Lei Ying's injuries were not serious; she had merely entangled those three Ink Clan Domain Lords for a brief moment before Ouyang Lie had arrived.
Having just broken through to the Ninth Order and slain three powerful enemies in one go, Ouyang Lie felt utterly exhilarated, his spirits soaring as he let out a hearty shout of triumph!
Had he still been at the peak of the Eighth Order, he might not have been able to do much against those three Domain Lords working in formation, even single-handedly. But now, as a Ninth Order cultivator, cutting them down had barely cost him any effort at all.
Once one's cultivation reached the upper-grade Open Heaven realm, each rank truly was an entirely different world.
If that were not the case, the Human Race would not have produced so few Ninth Order cultivators over all these years. Many veteran powerhouses had been stunted by their own limitations, reaching the peak of the Eighth Order with nowhere left to go.
Even someone like Yang Kai, who could crush opponents of the same rank, found himself at a loss when facing a powerhouse like the Ink Clan King Lord. Without relying on his Space techniques to flee, he had no real way to fight one head-on, let alone any other Eighth Order cultivator.
Upon seeing Yang Kai and the others arrive, Ouyang Lie called out, "Junior brothers and sisters! I intend to hunt down some enemies. Care to join me?"
Freshly elevated to the Ninth Order, Ouyang Lie was riding high on confidence, eager to make his mark in this furnace world. The Ink Clan had sent a considerable number of strong fighters this time around. Previously, he would have worried about running into a Pseudo King Lord, but now he was actively seeking one out to test his new realm and solidify his cultivation.
Yang Kai smiled. "No need, Senior Brother. Given your current state, operating alone would suit you better. I'll take Junior Brother Zhan and the others with me."
Ouyang Lie nodded slightly. "That works."
Just as Yang Kai said, he was now a Ninth Order cultivator with a massive surge in strength. Moving alone would give him more freedom. As for Zhan Tianhe and the rest, they would clearly be better off following Yang Kai. Four Eighth Order cultivators plus Lei Ying—if they encountered an Ink Clan Pseudo King Lord, they could instantly form a Five Elements Formation, and with Yang Kai as the formation's core, they would have a real fighting chance.
Safety was not much of a concern.
Turning his gaze toward the depths of the void, Ouyang Lie chuckled softly. "Xiang Big Head has come in too. I wonder if he's found his opportunity. I'll look for him on the way and, if the chance comes, seize a Spirit Pill for him."
His original plan had been to find a Supreme-grade Open Heaven Pill for Yang Kai, but since Yang Kai had no use for one, the favor had gone the other way. Among the Human Race side, the one most urgently in need of a Supreme-grade Open Heaven Pill was undoubtedly Xiang Shan. After years of fighting side by side, Ouyang Lie still cared deeply about him.
If Xiang Shan could get the opportunity and break through to the Ninth Order, the benefit to the Human Race would far exceed what Ouyang Lie himself could contribute.
Yang Kai cupped his fists. "Then I wish Senior Brother success in achieving your heart's desire!"
Ouyang Lie clapped him on the shoulder and advised, "Be careful out there."
Yang Kai nodded.
Ouyang Lie let out a great laugh, transformed into a streak of brilliant light, and vanished into the distance in an instant. His voice drifted back from afar: "Farewell!"
The tone was indescribably carefree and unrestrained.
Watching Ouyang Lie disappear, Yang Kai then turned to the others. "Let's move."
Zhan Tianhe and the rest nodded, naturally falling in line behind Yang Kai. Compared to when they had first entered the Chaos Furnace, their mood had eased considerably.
When the three of them had first entered this furnace world, they had been cautious to an extreme degree. Ordinary Domain Lords or rank-and-file Ink Clan soldiers did not frighten them, but the prospect of encountering an Ink Clan Pseudo King Lord did.
And sure enough, their worst fear had come true—they had actually run into one. If the solitary Ouyang Lie had not sensed the aftershocks of their battle and come to their aid, they would likely have been done for.
Now, reunited with Yang Kai and Lei Ying, five powerhouses who could form a Five Elements Formation at any moment, they could genuinely hold their own against a Pseudo King Lord. There was no need for the extreme vigilance they had maintained before.
In this furnace world, the concept of time and space was profoundly vague, saturated as it was with the chaotic, disordered remnants of shattered Daos. Even after several evolutions, nothing of substance had changed. Perhaps more iterations of Dao remnant shifts would be needed before the invisible fog shrouding this world would lift, and only then would the concepts of time and space become clear.
The group had no particular objective. In truth, neither the Human Race nor the Ink Clan entered this furnace world with a specific goal.
The foremost objective was naturally to find a Supreme-grade Open Heaven Pill, but no one knew where such a pill actually was. All one could do was wander and take their chances.
With his prior experience, Yang Kai could use the Sun and Moon Marks to locate a Supreme-grade Open Heaven Pill, but even that had its limitations. If the distance was too great, there was nothing he could do.
So for now, Yang Kai simply led Zhan Tianhe and the others along at a leisurely pace, going wherever the road took them. Lei Ying crouched on his shoulder, subtly activating her innate techniques to conceal the group's tracks.
This way, even if an Ink Clan powerhouse were scanning the area, they might not notice anything unless they were paying very close attention.
On the rare occasions they came across a chaotic zone where Chaos bodies had gathered, they would explore thoroughly. They never found a Supreme-grade Open Heaven Pill, but they did pick up several Ordinary-grade Open Heaven Pills along the way.
Relatively speaking, the furnace world produced a fair number of Ordinary-grade Open Heaven Pills. With some effort, there were always rewards to be had.
These Ordinary-grade Open Heaven Pills could not help Human Race cultivators break through their own limitations, but they were still highly useful. Those Seventh Order Open Heaven masters whose accumulation fell slightly short could use these pills to save themselves vast amounts of bitter cultivation and secluded meditation, breaking through their bottlenecks and advancing to the Eighth Order that much sooner.