With the Purifying Light in hand, the problems they had encountered before were no longer problems at all.
Feng Ying's eyes lit up. "That idea of yours could work! Only..." She trailed off, brows furrowing. "The Universe Formation — it seems no one is capable of setting one up these days. At the very least, there's no one with that skill here at Biluo Pass."
The Universe Palaces at the various Passes of the Human Race had existed since ancient times. In bygone eras, perhaps someone had been able to lay down the Universe Formation and construct a Universe Palace. But as the Universe Palaces had been sealed away, this knowledge had been lost to the ravages of time. This had been a deliberate measure by the Human Race — a precaution against key personnel being corrupted by Ink and the Ink Clan gaining the knowledge of how to construct Universe Palaces.
The Ink Clan was already troublesome enough. If they were to master the mysteries of the Universe Palaces as well, they truly would be impossible to exterminate.
"I can set it up!" Yang Kai said in a firm voice.
Feng Ying was taken aback. "You can set up the Universe Formation? But you're not..."
Yang Kai smiled. "I know nothing about Formation Dao, but spatial formations and the Universe Formation both share some connection to the Dao of Space, so I've dabbled in them." Back in the Three Thousand Worlds, he had spent thirty years unraveling the mysteries of the Universe Formation. His mastery of the Dao of Space had grown enormously as a result, and it was through that process that he had comprehended the Bull-Striking Secret Art.
Later, in the new Great Domain, Yang Kai had set up several Universe Palaces of his own to allow his Disciples to travel back and forth and explore the new territory with ease.
Setting up a Universe Formation was therefore no great difficulty for him.
"Is there anything I need to do? Should I find a few helpers?" Feng Ying asked.
Yang Kai shook his head. "Helpers won't be necessary. I am, however, short on certain materials. I'll need you to figure out a way to source them, Senior Aunt."
"Of course!" Feng Ying nodded quickly.
A short while later, Yang Kai handed Feng Ying a list of materials for her to procure. This was no great task for her — Biluo Pass had its own storerooms stocked with vast quantities of cultivation resources, and virtually everything Yang Kai needed could be found within.
That said, this still required approval from Zhong Liang and the others. Permission had to be granted before they could withdraw the corresponding materials from the storerooms.
Upon learning that Yang Kai was actually capable of setting up a Universe Formation, and that he intended to do so inside the cabin of the battleship, Zhong Liang was beside himself with astonishment and delight.
Since Yang Kai had arrived at Biluo Pass — a mere half-year or so ago — the sheer number of extraordinary things that had happened around him was staggering.
First and foremost was that technique for purging and purifying the Ink Force. Then he and Dongguo Anping had created the Mobile Palace Artifacts suited for long-range expeditions. And now he was even planning to install a Universe Formation inside one of those Mobile Palace Artifacts.
As an Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, Zhong Liang could readily see the vast potential of this development. If it succeeded, then from now on, Human Race members scattered abroad would find it far easier to return to Biluo Pass. They would simply need to activate the Universe Art within the appropriate range, and they could teleport back to the ship instantly. And with the Purifying Light sealed inside the cabin, there would be no need to worry about Ink Disciples causing trouble.
One could even say that a battleship equipped with a Universe Formation was better suited for expeditions than anything they currently had.
Naturally, Zhong Liang offered his full support, granting Feng Ying enormous authority — she was free to take whatever resources she needed from the storeroom, sparing no expense to facilitate Yang Kai's work.
After more than half a day, Feng Ying returned with everything Yang Kai had requested.
Yang Kai threw himself into the cabin and set to work without rest.
Setting up a Universe Formation was undeniably far more difficult than constructing a simple spatial formation. Though the two were fundamentally similar in nature, the Universe Formation was considerably more profound and complex.
Moreover, space inside the cabin was limited, and the installation of the Universe Formation was constrained accordingly.
The Universe Palaces Yang Kai had previously set up in the new Great Domain had all been sizable. Now, to make a Universe Formation function within such a confined space required numerous fine adjustments.
He worked for two full months — running repeated experiments, making several major revisions — before the job was finally complete.
Fortunately, a vast quantity of Purifying Light had already been sealed inside the cabin. Corrupted clansmen who came for treatment could be handled without his personal intervention, which would have otherwise delayed things even further.
Feng Ying personally tested the formation and confirmed that the Universe Formation was operating flawlessly. When the news was reported, Zhong Liang was overjoyed.
The two-month delay had coincided with Dongguo Anping delivering the first brand-new Mobile Palace Artifact.
Under normal circumstances, crafting a single new Mobile Palace Artifact at Biluo Pass took at least half a year. These were not things that could be casually forged — they required not only a large number of laborers working in concert but also Artifact Refiners of exceptional skill to oversee the process.
But Dongguo Anping understood the importance of this mission. The war between the two races was fierce, and the sooner the work was completed, the more it would benefit their people. He had therefore pulled elite Disciples from Divine Cauldron Heaven across multiple fronts and gathered over a hundred of them to work together. In just two months, they had produced a brand-new Mobile Palace Artifact.
When the Mobile Palace Artifact arrived at the plaza, Yang Kai immediately entered the cabin. He did not deploy the Purifying Light first — instead, he set up the Universe Formation. Only once the Universe Formation was fully in place did he seal the Purifying Light inside the cabin.
Another month passed before the fully prepared battleship set out for the Eastern Army's defensive line.
Zhong Liang and the others ultimately failed to outbid Ding Yao for it — not because they truly couldn't, but because the fighting on the Eastern front was genuinely the most intense. The other three Corps Commanders saw no reason to keep competing, and with Ding Yao making a personal appeal, they were inclined to grant him the courtesy.
Of course, the more important reason was that before long, the other three armies would each have their own. There was little point in bickering over it.