Shen Ao turned to Feng Ying again. "Senior Sister, what plan do you have?"
The two were of the same rank, and having had no prior interaction, neither knew who was senior. The title "Senior Sister" was simply a mark of respect, carrying no particular weight.
Feng Ying said, "The Ink Clan army should be massing at the front lines, assaulting our human pass. I intend to gather more people and launch a raid from behind. That way, even if we can't break the siege, we can at least throw the Ink Clan into disarray. What does Senior Brother think?"
Shen Ao nodded at her words. "Previously, when I was following that Xiaoyue Domain Lord, I happened to overhear some intelligence about the front lines. Indeed, a considerable number of Ink Clan have gathered there and are pressing their attack on the nearest pass. But over so many years, the passes held by the various Great Cavern Heavens and Blessed Lands have seldom fallen, so there's no need for excessive worry. The real concern is that for us to return, we need to amass sufficient strength." He turned to Yang Kai. "With this little brother's wondrous abilities, gathering people shouldn't be too troublesome. Senior Sister, you should go ahead with your plan. I have no objections."
Feng Ying said, "That's settled, then. Let's rest and recover first. To gather more people, we'll need to find more Ink Clan."
Shen Ao said, "However, Senior Sister is probably aware of my current condition. If we do encounter a strong enemy, I'll have to rely on Senior Sister to act."
Feng Ying nodded. "Rest assured. I will do my utmost."
Yang Kai suddenly looked at Shen Ao and spoke. "Is Senior Brother's Small Universe damaged in some way?" Virtually every Ink Disciple's Small Universe was damaged to some degree. The strength Shen Ao had displayed during the earlier fight against the Ink Clan was somewhat lacking for a Seventh-Order cultivator.
A flicker of somberness crossed Shen Ao's expression. "Indeed."
It was his deepest regret. Back when battling the Ink Clan, he had been careless and tainted by the Ink Force. Left with no choice, he had severed a portion of his Small Universe's territory. But that battle had been far too fierce — he was already exhausted, with no time to rest and recover, and in the end he had been inked, falling to the status of an Ink Disciple, living in a daze ever since.
His awakening now was an utterly unexpected stroke of fortune.
Yang Kai produced an item and held it out. "Then perhaps Senior Brother should see if this is of any use to you."
Shen Ao accepted it with puzzlement and opened the container. His eyes immediately lit up. "A Xuanpin Spirit Fruit?"
Feng Ying stared over in astonishment as well. She recognized the item naturally — in the Ink Battlefield, it was a treasure, with remarkably potent effects for repairing a damaged Small Universe.
"Where did you get this?" Feng Ying asked, incredulous.
Yang Kai shrugged. "I came across it by chance."
It was inconvenient to explain further. After all, it had been entrusted to him by Mo Qi, and it wouldn't be appropriate to tell others about that. He looked at Shen Ao and said, "Can this item help Senior Brother repair your Small Universe?"
Shen Ao clutched the Xuanpin Spirit Fruit tightly, his features alight with barely contained excitement. "Of course it can. Only this item would work."
As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator, his temperament was inherently steady, and very few things in the world could stir him anymore. Even when Yang Kai had first rescued him, he hadn't been this agitated. But with the Xuanpin Spirit Fruit in hand and the hope of restoring his Small Universe, his mind still surged with emotion.
"How long will it take?" Feng Ying asked.
Shen Ao shook his head. "I'm not sure, since I've never used one before. But I expect it won't take too long." He turned to Yang Kai. "Little brother, this item is of tremendous value to me. I won't stand on ceremony — I will repay this kindness handsomely in the future!"
Yang Kai waved it off. "Having your strength restored will help our plan as well."
Right now, the only Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivators at his side were Feng Ying and Shen Ao. Feng Ying was someone he didn't need to worry too much about, but Shen Ao, despite being Seventh-Order, was merely a pseudo-Seventh-Order — not only was his strength below the normal standard, but his resistance to the Ink Force was woefully inadequate. This was a serious liability for the plan ahead.
A Xuanpin Spirit Fruit could remedy that, and Yang Kai certainly wasn't one to be stingy about it.
After a moment's thought, he said, "I still have a few more Xuanpin Spirit Fruits. Should we find a few people to take them?" In his view, in the current situation, every bit of added combat power counted. And once their Small Universes were repaired, their resistance to the Ink Force's erosion would also improve.
A few more…
Feng Ying and Shen Ao were both stunned. The Xuanpin Spirit Fruit was exceedingly rare — in the Ink Battlefield, only certain peculiar secret realms could produce them. Simply encountering a single one was the kind of fortune that made one's ancestral graves glow with auspicious smoke. And Yang Kai actually had several more.
Though they didn't know exactly how many "a few" meant, it certainly wasn't a small number.
Feng Ying couldn't make this decision for others. She paused briefly, then said, "I'll ask around."
Shen Ao gave a bitter smile. "Probably no one will want them."
"Why is that?" Yang Kai couldn't help but be surprised. The Small Universes of the rescued Ink Disciples should all be in a damaged state, and the Xuanpin Spirit Fruit should have been enormously appealing to them. How could no one want one?
Shen Ao offered no explanation, only saying, "You'll understand in a moment."
Feng Ying closed her eyes in silence, presumably communicating with the many Open Heaven cultivators sheltering within her Small Universe. Shortly after, she opened them and looked at Yang Kai. "Keep those Xuanpin Spirit Fruits for yourself."
Sure enough, no one wanted them.
As if sensing his bewilderment, Shen Ao explained. "When they encounter an opportunity like this, they all choose to leave it for the Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivators. Never mind the spirit fruits in your possession — even if they obtained one themselves, they wouldn't consume it lightly. They would choose to hand it up instead."
With that, he patted Yang Kai's shoulder, walked over to the side, sat down cross-legged, and swallowed the Xuanpin Spirit Fruit.