Big Brother Huang was about to speak but hesitated. Big Sister Lan picked up the thread: "Back then, we weren't in our right minds, dazed and confused, and caused great suffering to many Great Domains. That's how this Chaotic Death Domain grew to its current scale. Once we developed sentience, we stopped wandering freely and stayed here, so we wouldn't harm other places."
That sounded familiar...
Yang Kai suddenly recalled that the formation of the Ink Battlefield was remarkably similar to the Chaotic Death Domain—both had been created through the merging of numerous Great Domains. The only difference was that in the Ink Battlefield, it had been Ink's unchecked release of his power, whereas here in the Chaotic Death Domain, once Zhuo Zhao and You Ying realized the danger of their power, they had simply hidden themselves away and never left.
"How can this be?" Yang Kai asked, puzzled.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan exchanged a glance, then answered in unison: "Because we can't control our own power."
Yang Kai froze for a moment, then recalled the scene he had witnessed during his first visit to the Chaotic Death Domain, and understanding dawned on him: "So that's why there were so many Yellow Crystals and Blue Crystals here before!"
During his first trip to the Chaotic Death Domain, the place had been anything but peaceful.
Back then, the entire Chaotic Death Domain had been awash with power leaking from Zhuo Zhao and You Ying. The twin forces of Yin and Yang had taken form as all manner of strange spirit entities, clashing ceaselessly across the domain, plunging the heavens into darkness and shattering the void.
If the Giant Spirit God Ah Er hadn't been guiding him back then, how could a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator like him have survived unscathed? He would have been obliterated without a trace. This was a place where even Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivators couldn't venture deep with ease.
At the entrance to the Chaotic Death Domain, Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands maintained a permanent garrison of Eighth-Order cultivators. This was a rotating duty—one or two at minimum, sometimes three to five—these Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivators stood watch at the entrance, monitoring the Chaotic Death Domain and keeping tabs on Zhuo Zhao and You Ying.
It was neither a good nor a bad posting. Bad because it was dangerous—although the Chaotic Death Domain hadn't expanded in years and Zhuo Zhao and You Ying hadn't emerged, the day either of those two powerhouses was in a foul mood and decided to take a stroll, the Eighth-Order cultivator at the gate would be the first to suffer.
Not bad because the Eighth-Order cultivators stationed here had the opportunity to gather Yin- and Yang-attributed resources from the edges of the Chaotic Death Domain. With good luck, materials of Seventh- or Eighth-Order grade were not uncommon.
Both times Yang Kai had entered and exited the Chaotic Death Domain previously, he had seen the Eighth-Order cultivators stationed at the entrance. This time, he hadn't seen any—they had likely already departed to fight the Ink Clan.
Precisely because the Chaotic Death Domain was so dangerous, Yin- and Yang-attributed resources were extremely scarce. The one thing the Chaotic Death Domain had in abundance was Yellow Crystals and Blue Crystals.
If Zhuo Zhao and You Ying could perfectly control their own power, there would be no manifestation and collision of those Yin-Yang spirit entities, and no birth of Yellow Crystals or Blue Crystals.
It was precisely because they couldn't control their power that it leaked outward, giving rise to everything that followed.
Later, when Yang Kai had left the Stone Tribe in the Chaotic Death Domain, these two had channeled the energy they leaked into the Stone Tribe's bodies—which was how the Stone Tribe had undergone its transformation.
It made no sense that Yang Kai's Stone Tribe, raised for tens of thousands of years, still looked the same while the ones here in the Chaotic Death Domain had completely changed, producing even Stone Tribe individuals comparable to human Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivators.
The reason was that the quality of resources they had consumed over the years was far too high, which accounted for the dramatic changes.
The Stone Tribe's endless wars—partly driven by the nature of their race, but also propelled by the influence of Zhuo Zhao and You Ying's power.
In truth, the clash of Yin and Yang forces in the Chaotic Death Domain had never stopped—it had simply taken a different form. The changes that occurred were a result of Zhuo Zhao and You Ying's deliberate guidance.
In that instant, Yang Kai understood everything.
But he couldn't quite grasp how beings as powerful as Zhuo Zhao and You Ying could fail to control their own power. By all reason, the stronger one's cultivation, the finer one's control over their own power should be. Yet with Zhuo Zhao and You Ying, it was the exact opposite.
Now he finally understood why Laughing Ancestor had been so hesitant when he'd mentioned inviting these two to join the fight. She must have known the rumors, and had assumed it was highly unlikely they could be persuaded. Given Zhuo Zhao and You Ying's condition, if they actually ventured out, the Ink Clan wouldn't even need to ravage the realms—one Great Domain after another would be reduced to scorched earth, and wherever they passed would become part of the Chaotic Death Domain.
That kind of destruction would be even worse than the Ink Clan's devastation.
Yang Kai had wanted to invite them to deal with the Ink Giant Gods, but judging by the situation, that had been rather wishful thinking.
Unwilling to give up, he asked: "Is there truly no way for you two to restrain your own power?"
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan shook their heads in unison, bobbling like rattle-drums.
Yang Kai rubbed his aching brow and pressed on: "Have you two ever tried merging with each other?"
"Like this?" Big Brother Huang channeled a stream of Solar power.
Big Sister Lan silently channeled a stream of Lunar power.
The two forces, two different colors, drifted slowly toward each other and rapidly fused into a beam of white light...
Yang Kai shook his head. "Not your powers merging—your actual selves. Merging as beings. Understand?"
Zhuo Zhao and You Ying both looked at him in astonishment: "How would the two of us merge?"
Yang Kai struggled for a moment to find the right words, then said: "Beyond the Three Thousand Worlds lies the Ink Battlefield—the front line where the various Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands resist the Ink Clan. On that battlefield, humans and the Ink Clan have been locked in war for countless millennia. Nearly a thousand years ago, I went to that Ink Battlefield. Over five hundred years ago, I joined the human army's expedition to the Ink Clan's origin world, where I encountered some ancient Supreme beings and learned of certain ancient secrets."
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan said nothing. Each of them conjured a ball of power, shaped it into a cushion, and settled down cross-legged before him, gazing at him with keen interest, eyes full of anticipation, clearly expecting him to continue.
The vast Chaotic Death Domain held only the two of them day in and day out—a tedious and lonely existence. Hearing something genuinely interesting was a rare treat, and both of them were delighted.
Yang Kai regarded them deeply: "Some of what I'm about to tell may concern the two of you."
"Mm-hmm." Big Sister Lan nodded repeatedly, while Big Brother Huang listened with full attention.