As the formation flags were activated and shaken, the various formation bases rapidly intertwined their auras, resonating with one another, and an invisible force surged through the positions occupied by the several Seventh-Order Ink Servants and the twelve Innate Domain Lords.
With a tremendous upheaval, the great formation took shape.
In that instant, the stretch of void encompassing the Sacred Spirits Ancestral Ground was completely enveloped by the formation, sealing it off from the outside world.
Only then did the Seventh-Order elder who had been setting the formation let out a long breath. What he feared most was that Yang Kai would detect them before the formation was complete — in that case, they might not have been able to trap him at all. Now that the formation had solidified, no matter how proficient Yang Kai was in the Dao of Space, no matter how skilled he was at escape, he would never be able to break free.
Unless he shattered the formation, of course. But with the formation fully enveloping the area, breaking through would be no easy task.
His expression solemn, the elder transmitted his voice in all directions through the formation flags in his hand: "The formation is complete. The void has shifted — that scoundrel must have noticed by now. All lords, please be on your guard."
Had anyone else fallen into this Four Gates Eight Palaces Sumeru Formation, they might not have noticed anything amiss. For the sake of absolute certainty this time, they had mobilized a full twelve Innate Domain Lords, sealing off this region of the Ancestral Ground's heaven and earth over a vast expanse.
But Yang Kai was different. The fellow was a master of the Dao of Space. With the formation locking down heaven and earth and isolating the interior from the exterior, such a disturbance would certainly not escape his perception.
And so, after the elder issued his warning, every Domain Lord tensed up, focusing their senses and sweeping the surroundings with their divine consciousness, terrified that Yang Kai might suddenly burst out from somewhere.
But they waited an entire day, and nothing happened.
They waited another day. Still nothing.
Through the formation flags in their hands, the group of Domain Lords continuously exchanged transmissions, growing increasingly uncertain about what Yang Kai was actually doing.
One Domain Lord voiced his doubt: "Is that fellow really here?"
His suspicion was understandable. If Yang Kai truly was in the area, how could there be absolutely no reaction? Given his usual brazen and domineering attitude toward the Ink Race, if he had detected that his surroundings had been sealed off, he would certainly have caused a massive disturbance.
Even if he hadn't made a scene, he would at least have shown himself — not remained completely silent like this.
He was not the only Domain Lord who harbored such doubts.
Soon, another Domain Lord's voice came through the formation flags: "He should be here. When I went to investigate earlier, the anomalies within the Ancestral Ground were clearly being triggered by him."
"Did you actually see him with your own eyes?"
"No." Because he had not dared to reveal his presence, that Domain Lord had been extremely cautious during his reconnaissance. He wouldn't have dared to look around too thoroughly — if his probing had alerted Yang Kai and allowed the man to grow wary and escape, the consequences would have been on his head.
"Let's wait a bit longer. Perhaps he's lurking somewhere in the shadows, probing us."
The Domain Lords steadied themselves and continued their vigil.
Several more days passed, and still no trace of Yang Kai was found. By now, every Domain Lord had grown restless. All signs pointed to the possibility that Yang Kai had already left the Sacred Spirits Ancestral Ground. If that were the case, then what had all their painstaking effort been for?
After another round of transmissions, they decided to send someone down for a closer investigation. Before, they had not dared to reveal themselves for fear of alerting Yang Kai. But now that the formation was in place, their presence had already been exposed whether they hid or not, so conducting a reconnaissance would make no difference.
But who should go was a matter they could not agree upon.
Yang Kai's fearsome reputation preceded him. In the past, Domain Lords who encountered him could still survive if they didn't strike first. But now that they had gone so far as to deploy a formation to lock down heaven and earth, it was clear they intended to deal with him permanently — so if he ran into anyone, the outcome would not be pleasant.
The Domain Lords began passing the responsibility among themselves, and not a single one was willing to venture deep into the Ancestral Ground.
Fortunately, the million-strong Ink Race army that had departed from the Barrier of Return shortly after them arrived at that point. Among their ranks, the Domain Lords selected a single Lord, who led a detachment of three thousand troops and set off toward the Ancestral Ground.
The hapless Lord's heart was heavy with dread, but he had no choice but to comply.
Moving with extreme caution, he soon arrived above the Ancestral Ground. Before he even descended, he felt a suppressive force pressing in from every direction.
He had never experienced such a power before, but under its influence, the Ink Power circulating within his body grew sluggish. Even his Lord-level aura wavered slightly, dipping a fraction.
This change startled him. He immediately halted and looked around.
Every one of the three thousand Ink Race soldiers he had brought along wore expressions of discomfort.
So this was the suppression of Ancestral Spirit Power? The Lord's expression grew exceedingly grave.
He knew that the Sacred Spirits Ancestral Ground contained Ancestral Spirit Power — after all, this stretch of land had previously been occupied by numerous Ink Race forces. Word had it that the Ancestral Spirit Power here had a certain restraining effect on Ink Power, and the weaker the Ink Race cultivator stationed here, the more uncomfortable they felt.
But he had not expected the suppression to be this pronounced. They were only at the outer perimeter and had not even entered the Ancestral Ground proper — what would it be like if they actually ventured inside?
Despite the unease gnawing at him, he dared not disobey the Domain Lords' orders. Gritting his teeth, he led the Ink Race troops further downward.