The Supreme Ancestor wanted flatbread…
The Supreme Ancestor wanted tea soup…
The Supreme Ancestor wanted…
Almost every other day, a new decree would come down, and the entire Seven Star Market would spring into alert. Market Master Shangguan Ji took his post at the central command, directing and coordinating, while numerous Emperor Realm Elders worked in concert. Every resource the Sects possessed was mobilized, and no matter what the Supreme Ancestor demanded, it was fulfilled in the shortest time possible.
After carrying out several of the Supreme Ancestor's decrees in succession, an Emperor Realm Elder suddenly spoke up. "Market Master, what exactly is the Supreme Ancestor trying to do?"
Shangguan Ji's expression was solemn. "How could we possibly fathom what the Supreme Ancestor is thinking? Don't overthink it — focusing on completing each task is what matters."
The Elder nodded repeatedly. "Naturally, the Supreme Ancestor's thoughts are beyond our understanding. But Market Master, I've noticed that these requests don't seem to be for the Supreme Ancestor's own benefit."
Shangguan Ji glanced at him, thoughtful. "You mean…?"
The Elder said, "Market Master surely knows that a few years ago, my lineage was blessed with a direct grandson. The little fellow is six now, and quite the glutton and troublemaker. When I'm idling and teasing him, he makes all sorts of requests — and they're strikingly similar to the Supreme Ancestor's decrees. This old one dares to guess: could the Supreme Ancestor be, just like me… coaxing a child?"
The moment those words left his mouth, every Elder's heart stirred, and several nodded in agreement.
Truth be told, over these past days the Supreme Ancestor had issued quite a few decrees, and from them everyone had managed to piece together certain things — but none had dared ask, none had dared confirm, until this Elder spoke boldly.
Shangguan Ji raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Coaxing a child? That's certainly possible. If that's the case, then the Supreme Ancestor has an heir? What wonderful news!"
The Elder said, "Wonderful news indeed. But if the Supreme Ancestor truly is looking after a child, then we could take the initiative to help. A child's temperament is the hardest thing to read — but so long as you coax them into a good mood, they'll naturally be well-behaved and obedient."
"What do you have in mind?" Shangguan Ji asked.
The Elder stroked his beard. "As for food, we've already prepared plenty for the Supreme Ancestor. The direction we should turn to now is entertainment. To be honest, my grandson is particularly fond of one thing — he grabs it and plays with it to his heart's content. If we could send something similar to the Supreme Ancestor, it might resolve the predicament."
"Oh?" Shangguan Ji perked up with interest. "What is it?"
The Elder smiled, stroked his beard, and named an item.
Shangguan Ji gave a slight nod. "Ah, that thing. In that case, have one made as quickly as possible and delivered to the Supreme Ancestor."
The Elder accepted the task with pleasure.
No more than the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, Yang Kai reached out and grabbed something from the void, then held it up to the Old Ancestor on his head. "Here, this is for you to play with!"
The Old Ancestor glanced down at it, then slapped Yang Kai on the head, fuming. "You really do think I'm a child, don't you?"
Yang Kai flinched, tucking his neck in.
But the Old Ancestor took the object from his hand, gave a light hmph, and began shaking it contentedly.
A rattle drum — dong-dong, dong-dong…
Ever since the rattle drum had been presented that day, the frequency of the Supreme Ancestor's decrees had dropped dramatically. Though the Supreme Ancestor still occasionally requested food preparation, it was far less frequent than before. And after the initial period of chaos, the Seven Star Market could now carry out the Supreme Ancestor's orders swiftly and efficiently.
The Supreme Ancestor was clearly quite pleased with their performance and bestowed upon them additional supplies along with a wealth of insights on condensing Dao Imprints. The Seven Star Market's leadership was naturally filled with gratitude.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
Nonstop travel had brought Yang Kai close to the Yin-Yang Pass. Along the way, he hadn't encountered too many Ink Clan, and overall the journey had gone smoothly enough.
Today, Yang Kai could already see the majestic Yin-Yang Pass standing tall in the void — but just as he had anticipated, the Pass was surrounded on all sides by the Ink Clan army.
It had been roughly half a year since the Ink Clan forces first engaged the defenders of the Yin-Yang Pass. In that time, the two sides had surely clashed numerous times. By the time Yang Kai arrived, they were locked in a standoff, with no major battles breaking out.
This was only to be expected.
Every time the Ink Clan army besieged a human Pass, it was an exceedingly lengthy process. At the shortest, it lasted ten or twenty years; at the longest, decades or even centuries. Throughout this period, the Ink Clan would continuously replenish their ranks, only withdrawing when their losses became unsustainable.
It was only after the Ink Clan army retreated that humanity could seize the precious opportunity to recuperate.
The Yin-Yang Pass was close at hand now. If Yang Kai had been alone, he could have simply activated the Universe Art and returned to the Pass. Every human Pass housed an Ink-Expelling Vessel, and within each vessel was a Universe Grand Formation he had personally arranged — naturally bearing his imprint.
But he had the Old Ancestor with him now, and that made activating the Universe Art impossible.
The Old Ancestor had lost all of his cultivation. Should they encounter any danger, he would have no power to fight back. To return safely to the Pass, Yang Kai would need to plan carefully.