At No-Return Pass, Domain Lords of varying injuries stood vigil in all directions, communicating through divine sense.
The ambush by that human eighth-ranker half a day ago had cost them all face—not only had three King-level ink nests been destroyed, but a fellow Domain Lord had been killed as well.
The King himself had given chase, and his current status remained unknown.
Still, by their reckoning, that human eighth-ranker was most likely doomed. After all, the gap between the eighth rank and a King was considerable.
What they remained vigilant for was whether that human had companions.
With the King absent, though the number of Domain Lords at No-Return Pass was considerable, seventy to eighty percent had returned from the Three Thousand Worlds to recover from their injuries. Those truly unscathed numbered fewer than ten.
If a large force of human experts were to attack now, they could suffer significant losses.
After half a day with no sign of activity, the Domain Lords' wariness gradually eased. After all, No-Return Pass was now under Ink Race control—humanity had already retreated to the Three Thousand Worlds, and it was unlikely that many powerful fighters would appear.
Some of the more severely wounded Domain Lords returned to their ink nests to continue their recovery in slumber.
The remaining Domain Lords maintained their vigil, though their guard was far less tight than before.
It was then that an unusual surge of energy suddenly rippled out from one direction. The Domain Lords' faces drained of color as they turned toward it.
At a glance, they saw a figure materialize in the air above a King-level ink nest. A blazing great sun erupted and slammed down upon it.
The energy detonation shook violently, rippling outward in all directions.
The Domain Lords shot toward the spot like lightning.
That human had actually shaken off the King's pursuit. Not only was he alive, but he had launched a counterattack, once again targeting the King-level ink nests.
When the Domain Lords hurriedly arrived at the stricken ink nest, there was no trace of the enemy. After the great sun detonated, the ghostly human eighth-ranker had vanished into thin air.
All that remained was a King-level ink nest reduced to countless fragments, and a Domain Lord who had been recovering inside it—now wretched and exposed.
He was in no danger of dying, but already wounded, he had been caught in the shockwave of Yang Kai's attack, and his condition had worsened considerably.
The ink nest destroyed and himself forced out into the open, his expression was dazed and shaken, privately relieved to have escaped with his life.
The Domain Lords were furious. That human was far too brazen—with so many Domain Lords on guard, he had actually dared to strike back, treating them with utter contempt.
Where was the King? He had clearly chased after this human, yet now the man had returned while the King was nowhere to be found.
But before they could fully puzzle it out, that familiar wave of energy surged once more from another direction.
Nearly all the Domain Lords had gathered before the ink nest Yang Kai had destroyed, leaving other areas comparatively undefended.
Yang Kai had originally planned to strike once and retreat, but given such a perfect opportunity, he simply couldn't resist. He appeared once more.
Just as before, he activated Golden Crow Forges the Sun. A great sun rose and descended upon another King-level ink nest, reducing it to powder in a single blow. The Ink Race members gathered around it were instantly wiped out in droves.
Numerous Domain Lords swarmed toward him again, though at least one among them had the presence of mind to roar, "Spread out and guard the ink nests!"
Being led around by the nose would get them nowhere. The enemy was far too elusive—gathering in one place gave them overwhelming force, but the human had no intention of engaging them head-on. His intent was obvious: destroy every King-level ink nest here.
Roused by the warning, the Domain Lords finally grasped the situation and immediately scattered, each taking charge of a zone to protect the ink nests.
With that, Yang Kai could no longer strike so easily. He only needed to be held up by a single Domain Lord for a moment, and nearby ones could rush to reinforce.
Having destroyed the second nest, Yang Kai had intended to flee immediately. But seeing that the Domain Lords hadn't come charging at him and had instead spread out to guard the ink nests, he grew unhurried. He simply stood there in the open, observing and mulling things over.
The Domain Lord who had spoken earlier saw this and his expression darkened. This human's brazen attitude had reached a level they simply could not tolerate.
He sent out a divine-sense transmission in all directions. Immediately, several Domain Lords streaked toward Yang Kai.
Half a day ago, they had all witnessed Yang Kai appearing at No-Return Pass and killing a Domain Lord with a single spear thrust. They knew this human was powerful—in a one-on-one fight, they might not even be his match.
What's more, he had escaped the King's pursuit unscathed, and now the King himself had vanished.
This was no ordinary human eighth-ranker. He had to be one of the strongest among them all.
But with several Domain Lords joining forces, there was no reason to fear him.
Seeing the group of Domain Lords hurtling toward him, Yang Kai silently praised their tactical adjustment. If they had all clumped together, the King-level ink nests at No-Return Pass would have been left unguarded, and the losses would have been devastating.