Chapter 4943 – Be Wary of Deception
Translator: Silavin & Tia
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
Everywhere outside Blue Sky Pass was basically a battlefield. With their overwhelming numbers, the Black Ink Clan was extremely aggressive. Meanwhile, the Human Race was firmly defending against their attacks. Neither party was advancing or retreating, and both sides were fighting ferociously.
A certain spot on the battlefield caught Feng Ying’s attention. There was a Black Ink Territory Lord fighting an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in that direction. The fallout of their clash could be seen by the naked eye. As a result, both armies quickly scattered wherever they passed during the course of their battle.
The battle was extremely fierce, lasting for four to six hours. In the end, both figures retreated from battle. The Eight-Order Master retreated into Blue Sky Pass while the Territory Lord evacuated to the rear with the support of the Black Ink Clan. Neither Master could do anything to the other; nevertheless, both parties were wounded after the intense battle earlier.
Although the leading figures in the battle had retired, the armies under their command continued to fight unceasingly. The battle was extremely fierce.
Upon seeing the situation, Feng Ying pointed in that direction with a look of resolve in her eyes, “If we’re going to do something, we should do something big.”
Everybody had seen the situation with their own eyes, so how could they not understand her intentions when they heard her statement? All of them immediately looked nervous and excited, but nobody objected to her plan.
The Black Ink Clan army surrounded the entire Blue Sky Pass, so if they wanted to return, they needed to confront that army. Now that the Black Ink Clan Territory Lord who oversaw that region of the battlefield was injured, he could be said to be the weakest link. There was a possibility of success if they launched a surprise attack in that direction.
Looking around at the crowd, Feng Ying saw that nobody had any objections; thus, she immediately took the lead to rush forward with a shout, “Let’s go!”
Yang Kai and the others quickly followed after her.
There was a large ship at the rear of the Black Ink Clan army, and the injured Territory Lord from before had retreated to it. He was currently sitting on the deck and treating his injuries while monitoring the movements on the battlefield, ready to issue an order at any time to make adjustments to the strategy.
All of a sudden, he sensed something and glance towards the rear. He saw several streams of light speeding towards him. It was obvious that there were several Human figures hidden within those streams of lights. The sight made him furrow his brow, and he lifted his hand slightly as a signal.
A Feudal Lord beside him immediately stepped forward and shouted solemnly, “Who goes there!?”
Feng Ying shouted from a distance, “Dare I ask which Territory Lord oversees this place? Hong Lian Territory Lord has an order to convey!”
When Yang Kai and the others heard her statement, their brows twitched. They had heard this statement countless times recently. Feng Ying had repeatedly used the name ‘Hong Lian Territory Lord’ as an excuse, but she always succeeded at obtaining the Black Ink Clan’s trust every single time.
It was not that the Black Ink Clan’s defences were weak, they were simply too bold and reckless. When they were travelling across the Black Ink Clan’s domain and attacking various areas, the Black Ink Clan never even imagined that these Human cultivators would dare to be so fearless as to attack them. Instead, they would automatically assume that these Human cultivators were Black Ink Disciples under the command of Hong Lian Territory Lord.
The current situation was no different. How could the Territory Lord possibly think that these Human cultivators would aim directly for him with malicious intentions in their hearts? Still, he coldly snorted at those words and snarled, “What right does Hong Lian have to issue orders to this Territory Lord?”
As a Territory Lord himself, he could be said to be on equal footing with Hong Lian, so it was naturally impossible for him to obey the orders of the other. Be that as it may, there were times when the Territory Lords would work together, which was why he did not prevent the other party from approaching him even though he was not happy with the situation. He wanted to hear what Hong Lian had to say.
At his signal, the Feudal Lord who spoke just now stepped aside.
Feng Ying flew downward with the others, summoning her Divine Manifestation while she was still mid-flight. Amidst the crackling sounds, a 1,000 metres long Sword Dragon took shape as sword cries rang out endlessly.
Shen Ao and the others also unleashed their Divine Abilities at the same time. Ignoring everything else, they aimed their attacks directly at the Territory Lord.
The sudden turn of events left the Black Ink Clan stunned. Even the Territory Lord’s reaction was slower than usual. The main reason was that none of them expected these Human cultivators to be enemies at all. The enemy had concentrated all its forces around the great pass after all, so how was it possible for the enemy to suddenly appear from the rear?
In an instant, World Force surged. The gigantic ship exploded, and a number of Black Ink Clansmen aboard it were either killed or seriously injured. Simultaneously, the light of countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques enveloped the injured Territory Lord.
A short while later, the light dissipated to reveal the Territory Lord’s giant figure. He was in a miserable state, but there was no helping that. His previous battle with the Human Master had concluded with both sides suffering grievous injuries.
The sneak attack came before he could even begin to recover or treat his injuries, and it was so sudden that he blanked out from the shock. Nevertheless, the sudden sneak attack infuriated him greatly and he gave a furious roar, “You dare!?”
As he shouted, he reached out his hand and grabbed at them.
On the other hand, Feng Ying took the initiative to make her move. The Sword Dragon rotated at a high speed, allowing her to shoot towards the Territory Lord like a spinning top. The thousands of sword waves around her seemed capable of slicing apart the void itself. Shen Ao and the others supported her from the side, ignoring the rest of the Black Ink Clansmen around them. All their attacks were focused solely on the Territory Lord.
Meanwhile, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master who fought the Territory Lord earlier was tending to his wounds on the rampart of the Blue Sky Pass. All of a sudden, a Seventh-Order Master beside him shouted, “Martial Uncle Zhong, look at that!”
Martial Uncle Zhong opened his eyes and stared into the distance. Then, he revealed a look of astonishment, “That Sword Dragon Manifestation, it’s...”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master exclaimed in joy, “It’s Senior Sister Feng!”
The Divine Manifestation of each High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was different and it even could be said that one’s Divine Manifestation was a unique symbol that could not be duplicated by another. Even if two Fellow Brothers from the same Sect cultivated the exact same Secret Art, it was impossible for them to form identical Divine Manifestations.
That was why both Martial Uncle Zhong and the Seventh-Order Master immediately recognised Feng Ying’s identity when they saw the 1,000 metres long Sword Dragon. It was not just them of course, all the other cultivators on the ramparts had also recognised her and quickly turned to watch the situation.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master happily exclaimed, “Martial Uncle Zhong, Senior Sister Feng is alive! She’s returned!”
Under the leadership of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor overseeing Blue Sky Pass, they raided the Black Ink Clan’s domain and destroyed many of the enemy’s territories. Unfortunately, their retreat was hindered by the Black Ink Royal Lord and many people were separated as a result.
The group that Feng Ying belonged to had been intercepted by a detachment of the Black Ink Clan army, and for that reason, she had sacrificed herself and stayed behind to stop the enemy’s pursuit and give her allies a chance to escape safely. She went missing after that incident, and the matter had been reported to the higher-ups.
She was among the best in Blue Sky Paradise in terms of talent and aptitude. Not only was she very strong, but she was also on the verge of advancing to the Eighth-Order. It was only natural that her disappearance caught the attention of the pass’ leadership.
Be that as it may, it was impossible for Blue Sky Pass to dispatch a search party for the sake of one person. Besides, everybody knew the fate that awaited somebody who was lost in the Black Ink Clan hinterland alone; therefore, seeing her here was both expected and unexpected.
“Senior Sister Feng is alive!” The Seventh-Order Master was overjoyed. He cheered happily and even burst into tears, “Hahaha! Senior Sister Feng is alive!”
It was not surprising for him to be so emotional. He had been one of the people onboard the warship that escaped after leaving Feng Ying behind previously.
Over the past few months, he could barely hold back his tears whenever he thought about her lonely figure as she stopped the Black Ink Clan army with her strength alone. He regretted not staying behind to fight beside her back then. Even if he died, it would have been better than suffering from guilt and heartbreak every single day. How could he not be elated to see her return alive?
Martial Uncle Zhong smacked the back of the Seventh-Order Master’s head though and reprimanded sternly, “Why are you making so much noise!? I can clearly see whether she is dead or alive with my own eyes!”
In the 3,000 Worlds, Seventh-Order Masters were basically regarded as Inner Elders of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises. Every one of them held an important position and a respected status. Even Eighth-Order Ancestors could not casually hit them on the back of their head in reprimand; after all, they had appearances to maintain too.
However, this was the Black Ink Battlefield, where Seventh-Order Masters were nothing special. While they were not exactly as common as cabbages, there were enough of them around for a random stone throw to hit them on the head.
After being slapped by Martial Uncle Zhong, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master finally seemed to calm down.
Martial Uncle Zhong continued coldly, “The fact that she is alive is worse than if she had been dead. You should know what kind of situation she is in.”
The smile on the Seventh-Order Master’s face suddenly vanished like snow under the scorching sun, morphing into an expression filled with bitterness instead.
Humans who fell into the hands of the Black Ink Clan were either killed or converted into Black Ink Disciples. It was better if it was the former option. Death ended all troubles after all. But, if it were the latter option instead, then they would become irreconcilable enemies.
Somebody nearby quietly spoke up, “But, Martial Uncle Zhong, Senior Sister Feng is attacking the Territory Lord. Moreover, she seems to have several helpers around her.”
If she had truly fallen and become a Black Ink Disciple, it would be impossible for Feng Ying to be attacking the Black Ink Clan. Judging by the Territory Lord’s frenzied attacks, it was obvious that something was wrong with the situation. For Black Ink Disciples, the Black Ink Clan was supreme. Forget attacking, even the thought of resistance would never occur to them.
Under their observations though, Feng Ying and her allies seemed to be engaged in a pitched battle with the Territory Lord, one so intense they could almost feel it from where they stood.
Martial Uncle Zhong frowned as this fact had been puzzling him too.
“It’s likely that Senior Sister Feng was not converted into a Black Ink Disciple. She really returned!” The Seventh-Order Master exclaimed excitedly before shooting Martial Uncle Zhong a pleading look, “Martial Uncle, please help Senior Sister Feng!”
It could clearly be seen that although Senior Sister Feng and the others were strong, it was impossible for them to kill the Territory Lord in short order. Even if the Territory Lord had been heavily injured to begin with, a skinny camel was still bigger than a horse. How could he be so easy to kill?
What’s more, upon realising that the Territory Lord was being attacked, many Black Ink Clansmen rushed over to provide support. Feng Ying and the others would suffer a disastrous fate once they were surrounded by the enemy.
A look of hesitation and struggle flashed through Martial Uncle Zhong’s eyes before he shook his head, “We must be wary of deception!”
Just as how the Black Ink Clan did not expect Human cultivators to be so reckless, the Human Race’s side could not imagine such a situation either.
Martial Uncle Zhong had a vague speculation that this was all part of the Black Ink Clan’s plan to lure their side into making a move so that they could take the opportunity to break through their defences. If he was deceived for that reason, then he would forever be a sinner to Blue Sky Pass.
However, the words had just left his mouth when a sudden change occurred on the battlefield! An extremely blinding pure white light bloomed as though a small sun had risen in the distance. Despite the great distance between them, the light was so bright that they could barely look at it.