Miao Feiping had only been released from the Void World to come to the Ink Battlefield because his aptitude was sufficient to advance to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Although there were quite a few Emperor Realm cultivators in the Void World now, as far as he knew, he was the only one who had condensed Sixth-Order resources. There were a handful who had condensed Fifth-Order resources, but none of them had clearly met Yang Kai's requirements.
So they would probably never be able to leave the Void World.
Only the Disciples recruited by the Void Dao Academy might one day have the chance to leave and advance into the Open Heaven Realm, since each of them possessed outstanding aptitude and their advancement grade would certainly not be low. Most of them should be able to satisfy the Supreme Elder's requirements.
Having just entered the Open Heaven Realm and experienced a massive boost in strength, only to suddenly arrive in an unfamiliar place like the Ink Battlefield, Miao Feiping had a great deal to learn. However, the most pressing matter was naturally to stabilize his cultivation.
After parting ways with Yang Kai, he returned to his quarters and set about refining his resources.
The Ink Clan had been rather restless lately. By his calculation, it had been roughly a hundred years since the last major battle between the two races in the Biluo Theater. After such a long period, the Ink Clan had recovered their strength and were now stirring restlessly, clearly eager to ignite another great war.
The Ink Clan didn't fear attrition, but the lives of human soldiers were infinitely precious. So for countless years, whenever the Ink Clan had the strength to fight, they would send their armies to besiege human fortresses. Yet over all that time, they had seldom truly succeeded in breaching them.
Although the human forces were fewer in number, every soldier was an elite. Relying on the advantages of their warships and the strategic positioning of their fortresses, they were able to repel the Ink Clan time and again.
Attack and defense, cycle after countless cycle, as the years flowed on.
Now another great war was imminent, and Biluo Pass was marshaling its forces. The number of Open Heaven Realm cultivators active within the pass had noticeably increased—those who had been in long-term seclusion had all begun making their pre-war preparations.
But when the Ink Clan army would attack, and from which direction, Biluo Pass had absolutely no clue. It was basically like this every time.
The initiative in war mostly rested in the hands of the Ink Clan, with humans forced into a purely defensive posture.
There were occasional times when humans took the offensive—such as last time, when the soldiers of Biluo Pass, led by the Ancestor, had invaded deep into Ink Clan territory. That had triggered the Ink Clan's counterattack and sparked the great battle. Had it not been for that battle, Yang Kai wouldn't have had such an easy time shaking off the Ink Clan and making his way to Biluo Pass.
There was also the most recent major battle at Yin-Yang Pass, which had likewise been a proactive strike, though that one had been mounted to coordinate with Yang Kai's operation.
For the most part, humanity's situation was quite passive.
Despite this passivity, Biluo Pass was doing everything it could to seize any advantage—at the very least, they needed to figure out the timing and direction of the Ink Clan army's advance.
Squad after squad was dispatched to serve as scouts, ranging across the area that Biluo Pass could project its influence, gathering intelligence on the Ink Clan army's movements and other crucial information.
In the past, Biluo Pass had conducted similar operations, but without the Universe Formation to serve as a safety net, the scouting squads' operational range had been extremely limited. By the time they discovered something, the Ink Clan army was often only a day or two's march from Biluo Pass.
If they were slow to retreat, they could very well be wiped out entirely.
But now, with the Universe Formation in place, things were different. Scouts could operate over a much wider area, and their safety was far better assured.
The range within which the Universe Formation could function became the scouts' operational area. This way, they could anticipate the enemy's movements and prepare well in advance.
Dawn, as a special operations team with numerous members and no shortage of elites, was naturally the most suited for such a mission.
One year after Miao Feiping's advancement into the Open Heaven Realm, he was summoned by Yang Kai during his cultivation and reported for duty.
All thirty-plus members of Dawn had gathered. There were no fewer than six Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivators among them, and among those, Yang Kai, Feng Ying, and Bai Yi were all standout performers even within the Seventh Order.
Such a lineup, when measured against the entire Ink Battlefield, was truly unique—downright luxurious.
Under the collective gaze, Yang Kai announced in a clear voice: "It's been roughly a hundred years since the last great battle. The Ink Clan is making their comeback. By order of the Corps Commander, Dawn will temporarily serve as scouts, gathering intelligence on the Ink Clan's movements. You are not to engage the Ink Clan army on this mission—your sole responsibility is to collect intelligence. However, the battlefield is a treacherous and unpredictable place, so I urge all of you not to let your guard down. However many of us go out, that same number must come back!"
The group responded with a thunderous affirmation.
With spirits high, Yang Kai nodded slightly and gave Feng Ying a meaningful glance. Feng Ying stepped forward and distributed a jade bottle to each team member.
As she handed them out, Yang Kai explained: "What I'm giving you are Anti-Ink Pills, developed by the pass a few years back. I don't think I need to elaborate on what they can do—everyone here already knows. If you're accidentally tainted by Ink Force, take one immediately, and you'll be perfectly fine. Of course, you can also activate the Universe Art to return to the Daybreak warship, where the Purification Light can dispel the Ink Force just the same. But unexpected things happen in war. In the unlikely event that you can't activate the Universe Art in time and get tainted by Ink Force, these Anti-Ink Pills could save your life. The pills aren't particularly difficult to refine, but there aren't many Alchemists in the pass who can make them, so I can't give you more than two each. Cherish them."
While Yang Kai spoke, the team members were examining the jade bottles in their hands.
They had all heard of the Anti-Ink Pills. When the pills had first been developed, they had caused quite a stir in Biluo Pass.