"Uncle-Master Zhao!" Feng Ying greeted the newcomer with a bow, and Yang Kai, standing behind her, also inclined his head slightly.
Uncle-Master Zhao looked at Feng Ying with some surprise. "Girl Feng, you're back? Word was you'd been stranded among the Ink Clan on your own. How did you make it?"
Feng Ying replied, "I was fortunate enough to survive." She offered no further explanation of how she'd returned.
Uncle-Master Zhao gave a slight nod. "One who survives a great calamity is sure to find fortune afterward. Keep yourself alive and useful — slay more Ink Clan on the battlefield in the days to come."
Feng Ying acknowledged the advice.
Uncle-Master Zhao craned his neck to peer into the hall behind them, frowning. "Senior Brother Zhong summoned everyone, yet I don't see a soul. Is something going on here?"
Feng Ying replied respectfully, "Uncle-Master Zhong does indeed have some important matters to announce. I'm not entirely clear on the specifics myself. Please go on in, Uncle-Master — Uncle-Master Zhong should be arriving shortly."
"Very well." Uncle-Master Zhao nodded and strode into the hall, choosing a random seat to wait.
Hardly had he settled when streaks of light came flying in from every direction. Each one carried the cultivation of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivator — clearly the commanders stationed at the various front lines, figures of equal standing to Zhong Liang.
Feng Ying led Yang Kai to guard the entrance, greeting each arrival in turn. After they filed inside, she gave Yang Kai a brief rundown of who they were — which Great Cave Heaven or Blessed Land each belonged to and their names.
Though Brightness Pass had tens of thousands of human cultivators, the number of Eighth-Order Open Heavens was actually rather small — perhaps several dozen at most. Having been stationed here for thousands of years, Feng Ying naturally knew them all.
These Eighth-Order Open Heavens could be considered the backbone of every human stronghold. Each one was an invaluable talent, and nearly all held key positions, commanding large armies and overseeing the layered defensive lines protecting human territory.
There was indeed an Eighth-Order Supreme Elder from Yin Yang Heaven among them, but the man had no idea of Yang Kai's origins and paid him little attention. Moreover, this was hardly the place for socializing. Yang Kai simply committed the man's name and appearance to memory and said nothing further.
Most of the arriving Eighth-Orders recognized Feng Ying. A few glanced at Yang Kai without much interest. However, one Eighth-Order Supreme Elder from Xi He Blessed Land seemed to study Yang Kai with rather deliberate attention, and when he entered the great hall, a trace of puzzling lingered on his face.
The man said nothing to Yang Kai, and he wasn't even sure if he'd imagined the scrutiny.
The group waited inside the great hall for a while, but Zhong Liang still hadn't appeared. Before long, someone lost patience and complained, "What in the world is that old ghost Zhong playing at? My front line is in the thick of battle, and he sends an emergency summons dragging me all the way here — is this some kind of joke? Where is he?"
"Junior Brother Zhang, calm yourself. Since Senior Brother Zhong sent an emergency summons, there must be an urgent matter. The battle is deadlocked and won't be decided anytime soon — consider it a rest for the troops beneath us," someone counseled, taking a more philosophical view of the situation.
"Speaking of which, have any of you checked on the Old Ancestor? How serious are the injuries?"
"A message was sent. The reply was that the Old Ancestor is recuperating and shouldn't be disturbed. Probably nothing too serious — it's not the first time this has happened. The Old Ancestor is healing, and the Ink Lord is healing too. It's the same on both sides."
"If you ask me, the lot of us should find a way to break through, track down where that Ink Lord is recuperating, and finish him off. Then this whole battle becomes simple."
"You're not a child anymore — don't talk nonsense. The Ink Lord's recovery site is bound to be heavily guarded. We might have the lives to fight our way in, but we wouldn't have the lives to fight our way out. Use your head before you speak!"
"Who are you calling headless?"
"Whoever answers is who I'm talking about!"
…
The argument quickly devolved into a shouting match. The two bickering Eighth-Order Supreme Elders seemed to carry some grudge from before — they were on the verge of rolling up their sleeves and coming to blows, forcing everyone around them to rush in and mediate.
Outside the hall, Feng Ying and Yang Kai exchanged a glance, both wearing expressions of wordless exasperation.
Eighth-Order Supreme Elders were figures of immense prestige — in the public imagination, they were stern and imposing paragons of gravity. Who would have believed that these very same Elders could be bickering in this great hall like market vendors? If word got out, nobody would buy it.
A streak of light came hurtling from the distance and crashed down in front of the two, revealing none other than Zhong Liang.
Feng Ying and Yang Kai bowed together. Looking up, they saw that Zhong Liang was hauling a captive — clearly an Ink Servant. The man's eyes were filled with dark ink, and though seals had been placed on his body to suppress his power so he could not mobilize it, he still struggled and resisted.
Seeing the Ink Servant, Yang Kai vaguely understood what Zhong Liang had in mind. No matter how eloquent the words, without proof to back them up, no one would be convinced. The man had apparently flown out to the battlefield beyond the Pass, captured an Ink Servant, and brought him back — so that Yang Kai could demonstrate the Purifying Light before everyone's eyes.
Zhong Liang gave Yang Kai a nod. "Come inside with me."
"Yes!" Yang Kai responded.