It was worth noting that in past eras, when a protracted Ink Clan siege campaign lasting over a hundred years finally drew to a close, perhaps not a single Eighth-Order of the Human Race would have fallen, and the number of soldiers below the Eighth-Order who perished would rarely exceed a thousand.
This was because the Human Race had mighty fortresses at their backs—able to retreat behind the gates at any time to regroup and recuperate, thereby avoiding catastrophic casualties.
Moreover, the total number of human soldiers stationed at any given gate was only around thirty to forty thousand. If too many perished in a single campaign, the Blessed Realms of the Three Thousand Worlds simply could not replenish them in time.
Even with the vast resources of the major Blessed Realms, cultivators of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above were not the sort who could be mass-produced on a whim.
If this pattern persisted, their ranks would inevitably dwindle, and the gates would fall.
By relying on the various fortresses and Palace Artifacts, human soldiers could effectively slay their enemies while protecting themselves well in those battles—large and small—against the Ink Clan.
The campaign to retake Dayan was different.
Palace Artifacts could still be relied upon, but the protection of a fortress was nowhere to be found. Just like the recent great battle—once the fighting began, the Northern and Southern Armies had no choice but to completely crush the Ink Clan forces. With that being the case, the heavier casualties were entirely understandable.
In a single battle, three thousand out of an army of thirty thousand had fallen—a casualty rate of nearly ten percent, which was genuinely heartbreaking.
Not to mention the fall of four Eighth-Order Garrison Commanders.
"I heard a martial uncle mention in passing that, relatively speaking, the Eighth-Order Ink Disciples pose a far greater threat to Garrison Commanders than the Ink Clan Domain Lords." Ma Gao's face was tinged with melancholy. "This isn't merely because the Ink Disciples were once human and know our kind better—it's also because they've been corroded by the Power of Ink, and no matter how high their cultivation, Ink is the only thing they revere. When the Domain Lords clash with the Garrison Commanders and find themselves outmatched, they flee in a panic. But the Ink Disciples are different. Under the Domain Lords' orders, they completely disregard their own lives, and even at the cost of being gravely wounded or killed, they drag the Garrison Commanders down with them. Not a single one of the four Commanders who fell died at the hands of a Domain Lord—they all perished because of the Ink Disciples' madness!"
Yang Kai's heart grew heavy.
An Eighth-Order Ink Disciple, though their strength could not match a true Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, became an exceedingly dangerous existence when they cared nothing for their own lives.
This was likely the reason why so many Ink Disciples had perished in the recent battle—under the Domain Lords' orders, they had traded their lives to buy the Ink Clan Domain Lords time to escape.
One could imagine that while only four Eighth-Order Garrison Commanders had fallen, the number of wounded was surely greater.
"Those Eighth-Order Ink Disciples were all humans to begin with, yet now they aid in atrocities! Absolutely despicable!" Ma Gao clenched his fist in fury as he spoke, as if an invisible enemy stood before him.
Fortunately, when the Dayan Army had been assembled, thorough preparations had been made. Though the Northern and Southern Armies numbered only thirty thousand, they boasted a full sixty Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivators.
It was precisely thanks to these sixty Eighth-Order cultivators that the Northern and Southern Armies had gained an overwhelming advantage on the higher-level battlefield—the Ink Clan, counting both their Domain Lords and Eighth-Order Ink Disciples, had only forty to fifty in total.
In terms of high-level combat strength, the Human Race held an absolute advantage.
If not for the Ink Disciples' madness during the final pursuit—throwing themselves bodily to shield the Domain Lords, making the Garrison Commanders on the northern and southern side hesitate—virtually every Ink Clan Domain Lord would have been slain in that battle.
The Northern and Southern Armies had pursued the Ink Clan forces through the void for nearly four days, and just as they were on the verge of pushing their advantage to the limit, the Ink Clan reinforcements from Dayan Gate arrived.
From the very beginning of their retreat, the Ink Clan had already dispatched messengers racing toward Dayan to request reinforcements. When the Ink Clan forces at Dayan learned that the Human Race had appeared mid-route to launch an ambush, they were deeply alarmed.
Reasoning that the human army must be fatigued from prolonged battle, the Dayan Ink Clan decisively mobilized their forces.
In the void less than a day's journey from Dayan Gate, the Dayan reinforcements merged with the fleeing Ink Clan forces. After engaging them for a time, the Northern and Southern Armies realized that a total annihilation of the enemy was no longer possible and were forced to withdraw and recuperate.
The Northern and Southern Armies now camped at a position less than half a day's journey from Dayan, making no effort to conceal themselves. They lay brazenly across the front of Dayan Gate, projecting an unmistakable message—set one foot out and we'll strike.
The Ink Clan had suffered considerable losses this time—nearly thirty Domain Lords and Eighth-Order Ink Disciples combined had perished. Startled and shaken, they did not dare to provoke a confrontation for the time being.
Thus, the two sides maintained a fragile peace, though everyone knew it was merely a veneer. Perhaps some sudden opportunity or turning point before long would shatter this calm.
This was precisely the situation the Northern and Southern Armies wanted.
The previous battle had been the most perilous any of the soldiers had ever experienced, and the army had suffered significant casualties. They desperately needed time to recover, and the Ink Clan's lack of movement suited them perfectly.
After his conversation with Ma Gao, Yang Kai had gained a clear understanding of the situation before them.
Ma Gao had other pressing matters to attend to and soon took his leave.
Yang Kai watched him go, then continued toward the council hall.
Upon reaching the exterior of the great hall, he had himself announced. After a brief wait, the Army Commander granted him an audience.
Inside the hall, he found Mi Jinglun and Ouyang Lie deep in discussion. The two quickly reached a decision, and Ouyang Lie hurried off.
Only then did Mi Jinglun turn his attention to Yang Kai. Looking up, he asked, "Why not take more time to recover? Your injuries haven't fully healed yet, have they?"
Yang Kai clasped his fists. "It's nothing serious. This Disciple has come to take his leave. The Old Ancestor and the Ink King should have crossed paths by now—the Old Ancestor may need my help."
Mi Jinglun nodded. "That stands to reason. If so, set out immediately."
"Are there any messages you'd have me deliver, Commander?" Yang Kai asked.