"Are any of you feeling unwell?" The captain looked at the three of them with concern.
All three shook their heads, indicating they were perfectly fine.
The captain then turned to look at Yang Kai, a complex and inscrutable expression in his eyes. When the Eighth-Order Supreme Elder had given those instructions earlier, he had still been somewhat unable to believe it. For the human powerhouses who had spent years fighting in the Ink Battlefield, the power of Ink was something all too familiar. Once it latched onto you, it was like a maggot clinging to bone. The only way to preserve yourself was to sever the corruption within the limited time after being contaminated by the Ink Force.
But it was precisely because of the Eighth-Order Supreme Elder's instructions that he had adopted a wait-and-see attitude, leading his squad members back to Biluo Pass and into this central drill ground.
Never had he expected that Yang Kai would actually solve the problem that had plagued the human race for countless years. Moreover, judging from the technique he employed, it didn't seem to be all that troublesome—it could be described as effortless.
What exactly was that white light? He had never seen it before, but under its radiance, he had clearly witnessed the dissipation and disappearance of the Ink Force.
A surge of elation suddenly welled up in his heart. If the human race now had a means to neutralize the Ink Force's corruption, then the problem that had plagued them for so many years would no longer be a problem! He could already imagine what a tremendous boost this news would have on their morale once it spread.
He cupped his fists solemnly. "A great kindness requires no words of thanks. In the future, if there is ever anything you need from us brothers, Brother Yang, you need only say the word."
He was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator, and though no one knew which Paradise he hailed from, by seniority he was absolutely a generation above Yang Kai. Yet at this moment, he addressed Yang Kai as "Brother Yang"—a testament to the depth of his gratitude.
The six people behind him also cupped their fists in salute, especially the three who had been rescued. Their gratitude was written plainly on their faces. They knew that without Yang Kai's intervention, their best outcome would have been to sacrifice a portion of their Small Universe, resulting in a drop in cultivation.
It was something no Open Heaven cultivator ever wished to experience.
Although the Ink Battlefield did have Xuanpin Spirit Fruits that could repair a damaged Small Universe, these fruits only grew within certain secret realms and were exceedingly rare even for the humans—not easily obtained at all.
When the humans did occasionally acquire Xuanpin Spirit Fruits, they always prioritized giving them to those with higher cultivation. Below the Upper-Order Open Heaven, one basically had no chance.
Yang Kai had not only neutralized the Ink Force's corruption for them but had also preserved their cultivation intact. Such gratitude could not be expressed by mere words alone.
"You're too kind. It's what I ought to do!" Yang Kai returned the salute.
"The battle rages on, and we cannot stay long. We must return to the battlefield. When the fighting ends, if we are fortunate enough to survive, we will come back and share a drink with Brother Yang!" the captain said solemnly, cupping his fists.
Yang Kai's expression turned serious. "May you strike victory from the very start!"
A group of seven, arriving in haste and departing in haste. Regardless of which Paradise they hailed from, on this battlefield, they had long since set their own lives aside.
Watching the seven depart, Yang Kai let out a soft sigh. He didn't know when these seven had arrived at the Ink Battlefield, nor how long they could survive in this brutal arena. Perhaps one day, they would be cut down by some Ink Clan creature, their bodies torn apart without even a whole corpse remaining.
Whose sons and daughters were they? Whose parents?
Having witnessed the situation at the Ink Battlefield firsthand, Yang Kai's mood could not help but grow heavy. Yet these people who had been immersed in it for years had long since grown accustomed to it.
He suddenly turned to look at Feng Ying. "Those people just now called their leader 'captain.' Is the army within the Pass organized into squads?"
Feng Ying grew even more convinced that Yang Kai knew absolutely nothing about the human Passes, since he was asking about matters that were common knowledge. But having experienced this several times already, she was no longer surprised. She patiently explained, "Squads are the most basic unit within the human Passes. Ten to fifteen people form a squad, a hundred make up a battalion, and five hundred constitute a garrison. Of course, the numbers may vary slightly, but that's roughly the structure. The framework of the human armies is modeled after Great Battle Heaven's military arrangement—they have extensive experience in warfare."
Yang Kai nodded slightly. Back in the Three Thousand Worlds, he had already heard of Great Battle Heaven and knew that this Paradise was quite unique—it managed its Disciples entirely through military organization.
He had long been curious about why Great Battle Heaven chose to manage its Disciples this way. Now it seemed that it was likely connected to the Ink Battlefield.
"Tell me more about the situation at the human Passes," Yang Kai said.
Feng Ying asked, "What do you want to know?"
"Anything at all."
Feng Ying fell silent for a moment, then suddenly sat cross-legged before Yang Kai and began drawing on the ground in front of him with her hand. In short order, she had sketched out an Eight Trigrams diagram on the ground.