When he parted ways with Miao Feiping, he said he was going fishing — and he meant it literally.
His task as a scout was complete. The positions and troop deployments of the Ink Clan's two-hundred-thousand-strong army had been thoroughly mapped out, and the intelligence was relayed back through Dawnbreak to Biluo Pass, where the defenders would have their own countermeasures ready.
His original plan had been to lure a few Ink Clan soldiers away from the main army and cut them down. Though the number he could kill single-handedly was negligible in the grand scheme of things, it would still be of some use.
But after getting a clear look at the Ink Clan army of over two hundred thousand, he began to form a far more ambitious plan.
If he repeatedly provoked them, there was a slim chance the entire army might be goaded into launching an early assault. If that happened, this force would inevitably fall out of sync with the other invasion columns — and that would work to Biluo Pass's advantage.
The chances were slim, of course. The Ink Clan weren't fools. After countless years of besieging human strongholds, they knew perfectly well that a single army column alone couldn't accomplish much. So they had been waiting, holding out until all the columns assembled and could advance in concert. Only then could they truly put pressure on Biluo Pass.
Still, it was worth trying.
If one attempt failed, he could try a few more. Even if it didn't achieve the desired result, he could take the opportunity to cut down some Ink Clan soldiers and ease the pressure on the battlefield later.
He commanded the Law of Space, and Biluo Pass lay directly behind him. He could fight or retreat at will. Even if a Domain Lord intervened, he could escape in an instant.
The first lure was an unqualified success. A subordinate force of several hundred, with only three or four Clan Lords commanding it, the rest comprising upper-ranking and lower-ranking Ink Clan warriors — with his current strength, they simply weren't enough to put up a fight.
The second batch he drew out was somewhat larger — several subordinate forces totaling close to two thousand. Still manageable, and it wouldn't matter if he couldn't kill them all.
Yet just as he was cutting through them left and right, he suddenly felt the prickling sensation of being watched from the shadows. His heart stiffened. He quietly split off a thread of his attention as a precaution. He didn't know where the observer was hiding, but anyone who could evade his detection was undoubtedly a Domain Lord.
They couldn't hold back any longer? Yang Kai was mildly surprised.
He wasn't afraid, though. If this Domain Lord was lurking in the dark, he probably intended to make a move — but as long as he attacked, there would be some tell. Yang Kai could still escape in time.
So despite his awareness, Yang Kai pretended to notice nothing and continued slaughtering the Ink Clan, ready to leave at the first sign of trouble.
What baffled him was that, shortly after, the sensation of being watched vanished entirely.
What was the point of that? If a Domain Lord had been deployed, why not strike at him and instead leave so quickly? Yang Kai didn't know what the Ink Clan was planning, but he couldn't be bothered to dig deeper. With the Domain Lord gone, he was even more uninhibited.
Nearly two thousand Ink Clan soldiers were trampled and cut down by his rampage. The rest fled in terror. Yang Kai took some injuries too — fighting alone made it impossible to guard every angle — but they were minor, and half a day of rest would see him fully recovered.
While Yang Kai was busy on his rampage, a ghostly figure drifted silently through the void beyond Dawnbreak's hidden perimeter. This was the Ink Clan Domain Lord who had volunteered to investigate the suspected human ambush.
Dawnbreak was hidden with exceptional skill. It had taken full advantage of the terrain and was further concealed by a formation array. The void was so vast that even an Ink Clan Domain Lord passing nearby might not detect anything without a thorough search.
The Domain Lord had probed his way along, encountering between eighty and a hundred shattered floating continents. He gave each only a cursory glance — how could he possibly discover anything?
As it happened, just as he was about to push deeper, several tower ships came streaking toward this region from the direction of Biluo Pass at tremendous speed.
The Domain Lord immediately halted and peered intently.
A moment later, his expression shifted. He whipped around and fled back the way he had come, only stopping once he had put a safe distance between himself and the newcomers.
From afar, the situation there wasn't entirely clear, but one thing was certain — the humans did indeed have an ambush set up here.
Cunning humans! The Domain Lord cursed inwardly. Though he had failed to learn the specifics of their troop deployment, he no longer dared approach carelessly, because from the lead tower ship he had sensed a familiar aura.
After clashing with Biluo Pass's Eighth Grade cultivators for so many years, every Domain Lord knew the full roster of human Eighth Graders and their respective strengths. So even from this great distance, the Domain Lord could identify the newcomer.
What a big fish! The Ink Clan Domain Lord's heart surged with delight. He raced back toward the army camp, eager to relay this intelligence.
At the same time, Bai Yi, Feng Ying, and the others had also noticed the commotion. They hurried into the air to look and were startled to see several tower ships bearing straight toward their position.
A short while later, the tower ships arrived at Dawnbreak's location, and a figure leapt down from the lead ship.
Feng Ying stepped forward and bowed. "Martial Uncle!"
Zhong Liang gave a slight nod and glanced around. "Where's the kid Yang?"
Feng Ying replied, "The captain is still out gathering intelligence. He hasn't returned yet."
Zhong Liang snorted. "I knew that brat wouldn't sit still. Intelligence gathering, my foot — he's clearly itching for trouble and stirring things up."
Feng Ying didn't know how to respond to that. She turned to look at the figures descending one by one from the tower ships, and her expression grew increasingly grave. "Martial Uncle, you all are...?"
How could she not be stunned? Every figure stepping off those tower ships was at least Seventh Grade. Besides Zhong Liang, the army commander, there were no fewer than a dozen Eighth Grade Garrison Commanders. Feng Ying served under the Western Army — she recognized every single one of them.
The Western Army's Eighth Graders — had they sortied in full force?