink Nest Space indefinitely. If the power of their Small Worlds was drained completely, they faced the risk of collapse. And if that happened, everything would be over.
Their situation was fundamentally different from that of the Ink Clan proper. The Domain Lords, though only somewhat stronger than them in raw power, wielded the Ink Force. They could connect to the Ink Nests at will without bearing the risks the Ink Servants now faced.
The Domain Lords could remain in this Ink Nest Space for as long as they pleased. The Ink Servants could not. Before the power of their Small Worlds ran dry, they had to return their souls to their bodies and seal the gates of their Small Worlds—or the Ink Nests would drain them to husks.
The two uninjured ones simply had a bit more endurance left than Brother Wan.
Hearing the old man's explanation, Hundi realized he had neglected the Ink Servants' plight.
But actually opening the space gave him pause.
Because the moment this space was opened, the human hiding inside the Warm Spirit Lotus would have a chance to escape. Who knew what state he was in now? What if he had been waiting for precisely this moment?
The Domain Lords had paid an enormous price—even requesting the King Master to send reinforcements—just to trap this human here. How could they bear to let him slip away?
Yet the Ink Servants were also a force upon which the Ink Clan relied. To let that Wan-surnamed Ink Servant die here was something even Hundi found difficult to accept.
A truly thorny situation.