For the next half a month, he spent a lot of effort setting up some simple restrictions here. Firstly, it was convenient for him to use the power of the sun to refine artifacts, and secondly, it was also to stabilize this space he had opened.
After finishing these tasks, Yang Kai spent a few more days restoring his strength before beginning to refine artifacts.
Taking out the jade slip that Zha Gu had given him before, Yang Kai found that he needed to refine two artifacts this time, one for offense and the other for defense. It was unknown which Black Ink Clan wanted them.
However, there was no need for him to pay any attention to this matter. All he needed to do was refine it according to the requirements.
Borrowing the power of this place’s Great Sun Fire, the efficiency of his Artifact Refining had indeed increased significantly, not to mention that Yang Kai’s proficiency in Artifact Refining was also increasing.
After three months, the two artifacts had been refined.
At this time, the Black Ink Clan was already waiting outside the restriction. In fact, the Black Ink Clan had been here for half a month, and Yang Kai had long since noticed it, but since he had been refining artifacts, he didn’t pay them any attention.
Now that he had completed his Artifact Refining, he waved his hand and opened the restriction, allowing it to enter.
The Black Ink Clan member who had not dared to disturb Yang Kai noticed this and immediately rushed over, cupping his fists towards Yang Kai, “Mister Yang!”
For a mere Black Ink Disciple to be called Mister in the Black Ink Clan, it was likely only the Artifact Refiner.
Yang Kai looked towards him and recognized that this Black Ink Clan member was one of Zha Gu’s subordinates, a High Rank Black Ink Clan member. He had also followed Zha Gu from the old castle to his fief.
Nodding slightly, he asked, “Does Brother Zha Gu have any instructions?”
The High Rank Black Ink Clan master immediately stepped forward and handed over a Space Ring, “Sir Zha Gu said that this is the next artifact that needs to be refined. The materials, requirements, and rewards are all inside. Also, allow me to retrieve the artifact that Mister Yang refined.”
Yang Kai took the Space Ring and examined it, discovering that it was just as he had said, there were many Artifact Refining materials inside this ring, a jade slip marked with requirements, and seven thousand Black Ink Coins.
After confirming that there was no mistake, Yang Kai handed over the two artifacts he had just refined and smiled wryly, “Your Lord didn’t even give me time to rest.”
The High Rank Black Ink Clan master smiled and said, “Sir Zha Gu said that Mister Yang’s Artifact Refining skills are exquisite, and now many of the Feudal Lords have heard of your name, they all want to ask you to refine Artifacts.”
“That's fine, I also need to earn some Black Ink Coins to purchase cultivation resources, so you can go back and tell your Lord to accept any requests for Artifact Refining.”
“Yes,” The High Rank Black Ink Clan master replied before asking, “When can I come next?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before saying, “In the future, every artifact will come once every two months.”
After watching the High Rank Black Ink Clan member leave, Yang Kai reopened the surrounding restrictions but did not rush to refine artifacts. Instead, he took out a set of seventh grade resources from his Space Ring and began cultivating.
Recently, he had been helping the Black Ink Clan refine artifacts, and it was not convenient for him to use a seventh grade resource to cultivate in Zha Gu’s former territory. After all, Zha Gu could come over at any time, and if he were to bump into him, it would be difficult to explain.
Now that he was alone in this great sun star and had set up a restrictions around him, he didn’t need to worry about these problems.
Since he had helped the Black Ink Clan refine so many artifacts, his reputation in Artifact Refining must have gradually spread. This was also what he wanted to see, otherwise, the High Rank Black Ink Clan wouldn’t have said such things.
Everything was going according to plan, all he had to do now was wait for Black Abyss to come out.
Day after day, year after year.
Every two months, someone from Zha Gu’s side would come over to deliver materials and rewards for Artifact Refining. Most of the time, it was the High Rank Black Ink Clan who came. Zha Gu had just obtained his fief, so he seemed to be quite busy and couldn’t get away, only coming here a few times in person.
However, he didn’t stay for long. After handing over the Space Ring containing the materials and reward to Yang Kai, he took the artifact Yang Kai had refined and quickly left.
Five years passed in the blink of an eye.
Counting the time he had spent refining artifacts in Zha Gu castle, Yang Kai had already helped the Black Ink Clan refine artifacts for seven or eight years. After such a long time, he had produced dozens of artifacts, all of them of good quality.
Such high-intensity Artifact Refining had allowed Yang Kai’s attainments in Artifact Refining to soar yet he couldn’t feel happy about it.
This was because he knew that every artifact he refined would become a great help to the Black Ink Clan on the battlefield in the future. These Artifacts might even cause some damage to the Human Race.
He had also thought about what kind of tricks he could play on these artifacts, causing the Black Ink Clan, which held these artifacts, to suddenly have an accident while fighting against the Human Race, causing the artifacts to be destroyed.
However, although his skill in Artifact Refining had reached the level of a Great Master, his skill was far from enough to support him in doing such a thing without leaving a trace. If he really did so, he would soon be discovered by the Black Ink Clan’s Feudal Lords, and that would only ruin the reputation he had painstakingly accumulated, which would be detrimental to his future plans.
So, he just let it go.
Although Yang Kai had spent most of his time refining artifacts these past few years, every time he refined a piece of artifact, he would cultivate for a period of time, slowly accumulating his strength. The foundation he had lost because he had to cut off his Small Universe territory had almost been restored.
However, while he had been waiting for Black Abyss to summon him, but it has never happened.
Logically speaking, Black Abyss should have come out of seclusion a long time ago. Although he was seriously injured, with the help of the Black Ink Nest, it was impossible for his injuries to heal so slowly, so he didn’t know what was happening to Black Abyss.
On this day, Zha Gu came as usual.
Yang Kai exchange the materials and artifact with him, before Zha Gu leave.
“Brother Zha Gu, please wait,” Yang Kai called out.
Zha Gu turned around and smiled, “What instructions does Brother Yang have?”
Over the years, he had relied on Yang Kai’s Artifact Refining skills to earn a lot of money. Gui Liao was indeed worthy of being called a Gui Liao. The guests he introduced to him were all rich and overbearing, not even batting an eye at a hundred thousand Black Ink Coins for a single Artifact. Not only that, but the Feudal Lords also flocked to the Artifact refined by Yang Kai. According to Gui Liao, there were more than a dozen Feudal Lords waiting in line to refine Artifacts.
A single artifact would receive a hundred thousand, and after taking away the seven thousand for Yang Kai, he and the Gui Liao would receive half of it, each one receiving forty or fifty thousand.
Of course, one hundred thousand was only what Gui Liao had told him. Zha Gu even suspected that Gui Liao’s charging price was higher, but he couldn’t care less.
Over the past five years, Yang Kai had produced more than thirty artifacts. Not only had he paid off the debt he owed to the Gui Liao, but he had also made a large amount of money. Now that Zha Gu was focused on managing his own territory, he had invested all the money he earned into it.
The current fief had already begun to take shape. Not only had it used the Black Ink Nest to produce tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan, it had also attracted many foreign Black Ink Clans to settle down.
All of this could be said to have been brought to him by Yang Kai, so how could Zha Gu not be polite to him?
Yang Kai didn’t beat around the bush and directly asked, “Brother Zha Gu, do you know the situation on the Territory Lord’s side? Have he come out?”
Hearing this, Zha Gu shook his head and said, “I’ve never heard of the Territory Lord coming out of seclusion, so I think he should still be recuperating in the Black Ink Nest.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Why did it take so long? It’s been seven or eight years since the Territory Lord returned. Logically speaking, it shouldn’t have taken so long.”
Zha Gu nodded and said, “Under normal circumstances, it really wouldn’t take that long, at most three or four years, but you also know that our Territory Lord wasn’t the only one who entered the Black Ink Nest to heal. There were also several other Territory Lords whose injuries were far more severe than our Territory Lord’s. The Black Ink Nest was able to help the several Territory Lords heal their injuries, but with the several Territory Lords sharing it, the effects were naturally not as good as having it all to themselves. This is also the reason why the Territory Lord spent so much time healing this time.”
This was the information he had obtained after communicating with Gui Liao.
After all, both he and Gui Liao knew that once Black Abyss came out of seclusion, no matter what considerations they had, Yang Kai, as a Black Ink Disciple, would likely be summoned back. At that time, there would be no need to discuss Artifact Refining anymore. For such a good business, the longer Zha Gu thought about it, the better.
He had once asked Gui Liao about the situation of Black Abyss, and what he had said before was what Gui Liao had told him. Now, he was telling Yang Kai the same thing.
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai understood, “Then does Brother Zha Gu know when the Territory Lord will come out?”
“It will only be a matter of one or two years,” Zha Gu said as he patted Yang Kai’s shoulder, “Brother Yang doesn’t need to worry too much. The Territory Lord’s strength is great, so there shouldn’t be any big issues. On the other hand, after the Territory Lord comes out of seclusion, as his Black Ink Disciple, you will definitely have to follow him and listen to his orders, so you won’t be able to refine artifacts with me. During this final period of time, even if it’s for your future cultivation resources, you must work hard to refine artifacts.”
He had thought that Yang Kai was worried about Black Abyss’ injuries so he had asked this question to comfort him, but in the end, he had still been unable to escape the scope of Artifact Refining.
Yang Kai nodded slightly, “Brother Zha Gu is right.”
Knowing that Black Abyss had not come out of seclusion for so long because the other Territory Lords had shared the power of the Black Ink Nest, Yang Kai felt relieved.
He was afraid that some other accident would occur, such as Black Abyss being seriously injured and dying, which would result in some kind of unexpected event.
After sending off Zha Gu, Yang Kai continued refining artifacts.
Several months later, on the Floating Continent of Black Abyss Territory, the Black Ink Nest which had been sealed since Black Abyss and the other Territory Lords returned suddenly shook slightly, and a door opened below the tightly shut Black Ink Nest.
A few majestic figures slowly walked out from the door, each of them exuding a powerful aura.
The Black Ink Clan guards standing guard near the Black Ink Nest all bowed respectfully when they saw these figures. These were all Territory Lords, and the one leading them was the master of this place, Black Abyss Territory Lord.
Among the several Territory Lords, Black Abyss’ expression remained the same while the other Territory Lords’ auras were clearly somewhat unstable, as if they had yet to recover from their injuries.
In fact, this was indeed the case. After seven or eight years of healing, although their injuries had all been suppressed and relieved, they were still some distance away from fully recovering.
The only one who had recovered was Black Abyss.
Although Black Abyss’s strength was indeed stronger than theirs, this had nothing to do with his recovery ability. The main reason was that this Black Ink Nest was Black Abyss’ Black Ink Nest. Under his control, most of the Black Ink Nest’s strength was helping him heal, with only a small portion being shared with the other Territory Lords.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Martial Peak