Martial Peak
chapter-5151

“Stop spouting so much rubbish,” Ding Yao glared at him and rebuked, “This person is a newcomer to the Black Ink Battlefield. While it’s true they are an Eighth-Order Master, they aren’t well-versed in fighting. Since this person is someone who is still not used to the Black Ink Battlefield yet, I’ve tasked you to be this person’s escort.”

“Someone new!” Yang Kai’s heart started to race, “From the 3,000 Worlds?”

Ding Yao nodded, “That’s right.”

He then added meaningfully, “Perhaps there’ll be someone you know. So, would you like to go?”

“Yes, of course,” Yang Kai responded decisively. If it was just picking up someone, it wasn’t a difficult task. Though, it was still somewhat pointless for him to escort such a person all the way here, it would still be interesting to meet this newcomer.

Since Ding Yao said that it might be someone he knew, Yang Kai was eager to meet them. Even if it wasn’t an old acquaintance, more than 100 years had passed since he came to this Black Ink Battlefield, so this was a chance to see if there were any new changes in the Star Boundary and Void Land after he left.

Similarly, Yang Kai understood that the dispatch of an Eighth-Order Division Commander for this kind of small matter was wasteful; after all, there were only a handful of people in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm and each of them had their own important tasks which kept them perpetually busy. Thus, such matters were best left to those in the Seventh Order.

Even among those in the Seventh Order, Yang Kai’s strength was obvious to all. He was also the one who set up the new Universe Arrays; thus, it was certainly much more convenient to have him personally lead the way, which was probably the biggest reason why Ding Yao tasked him to do so.

“In that case, I’ll leave this to you. Take note of the time. The newcomers should arrive in a few days. For now, get back to the Pass,” Ding Yao waved his hand.

Yang Kai cupped his fist and turned to leave.

First, he went back to the place where Dawn was stationed and told Feng Ying about his mission. He also informed her that he should be back in time for the next hunting mission. If not, she should just take the Squad out without him, which Feng Ying agreed to.

Since he had nothing to prepare before the trip to the pass, Yang Kai immediately activated the Universe Transference Law. He focused on the Universe Array of Blue Sky Pass, and it was not long before light engulfed him starting from his feet.

Usually, those in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm would find it impossible to directly teleport from the forward base to Blue Sky Pass as the distance was too great. The stress of transiting that far through the Void would more than likely crush an ordinary Seventh-Order Master, hence the two Universe Arrays arranged between them to serve as waypoints.

Since Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, however, he could mitigate such effects.

Space Principles fluctuated, and Yang Kai reappeared inside Blue Sky Pass. With the mission in mind, he directly headed to the Western Army’s Headquarters to greet Zhong Liang.

“Sir, Sir Ding asked me to come back to welcome a newcomer, are they here yet?”

Zhang Liang shook his head and replied, “Not yet, but news has already arrived a few days ago. Well, as you know, it’s not easy for those from the 3,000 Worlds to come here, so just wait for the time being.”

Yang Kai nodded, “Can you tell me who this is?”

“People coming from the 3,000 Worlds are all arranged by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, we are only responsible for receiving them. We don’t know exactly how many people are coming, or which Sects they are from. Just that they will be sent over from the No-Return Pass.”

Yang Kai gritted his teeth. He couldn’t help but hold some anticipation.

It seemed there was more than one person arriving, so he couldn’t help wondering if there were any newcomers from the Star Boundary or Void Land among them. There were also a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Star Boundary and Void Land; thus, it would be normal if some were assigned to the Black Ink Battlefield. However, neither the Star Boundary nor Void Land were part of the Cave Heavens and Paradises; thus, according to long-standing practice, they were not eligible to set foot onto the Black Ink Battlefield.

Although he had been in the Black Ink Battlefield for over 100 years, and had also fought in two different Theatres, even infiltrating the Black Ink Clan’s territory twice, Yang Kai still didn’t know much about a variety of things. One such thing was how the 3,000 Worlds assigned reinforcements to the Black Ink Battlefield.

Since there was nothing for him to do, Yang Kai decided to ask Zhong Liang.

Zhong Liang explained, “Basically every 100 years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises will dispatch some people to reinforce the Great Passes. The number of people sent varies, as a lot can happen in 100 years. Even so, as you know, every time we fight against the Black Ink Clan, it will always result in casualties. Though not many, they accumulate over time. Eventually, if there are too many casualties, and few left to defend our lines, wouldn’t the Great Passes fall? So, regular reinforcements from the Cave Heavens and Paradises are a necessity.”

This was also the reason why Yang Kai used to think that Cave Heavens and Paradises were not worthy of their reputations, as the forces they showcased in the 3,000 Worlds did not seem as imposing as they should have been. One would expect the Cave Heavens and Paradises, with their extremely long histories and deep foundations, coupled with the long lifespans of cultivators in the Open Heaven Realm, to slowly amass an enormous number of Open Heaven Realm Masters. However, when Yang Kai visited a few of them in the past, the number of Open Heaven Realm Masters he saw in the Cave Heavens and Paradises was not as numerous as he had anticipated.

Now, everything made sense; after all, these top forces had been sending the vast majority of their strongest Masters to the Black Ink Battlefield over the years.

“The reinforcements will first be gathered at the No-Return Pass, then they will be dispatched from there to the various Great Passes. This is done to ensure the integrity of each Great Pass. The number of people dispatched to each Pass will depend on the loss and demand of the Great Pass itself. Take this time as an example. Our Blue Sky Pass’ losses during the recent crusade were not small; so, there should be more reinforcements who’ll be assigned to us. Furthermore, because of the forward base, there will be a need for many people with a variety of skill sets. This was the requirement of Blue Sky Pass, which we put forward to 3,000 Worlds to meet. Well, I think news of what we have accomplished so far would make them feel gratified.”

Yang Kai nodded in understanding, thought for a while, and then asked, “There should still be many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in each Cave Heaven and Paradise’s headquarters. Since the 3,000 Worlds are essentially stable, why not transfer more of them to the Black Ink Battlefield? That way, we’ll be able to overwhelm the Territory Lords with superior numbers. It should not be that difficult to do, right?”

Zhong Liang answered with a smile, “It’s not difficult, of course. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have strong foundations and heritages, so it certainly won’t be a problem to get a few more Eighth-Order Masters assigned here, but have you thought through what that would mean? Would there be any decisive change if we really did as you said? There is currently no way to completely eradicate the Black Ink Clan, so what is the use of this small advantage? Before you brought us the Purifying Light, the Human Race was basically powerless to resist the corrosion of Black Ink Strength. Many had to sacrifice pieces of their Small Universes to protect themselves. We have fought against the Black Ink Clan for so long, so what we want is not a small advantage to give us a more favourable position, but rather a way to completely eradicate the Black Ink Clan. Before we find a way to do that, maintaining the current balance is the best option.”

Yang Kai pondered over what he said before nodding in agreement.

Zhong Liang exhaled lightly, “Our crusade this time was not only an experiment, but also a campaign to provide hope. If what we are doing works out well, in the next 100 to 1,000 years, we Humans will be able to continue to reduce whatever available territory the Black Ink Clan has. Eventually, we will be able to find a way to completely wipe them out. This is definitely a long-term goal, and it might even take several generations to accomplish. Even so, we will do it.”

Zhong Liang would have never said these things to other Seventh-Order Masters, but with Yang Kai, it was different. His arrival changed the whole landscape of Black Ink Battlefield and his contributions alone made him qualified to understand the plans of the higher-ups.

“When the day comes, all the top Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises will be sent to the No-Return Pass. At that time, what do you think will happen to the Black Ink Clan?”

Yang Kai imagined the scene, where the hidden Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises all came out in force. The thought drew his imagination as he said, “They’ll be in for an unpleasant surprise.”

…

Inside the Grand Hall, where the Hyper Space Array was located, Yang Kai sat cross-legged as his heart started pounding.

His conversation with Zhong Liang made him understand one thing: Since he was not in that high of a position, he failed to see the grand scheme of things. What he was thinking about was how to win the battles in front of him. Meanwhile, what those at the top were thinking about was how to win the War and completely annihilate the Black Ink Clan. It was a distinct difference of perspective.

It’s not that he was short-sighted; after all, he was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. He was the leader of a Squad, and had been in the Black Ink Battlefield for more than 100 years so he could not be called inexperienced. Even so, how could he possibly be compared to people like Zhong Liang and the others who had been fighting this war for thousands of years?

Thus, now, it was made clear. It was not that the Cave Heavens and Paradises could not send more Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to gain an advantage over the Black Ink Clan. They were just accumulating strength, preparing to give Black Ink Clan a fatal blow when the time came.

Blue Sky Pass’ Expeditionary Force had taken a crucial step in that direction. The crusade was a bold attempt to change the course of the war, and if all went well, one day in the near future, all the Great Passes would be able to form large-scale Expeditionary Forces and send them out to crusade. They would finally be able to suppress the Black Ink Clan, until it was uprooted entirely.

“There are signs of activity,” one of the people guarding the Grand Array suddenly shouted.

Yang Kai raised his eyes and looked ahead. He saw that the Grand Array, which had been silent for several days, suddenly lit up. It hummed gently, and there were obvious Space Principle fluctuations coming out of it.

That was a clear sign that the Grand Array had been activated, which was what Yang Kai had been waiting for.

The No-Return Pass was the only gateway to the 3,000 Worlds, and it was also the transit point for those in the 3,000 Worlds to enter the Black Ink Battlefield. As such, a Hyper Space Array was arranged there which could connect to all the Great Passes. These were all set up by ancient Great Experts who were simply incomparable to today’s cultivators.

With the Hyper Space Arrays set up by such experts, ultra-long-distance teleportation could be done without worrying about one’s life. However, the consumption of materials would be extremely large; thus, between the Great Passes, they tried not to unnecessarily send people over. In most cases, they would teleport some jade slips as a means to communicate with the other Great Passes.

Under the gaze of the many cultivators guarding the Grand Array, a dazzling light suddenly filled their eyes. From it, a faint figure appeared.

Yang Kai immediately felt an aura of someone in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but to his surprise, this aura was faintly familiar to him.

As the light faded, Yang Kai discovered that there were already at least 100 people standing on the Grand Array, many of them appearing dizzy and disoriented as they had obviously not recovered from the ultra-long-distance teleportation. Although the arrangements of the ancient Great Experts were enough to allow them to teleport here safely, there were still some drawbacks to doing so.

Immediately, Blue Sky Pass’ men, who had been prepared ahead of time, stepped forward and all kinds of Secret Techniques were activated to help alleviate the sequelae of these 100 or so people.

It took just a moment for the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to shake his head and focus his eyes. In the end, he was an Eighth-Order Master whose strength was incomparable to the rest who still needed some time to recover from the dizziness.

Yang Kai suppressed his excitement, stepped forward, and saluted, “Grand Master’s noble bearing is still the same as ever, even after so many years.”

Ding Yao’s words had been prophetic, as Yang Kai really knew someone who came here this time.

He was a remnant of Great Evolution Paradise, Grandmaster Ma Fan.

Yang Kai had dealt with him plenty of times. The first time was when he went to ask about refining Array Artifacts for Void Land’s Grand Array. At that time, the Proprietress took him to Grandmaster Ma Fan. Later, Ma Fan helped him improve the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. He even passed the Great Evolution Paradise’s Good Fortune Divine Furnace to Yang Kai. Afterwards, many of the remnants from Great Evolution Paradise, led by Grandmaster Ma Fan, went to the Star Boundary to open a Dao Temple. They did this in an attempt to revive the former glory.

Thus, they were old acquaintances.