Upon seeing this Domain Lord, Yang Kai was in a rather good mood. Not only was it an opportunity to avenge one of Feng Siniang's avatars, but the fact that this Domain Lord had fallen into this place also proved that Dayan's trajectory was correct. Otherwise, they wouldn't have run into him here.
An Eighth-Order cultivator standing beside Yang Kai was equally delighted: "This guy really picked the wrong place to wander into. Of all the directions he could've gone, he had to come here. Now he's a turtle in a jar."
Yang Kai chuckled lightly and reached out toward the void ahead.
The Domain Lord saw this and a trace of mockery surfaced in his eyes. This wretched place was riddled with spatial rifts, each one incredibly resilient. Even he couldn't withstand the cutting force of those rifts. He had tried to break through several times and nearly been sliced apart.
What made him feel even more desperate was that some of these rifts were visible—plain to the naked eye—while others lurked in the darkness, completely undetectable.
And the positions of the rifts weren't fixed either. Over time, they continuously shifted.
If not for that, he was still a Domain Lord—how else would he be trapped here, unable to move?
This human Seventh-Order before him actually dared to test it with his bare body. He would surely suffer for it. If he was unlucky enough to hit one of the rifts, his entire hand could be severed.
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, Yang Kai's outstretched hand passed through the void—and the hidden spatial rifts began revealing themselves one after one. Under the influence of some profound power, Yang Kai seized an enormous rift and crushed it in his fist.
Under the Domain Lord's stupefied gaze, the rift that he himself couldn't ignore was ground to nothing as if it were something solid.
The Ink Race Domain Lord stood frozen on the spot.
Only then did he suddenly recall that this human Seventh-Order had apparently displayed some kind of space-related ability in a previous battle. The Ink Race didn't have much understanding of such powers, so he hadn't been able to remember it at first.
But the scene before him now left no doubt.
Having shattered the spatial rift, Yang Kai then spoke in an unhurried tone: "Do you want to live, or do you want to die?"
If he did nothing, there would be no leverage. That display just now was sufficient to prove he had the ability to rescue the Domain Lord. Now it all depended on how strong his will to survive was.
The Ink Race Domain Lord pressed his lips together in silence.
Yang Kai didn't mind. Humans and the Ink Race had a blood feud of incomparable depth—there was no room for reconciliation. This attitude was well within expectations.
He continued: "What's your name?"
The Ink Race Domain Lord was silent for a long while before answering in a deep voice: "Ge Chen!"
Yang Kai's eyebrows rose slightly. His will to survive wasn't weak at all. Cooperation was a good thing.
It wasn't hard to understand. Being trapped here was ultimately a death sentence. The person before him was an enemy, but if there was a chance to escape, no one would give it up.
"I'll ask you some questions. Answer honestly, and I'll get you out. I'll also guarantee that no one will make a move against you for half a day. After that half day—whether you live or die will depend on your own fortune."
Ge Chen said grimly: "How can I trust you!"
Putting himself in the other's shoes, if he had found a trapped human Eighth-Order, he wouldn't have let them go easily either.
Yang Kai scoffed: "Look at yourself right now. Whether you trust me or not, you have no choice. Trust me, and there's still a sliver of hope. Don't trust me, and you can sit here and wait for death. I won't kill you. You can try to free yourself and see if you can manage."
Ge Chen's face darkened.
He knew Yang Kai was speaking the unvarnished truth, but this feeling of being at someone else's mercy—where the other held the knife and he was the fish on the cutting board—was deeply unpleasant. If he could have escaped, would he still be trapped here?
He had tried multiple times, each attempt leaving him battered and scarred. If not for his extreme caution, he would have died several times over.
Moreover, Yang Kai was merely a Seventh-Order Open Heaven. How could his word represent the attitude of the entire human race?
The Eighth-Order cultivator standing beside Yang Kai said impatiently: "What's there to talk about? If the kid says no one will touch you for half a day, then you get half a day to run. In the battle for the Royal City, even that dog Mo Zhao is dead. Barely any of you Domain Lords survived. What's the harm in letting one more go? Would you even dare show your face in front of us again?"
The humans didn't have much information about the Ink Race's situation—especially regarding the Nest Mother they had previously theorized about. They could confirm that above the King Lord-level Ink Nests there existed even higher-tier ones, but they knew nothing about the Nest Mother itself. If they could extract some intelligence about the Nest Mother, letting this Domain Lord live would be worthwhile.
The Eighth-Order cultivator had clearly grasped Yang Kai's intention, which was why he had spoken as he did.
Ge Chen shook his head, his gaze sweeping past the two men toward someone further back. "If the human Old Ancestor can guarantee my life, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
"How dare you!" the Eighth-Order cultivator barked.
As his words fell, Old Ancestor Xiaoxiao's figure appeared beside them in a flash. She had evidently detected the situation here from within Dayan and had probably arrived some time ago, remaining hidden nearby.
Upon seeing Old Ancestor Xiaoxiao, Ge Chen's expression visibly tensed.
This was the human Supreme who had single-handedly slain Mo Zhao. Every member of the Ink Race feared her.
"Very well! I guarantee your life. Answer a few of my questions," Old Ancestor Xiaoxiao said, regarding Ge Chen. "You may choose not to answer. But if you dare lie… we humans have certain methods that will make you wish you were dead—no, wish you had never been born at all."
Ge Chen's expression twisted in struggle for a moment before he said in a tone of resignation: "Fine!"