The man surnamed Wu didn't quite understand—wasn't it obvious who had appeared on his own territory? Why would he need to ask?
In response to Qin Chuan's inquiry, the mysterious figure cloaked in ink-darkness merely replied with a flat, "No need to ask."
As those words left his lips, a powerful aura suddenly flared and just as quickly receded.
Everyone in the great hall, including Wu's senior and junior martial siblings, had their expressions change drastically.
This mysterious figure was actually an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator!
Before this, his aura had been completely concealed, so no one had any idea of his strength. But now that he had deliberately released the pressure of an Eighth-Order, how could they fail to perceive it?
Qin Chuan and the three others hastily bowed in respect. "Greetings, my lord!"
Beneath the cloak of ink, Yang Kai gave a faint nod and offered a casual grunt, fully playing the part of a transcendent expert. In truth, with his current Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivation, he truly had no need to take these Sixth-Order cultivators seriously.
If he hadn't needed to uncover the source of these Ink converts in the Shattered Sky, he would have captured them all long ago.
He had been guided by Third Elder Ji, chasing all the way to the Poluo Prefecture, where he happened upon Wu and his martial siblings delivering orders on behalf of the Heavenly Net Divine Lord. He had then quietly concealed himself and followed them into this great hall.
He knew the Jade Spirit Fruit that the junior sister had consumed had been tampered with, but he hadn't intervened, so as not to alert the prey.
If he still had Yellow Crystals and Blue Crystals in his possession, there would have been no need for any of this. A single beam of Purifying Light would have scattered the Ink force within the Ink converts in this hall, and he could have obtained any intelligence he wanted.
But as things stood, he no longer had the power to unleash the Purifying Light, so he would have to go about this the long way.
He silently made a note to find an opportunity to visit the Chaotic Death Domain and ask Brother Huang and Sister Lan for more Yellow and Blue Crystals. On top that, he wanted to make inquiries with those two regarding the matter of the First Light in this world…
On the Ink Battlefield, his disguise as an Ink convert had been so flawless that even the Ink Clan couldn't see through it—let alone a handful of converts here.
Though they didn't know Yang Kai's true identity, this Eighth-Order powerhouse before them was clearly just like them: an Ink convert.
Why would Qin Chuan and the others suspect anything?
Everyone felt a surge of excitement. Originally, a few Sixth-Order Open Heaven Ink converts like themselves had been worried about their ability to accomplish anything significant. Now, an Eighth-Order had appeared out of nowhere—what a pleasant surprise.
Another Sixth-Order Open Heaven beside Qin Chuan asked respectfully, "Might I ask what instructions my lord brings?"
Yang Kai said casually, "I was merely passing through. I had intended to recruit some followers, but it seems someone has already made the first move. In that case, I won't take what isn't mine to take. You've done well. These two are members of the Heavenly Net Sect—corrupt them with Ink, and let them serve as your agents heading to the various Spirit Prefectures. That will make operations far more convenient."
The Sixth-Order answered happily, "That was precisely our thinking, which is why Brother Qin invited these two over."
After a brief pause, the Sixth-Order continued, "My lord, I have a humble request, and I hope you will grant it."
"Speak." Yang Kai raised a hand slightly.
The Sixth-Order said, "My lord must have noticed that here in the Poluo Prefecture, our numbers are pitifully few. Though we have several Sixth-Order cultivators, subduing the entire Poluo Prefecture and converting its people will still require considerable effort. I humbly ask for my lord's aid. With your help, the Poluo Prefecture could be brought to heel in the blink of an eye!"
At these words, Wu's face went ashen, imagining the horror of every martial artist in the Poluo Prefecture being converted by Ink.
"You want me to act?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow, a smile full of hidden meaning on his face. "Is the one pulling your strings behind you willing?"
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven replied, "Rest assured, my lord. My encounter with that gentleman was entirely by chance. After he corrupted me with Ink, he only gave me the directive to convert more followers and issued no further commands."
Yang Kai furrowed his brow, putting on an expression of displeasure. "That fellow seems to have it easy. Where did he go?"
Though the exchange was brief, Yang Kai could already see that the one truly in charge here was not Qin Chuan, the master of the Poluo Prefecture, but this Sixth-Order Open Heaven he was speaking with.
This Sixth-Order had apparently encountered an Ink convert somewhere, been corrupted, and sent back with the intention of converting the entire martial population of the Poluo Prefecture.
On his way back, he must have encountered that Fifth-Order Open Heaven and engaged in battle on one of the floating islands, quickly subduing him.
That would have been the very same floating island that Yang Kai and Third Elder Ji had investigated first. It was because this Sixth-Order had begun converting the Fifth-Order that some Ink force had leaked out, allowing Third Elder Ji to detect it.
Afterward, he had brought the Fifth-Order back to the Poluo Prefecture, where he had corrupted Qin Chuan and another Sixth-Order as well.
Though they were all Sixth-Order, a calculated ambush combined with the insidious nature of the Ink force left Qin Chuan and the other Sixth-Order powerless to resist.
Yang Kai silently breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the situation wasn't too terrible after all—the entire Poluo Prefecture likely had only these few Ink converts present. That was precisely why he had arrived in time; had he been even a few days later, things could have been far worse.
Yang Kai's question had seemed casual, but in truth, it was what he cared about most: the whereabouts of the Ink convert who had corrupted this Sixth-Order!
Only by finding that convert could he follow the thread and trace the source of the Ink force in the Shattered Sky.
In response to his inquiry, the Sixth-Order Ink convert harbored no suspicion and replied promptly, "That gentleman did not specify where he was going, but judging by the direction he and another lord were heading, it seemed to be toward the Broken Ruins."
Beneath his cloak of ink, Yang Kai's expression shifted.
The Broken Ruins!
The forbidden zone of the Shattered Sky, and the location of the Sacred Spirit Ancestral Ground. The Divine Ability Sea surrounded the Broken Ruins, brimming with peril.
What would an Ink convert be doing heading toward the Broken Ruins? And from what this Sixth-Order had said, it wasn't just one Ink convert—it was two!