Over a hundred thousand Ink Clan had gathered on a single floating continent, presenting a truly spectacular sight from afar. On top of that, more Ink Clan continued streaming in from every direction—hundreds at a time, sometimes over a thousand.
These were clearly lords leading their respective armies to join the assembly.
This was undoubtedly one of the Ink Clan army's staging grounds, and judging by the scale before him, there had to be multiple forces here—the combined might of several Domain Lords at minimum.
In truth, despite the considerable distance, Yang Kai could faintly sense at least five powerful auras of the Domain Lord level within that army.
In other words, the army before him represented the combined forces of no fewer than five, perhaps even more, Domain Lords.
Of course, this was far from the entirety of the Ink Clan's forces, nor was this the only gathering point. This was merely one of many.
When had the Ink Clan ever besieged a Pass with fewer than several hundred thousand troops? Without such overwhelming numbers, humanity's battles wouldn't be so grueling and desperate each time.
As a scout, Yang Kai faithfully carried out his duties. The intelligence he gathered was soon committed to a jade slip and transmitted via the Spirit Transmission Pearl back to Dawn, which then relayed it to Biluo Pass. The Pass would receive this intelligence in real time.
Yang Kai remained in hiding, closely monitoring the movements of the hundred-thousand-strong Ink Clan army.
Since this was one staging ground, there wouldn't be a second one in the vicinity. Other gathering points had to be located in different directions from Biluo Pass, and other scout teams would be watching those.
As time passed, the army's numbers continued to swell, gradually approaching two hundred thousand. If a single Domain Lord could rally roughly twenty to thirty thousand troops, then nearly ten Domain Lords had likely gathered here.
This was consistent with historical patterns. Each time the Ink Clan besieged a Pass, they always divided their forces into at least four armies attacking from four directions simultaneously, forcing humanity into all-out defense. A single gap in any direction could mean total defeat.
Gradually, fewer and fewer Ink Clan arrived at the assembly. Presumably, most of those who were coming had already arrived. Yet this army showed no signs of marching out immediately, instead remaining stationed on the floating continent.
Yang Kai figured they were waiting for the other armies to mobilize together.
While two hundred thousand was no small number, an attack on a human Pass with forces alone would be a one-way trip to annihilation. The Ink Clan always had to concentrate their full strength and launch a four-pronged assault to keep humanity stretched to its limits.
Yang Kai transmitted his final piece of intelligence back to Dawn, then shot out from his hiding place and streaked directly toward the floating continent.
He had gathered enough intelligence. The Ink Clan army at this staging ground wouldn't grow much larger, and they would likely march on Biluo Pass before long. There was no further need to observe.
He made no effort to conceal himself. It didn't take long before the Ink Clan on the floating continent spotted the dazzling streak of light tearing across the void. The Ink Clan stationed along the continent's outer perimeter immediately erupted into commotion.
The more hot-blooded Ink Clan lords charged out, leading their armies and hurtling toward Yang Kai with murderous intent.
Yang Kai came to an abrupt halt, spun around, and fled in a panic, playing the part of a human cultivator who had stumbled upon the Ink Clan army and was desperately scrambling to escape.
The pursuing Ink Clan had no intention of letting him go. They clung to him like parasites, refusing to break off the chase, and soon followed Yang Kai far into the distance.
The numerous Ink Clan watching from the floating continent were largely indifferent, with a few openly sneering. In their eyes, this human cultivator who had rashly appeared here alone was as good as dead.
Yet what left them stunned was that after roughly half an hour, the seemingly lost human cultivator came streaking back toward them once more, his body transformed into a brilliant arc of light that split through the void.
Meanwhile, the group of several hundred Ink Clan who had given chase had vanished without a trace.
Those who witnessed this were utterly bewildered. How had the human returned unscathed? And where had their clansmen gone?
What was even more infuriating was the way the human flew back—sometimes charging straight ahead, sometimes weaving with agile, dancing movements. A thick, unmistakable air of provocation drifted across the void.
How could they tolerate this?
In an instant, several units of Ink Clan, each numbering in the hundreds and led by their respective lords, fanned out to encircle the human.
Just like before, the human retreated toward the rear, with several Ink Clan formations in hot pursuit, growing more distant by the moment.
At the center of the floating continent, a Domain Lord gazed with deep, calculating eyes in the direction Yang Kai had fled. "There's probably an ambush set up over there. Those fools are as good as dead."
The Domain Lords were no fools. Yang Kai had deliberately come close twice to lure and provoke them—his intentions were transparent. If the subordinate lords couldn't withstand the bait and gave chase, could the Domain Lords not see through Yang Kai's scheme?
Another Domain Lord snorted coldly. "The humans are getting bold. They wouldn't have acted like this before. What's given them the confidence to actually come out of the Pass and engage us head-on?"
A third Domain Lord spoke. "Whatever the reason, the humans have changed significantly over the past century. You've all heard the reports coming from the Dusk King's domain, haven't you?"