The situation was different now. The Great Evolution Ink Clan's Yuan Qi had been severely depleted, and even the Royal Lord had been gravely wounded. On top of that, the Laughing Ancestor still dropped by every so often to "check on him," leaving him no chance to recover.
Under these circumstances, a Domain Lord-level Ink Nest falling into human hands would be of tremendous use.
The entire Ink Nest had been relocated here after Great Evolution Pass was recaptured. Formation masters had set up arrays to seal it off from the outside, preventing the Ink Force from leaking out — after all, if the Ink Force spread, it would cause no small amount of trouble for the humans.
As a result, the current state of the floating continent was plain to see. The massive Ink Nest sat at its center, isolated by formations, with not a trace of Ink Force beyond the perimeter. Human warriors could move about freely.
The one currently stationed here was Ouyang Lie, Corps Commander of the Great Evolution Southern Army.
Though there was little concern that the Ink Clan would come to seize the Ink Nest back, it never hurt to be cautious. A powerful warrior was needed to stand guard, and the Corps Commander was the ideal choice.
The reason it was Ouyang Lie specifically was that he had volunteered. He was recovering from his injuries anyway, and it made no difference whether he stayed inside Great Evolution Pass or out here — the distance between the two was barely half a day's journey.
The Southern Army's provisional military headquarters had been set up here. Yang Kai arrived, was announced, and stepped inside, only to find a slightly pale-faced Ouyang Lie scolding his disciple.
"You lazy good-for-nothing! I sent you to Great Evolution Pass to fetch some wine and you dawdled the whole way. I really don't know what those two legs of yours are for."
Gong Lian stood before Ouyang Lie with drooped eyes and bowed head, completely unmoved even as spit flew his way — clearly, he was long accustomed to this routine.
Once Ouyang Lie had finished his tirade, Gong Lian drawled lazily, "Master, Uncle-Mi said you're injured and shouldn't drink too much. He told me to keep an eye on you and that proper rest is the right path."
Ouyang Lie's eyes went wide, his nostrils practically pointed at the sky, and he blustered, "Uncle-Mi this, Uncle-Mi that — am I your master or is Big-Head Mi your master?"
He poked a finger at Gong Lian's forehead. "I've been telling you since you were small to listen to your master, and what do you do? You ignore everything I say and follow every word out of Big-Head Mi's mouth. Tomorrow I'm kicking you out of my lineage — go find Big-Head Mi and take him as your teacher!"
Poor Gong Lian, a full Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator, getting dressed down like a child. The sight made Yang Kai's eyelid twitch.
And besides — what kind of name was Big-Head Mi? Mi Jinglun's head wasn't even particularly large!
A master lecturing his disciple — the scene was a bit too intense. Yang Kai figured he should make himself scarce, but just as he was about to slip away, Ouyang Lie suddenly turned his head, as if only just noticing him. "Young Yang, you're here!"
Yang Kai had no choice but to clasp his fists and greet him: "Greetings, Lord Ouyang!"
Then he turned to Gong Lian: "Senior Brother Gong!"
Gong Lian returned the courtesy.
Ouyang Lie walked over with a grin and slung an arm around Yang Kai's shoulders, suddenly the warmest of friends. "Perfect timing! Word came from inside the Pass — they want you to set up a teleportation formation. All the materials are ready here. Take a look and figure out where it'd be best to place it."
Yang Kai had come to this floating continent partly for selfish reasons related to the Ink Nest, and partly on official business. Xiang Shan had asked him to set up a spatial formation here to facilitate travel between the Pass and this location, and naturally Ouyang Lie had been informed in advance.
"Anywhere works, Lord Ouyang. Wherever you think is suitable, I'll set it up there," Yang Kai replied with an accommodating smile.
Ouyang Lie sighed wistfully. "If only my disciple were half as obedient as you. He spends all day giving people headaches — tell me, isn't that infuriating?"
What could Yang Kai say to that? He let it pass right through his ears.
Ouyang Lie suddenly lowered his voice. "Got any wine?"
Before Yang Kai could answer, a sharp look shot his way. "Don't even think about saying you don't. I know you keep living beings in your Small World — you've got everything in there."
That look carried killing intent, as though if Yang Kai uttered half a syllable of refusal, what followed would be murder without burial.
Yang Kai sighed and tried to reason with him. "Lord Ouyang, your injuries haven't healed yet. It really would be better not to drink."
Ouyang Lie curled his lip. "Don't start lecturing me like Big-Head Mi! I endured a hundred and fifty years of war against the Ink Clan. We've finally won, and you're telling me I can't have a drink to celebrate? What kind of logic is that? Stop blathering and bring out the wine!"
As he spoke, his arm around Yang Kai's shoulders tightened, and Yang Kai felt several of his joints shift out of place…
Before long, Yang Kai was hard at work on an open patch of ground, setting up the spatial formation.
Beside him, Ouyang Lie sat in the midst of a small mountain of wine jars, drinking to his heart's content. Every time he finished a jar, he let out a satisfied shout of pleasure, his mood thoroughly buoyant.
Not far away, Gong Lian stared at Yang Kai with a look of quiet resentment, making Yang Kai too self-conscious to meet his gaze.
Setting up a spatial formation was child's play for Yang Kai. With all the materials at hand, he had it completed in under half an hour.
Great Evolution Pass already had a corresponding formation on the other end. Yang Kai personally stepped into the array and tested the teleportation, confirmed everything was in order, and declared it ready for use.
By now, Ouyang Lie had drunk himself into a stupor. He lay sprawled on the ground, one hand lightly tapping his knee as he sang loudly without pause.
And truth be told, despite Ouyang Lie's rough and rugged appearance, his singing voice was quite fine. Yang Kai had no idea what song he was performing, but the melody carried an unmistakable spirit of bold grandeur.