"Enough chatter!" Ding Yao glared at him irritably, then thought for a moment and said, "This time we're picking up newcomers who've just arrived at the Ink Battlefield. They may include Eighth Ranks, but they're unfamiliar with combat and don't know their way around the Ink Battlefield — that's why we need to go receive them."
"Newcomers?" Yang Kai's interest was piqued. "From the Three Thousand Worlds?"
Ding Yao nodded. "That's right." Then he added meaningfully, "There might even be someone you know among them. Want to go?"
"Go? Of course." Yang Kai agreed without hesitation. He had originally thought it was just a simple escort job, which was why he hadn't seen the point. But since these were newcomers just arriving at the Ink Battlefield, naturally he should meet them.
Just as Ding Yao had said, there might well be someone he knew. It had been over a hundred years since he had come to the Ink Battlefield, and he was eager to learn whether anything had changed in the Star Realm and Void Terrain after his departure. Even if none of the newcomers were people he knew, gathering intelligence about the Three Thousand Worlds from them would be easy enough.
He also understood that a matter like this didn't warrant an Eighth Rank cultivator. Eighth Rank Open Heavens were few in number to begin with, each with their own assignments — they couldn't be redeployed lightly. Having a Seventh Rank handle the welcoming duty was ideal.
Among Seventh Ranks, his strength was well known to all. Moreover, he was the one who had established the Grand Cosmos Arrays at every outpost, so having him guide them personally would be far more convenient. That was likely the real reason Ding Yao had sought him out.
"In that case, let's set out. By my estimate, those newcomers should be arriving within the next few days. Go quickly and return quickly." Ding Yao waved his hand.
Yang Kai acknowledged and turned to leave.
First, he returned to where Dawn was stationed and informed Feng Ying of his assignment, telling her to wait until he returned before going out on hunting expeditions. Feng Ying readily agreed.
There was nothing else to prepare. Yang Kai immediately activated the Cosmos Technique, connecting his mind to the Grand Cosmos Array at Azure Heaven Pass. The array beneath his feet blazed with light, and he vanished.
An ordinary Seventh Rank cultivator couldn't teleport directly from the Outpost Camp back to Azure Heaven Pass — the distance was simply too great, and the suppression of the vast void would be enough to kill a Seventh Rank Open Heaven the instant they arrived. The two Grand Cosmos Arrays positioned in between served as relay points.
But he was not concerned. His mastery of the spatial laws allowed him to minimize those risks to the greatest extent.
The void shifted around him. When Yang Kai reappeared, he was already inside Azure Heaven Pass. He first went to the Western Army Command to meet Zhong Liang.
"My lord, Lord Ding sent me back to welcome the newcomers. Have they arrived?"
Zhong Liang shook his head. "Not yet. But word has already come through — they should be here within the next few days. You know how it is; getting people over from the Three Thousand Worlds is no easy feat. We'll just have to wait."
Yang Kai nodded. "Do we know anything about who's coming?"
"When people come from the Three Thousand Worlds, each Grotto-heaven and Blessed Land arranges its own. We only handle reception — exactly how many are coming, or which sects they're from, we have no idea. Everything is coordinated from No Return Pass."
Yang Kai clicked his tongue, a mix of anticipation and unease rising within him.
He didn't know whether the newcomers this time would include anyone from the Star Realm or Void Terrain. In theory, both the Star Realm and Void Terrain had no shortage of Open Heaven cultivators, so being drafted for the Ink Battlefield would be perfectly normal. But neither the Star Realm nor Void Terrain belonged to the Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands. According to longstanding convention, they had no standing to set foot on the Ink Battlefield.
Though he had been on the Ink Battlefield for over a hundred years, had operated in two theaters of war, and had twice ventured deep into Ink Clan territory, there were still many things he didn't fully understand — for instance, the procedures by which the Three Thousand Worlds sent reinforcements to the Ink Battlefield.
Since there was nothing else to do, he chatted with Zhong Liang.
Zhong Liang said, "Basically, every hundred years or so, the major Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands each send a batch of reinforcements to the Ink Battlefield. How many each one sends depends on their development over that century. As you know, in the fight against the Ink Clan, our human race may not suffer heavy casualties, but casualties do occur. Once or twice is fine, but if it goes on too long and the losses mount, how are we supposed to hold the passes? That's why reinforcements from the Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands are absolutely essential."
This was also why Yang Kai had once felt the Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands didn't live up to their reputation. The major Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands had ancient lineages, and Open Heaven cultivators enjoyed extraordinarily long lifespans. Even just accumulating slowly, each one should have been able to build up a truly massive Open Heaven population. Yet the reality was that the number of Open Heaven cultivators in the Three Thousand Worlds' Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands was far smaller than Yang Kai had imagined.
The reason was simple: they had been continuously sending their Open Heaven cultivators to the Ink Battlefield for generations.
"These reinforcements first gather at No Return Pass, where they're then dispatched to the various frontier passes. That way, the strength at each human pass can be properly maintained. The numbers dispatched depend on each pass's own losses and needs. Take this time, for example — our Azure Heaven Pass suffered considerable losses during the expedition, so the number of newcomers sent our way should be quite large. And because of the Outpost Camp, there will also be a good number of specialists. These were requirements Azure Heaven Pass previously submitted to the Three Thousand Worlds, so they'll likely all be provided."
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, then thought for a moment and asked, "The major Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands should still have plenty of Eighth Rank Open Heavens. Since the Three Thousand Worlds is stable, why not send a portion of those Eighth Ranks to the Ink Battlefield? That would give us an overwhelming advantage over the Ink Clan Domain Lords. With the resources of the Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands, that shouldn't be too difficult, right?"