Their auras linked together as they quickly formed a Five Elements Formation, with the veteran Eighth-Order Tian Xiuzhu serving as the formation's core. Every last one of them braced for battle!
With this lineup, they could put up a fight even against a Black Ink Clan Pseudo King Lord, but against a true King Lord, they would certainly be no match.
And so, after forming the formation, everyone silently prayed that whatever was approaching wouldn't be a King Lord, otherwise they would likely lose their lives here today.
Xiong Ji even tried to comfort them: "No need to worry too much, everyone. There's only the one Black Ink Clan King Lord we detected before. Quite a few Pseudo King Lords have entered, though. Logically, what's coming should be a Pseudo King Lord. We couldn't possibly be unlucky enough to run into an actual King Lord, right?"
Liu Feifei couldn't help but glance at him. "I originally thought it would just be a Pseudo King Lord, but after hearing you say that... I've got a bad feeling."
"Quiet your minds!" Tian Xiuzhu barked.
Liu Feifei and Xiong Ji immediately fell silent.
While they were talking, a figure had already appeared in the distance, coming into view. Looking out, they saw a vast mass of ink clouds surging forward, its momentum overwhelming, hurtling toward them at tremendous speed.
"Xiong Ji, you jinx!" Zhan Tianhe's face changed dramatically. Of all the things to fear, this was exactly what came—the one approaching was none other than a true Black Ink Clan King Lord.
Xiong Ji was utterly dismayed. He'd only said it offhand—how had that made him a jinx?!
The others couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in their hearts. Even though they'd formed a Five Elements Formation, encountering a Black Ink Clan King Lord here would likely end badly. But facing such a powerful enemy, they couldn't possibly put up no resistance at all.
Having made their decision, they resolved to fight with everything they had. Even if they died here, they would tear a chunk of flesh from that King Lord before the end!
"Fight!" Tian Xiuzhu was, after all, a veteran Eighth Order who had fought in countless life-and-death battles over his lifetime. He quickly steadied himself and let out a sharp cry.
The formation activated, their auras linked, and the power of heaven and earth surged. Tian Xiuzhu was about to lead his four juniors in a fight to the death against the King Lord, but he suddenly halted. After a moment's hesitation, he turned and fled.
His sudden flight stunned Zhan Tianhe and the others, but with the formation active and their auras connected, the four could only flee alongside Tian Xiuzhu.
Soon, they understood why Brother Tian was fleeing—because it wasn't just one Black Ink Clan King Lord. Not far behind that King Lord, another, even more powerful aura was in hot pursuit. The aura was extremely bizarre, not resembling a human Ninth Order, nor a Black Ink Clan King Lord. It was more like...
"Is that the Chaos Spirit King?" Liu Feifei suddenly realized.
So that was why there seemed to be so many King Lords among the Black Ink Clan. This King Lord that had come rushing over was clearly the same one they had detected together with Yang Kai before. The Black Ink Clan didn't have two King Lords—it was the same one.
Earlier, this King Lord and the Chaos Spirit King had clashed at that Chaos race gathering point, and right now, the Chaos Spirit King was hunting down the King Lord.
What none of them could quite figure out was how the Chaos Spirit King had chased all the way here. Didn't it need to protect its own kind? Didn't it need to guard that Chaos entity that had consumed the Supreme-grade Open Heaven Pill?
In a flash of understanding, it all clicked.
Yang Kai must have succeeded and then escaped. The Chaos Spirit King mistakenly believed Yang Kai was working with the Black Ink Clan, and unable to find Yang Kai, it had redirected its fury onto the King Lord.
That would explain why so many Black Ink Clan powerhouses had been converging here these past few days. It was clearly the Black Ink Clan searching for Yang Kai's whereabouts.
Having figured this out, Zhan Tianhe and the others exchanged glances, filled with admiration.
As expected of Brother Yang. He'd actually pulled off such a perilous feat. And obtaining the Supreme-grade Open Heaven Pill meant the human race would gain yet another Ninth Order! What was even more remarkable was that he'd also turned the trouble onto the Black Ink Clan.
But now, their own situation wasn't great. They couldn't match the speed of that King Lord or the Chaos Spirit King, so being caught was only a matter of time. And they couldn't shake them off, either. That Black Ink Clan King Lord was sticking to them like a maggot in bone, clearly intending to drag them into the fight to tie down the Chaos Spirit King's attention.
They had to think of something. Otherwise, once the King Lord made its move, they would be put on the defensive for sure.
"Everyone, do you trust me?" Tian Xiuzhu suddenly called out in a low voice.
Zhan Tianhe and the others didn't know what he meant, but they vaguely guessed what he might be planning, so they quickly replied: "Brother Tian, say no more. Whatever you intend, go ahead!"
Tian Xiuzhu let out a hearty laugh. "In that case, let's have a go at that King Lord!"
No sooner had his words fallen than he turned around once more, his aura surging like a rainbow, and charged straight at the King Lord.
Behind them, the fleeing King Lord had long since spotted Tian Xiuzhu and the others. He had indeed planned to use the strength of these Eighth-Order humans to tie down the pursuing Chaos Spirit King. He didn't need to do much—just slow these humans down a little, and the Chaos Spirit King behind him certainly wouldn't stand by. Once these Eighth-Order humans and the Chaos Spirit King started fighting, he could take the opportunity to escape.
His plan was calculated to perfection, but he never expected that these humans would have the audacity to turn and charge back at him. When he saw this, the King Lord couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
Then he was consumed by fury. Being chased by this dim-witted Chaos Spirit King was one thing—its strength was formidable, and there was nothing to be done about that. But for a few Eighth-Order humans to not even take him seriously?!
"You're looking to die!" The newly ascended King Lord let out a cold snort, raising his massive hand, ink power churning in his palm, and slammed a devastating palm strike toward Tian Xiuzhu and the others.