Chapter 5299, I’ve Been Waiting for You
Translator: Silavin & June
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
If the barriers between the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield were to be described as a wall, then No-Return Pass would be the only hole in that wall.
This was also why the No-Return Pass was known as the Human Race’s final line of defence. If the Black Ink Clan managed to break past this barrier, they would be able to access the 3,000 Worlds, and if that really happened, it was destined that all living beings there would be plunged into misery. The whole 3,000 Worlds would be destroyed and remade according to the Blank Ink Clan’s will.
The No-Return Pass was the last line of defence, while the Great Passes were the outer line of defence.
If one were to stand high enough above and connect each Great Pass, one would notice that they could be arranged to form a kind of semicircle. This semicircle acted as a barrier to split off the 3,000 Worlds from the Black Ink Battlefield, with the centre of it being the No-Return Pass.
As long as the Great Passes were not broken though, the No-Return Pass would never be disturbed, keeping the 3,000 worlds safe.
This was why Great Evolution Pass had to be reclaimed before the crusade could begin. A Pass seized by the Black Ink Clan would leave an opening in their entire defence line. If Great Evolution Pass was not retaken, the Black Ink Clan might exploit this flaw and proceed directly to the No-Return Pass while the Humans were busy with their crusade.
At that point, would the Human Race Armies retreat to defend or continue the crusade? The situation was bound to fall into a dilemma.
In order to eliminate this potential risk, Great Evolution Pass had to be retaken. Fortunately, the Great Evolution Army had worked hard for more than 100 years and had achieved this objective after enormous sacrifice.
There were actually no East, South, West, or North in the vast Universe, as there were no fixed reference points, and the terms such as Eastern Army, Southern Army, Western Army, and Northern Army in each Great Pass were just helpful titles.
If directions were to be taken note of, there were only up, down, forward and backwards according to one’s own point of view in the massive void.
In a certain sense, the No-Return Pass lay behind all the Great Passes. This last line of defence, defended by the Dragon and Phoenix Clan, could be considered as a kind of support to the Human Race.
Yang Kai was perplexed in his early years when he learnt that the No-Return Pass was personally guarded by the Dragon and Phoenix Clans as the Divine Spirit had always been haughty regardless of their origins, something he knew from over 1,000 years of experience.
And these were the leaders of the Divine Spirit, the Dragons and Phoenixes.
How could such supreme Divine Spirits voluntarily assist the Human Race in guarding their final line of defence? It should be impossible; after all, they were of different Races and held no good will towards the other.
The only plausible explanation was that the Black Ink Clan was simply that great a threat. The Divine Spirits also understood the proverb ‘without the lips, teeth would go cold’. In the ancient past, a Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress did not hesitate to sacrifice themselves to seal and suppress a Black Ink Giant Spirit God. How could their descendants possibly disregard the sacrifices of their ancestors?
This was most likely why the Divine Spirits had defended the No-Return Pass for so long.
Yang Kai had no idea if there was some other reason or explanation, and it wasn’t an issue he had to be concerned about either.
Although going to the No-Return Pass at this time was a bit hasty, he might at least fulfil a long-cherished dream and see what the mythical Dragon Pool looked like.
In the void, Space Principles flashed and in the blink of an eye, Yang Kai’s figure flickered in and out of existence.
It was possible to use the Hyper Space Array to directly travel from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass, which was convenient and fast; however, the restoration of Great Evolution Pass over the past 200 years had been a huge drain on resources. Additionally, materials were tight during preparations for the crusade; thus, Yang Kai could only choose to fly over.
After all, like the Old Ancestor had said, he was proficient in Dao of Space, so he had an advantage when it came to travelling. There was no need to waste resources unnecessarily.
What else could Yang Kai say to that? He could only obey and go.
Before he left, he notified Dawn, telling them he was going out on a mission.
Until now, Feng Ying had not come out from retreat, causing him to worry a little. After she observed Xu Ling Gong advance to the Eighth Order some time ago, she had an epiphany and chose to enter retreat. With her strength and foundation, her breakthrough shouldn’t be much of an issue.
However, there was no update from her even after so long, which was somewhat surprising and concerning.
Nobody else could provide any help in this situation. There were Masters that would guide a cultivator through the early stages of their journey on the Martial Dao, but one could only rely on themselves after one reached the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm.
After all, at this point, other’s methods would no longer be appropriate for another person.
Normally, it would take at least 3 years for a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Master to travel from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass, but Yang Kai covered that distance in less than half a year.
The journey was extremely dull and uneventful.
When a huge Parasol Tree came into view, Yang Kai knew that No-Return Pass was nearby.
This was the renowned Phoenix Nest, the ancestral home of the Phoenix Clan.
Yang Kai had always wanted to see what the Phoenix Nest looked like. Would a magnificent Divine Spirit Clan like the Phoenix Clan build a nest on the tree just like any other bird? That would be far too degrading.
Naturally, Yang Kai wondered if the Phoenix Nest was only a label; after all, the so-called Phoenix Nest could be referring to a grand palace the Phoenix Clan had built.
After thinking about it for some time though, Yang Kai felt that he was being too nosey. Since he had a Dragon Source in him, he should only be concerned about the Dragon Clan, not the Phoenix Clan.
As he got closer, Yang Kai felt the pulsing of his Dragon Vein, giving him a sense as though he was returning home.
He knew this was due to the connection between his Dragon Source and the Dragon Pool; after all, this was not his real home.
This type of mood, however, unavoidably made him a bit anxious. It was as if he was a wanderer who had been away for many years and was not doing well, forced to return home, not knowing how to deal with the Elders’ questioning.
However, Yang Kai did not get the ‘Elders’ ardent questioning’, but rather provocative Dragon Pressure.
A figure dressed in green blocked his path. The figure was tall and dashing, and had a noble complexion, with bright red lips and glowing white teeth.
But, the gaze from him was not at all welcoming. He sized Yang Kai up from top to bottom from afar, as if he wasn’t sure where to attack first.
Yang Kai could tell right away that this individual was part of the Dragon Clan since the Dragon Pressure gushing from him was far too obvious.
Based on the Dragon Pressure alone, this individual should be a Grand Dragon, which was equivalent to his present rank. As to who was stronger, it was beyond Yang Kai’s knowledge, so he would have to see it for himself.
Yang Kai was taken aback; he hadn’t yet reached the No-Return Pass, so why did this man block his path?
He couldn’t help feeling that his obstruction was intentional.
Since ancient times, many cultivators had travelled from the No-Return Pass to the other Great Passes, but few had returned here, yet the man blocking his way was clearly expecting him.
This man’s Dragon Pressure was extremely strong, implying that he was also one of the best among the other Grand Dragons; however, to Yang Kai, it was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
Not knowing what he wanted, Yang Kai dared not show any hostility, so he took two steps forward and cupped his fist, “Great Evolution Pass, Yang Kai, has travelled to the No-Return Pass under the instruction of the Old Ancestor. Allow me to ask, how should I address this Fellow Brother?”
“I’ve been waiting for you,” the Dragon Clansman in green shook his head angrily, opened his lips and roared. His Dragon Pressure solidified and rushed towards Yang Kai.
As he roared, he charged towards Yang Kai, reached out, and grabbed at him.
His fair hands resembled a woman’s in terms of fairness, yet they possessed deadly power; after all, he was from the Dragon Clan, and naturally had a powerful physique.
Even space appeared to shatter under his grasp.
Not only that, but Yang Kai also felt mysterious changes around him, which made him think he was surrounded by illusions.
“Time Principles?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow, wondering if this Dragon Clan member he just met in the No-Return Pass was skilled in the Dao of Time.
Furthermore, his mastery over the Dao of Time did not appear to be mediocre.
In fact, if Yang Kai had not also cultivated the Dao of Time, he would have most likely been completely overwhelmed by this mysterious change and been defeated without a fight.
When Yang Kai came to his senses, the hand was already in front of him, and there was no way for him to escape.
He didn’t want to fight someone from the Dragon Clan just after arriving here, but according to what his opponent had said, he was clearly waiting for him. In addition, the moment he arrived, he was greeted by this attack. Thus, was all of this the result of some kind of grudge?
[But why? There’s no resentment or conflict between the two of us.]
Yang Kai couldn’t figure it out, but all living beings acted for the sake of their benefit. If the other party was pursuing him in this manner, he must have a reason for doing so.
Even so, in what way could Yang Kai have offended him? Was it because he was not a pureblood Dragon?
Yang Kai couldn’t help but sigh. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had ordered him to go to the No-Return Pass, and it now appeared that there was going to be nothing pleasant to be expected from this trip. It was no surprise the Old Ancestor didn’t tell him anything.
He could no longer dodge the hand, so he extended his palm to resist it.
On a branch of the Parasol Tree at the No-Return Pass sat a young woman in a colourful attire. Her legs dangled slowly in an extremely relaxed manner.
A young man stood alongside her, with both of them staring into the void.
“Ji Lao San still has such a short temper,” the woman stated when the man in green made his move, “After all, that guy was sent here by the Human Race’s Old Ancestors. How is Ji Lao San supposed to explain it to the Humans if anything happens to that man?”
“The Old Ancestors of the Human Race can’t control the No-Return Pass. What’s more, this matter involves the Dragon Pool. Ji Lao San has been waiting for this day for thousands of years, and when he finally got a chance, some Human wants to jump the line? How could he possibly tolerate it?” Said the young man standing beside her.
The woman turned her head, “Speaking of which, it’s strange the Ancient Dragons consented to the Human Race’s request. Were they out of their minds?”
“People can hear what you say,” the young man replied as the corner of his mouth twitched.
When the woman in bright clothing realised, she stuck out her tongue and swiftly changed the subject, “Obviously, the Humans must have paid a high price, or else the Dragon Clan would not have agreed to it. How long do you think that Human can survive under Ji Lao San’s assault?”
The man replied, “You’re asking the wrong question.”
“The wrong question?”
“You should question it the other way around. How long can Ji Lao San survive the assault from that Human.”
“You are so optimistic about him? Do you know him?” The girl replied in shock.
“I don’t know him, but since the Humans are willing to pay such a great price to send him here, it implies that he has great significance. And naturally, he would not be a soft persimmon that can be crushed so easily,” the young man replied, shaking his head.
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