Zhong Liang growled in fury, "Those old geezers are using the excuse of inspecting the Purification Warships to sneak off and meet with Yang Kai, showering the kid with all sorts of enticements, trying to poach him!"
Liang Yulong flew into a rage upon hearing this, slamming his palm down and shattering the table before him. "Despicable wretches! This is outright bullying!"
Zhong Liang's face darkened as he pondered for a moment, then he turned to his adjutant. "Send out a message. Summon those old geezers to the Council Hall. Tell them we at Azure Flash Fortress have an important matter to discuss with them."
The adjutant acknowledged the order and swiftly departed.
Liang Yulong looked at Zhong Liang and asked, "Brother Zhong, you mean to say..."
Zhong Liang snorted. "Since they won't save face, why should we give them any?"
One hour later, in the Council Hall, both rows of seats were packed. Every person seated was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivator from the various human fortresses — a truly extraordinary gathering with a dazzling lineup.
There were fifty or sixty in total, each representing a human fortress. The number was this small only because many Eighth-Order cultivators from other fortresses hadn't managed to arrive in time — some were still constructing Purification Warships, others were en route.
Though the hall was full of people, not a sound was made. Only spiritual senses crisscrossed through the air as silent conversations took place.
Once everyone had arrived, the four Grand Commanders of Azure Flash Fortress calmly walked out from the back and took their seats at the very front.
The web of spiritual senses subsided, and the assembled cultivators turned their gazes forward, wondering what matter Azure Flash Fortress had called them here to discuss.
Ding Yao and the others had already discussed their approach, so once seated, they didn't mince words. Ding Yao, the Grand Commander of the Eastern Army, spoke first: "I hear that quite a few of you went to inspect the Purification Warships again today?"
The moment these words left his mouth, the assembled Eighth-Order cultivators immediately caught on. These old foxes needed no further explanation to hear the irritation hidden in Ding Yao's tone. They knew that word of their activities had already reached the ears of Azure Flash Fortress's leaders, and the brass here was not going to let it slide. Some closed their eyes as if resting, others smiled enigmatically, but not a single person responded.
Seeing their silence, Ding Yao continued, "I've also heard that quite a few of you have been promising young Yang a generous package of benefits, trying to lure him back to your respective fortresses?"
He slammed his palm on the table and roared, "Look at all of you — is this any way for a human to behave? On the very day the Purification Warship was born, our Azure Flash Fortress was still besieged by the Ink Clan army, facing destruction at any moment. Yet the very first thing we did was send word to every fortress, sharing this joyous news with all of you — because we know that in this Ink Battlefield, every human fortress rises and falls together. Anything good we have, anything worth sharing, we would never hoard. With the Purification Warship guarding our armies' rear, our human soldiers no longer face the risk of being corrupted by the Ink Force. This is a blessing that benefits every last one of us!"
"The last battle proved it. Before young Yang arrived at Azure Flash Fortress, our human soldiers were still in danger of Ink Force corruption. But ever since he came here, no one at Azure Flash Fortress has suffered from the Ink Force — and this has been especially true since the Purification Warship was completed. We at Azure Flash Fortress operate with openness and integrity. And what about you old geezers? You want to undermine us, to poach young Yang right out from under us? Does your conscience not sting?"
His furious tirade would have left any ordinary Open Heaven cultivator trembling with fear, but the guests seated here were all Eighth-Order — not one of them was intimidated. Still, many wore expressions of guilt. What they'd done was underhanded, and under Ding Yao's rebuke, they had no rebuttal.
Only one man chuckled and spoke up. "Brother Ding, please don't be angry. I can't speak for anyone else's thoughts or actions, but Yang Kai belongs to Yin Yang Heaven. As his elder, it is only natural that I would want to bring him back to Yin Yang Fortress. He commands the Purifying Light — the only method our human race has ever possessed to counter the Ink Force. It has the power to reshape the entire war between our two races. It is of paramount importance, and bringing him to Yin Yang Fortress would allow us to protect him properly."
The speaker was none other than Tang Qiu, from Yin Yang Fortress.
Ding Yao turned to look at him and said flatly, "Who ever stipulated that a disciple of Yin Yang Heaven must serve at Yin Yang Fortress? We have people from Yin Yang Heaven here at Azure Flash Fortress too. And our Da Zhan Heaven disciples serve at your Yin Yang Fortress, don't they? Since ancient times, warriors who came from the Three Thousand Worlds have been assigned to whichever fortress they arrived at — that is the rule. What does it have to do with where one's roots or sect lie? Yang Kai came to Azure Flash Fortress first, so he is our man. Azure Flash Fortress has already registered him on its rolls — his name appears in our war merits ledger — and furthermore, he is the captain of Azure Flash Fortress's Dawn Squad."
Tang Qiu nodded slightly. "I am well aware of all that, Brother Ding. Perhaps you didn't hear me clearly. What I said was that bringing him to Yin Yang Fortress would offer him better protection. As for his war merits and his captaincy — whatever Azure Flash Fortress can offer, Yin Yang Fortress can offer as well."
Zhong Liang's eyes narrowed in anger. "What exactly do you mean by that, Brother Tang? Are you saying Azure Flash Fortress cannot protect him?"
Tang Qiu replied in a leisurely drawl, "I would never say such a thing. However, I have heard that during the last great battle, Yang Kai — a mere Sixth-Order — charged into the heart of the battlefield and was struck by an Ink Clan King Master, nearly losing his life. Is that not correct?"
The moment these words left his lips, the assembly was visibly shaken. Nearly everyone present had been unaware of this. The only reason Tang Qiu knew was that he had happened to overhear it from Lu An.
Lu An hadn't meant to share this information. He had merely remarked that Yang Kai had exceptional talent — that during the last battle he had broken through his bottleneck in the crucible of life and death, advancing in rank, and that with his Purifying Light, he would prove invaluable in the future.