This Ink Cult powerhouse may not have been at the Commander level, but he possessed a full third-layer Shenyou Realm cultivation, not far from that threshold.
It was precisely this formidable strength that gave him the confidence to venture into positions so deep that others could not reach, there to cultivate in seclusion.
If his cultivation bore fruit this time, he would have the confidence to challenge a Commander. Victory would mean taking their place.
Yet never in his wildest imaginings did he expect that someone else had penetrated even deeper than he had.
And that someone had drawn out a swarm of Apostles!
Looking at the Apostles' hulking, monstrous forms and feeling the heart-stopping pressure they radiated, this Shenyou Realm cultivator was first seized by terror, then galvanized by excitement.
What terrified him was that so many Apostles had surged out all at once — whatever had happened in the depths of the Abyss, it could not be good. What exhilarated him was that there truly existed a realm beyond the Shenyou Realm, and the Apostles had undeniably entered it.
This was the thing he had spent his entire life chasing without success — the secret that every peak Shenyou Realm powerhouse in the Primordial World desperately sought.
Even as his emotions churned, a sight that left him thunderstruck unfolded before his eyes.
From some unknowable place, as if cast down by the very heavens, a majestic will descended upon this space. Before that will, even this third-layer Shenyou Realm cultivator felt as insignificant as an ant.
It was the will of this world itself!
The entire world had sensed the anomaly here.
The once intangible laws of heaven and earth began to converge, growing chaotic, then suddenly coalescing into a cataclysmic tidal wave that could annihilate everything in its path.
The wave engulfed the Apostles, and the aura of destruction permeated the air.
The Apostles roared and howled, but even though they had already surpassed the level of the Shenyou Realm, before this apocalyptic will of heaven and earth, they could offer only meager resistance.
Popping sounds rang out as the grotesque flesh growths on the Apostles' bodies burst open one after another, releasing torrents of dense Ink Force and blood. The stench of gore flooded in every direction.
With a deafening boom, one Apostle could no longer withstand the wave's annihilating force, and its physical body exploded into a mist of blood.
It was not just one. After the first Apostle burst apart, a second followed, then a third…
The Apostles that had charged up from the depths of the Abyss had crossed an invisible line — on this side of the line lay life, and on the other, death!
The remaining Apostles finally sensed the danger. Though they had long since lost their reason, their instincts remained intact. Like cornered beasts whose lives were threatened, each and every one of them made the wisest possible choice.
They halted their charge, abandoning the pursuit, and slowly retreated back into the darkness of the Abyss. Their low growls faded until they could no longer be heard.
Yang Kai hovered in midair, gazing down with a contemplative expression.
It seemed the situation was exactly as he had hypothesized.
He had purposefully refrained from concealing himself because he wanted to verify his theory — that was why he had lured the Apostles upward from the depths of the Abyss.
This was going to be troublesome…
He clicked his tongue inwardly. He had originally thought that seizing the Gate of the Mysterious Female would require dealing with nothing more than the Ink Cult. But now it appeared he would also have to contend with these Apostles.
Yet every single one of them possessed Transcendent Realm cultivation. At his current peak Shenyou Realm level, he was far from their match.
He would need to think of another approach.
A low growl suddenly came from nearby, interspersed with crackling and popping sounds.
Yang Kai turned his head to look. Before a nearby stone chamber stood a figure — the third-layer Shenyou Realm cultivator who had been startled into investigating earlier.
Yang Kai had sensed his presence before but had not had the time to bother with him.
Now, seeing him again, the man had been corroded by the Ink Force released from the Apostles' deaths and could no longer hold out.
Cultivating in such a place was already pushing the man beyond his limits. Without external interference, he might have been able to maintain his mental stability. But with so many Apostles dying at once, the Ink Force they had released was so dense and overwhelming that it instantly exceeded what this man could withstand.
When Yang Kai looked at him, the man's entire body was wrapped in thick, roiling Ink Force. The aura emanating from him was thoroughly sinister and evil, yet his aura was continuously climbing — there was a faint trend toward breaking through the Shenyou Realm. But under the suppression of this world's will, such a breakthrough was impossible.
The man suddenly lowered his head and gazed into the depths of the Abyss with fervent, burning eyes, murmuring, "So this is it… so this is the power beyond the Shenyou Realm!"
Even as he spoke, he leaped downward into the chasm without the slightest hesitation, looking as though he were answering some irresistible summons, his expression one of joy.
But the moment he moved, Yang Kai flashed forward and blocked his path, pressing a gentle palm against his forehead. The man could not even utter a sound before his entire head was crushed.
Knowing full well that anyone who fell into the Abyss would be transformed into an Apostle, Yang Kai had no intention of standing by idly. Eliminating one now would mean less pressure in the future.
After casting one last deep glance into the depths of the Abyss, Yang Kai urged his movement and flew upward.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he concealed his form and aura this time, so there was no risk of being detected.
The anomaly in the depths of the Abyss had already alarmed countless Ink Cult disciples, but all they had heard were the roars and howls from below, with no understanding of what had actually occurred.
The news rippled upward through the ranks, quickly drawing large numbers of Ink Cult powerhouses. But without the ability to reach the bottom of the Abyss, the Ink Cult was fated to uncover nothing of value.
What surprised Yang Kai somewhat was that Blood Maiden was still waiting for him.
He sent a discreet voice transmission, summoning her to a secluded spot, and offered a few brief instructions.