Under the busy hands of the numerous Artifact Refiners, the incomplete warship was quickly dismantled down to its last component.
Nie An then stepped forward without hesitation, taking charge and dividing the several hundred Artifact Refiners into more than a dozen groups, each assigned specific tasks based on the areas of expertise of its members.
Large quantities of Artifact materials were delivered by the Ink Clan, and the multitude of Artifact Refiners set to work.
Yang Kai observed quietly amidst the bustle and found that Nie An likely did indeed possess the skill of a Grand Master Artifact Refiner. He had no idea how Nie An's refinement abilities compared before his breakthrough, but based on what he saw now, he was definitely a cut above Wu Xinghe and the others.
Perhaps he couldn't compare to Grand Masters like Dongguo Anping of Biluo Fort, but Dongguo Anping had achieved the Grand Master level many years ago. As a newly elevated Grand Master, Nie An naturally lacked experience.
However, given time, there was no reason he couldn't reach heights comparable to Dongguo Anping.
This man truly possessed an extraordinary talent in Artifact Refining — no wonder he had risen from complete obscurity to achieve what he had today.
Though his technique might still have some shortcomings, it was already sufficient to support the forging of a true Palace Artifact.
Under Yang Kai's worried watch, it took a mere three months before the Palace Artifact in the valley had taken shape. Compared to the one that had been dismantled earlier, there was little difference in outward appearance, but as Artifact Refiners, everyone in the valley could clearly sense that this new vessel's performance was several times superior to the previous one. Once completed, it would more than satisfy the demands of a major battle.
The joy of near-success drove the Artifact Refiners to devote themselves even more wholeheartedly to this grand project, accelerating the warship's progress considerably.
Yang Kai continued to follow at Wu Xinghe's side, assisting him.
Over this period, with Wu Xinghe's cooperation, the Ink Force within Wang Sibo and Guan Ning had also been completely purged.
Though the three Grand Masters had been doing their best to delay the warship's completion, they couldn't be too obvious about it, lest they arouse suspicion.
Day after day, under the investment of massive resources and the painstaking efforts of several hundred Artifact Refiners, the warship grew increasingly complete.
And the half-year deadline Yang Kai had set was drawing ever closer.
On this day, Yang Kai was as always assisting Wu Xinghe in refining an offensive Artifact to be mounted on the warship. Only half a year had passed since Nie An's return, and under his leadership, the several hundred Artifact Refiners had worked in concert to bring the entire warship to near-completion — only minor flaws remained to be corrected.
As for its exact performance, though the Artifact Refiners who had forged this warship had their own estimates, it still needed to be truly verified on the battlefield.
Not far from the warship, Nie An was speaking with Qing Lei, the Domain Lord stationed here.
Qing Lei had always been brusque with Yang Kai and Wu Xinghe and the others, but treated Nie An with complete courtesy. He placed him on an equal footing, which spoke volumes about Nie An's standing among the Ink Clan.
It made sense, after all. As an Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivator and a Grand Master Artifact Refiner, regardless of which Ink Clan Nie An had originally belonged to as an Ink Disciple, he had likely been taken under Lord Twilight's command by now.
An Ink Disciple under a Lord's command naturally received different treatment.
Their conversation was not hidden in any way, so Yang Kai heard every word clearly.
He heard Qing Lei ask, "Brother Nie, is this Palace Artifact ready for use?"
Nie An clasped his hands behind his back, wearing an expression of pride. "It is. Once the final few areas are refined, we can send it to the battlefield."
Qing Lei was delighted upon hearing this. "Brother Nie is truly remarkable."
Nie An said coolly, "Lady Lord has placed her expectations upon me, and I certainly won't let her down."
Qing Lei then asked, "How does its performance compare to the Human Race's?"
Nie An replied, "It may be somewhat inferior, but this is only the first one. Once we forge more and everyone becomes familiar with the process, performance will naturally improve over time. Before long, we'll be able to produce something nearly comparable to Human Race warships. Though the performance may be slightly lacking, since this warship was built specifically for the Ink Clan, its size is considerably larger than a Human Race warship. As long as we field sufficient crew, its combat capability won't be far behind."
Qing Lei nodded slightly. "Then I'll report that to Lady Lord."
"Additionally, please inform Lady Lord that a single warship won't have much impact on the battlefield. It would be best to wait until we've forged several more. At that point, we may be able to give the Human Race a surprise."
Qing Lei grinned. "Lady Lord's acquisition of Brother Nie is worth more than gaining an entire army!"
"Brother Qing Lei flatters me."
Qing Lei said no more. "Then I'll head to the Royal City right away and deliver this good news to Lady Lord. I'm sure she'll be most pleased. I'll leave things here in Brother Nie's care."
"All part of the job," Nie An said with a casual nod.
The next moment, Qing Lei shot into the sky, heading straight for the gateway.
Yang Kai exchanged a glance with the busy Wu Xinghe, and both their eyes flashed with a sharp light.