By leveraging the Four Symbols formation, the four Domain Lords from No-Return Pass managed to block the Golden Crow Forges the Sun, and the sight of it made their injured companions' eyes light up.
The humans' formations were this effective?
They had been inside the Primordial Heavens Grand Restriction before and hadn't known much about formations. In recent days, the most information they'd encountered was all about Yang Kai — every Domain Lord who crossed paths with him lost all contact without exception. This human eighth-grader had become a tribulation in the hearts of all Innate Domain Lords. Without overcoming this tribulation, they could not make their way to No-Return Pass.
Yang Kai had appeared here, and a single Golden Crow Forges the Sun struck terror into the hearts of the Domain Lords. Each of them silently wondered — if the four who came to meet them hadn't joined forces to intercept it, what would have become of them if such an attack had landed?
The thought made them shudder. If the attack couldn't be stopped and landed, even if they survived, their injuries would worsen dramatically, and they would face nothing but slaughter.
In that moment, they had a rough idea of what had become of their companions who'd lost contact. They silently resolved that if they made it safely to No-Return Pass and recovered from their injuries, they would find some familiar Domain Lords and thoroughly drill in formations like this — so they wouldn't be left powerless when facing human powerhouses in the future.
"Yang Kai, retreat at once!" barked one of the four Domain Lords maintaining the formation — the one with the most formidable aura. He was enormously built, standing there like an iron pagoda. His tone brooked no argument, but his expression betrayed a clear attempt to bluff.
If Yang Kai's name had merely given Domain Lords pause centuries ago, then now — with the feat of slaying Di Wu, a Pseudo-King Lord, under his belt — he was enough to fill all Innate Domain Lords with terror.
Even Lord Mo Naye had shown him considerable forbearance — how would the Domain Lords dare act too brazenly before him? But circumstances left them no choice but to bite the bullet and face this star of slaughter head-on.
They cursed their luck silently — how had they been so unfortunate as to run into Yang Kai here? How were they going to get out of this?
Across from them, Yang Kai was utterly unmoved. Without a word, he raised his hand and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear, thrusting it forward in a plain, unadorned strike that in an instant multiplied into a sky full of spear shadows.
The four Domain Lords maintaining the formation shouted in unison and joined forces to block it — only to discover that the spear thrust was all form and no force. The speaking Domain Lord immediately barked, "Not good!"
The words had barely left his mouth when two short, sharp screams rang out from behind him.
He didn't need to turn around to know what had happened behind him. And within his field of vision, the figure of Yang Kai charging forward with spear in hand was slowly fading — it had been nothing but an afterimage.
"Change formation!" the burly Domain Lord barked, dashing toward the rear first. The other three Domain Lords were well-coordinated with him, and though fear gripped their hearts, they swiftly shifted the formation.
The Power of Ink surged. The might of heaven and earth clashed. In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai had already exchanged several moves with the four formation-linked Domain Lords, their battle caving in the very void.
When Yang Kai pulled back, the Four Symbols formation maintained by the four Domain Lords had already enveloped all the others within it, using the formation to shield themselves and their companions. However, among those Domain Lords, two had already lost their life force and fallen on the spot.
The surviving Innate Domain Lords were each filled with bone-deep horror. They knew this human powerhouse was strong — his strength absolutely could not be measured by eighth grade alone — but they had never faced him directly before. Their understanding of his power came only from limited intelligence and their own imagination.
Only now, having experienced it firsthand, did they realize how pale and feeble their imaginations had been. This man's power defied all reason.
"Yang Kai, retreat at once!" The burly Domain Lord who had spoken before shouted again. Under their very protection, two Domain Lords had already been killed. Now they didn't dare make any rash moves, lest they give Yang Kai another opening.
"You're courting death!" Yang Kai shook his long spear, pointing it toward them from afar. Though he hadn't moved, the immense pressure of his spear engulfed the vast expanse of void. Every Domain Lord's body went taut as they clearly sensed a tremendous force quietly brewing in the shadows, ready to erupt with thunderous might at any moment.
Sweat beaded on the burly Domain Lord's forehead. He quickly raised his hand. "Hold! Lord Mo Naye has a message for you!"
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly, the killing intent seeping through the slits growing ever sharper. After a long moment, his voice boomed like thunder: "Speak!"
The burly Domain Lord said, "Lord Mo Naye asked us to relay: if you would agree to stand down, all previous matters will be forgiven, and the resources from No-Return Pass can be increased from thirty percent to fifty percent!"
Fifty percent — that was half of everything. It showed just how cornered Mo Naye was, driven to offer this in order to preserve those Innate Domain Lords' lives. He wanted Yang Kai to stand down and cease hostilities, and was willing to treat the fact that Yang Kai had already killed so many Domain Lords as if it had never happened. Those Domain Lords were dead, after all. The Ink Race naturally wanted vengeance, but for the time being, they had no means to take it.
It had to be said — Mo Naye possessed considerable resolve. Of course, circumstances had left him no choice. Had he possessed any means to restrain Yang Kai, he would never have let things go so easily.
But would Yang Kai agree so easily? Forget fifty percent — even eighty or a hundred percent of the resources could not compare to the lives of so many Innate Domain Lords. If he stood down this time, the Ink Race's upper echelon of power would grow enormously, quite possibly tipping the balance of high-level combat strength between the two races in the future.
Yang Kai said nothing. His figure stood motionless as iron. The void seemed to freeze. The power of his soul began to surge. The four Domain Lords maintaining the formation all changed drastically in expression, panic flooding their faces.
It was simple — in that instant, all four Domain Lords felt a chill seep through body and soul. A thick aura of death enveloped them, filling them with the sensation that they could die at any moment.
The spiritual connection maintained by the Four Symbols formation wavered, nearly severing for an instant. Under the threat of death, even their mental composure inevitably began to crack.