The entire Ink Nest space was filled with the divine soul power that had dissipated after the Domain Lord's death, rumbling ceaselessly.
While Patriarch Xiaoxiao and the Ten Thousand Demon Heaven Patriarch were unleashing their devastating might, the other Patriarchs were not idle either. The moment the third Domain Lord fell, the fourth Domain Lord fell right after.
Though none among the Human Race had fallen, every single one of them was wounded, their divine souls flickering with far less luster than before.
And this great battle, from its start to this very moment, had lasted no more than thirty breaths.
In such a brief span, all twenty-two of the Human Race's Ninth-Ranks were injured without exception, and the Ink Race had lost four Domain Lords. A battle this perilous and ferocious was unprecedented in all of history.
Despite the impressive gains of the Human Race, the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
Setting aside their injuries for the moment, the Warm Spirit Lotus's protection didn't seem like it could hold much longer. In truth, the fact that this supreme treasure of heaven and earth had managed to endure until now had already exceeded everyone's expectations—even if it crumbled in the very next instant, no one would have been surprised.
To make matters worse, Patriarch Xiaoxiao had deployed the Soul Sacrifice Thorn three times in succession, severely damaging his divine soul, and his control over the Warm Spirit Lotus was no longer as steady as before.
The Ten Thousand Demon Heaven Patriarch had clearly noticed this as well, and no longer asked Patriarch Xiaoxiao to coordinate with him in slaying the enemy.
The Human Race was at risk of total annihilation at any moment.
Their temporary advantage was far from enough to resolve their crisis.
Every Ninth-Rank realized that if they didn't break through the Ink Nest space and escape quickly, the moment the Warm Spirit Lotus's protection shattered would be the moment they all perished.
An aged elder suddenly stepped forward and declared: "I knew there was a reason my right eyelid kept twitching today—it was foreshadowing this. Very well, then I shall face my tribulation. Fellow Daoists, guard me!"
A nearby Ninth-Rank turned to look, his expression shifting: "Ping Yu..."
"Spare me the words," the elder growled. "I, of Ming Wang Heaven, cultivate primarily the physical body. Divine soul attacks are not my strong suit, and staying here won't be of much use. If I can carve out a path of survival for my fellow Daoists, then my lifetime of cultivation will not have been in vain."
This Ninth-Rank Patriarch called Ping Yu was unmistakably from Ming Wang Heaven. Here, though his divine soul strength was nominally at the Ninth-Rank level, it was noticeably weaker than the others', and his soul-attack techniques were exceedingly limited.
Simply put, this kind of battlefield was not suited for him. Staying would indeed serve little purpose.
Everyone grasped his intentions in an instant. Many of the Ninth-Ranks' faces darkened, but they were powerless to stop him.
The Ninth-Rank who had spoken earlier roared at once: "Guard him!"
The instant those words left his lips, every Ninth-Rank activated their soul secret techniques and Artifacts, blasting outward.
To the Ink Race Domain Lords' utter astonishment, the Human Race's attacks were not aimed at them at all—instead, they were directed at a specific point in the void, carving a passage straight through the chaotic battlefield.
One of the Domain Lords finally realized the Human Race's intent and screamed in alarm: "Stop him! Now!"
At the command, the combined bombardment of over forty Domain Lords rained down upon the passage, intending to destroy it.
But it was too late. The Ming Wang Heaven Patriarch laughed heartily, stepped out from the heart of the lotus blossom, and strode into the passage. In the blink of an eye, he reached a point high in the firmament, his divine soul power surging wildly as he roared: "Open!"
Boom...
When a Ninth-Rank aura was snuffed out, divine soul power like an avalanche or a tsunami swept outward in all directions, shattering the four extremities.
The deafening roar echoed throughout the entire Ink Nest space, sending tremors rippling through the divine souls of every powerful being present.
In that instant, the Domain Lords were sent reeling by the shockwave, and even the Warm Spirit Lotus's outer barrier rippled violently, seeming as though it might shatter at any moment.
All the Domain Lords were stunned.
That Human Race Ninth-Rank... had detonated his own divine soul without a moment's hesitation!
Sure, the Human Race was in a dire situation, trapped within this Ink Nest space, but they had already killed four Domain Lords and still had that peculiar lotus protecting them—they had not yet reached the point of no return.
And yet he had self-destructed just like that?
What kind of courage must that have taken?
The Human Race... truly terrifying!
Meanwhile, every Human Race Ninth-Rank had their eyes fixed on the sky above. The next instant, their eyes lit up.
The Ming Wang Heaven Patriarch's divine soul detonation had not been in vain—a crack had been torn open in the firmament above. Though the fissure was not large, the entire sealed Ink Nest space now bore a slight vulnerability.
The destructive force of a Ninth-Rank's self-destruction targeting the sky was beyond imagination.
Previously, the fall of four Domain Lords had already caused this space to tremble, and that was merely from residual shockwaves. Now, with the Ming Wang Heaven Patriarch targeting it directly, a crack had been torn open immediately.
"Go!" a Ninth-Rank hissed.
If the sealed space had a flaw, then there was a way out. If not now, when?
But before they could make a move, the Domain Lords' counterattack came crashing in with frenzied fury. The Domain Lords were no fools—they knew exactly what the Human Race was planning.
If these Ninth-Ranks actually managed to escape, then this ambush would become nothing but a joke.
They had laid this ambush with more than double the numbers, yet had still lost four Domain Lords to the enemy. And though one of the Human Race had perished, it had been by self-destruction—none of them had killed him.
In an instant, the Warm Spirit Lotus's barrier wavered wildly, and the Patriarchs were forced to intervene to defend it.
And in that brief delay, from that crack in the firmament above, a powerful force suddenly surged forth, rapidly closing the fissure!