Yang Kai was taken aback. It was the first time he'd heard that World Force could be described as fresh or stale. World Force was the foundation of Open Heaven realm cultivators' power—it wasn't a living thing, so how could such a distinction apply?
Puzzled, he asked aloud, "What do you mean by fresh World Force?"
Liu Zi'an smiled. "Brother Yang, have you heard of World Globes?"
Yang Kai nodded. "I have."
Liu Zi'an explained, "Strictly speaking, a World Globe is just an Artifact—an invention developed and refined by the Ink Clan. Its purpose is to contain the World Force that dissipates when Open Heaven realm humans fall in battle. On every Ink Clan territory, World Globes are available for purchase, and they don't come cheap. The Ink Clan buys them to consume the World Force within for cultivation. There's also the World Force found in various Secret Realms, which the Ink Clan can consume as well. But that World Force is ultimately rootless tree and sourceless stream—it's dead! To some Ink Clan members, that World Force simply isn't fresh enough. Consuming it is like us humans eating stale food."
"But for living, breathing Open Heaven realm cultivators like you and me, the World Force within our Small Universes is fresh enough. Lord Ghost Tusk has rather particular tastes—he especially prefers consuming that kind of World Force."
At this point, Liu Zi'an fixed Yang Kai with a burning gaze. "So if you want to win Lord Ghost Tusk's favor, Brother Yang, all you need to do is simple—open up your Small Universe. Once Lord Ghost Tusk has eaten and drunk his fill, he'll naturally grant your request."
Yang Kai lowered his eyelids and said flatly, "Does Brother Liu regularly win Lord Ghost Tusk's favor this way?"
Liu Zi'an nodded matter-of-factly. "Indeed. However, according to Lord Ghost Tusk, every Open Heaven realm cultivator's World Force tastes different. I've served Lord Ghost Tusk for many years—in the earlier days, he would occasionally consume my World Force, but he hasn't done so in recent years. He's probably grown tired of it. Brother Yang, you've only just arrived, so you'd be perfect for changing up Lord Ghost Tusk's palate. According to him, the stronger the human, the better their World Force tastes. Brother Yang, your strength is no small thing. If you were willing to endure a small discomfort, Lord Ghost Tusk would certainly look upon you more favorably, and things would be much more convenient for you here in the future."
"Is this a condition?" Yang Kai looked up and asked.
Liu Zi'an shook his head. "Not a condition—merely my advice! Brother Yang, a wise man knows when to bend with the wind. After all, this is Ink Clan territory, and both you and I are nothing more than Ink Servants."
"I am the Domain Lord's Ink Servant, not Ghost Tusk's."
Liu Zi'an's expression shifted slightly. "Brother Yang, don't be so stubborn! It's only a loss of some World Force. If you can obtain the Xuan Yin Spirit Fruit, you'll be able to repair the damage to your Small Universe. Then you can cultivate slowly and make up for the loss."
Yang Kai fixed him with a sharp look. "Before the Domain Lord entered the Ink Nest to heal, he personally ordered Ghost Tusk to find me a Xuan Yin Spirit Fruit. Does he intend to defy those orders?"
Liu Zi'an chuckled. "Of course, no one dares disobey the Domain Lord's commands. Lord Ghost Tusk has already gone out to find that Xuan Yin Spirit Fruit for you. But Brother Yang, you know how rare these things are. Whether it can be found, and when—that depends on the will of heaven."
The will of heaven, my ass! Yang Kai cursed inwardly. It was obvious that Ghost Tusk was trying to use this method to force him into submission. Truth be told, he hadn't expected Ghost Tusk to have such a preference—actually consuming the World Force of living people.
True, doing so would cause a certain degree of loss to the one being consumed, but as long as the proper limits were observed and the foundation wasn't damaged, it wouldn't be a serious problem. The lost World Force could eventually be cultivated back.
But how could Yang Kai ever agree to such a demand?
Setting aside the fact that he had no reason whatsoever to agree to Ghost Tusk's demand, if he truly opened his Small Universe before Ghost Tusk, all the secrets within would be completely exposed.
Earlier on the battlefield, he had twice sacrificed portions of his Small Universe—first because circumstances forced his hand and he went with the flow, and second to lull the Ink Clan into complacency so they wouldn't think to inspect his Small Universe.
Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly. There was no way he would blow his cover now.
Liu Zi'an leaned back in his chair and said with an air of composed certainty, "Why don't you go back and think it over carefully, Brother Yang? Every word I've said comes straight from the heart."
"No need to think about it." Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
Liu Zi'an stared at him intently. "Brother Yang, you mean..."
Yang Kai gave a cold snort. "I am the Domain Lord's Ink Servant, not Ghost Tusk's. If the Domain Lord gives an order, I won't bat an eye even if it means climbing a mountain of blades or walking through fire. As for Ghost Tusk's absurd demand, I'll report it to the Domain Lord once he emerges from seclusion!"
Liu Zi'an's face changed dramatically. He slammed his palm on the table. "Kid, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! The Domain Lord will be in seclusion for at least several years. During that time, you'll be working right under Lord Ghost Tusk's nose."
"What about it?" Yang Kai shot him a sidelong glance. "Would Ghost Tusk dare kill me?"
"You're nothing but an Ink Servant. If you make a mistake, what's to stop Lord Ghost Tusk from killing you?" Liu Zi'an's face was full of malice.
Yang Kai sneered without pause. "That depends on whether he has the nerve!"
Liu Zi'an was momentarily stunned. He stared at Yang Kai for a long while before shaking his head repeatedly. "A madman—you're an absolute madman!"
He couldn't sense even a shred of respect for Ghost Tusk in Yang Kai. It was almost incomprehensible—as an Ink Servant, to show such contempt for an Ink Clan lord like Ghost Tusk? The man seemed to have no sense of rank or hierarchy at all.
Did being the Domain Lord's Ink Servant really give him such confidence? A trace of bitterness welled up in Liu Zi'an's heart.
Yang Kai suddenly extended a hand toward him. "Hand it over!"
"What?" Liu Zi'an blinked.
"The Open Heaven Pills I gave you the other day." Yang Kai said with a straight face.