The ink clouds dissipated, revealing Di Wu's figure. The Sun-Moon Divine Seal struck him squarely in the face, silently burrowing into his body without a sound.
Di Wu shuddered violently as if struck by lightning, his body convulsing.
Mysterious and unfathomable powers of space-time erupted within him, transforming into an invisible millstone that ground away at him. The aura of a False King weakened at a terrifying rate.
Di Wu could clearly feel his life force draining away at breakneck speed, and that bizarre power within his body had transformed into countless razor-sharp blades that sliced through his five viscera and six bowels.
What kind of divine ability was this?!
Di Wu's heart filled with dread.
The newly forged Sun-Moon Divine Seal lacked the overwhelming majesty of the previous Sun-Moon Divine Wheel, yet its destructive power far surpassed it by a wide margin. After all, this was the result of
The might of this new divine ability had indeed not disappointed him. Di Wu's continuously weakening aura was proof enough.
Originally, the Ancestral Land already exerted a certain suppressive force upon Di Wu. Under the shroud of the Purifying Light, his power had drained severely, nearly destabilizing his very foundations. After all, this False King of his was no true King — he had been forged through the Method of Integration.
The last time at the Unreturning Pass, the
This was something he absolutely could not accept, and something the King would never forgive.
Forging him into a False King had cost the Ink Race far too great a price.
That was why he had fled. Unfortunately, Yang Kai had sealed off his path ahead, and now he had been struck by yet another Sun-Moon Divine Seal. His teetering foundation as a False King was finally on the verge of total collapse.
Dense, viscous ink power surged outward from his body — not by his own volition, but as a sign that he could no longer contain his own strength.
Di Wu's expression became one of extreme strain. Though he poured everything into suppressing the power rampaging within his body, the Sun-Moon Divine Seal's might was still blooming. How could he possibly suppress it so easily?
His state did not escape Yang Kai's notice. Though it struck Yang Kai as odd, he couldn't be bothered to think too deeply about it.
The Azure Dragon Spear materialized in his grip. Yang Kai gazed coldly down at Di Wu below. "Lord King, your death has arrived!"
Words returned in kind!
Those were the very words Di Wu had spoken to Yang Kai before. Who could have imagined that in just a few short days, their positions would be completely reversed?
The instant the words left his lips, Yang Kai thrust his spear at Di Wu. As the spear-light blazed forth, the realms of numerous Daos intertwined in dazzling display, making every thrust seem utterly unpredictable.
Di Wu howled and fought back. The two figures clashed into a single tangled mass of combat.
Even with the Ancestral Land's suppression, the Purifying Light's weakening, and the Sun-Moon Divine Seal's interference, Di Wu still possessed the strength to fight. However, his power was draining continuously. As time passed, his strength would only grow weaker. The moment his foundation as a False King collapsed, he would be reduced to his true form.
Yang Kai didn't know what exactly this King's deal was, but he could see the frantic bleeding away of that ink power with his own eyes. This newly ascended King's foundations seemed far too unstable — otherwise, how could something like this be happening?
When he had first faced this King, Yang Kai had harbored no desire to fight him at all, knowing full well he was no match for a King. Forcing a confrontation would only bring suffering upon himself.
Yet an unexpected turn of events had pushed the battle step by step to its current state. Now, looking at Di Wu, he was no longer that invincible King — he was an enemy who could be slain!
After the two had exchanged blows for only a short while, powerful auras surged toward them from every direction.
These were the Innate Domain Lords who had been commanding the Four Gates Eight Palaces Sumeru Array. Seeing that things had gone badly, they had charged in.
If Di Wu died here, they would have a difficult time explaining themselves to the King upon their return. They could not simply stand by and watch Di Wu be killed.
Moreover, there were a full twelve Kings between them — allied with Di Wu, there was absolutely no need to fear Yang Kai.
There was only one problem.
With no one commanding the Four Gates Eight Palaces Sumeru Array, there was no way to seal heaven and lock down the earth. If Yang Kai decided to flee, no one would be able to stop him.
It could be said that from the moment they abandoned the array's command, the plan to hunt down Yang Kai had essentially been declared a failure.
But in this moment, they could not afford to think too far ahead. If Di Wu died, maintaining the array would be meaningless — Yang Kai could break through the formation from the inside with ease. The array covered too vast an area to be truly sturdy.
The incoming auras of the numerous Domain Lords were unmistakable. Di Wu and Yang Kai, locked in combat, both sensed them clearly. The panic on Di Wu's face eased slightly — he likely believed he was about to be saved. At the same time, a wave of shame surged through his heart.
He was a dignified False King, having brought so many Innate Domain Lords to hunt down Yang Kai, and yet not only had they failed, they had suffered devastating losses. He was gravely wounded, his foundation shaken, and eight Domain Lords had been killed.
In the end, he had to rely on the Domain Lords to rescue him just to preserve his life. When he returned to the Unreturning Pass, he would have no idea how to explain himself to the King.
He wouldn't need to explain anything...
The expression that Di Wu had barely managed to calm quickly twisted into one of shock. Behind Yang Kai, the gateway to his Small Universe had suddenly swung open. One after another, towering figures a hundred zhang tall stepped through the portal.
They were none other than the Small Stone Clan warriors!