This Junior Brother Hong hailed from some other Pass, but clearly not the local one. After meeting with Xiang Shan, the two exchanged a brief divine-sense communication.
Taking the opportunity, Yang Kai surveyed his surroundings and realized that a considerable number of cultivators had already gathered in this plaza, mostly clustering in groups of several hundred, each occupying a section of the square.
The numbers varied—some groups had two or three hundred, others three or four hundred. A group of five hundred like Biluo Pass's contingent was entirely unique.
These gathered cultivators had presumably been transferred from various Passes. It seemed his earlier speculation about personnel transfers had been correct. Because of its unique circumstances, Biluo Pass could send five hundred, while other Passes could only contribute smaller numbers.
Compared to the thirty or forty thousand troops garrisoned at any single Pass, a transfer of several hundred barely made a dent.
However, with so many gathered in one place, the total was quite impressive.
Yang Kai estimated that around six or seven thousand cultivators had already assembled in the plaza, and that was with the full complement not yet arrived. Once everyone had gathered, the number would be even higher—at minimum, it would surpass ten thousand.
At each cluster of cultivators, there were at least several Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivators, with the exact number varying but generally five or more.
It appeared that every Pass had made the same choice as Biluo Pass, using the Eighth-Order cultivators' Small Universes to deliver their troops to this location.
Yang Kai inwardly clicked his tongue in amazement. Setting aside the six or seven thousand troops in the plaza, there were easily over a hundred Eighth-Order cultivators alone.
The Ink Clan currently besieging this Pass was not only in for trouble—they were in for a world of trouble.
Just as Yang Kai was about to ask Chai Fang which Pass this was, a voice suddenly reached his ears: "Kid, over here!"
Yang Kai turned toward the voice and spotted a cluster of cultivators nearby, where someone was waving at him.
It was Xu Linggong!
Yang Kai was surprised—he hadn't expected him to be here as well. Xu Linggong was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator, so his presence here likely meant he was also part of the force heading to retake Dayan Pass.
Running into Xu Linggong here filled Yang Kai with genuine pleasure. Regardless of anything else, this man was his elder, even if their cultivation levels were now the same.
Walking over to Ding Yao, Yang Kai said, "Martial Uncle, I see someone I know over there. I'd like to go say hello."
Ding Yao turned to glance toward the Yin-Yang Pass cultivators' gathering area and gave a slight nod. "You're free to move about for now, but don't leave the plaza."
"Understood!" Yang Kai responded, then turned to exchange a few parting words with Chen Xi and the others before heading toward Xu Linggong.
Upon arriving, Yang Kai bowed respectfully. "Senior Xu!"
He then bowed to Tang Qiu and the rest. "Greetings, Seniors."
Yin-Yang Pass hadn't just sent Xu Linggong—they had also sent Tang Qiu and several others. Among these Eighth-Order cultivators, Yang Kai recognized a few, though there were others he didn't know.
Behind Xu Linggong, Qing Kui and Su Yingxue also offered Yang Kai a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Xu Linggong slapped a hearty palm on Yang Kai's shoulder and burst out laughing. "Who would've thought we'd get the chance to fight side by side! Having you around is great—you love stirring things up, and I thrive on excitement."
Yang Kai couldn't help but laugh awkwardly, unsure whether that counted as a compliment. He replied casually, "Senior Xu flatters me. Seeing you and everyone here safe and well puts my mind at ease."
Xu Linggong nodded with satisfaction. "At least you've got some filial feeling."
Yang Kai then asked, "Quite a few people came from Yin-Yang Pass this time. Is there no fighting going on back there?"
He had noticed earlier that Yin-Yang Pass's contingent was roughly the same size as Biluo Pass's—approximately five hundred strong, with ten Eighth-Order cultivators. Not only had Tang Qiu, the East Army Corps Commander, come in person, but even Liu Zhiping, the West Army Corps Commander of Yin-Yang Pass, was among them.
Yang Kai had very vivid memories of this West Army Corps Commander—for no particular reason other than the fact that her meat buns were delicious. Back in the day, when he'd been roughing it in the streets with Yin-Yang Pass's ancestor, he'd made frequent visits to her Lin Family Bun Shop.
The personal attendance of both Corps Commanders clearly indicated that Yin-Yang Pass's front was stable—otherwise they couldn't afford to be absent.
After all, even Biluo Pass, which had also dispatched ten Eighth-Order cultivators, had only sent Ding Yao, its East Army Corps Commander.
When Yang Kai raised the matter, Tang Qiu chuckled and replied, "Thanks to you, really. The battle against the Ink Clan over a century ago dealt them a devastating blow to their Yuan Qi. Back at Yin-Yang Pass, we should enjoy at least several hundred to a thousand years of peace."