"Observe the myriad facets of mortal life, witness all the splendor of the world..." Yang Kai suddenly recalled the words inscribed on the two stone steles at the entrance to the Market.
The Ancestor gave a slight nod. "Being tempered by the rolling currents of mortal life can accelerate my recovery. That is precisely why Yin-Yang Pass has a place like the Market."
Yang Kai suddenly understood.
The Ancestor's method of healing actually bore some resemblance to Duan Hongchen's cultivation. Duan Hongchen held the title of Mortal Dust, and his entire cultivation path was about undergoing the tempering of the mortal world.
Yang Kai couldn't quite fathom the deeper mysteries behind it, since he had never practiced a similar technique, but if the Ancestor said so, it had to be correct.
He suddenly realized why the Ancestor had summoned him at this particular time.
"Does the Ancestor need this disciple's help to recover?"
The Ancestor nodded. "I've heard that within your Small Universe you keep a great many living beings—it constitutes an entire complete world. If it could aid my recovery, that would be ideal. There's no need to wait until I've fully healed. I only need enough time to recover enough strength for a single strike."
Tang Qiu chimed in at this point. "The Ink Clan's siege of the Pass this time, while lacking in significant reinforcements on their end, will likely still take three to five years to fully break."
Compared to previous Ink Clan sieges, which had always required over a decade—or even decades to centuries—to repel, three to five years was already remarkably short. That was largely thanks to Yang Kai. Without him wreaking havoc behind enemy lines, destroying Ink Nests and throwing the entire Twilight King's domain into chaos, the Ink Clan's forces wouldn't be stretched so thin.
"Three to five years isn't long, but if the siege drags on, Yin-Yang Pass will inevitably suffer casualties. If the Ancestor can regain the power to strike, the war could be ended in a single decisive blow."
Yang Kai cupped his fists. "Wherever the Ancestor requires this disciple, I will not hesitate."
"Well then, I'm counting on you." Tang Qiu patted Yang Kai's shoulder with a gratified smile.
Having the Ancestor undergo the tempering of mortal life within his Small Universe was actually quite simple. Yang Kai merely needed to deploy and unfold his Small Universe, then allow the Ancestor to enter and live within it.
After all, the Ancestor was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven master. Yang Kai had no way of pulling her into his Small Universe directly—he could only proceed this way.
However, doing so meant Yang Kai would be unable to continue fighting on the front lines. He would have to remain stationed in one place. Until the Ancestor recovered enough strength for a single strike, he would not be able to move freely.
Fortunately, Tang Qiu had already explained that since the decision had been made for the Ancestor to personally strike down the Ink Clan army, Yin-Yang Pass would adopt a purely defensive posture from here on out. No matter how the Ink Clan provoked them, it would be ignored. The humans would rely solely on the defensive formations and Artifacts outside Yin-Yang Pass to kill the enemy, and no one would be sent into the battlefield.
Before long, Yang Kai deployed his Small Universe within the Market and let the Ancestor enter. Not only that, he chose the most prosperous city within it for her.
With the Ancestor tempering herself in mortal life inside his Small Universe, Yang Kai was not idle either. Although he could no longer move freely after deploying his Small Universe, normal cultivation was unaffected. He took out a set of Seventh-Order resources and began refining them in silence.
In the Void World, Miao Feiping of the Seven Star Workshop had long since grown from the scrawny youth he once was into an Emperor Realm cultivator, and he now held the position of Elder at the Seven Star Workshop.
His aptitude was exceptional. Last time, he had even assisted the Supreme Elder in slaying a powerful foe, earning the Supreme Elder's particular recognition.
After that event, the Supreme Elder had bestowed upon him a great deal of resources and even passed down the technique for condensing Dao Marks. Several of the Seven Star Workshop's Emperor Realm cultivators had already begun condensing Dao Marks, and it was said that reaching the Open Heaven realm in the future was within reach.
Miao Feiping was no exception. What martial artist did not yearn for greater heights of the martial path? And among all the Emperor Realm cultivators who had begun condensing Dao Marks, Miao Feiping's progress was the fastest.
He had originally believed that given his aptitude, he could condense at most Fifth-Order resources. That was also the suggestion the Supreme Elder had given when bestowing the materials upon him.
The Supreme Elder's words—he naturally would not dare disregard them.
Yet when he actually began condensing his Dao Mark, he made a bold attempt: he tried condensing Sixth-Order resources.
To his astonishment, it succeeded. Moreover, he felt no significant discomfort or strain. In other words, he was fully capable of condensing a Sixth-Order Dao Mark and attempting to advance to Sixth-Order Open Heaven. This left him both thrilled and puzzled. The Supreme Elder had said that while his aptitude was decent, he would ultimately only reach Fifth-Order. The Supreme Elder's words had never been wrong—so why had he succeeded in condensing Sixth-Order?
He desperately wanted to seek out the Supreme Elder for an explanation, but he had no way of establishing contact. In the end, he could only let it go. The condensation of his Dao Mark continued, and he persisted with Sixth-Order resources. He wanted to achieve a higher starting point and greater accomplishments.
He knew that the two companions who had entered the workshop alongside him all those years ago, with the Supreme Elder's personal guidance, would likely achieve no small feats in the future. He refused to fall too far behind them and could rely only on his own effort.
Looking back on the days when he had first joined the Seven Star Workshop, every detail was vivid in his memory. In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed. Where was that girl whose talent defied heaven and whose bearing was as cold as the moon? And where was that boy whose aptitude was so poor he could barely cultivate? Even the one named Xu Yi, who had suddenly appeared in the workshop later on, had vanished without a trace one day.
All three of them had been the Supreme Elder's Personal Disciples. They were most likely cultivating by the Supreme Elder's side now.
On this day, as Miao Feiping sat in meditation, a voice suddenly echoed within his mind.
Miao Feiping was both startled and overjoyed. He quickly opened his eyes and bowed respectfully. "Supreme Elder."