Cang had never known that the two of them could actually merge their powers. During the late ancient era, the human race's impression of the Holy Spirits had not been particularly favorable—humans seldom made contact with Holy Spirits, let alone supreme powerhouses like Zhuozhao and Youying. The chaotic death domain they inhabited was practically a forbidden zone for humanity.
During the era when Cang and the other nine had been active, they had never set foot in the chaotic death domain. How could they have known the true depths of Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan?
And even if they had encountered them, they likely wouldn't have thought anything of it.
It was only because Cang and the others had been stationed here for so long—racking their brains over how to completely annihilate Mo—that they had recalled that first ray of light.
But judging from this, Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan very possibly had some connection to the very first ray of light in heaven and earth.
Perhaps the two of them really could merge. But who could bring them here?
If that first ray of light were to be deployed to destroy Mo, it would likely vanish along with him. If the two of them were unwilling, who could compel them?
The Ninth-Order masters were troubled. Though they had learned from Cang that a viable method might exist, implementing it would be impossibly difficult.
"Senior, are you saying that our human army's expedition here was entirely pointless?" an Old Ancestor asked hoarsely.
If they couldn't destroy Mo—the root source—the war between humans and the
Cang shook his head gravely. "Not pointless at all. In fact, if anything, you arrived at exactly the right time."
"What do you mean, Senior…"
Cang let out a long sigh. "Back then, the ten of us laid down the Primordial Heaven Grand Restriction here, sealing Mo within the place of his birth. But as the ages wore on—and with Mo's servants turning this vast void into a dead zone devoid of spiritual energy—we had no way to replenish our fading power. My old friends passed away one by one, until today, when only I remain."
"Had you arrived a thousand years later, I would likely have followed my friends into death. Over these countless years, the Primordial Heaven Grand Restriction has held without issue, but Mo's power has only grown stronger. Even were I to live on, sooner or later he would break free on his own."
Trapped within the restriction for countless ages, Mo had certainly not been idling away the time. He had been secretly accumulating power, trying to shatter the grand formation from within.
In the early days, he had come perilously close to succeeding. Though he was ultimately suppressed once more, over a hundred Ink Lord Kings had managed to escape from the restriction along with their Ink Nests.
Those hundred-odd Ink Lord Kings who had broken free were the origin of the Ink Clan forces across every major warzone.
And as for today—not even Cang knew just how much power Mo had amassed. After suffering setbacks, the creature had grown cleverer, more patient. Cang had probed several times, but Mo never revealed the full extent of his strength.
He was biding his time, waiting—for the moment Cang grew weak—to shatter the restriction and break free in one decisive strike.
That was precisely why Cang said the human army had arrived at the right time. If they had come any later, and his ability to hold the seal had failed, it would have been a catastrophe for the entire universe. The Three Thousand Worlds would have trembled beneath the weight of Mo's power.
Old Ancestor Xiaoxiao spoke in a solemn voice: "Senior, what level is Mo's current strength at? How does he compare to you?"
Cang considered briefly before answering. "Mo's own combat strength is not especially formidable. If it came to a direct fight, he might not be my equal. But he cannot be truly killed. I can slay him once, slay him twice—but in the end, the one who dies will certainly be me. And his true power does not reside in himself—it lies in those servants he creates."
An entity that was virtually immortal could outlast opponents far more powerful than itself simply through attrition. That was precisely why Cang and the others had not confronted Mo head-on in those early days.
They had known they couldn't destroy him.
The Ninth-Order masters suddenly understood. Old Ancestor Xiaoxiao said, "Senior, you mean that over these countless years, Mo may have created a great many Ink Clan members inside the restriction?"
Cang replied in a deep voice, "A great many. The number likely far exceeds what you can imagine, and among them are Ink Lord King-level powerhouses."
Every Ninth-Order master's expression grew heavy.
This was truly terrible news.
Within the Primordial Heaven Grand Restriction, not only was Mo himself sealed away—countless Ink Clan elites were sealed along with him.
Thinking back to the sheer scale of the restriction they had witnessed… How many Ink Clan members could such a vast domain conceal?
The number was likely beyond imagination.
Setting aside everything else—if there were even two hundred Ink Lord Kings inside, that alone would be enough to give humanity a severe headache. Were there two hundred within the restriction?
There certainly were. In the Ink Nest space they had already encountered fifty. Those who hadn't appeared yet would surely be more. Mo had been imprisoned here for over a million years. Aside from creating servants, there was nothing else for him to do.
"Mo can't just conjure Ink Clan members out of thin air. He must consume power to create them. Since he's sealed here, where does that consumed power come from?" one of the Old Ancestors asked.
The question arose because the human race knew that Ink Clan members were birthed from Ink Nests, and that Ink Nests required vast quantities of resources to produce new Ink Clan.
Mo might have been the root of everything, but he would be no exception.