"Everyone, have a seat," Gu Ling'er called out, assuming her role as host.
The group settled around a stone table that had already been set with spirit fruit and wine, each person helping themselves as they pleased.
Yang Kai had assumed that these Ink Servants gathered here would surely be discussing some unsavoury business, but that turned out not to be the case.
The assembled figures simply conversed much like any banquet Yang Kai had attended before — exchanging insights on cultivation, occasionally sharing strange tales and anecdotes. The atmosphere was thoroughly cordial.
A peculiar feeling welled up in Yang Kai's chest. If he hadn't known these people were all Ink Servants, even seeing them with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to suspect a thing.
They were truly indistinguishable from ordinary people.
Over to the side, Zong Yuquan and Chang Anyi were debating the execution technique behind a certain secret art of the Langya lineage, each holding firm to their own position. Gu Ling'er suddenly leaned closer to Yang Kai and murmured, "Junior Brother Yang, you only recently became an Ink Servant. Are there any aspects you find difficult to adjust to?"
Gong Wenshan and Liangqiu Hong both glanced over, sharing a knowing smile. They understood that Yang Kai's performance during the trial had caught Gu Ling'er's eye.
It seemed she was poised to steal a march on Gu Pan.
Gu Ling'er had gone many years without selecting a partner. For one, her standards were high — among cultivators of the same order of the Open Heaven Realm, few met her criteria. For another, her identity as an Ink Servant made it risky. If she were to settle down with someone, there was a real chance of being exposed.
Yang Kai was different. His strength was virtually unmatched among Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivators, and he was already an Ink Servant himself, so Gu Ling'er had nothing to worry about.
The path of cultivation was a tedious one, and Open Heaven cultivators enjoyed vast lifespans. Having a worthy companion by one's side was, after all, a fine thing.
Yang Kai caught a whiff of her fragrance, maintaining an easy composure, and nodded. "As a matter of fact, there is something I'd like to consult all of you about."
Chang Anyi and Zong Yuquan, who had been arguing back and forth, paused and turned to look at him.
Gu Ling'er smiled warmly. "Please, speak freely, Junior Brother Yang. We Ink Servants are all one family — there's nothing we'd withhold from you."
Yang Kai said, "Our Ink Servants have our Small Worlds tempered by the Power of Ink. Could this have any effect on our future cultivation?"
The group exchanged glances. Zong Yuquan chuckled. "So Junior Brother Yang was worried about this. Well, to say there's no effect at all wouldn't be accurate — but it's a positive one!"
"Oh?" Yang Kai said, surprised. "Please enlighten me, Senior Brother Zong."
Zong Yuquan's expression turned solemn. "The Power of Ink is profoundly mysterious. Its greatest benefit lies in advancement. Senior Brother Le Mang recently achieved an insight and is on the verge of advancing to the Seventh Order. You witnessed that yourself, Junior Brother Yang."
Yang Kai nodded.
Zong Yuquan continued. "However, even though Senior Brother Le Mang has already grasped the opportunity to advance, actually pulling it off is no simple matter. Breaking through from the Sixth Order to the Seventh Order is a threshold. Clear it, and the sky's the limit. Fail, and the best outcome is remaining stuck at the Sixth Order for the rest of one's life. In the worst case, one's Small World could destabilise, leading to a drop in order or even death. But we Ink Servants needn't worry about any of that. Our Small Worlds are protected by the Power of Ink — advancing to the Seventh Order carries absolutely no risk."
Yang Kai was stunned. "The Power of Ink is truly that marvellous?"
If that was the case, it really was something remarkable.
Gu Ling'er smiled and said, "That's only one aspect. The greatest benefit is that we Ink Servants have broken free from the ancient shackles that have bound Open Heaven cultivators' advancement since time immemorial!"
"What do you mean?" Yang Kai asked humbly.
Zong Yuquan explained. "I hear that when you advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, Junior Brother Yang, you achieved Fifth-Order Open Heaven?"
Yang Kai nodded.
Zong Yuquan gestured in a wide circle. "To be candid, Junior Brother, every one of us here is the same. In theory, those who enter directly at the Fifth Order can never surpass the Seventh Order, even with abundant cultivation resources. But that only applies to other Open Heaven cultivators. As for us Ink Servants... heh."
Yang Kai's expression immediately became one of eager excitement, his breathing growing unsteady. "Senior Brother Zong, are you saying that we Ink Servants are not bound by this limit?"
Zong Yuquan nodded slightly. "Precisely. As long as we continue to cultivate diligently, and as long as we don't meet an untimely end, we too can reach the pinnacle — the Ninth Order!"
"Is this really true?" Yang Kai pressed urgently, his excitement mingled with disbelief and a touch of anxious hope.
Zong Yuquan nodded with a serious expression. "It is!"
"Have you ever seen it with your own eyes, Senior Brother Zong?"
Zong Yuquan smiled awkwardly. "Well, naturally I haven't. What manner of existence is the Ninth Order? They're not the kind of figures that little fish like us can simply go and meet. But this is the honest truth."
He had no way to produce evidence, but he was firmly convinced of it. Yang Kai understood that this must have been relayed to them by Seventh-Order Ink Servants like Shi Zheng.
Yang Kai had no way to verify whether this was true or false, but if it was, then the Power of Ink was far too tempting. For Open Heaven cultivators, one of their greatest worries was the limits imposed upon them.
The World Fruit could shatter that ceiling, but one could only consume a single one — and how precious was the World Fruit? How could an ordinary person ever hope to obtain one?
But if the Power of Ink could break or even entirely ignore that limit, Yang Kai could scarcely imagine what would happen.
Would people actively seek out the Power of Ink, just for the chance to advance one step further?
Of course they would! Who wouldn't want greater strength? Who wouldn't want to stand above the rest, free from having to watch others' moods?
Yang Kai suddenly recalled that the upper echelons of the various Great Cavities and Blessed Lands all knew about the Ink Clan. Core Disciples were also informed by their elders after advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. But beyond that, across the entire Three Thousand World, the ordinary disciples of the Great Cavities and Blessed Lands had never even heard of such a thing.