Martial Peak

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“500 years. It has already been 500 years. Do you know how I managed to make it through these 500 years?” The low voice was full of repression, helplessness, and a hint of anger, revealing the speaker’s inner unrest.

But there was no response.

On the Soul Warming Lotus, Fang Tian Ci looked at Thunder Shadow as if he was an idiot. Thunder Shadow immediately lost his composure and complained, “You should have replied by askinghow…” [If you don’t ask, how am I supposed to continue?] 

“Childish!” Fang Tian Ci threw out a comment casually.

Upon hearing that, Thunder Shadow becdeeply hurt and looked helpless, “It’s so boring to be with someone like you, surely no woman has ever liked you.”

Fang Tian Ci chuckled, “I have many descendants!”

“Big Brother, how’s this Universe World?” Ignoring him, Thunder Shadow turned his head and asked Yang Kai.

Soon, Yang Kai’s response came, “The World Principles here are close to perfection, and there are signs of simple life. This can be considered a newly born Universe World. Perhaps in a few years, real living creatures will appear.”

Thunder Shadow immediately becexcited, “Doesn’t that mean we are getting closer to the 3,000 Worlds?”

According to Yang Kai’s previous speculation, by exploring the Universe Worlds along the way and observing the completeness of their World Principles, one could determine whether the direction of travel was correct.

The closer they got to the 3,000 Worlds, the more complete the World Principles in the Universe Worlds would be. Yang Kai had been constantly correcting their direction and rushing forward during these last 500 years. The Universe Worlds they encountered along the way indeed had more complete World Principles as predicted.

This Universe Word had its World Principles fully taken shape, and there were now sof the simplest forms of life emerging.

If there was life, it meant that this Universe World had the conditions for life to exist. Perhaps after another million years of evolution, sunique creatures specific to this Universe World would emerge.

They were heading in the right direction so all that was left was time.

Yang Kai had been returning from the edge of the Universe, and it did indeed take a lot of time. It had been 500 years, yet he still couldn’t find his way back.

500 years had passed since the Universe Furnace closed. Since Yang Kai was unsure of the state of the war between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan, he had to hurry back. 

Without staying much longer in this Universe World, he continued on his journey.

100 years later, when Yang Kai descended to another Universe World to investigate the situation, he discovered that there were indeed living creatures in it.

Most of the living creatures lived in the vast seas, with few living on land. The entire Universe World was covered with green vegetation, giving it a lush appearance. With the emergence of living creatures, it meant that the Universe World was now fully alive and had the potential to give rise to sentient creatures like Humans in the Star Boundary.

Yang Kai once again attempted to connect with the World Tree but to no avail. 

The various Universe Worlds in the 3,000 Worlds were interdependent with the World Tree, with each World Fruit on the World Tree reflecting the state of each Universe World; if one died, its corresponding World Fruit would wither away as well.

This Universe World was vibrant with vitality, but it had no connection to the World Tree at all. Ultimately, it was because the power of the World Tree had not yet reached this place. 

After all, this place was just too far away from the 3,000 Worlds.

Yang Kai couldn’t help but recall his previous speculations after hearing Thunder Shadow’s casual remark that left him with much to ponder.

[Was the Universe Furnace the thing that created the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield? What about beyond? Is there truly only one Universe? Are there more unknown Universes beyond this one?] 

[Perhaps the 3,000 Worlds is one Universe, and the Black Ink Battlefield is another?]

At his current location, Yang Kai believed he was in a much deeper part of the Black Ink Battlefield, a place that neither the Humans nor Black Ink Clan had ever set foot in. If it were truly the sUniverse though, why couldn’t the power of the World Tree reach this place, where the World Principles were already fully established, and living beings had even emerged?

Yang Kai found himself deep in thought. 

[Perhaps… I can find a way to connect this Universe World to the World Tree? If I succeed, I could use the Old Tree’s power to return to Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary without wasting any more tand energy on the journey.]

The road ahead was clearly still quite long, and though Yang Kai used Space Secret Techniques to speed up his travel, it still took him 600 years with no sign of the end. At this point, he was uncertain when he would finally see the familiar landscape again.

Then, Yang Kai had an idea. He had an item that he could use to test his theory. Without hesitation, he soared into the air and found a mountain valley filled with the fragrance of flowers. Then, he opened the portal to his Small Universe and moved a towering tree out of it.

It was a World Tree Clone!

This was not the one that belonged to him, but to Fang Tian Ci.

During the union of the three Selves, Fang Tian Ci’s Small Universe merged completely with Yang Kai’s, strengthening the size of his Small Universe and adding to his heritage. Naturally, the World Tree clone was brought into Yang Kai’s Small Universe as well.

Yang Kai already had one, so a second one was redundant. He had intended to find a suitable person to give it to and help them grow quickly, but he had never expected to be needing to use it in the current situation.

Surging his World Force, Yang Kai dug a large pit in the mountain valley and planted the World Tree clone in it. He wasn’t worried about it not surviving as the World Tree was a mystical and unparalleled entity. The simple root planted in the Star Boundary by Yang Kai previously had grown into a towering tree, so a complete tree would naturally thrive.

After completing this, Yang Kai did not continue on his journey but instead sat down under the tree and waited quietly. He didn’t know if his plan would work, and even if it did, he didn’t know how many years it would take.

Quietly resigning himself to the possibility of wasting another 100 years, Yang Kai hoped that his plan would bear fruit within that tframe. If it didn’t, he would dig up the World Tree clone and continue his journey.

It would only be 100 years, so it wasn’t too bad.

Moreover, he wasn’t planning to just sit and wait.

Although he had advanced to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm and had even taken a big step forward in his cultivation by merging Fang Tian Ci’s Small Universe with his, it did not mean he would be satisfied with that.

He still had room for improvement! His future enemies would no longer be limited to the Territory Lords and Royal Lords of the Black Ink Clan. He might even have to face Mo, who was in the Creation Realm, so he needed to be stronger.

The Martial Dao was a long journey of exploration, accumulating strength and experience bit by bit.

He had a lot of cultivation materials on hand and could refine them to continuously strengthen his own heritage.

As tpassed, sets of material turned into dust in Yang Kai’s hands.

In the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, the World Tree stood majestic and grand as a precious treasure born along with Heavens and Earth. When the Heavens and Earth split, it had already cinto existence at almost the stas the first Primordial Light.

Its birth was rooted in the numerous Universe Worlds of the 3,000 Worlds, and its existence was intimately linked with the life or death of those Universe Worlds.

The peak World Tree was covered in World Fruits, and every branch was bent under the weight of the fruits. But, as the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds, one by one the Universe Worlds were corrupted by the Black Ink Strength, causing them to die, which resulted in the withering of World Fruits in droves.

Until today, there were only slightly over 2,000 fruits left on its branches…

Thankfully, Yang Kai was able to save a large number of Universe Worlds by refining them in the past; otherwise, the World Tree would have already withered away completely.

Despite this, the World Tree still appeared old and feeble.

The loss of so many Universe Worlds in the 3,000 Worlds had drained the World Tree of its vitality so it spent most of its tstanding in silence apart from when Yang Kai visited it. It could do nothing to stop the calamity befalling the 3,000 Worlds, and if the Human Race were to lose, the World Tree would perish with them.

Suddenly, an old face appeared on the thick trunk with a look of surprise and doubt showing on its brow. It vaguely felt that something in a very distant place seemed to have a faint resonance with itself, but this feeling flashed by, making it difficult to determine its authenticity.

After a brief moment of hesitation, the old face on the trunk gradually disappeared. The withering and falling of World Fruits caused its vitality to plummet, leaving it with little energy to think about minor issues. Most of the tover the years, it had been asleep, only waking when Yang Kai contacted it.

In the distant void, Yang Kai sat cross-legged under the tree in that Universe World, constantly refining various materials to enhance his strength. 

The towering tree behind him danced in the wind, while the massive roots began to intertwine deep in the earth in a place invisible to the naked eye, madly devouring the power of this Universe World and merging with it.

Years later, in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, the Old Tree suddenly woke up from its slumber and the old face appeared once again on its thick trunk.

It clearly carried a puzzled look this tas it felt that something strange had happened to itself, but because it had just awakened, it was difficult to determine what this change was.

Only after carefully examining itself did the Old Tree suddenly realize.

A branch trembled and drooped down, and on the trunk, the old face of the Old Tree showed a look of pleasant surprise and doubt, changing alternatively.

This was all because, on that branch, a little flower bud had sprouted.

The Old Tree was shocked.

It actually bloomed!

This had never happened before. It was born with Heaven and Earth and had hung with World Fruits since its birth with each World Fruit corresponding to a Universe World in the 3,000 Worlds.

But it had never experienced something like blooming, and for a moment, the Old Tree was a bit confused.

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