This was the awkward predicament the Dayi Human Race now faced.
They had the Ink Nest in their hands but couldn't make effective use of it, yet they couldn't bear to destroy it either.
The Ancestor herself could certainly handle those Domain Lords if she took action personally, but the moment those ambushing Domain Lords sensed her strength, they would immediately flee, leaving even her powerless to do anything.
They couldn't exactly have the Ancestor stationed inside the Ink Nest indefinitely—that simply wasn't viable.
Yang Kai hadn't expected the situation to be like this. He'd assumed that since the Human Race had secured the Ink Nest for so long, they must have already begun laying the groundwork for an intelligence network. But it seemed this matter still required careful planning.
Back then, he had indeed severely wounded the wills of many Ink Clan Lords within that bizarre space inside the Ink Nest. Relying on the Warm Divine Lotus's protection, he'd fought one against many and given those Lords a thorough beating. However, the enemies he'd faced back then had only been Lords.
Now, however, numerous Domain Lords of the Ink Clan had set up an ambush in that strange space—and it was premeditated. Whether in terms of the level of threat or the circumstances, it was nothing like before.
Yang Kai was confident that the strength of his spiritual soul was no inferior to any single Domain Lord's. In a one-on-one clash, the outcome would be far from certain. And with the Warm Divine Lotus's protection, he had nothing to fear from spiritual attacks.
But if there were too many Domain Lords, he had no good solution.
Unless he could leverage some powerful external means.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Yang Kai said: "I'll trouble Brother Gong with this. Let me go back and think of a way to resolve the situation here."
Gong Lian didn't discourage him, merely smiling: "Take your time, Brother Yang. There's no rush. Besides, the higher-ups are also working on this matter. It'll be resolved sooner or later."
Yang Lian nodded, bid farewell to Gong Lian, and without disturbing Ouyang Lie—who was busy drinking heartily—went straight through the newly established spatial formation and teleported back to Dayi Pass.
Back at Biluo Pass, the members of the Dawn Squad each had their own residences, scattered across various locations.
But here at Dayi Pass, when accommodations were being arranged, the leadership had considered that many squads had been broken up and reformed, and the members needed time to get acquainted with one another. As a result, the members of each squad were essentially housed together in one place or one area.
The residence assigned to Dawn was a massive courtyard estate located near the outer perimeter of Dayi Pass. The compound was quite substantial, containing several dozen rooms—more than enough for the squad members to distribute among themselves.
Returning to the courtyard estate, Yang Kai found it completely silent. Apart from Ning Qizhi, who was recuperating from his injuries, everyone else was nowhere to be found.
The whole of Dayi Pass was in a state of rebuilding from scratch. Nearly every soldier of the former Dayi was busy restoring the pass and making various arrangements throughout its various positions. In times like these, no one could afford to be idle.
Yang Kai first went to check on Ning Qizhi's injuries. Seeing that his condition had improved slightly, he felt somewhat relieved. Ning Qizhi's injuries were to his Small World—the most troublesome kind of wound for an Open Heaven Realm cultivator, and one that recovered extremely slowly.
But since there was improvement, it meant there was no longer any serious danger.
This put Yang Kai's mind at ease. The bloody battle at the Ink Clan's Royal City had claimed the life of Qi Taichu, which pained him deeply. He couldn't afford to lose anyone else.
After instructing Ning Qizhi to rest well, Yang Kai hurried off without pause to find the Ancestor.
The matter of the Ink Nest still required the Ancestor's help. After all, what they needed to deal with was a group of Domain Lords lying in ambush. Since the Ancestor couldn't handle it personally, his only option was to borrow her strength.
Having spent so many years with Ancestor Xiaoxiao, the two of them were thoroughly familiar with each other. When he arrived at the Ancestor's quarters, there was no need to announce himself—he went straight in.
In a stone pavilion within a small garden, the Ancestor was happily gnawing on a stick of candied hawthorn, sugar crumbs all over her mouth.
Yang Kai sat down directly in the chair before her, casually poured himself a cup of water, drained it, and let out a heavy sigh, looking thoroughly weighed down by his thoughts.
The Ancestor didn't so much as glance at him.
She finished one stick of candied hawthorn, took out another, and continued eating.
If one were to ask what occupied the most space in Ancestor Xiaoxiao's spatial ring, the answer would unquestionably be all manner of miscellaneous snacks. During the years when Yang Kai had been recovering from his injuries within her Small World, he had taken her through bustling city after bustling city, buying and stockpiling an untold quantity of treats.
"Something on your mind?" After finishing another stick, the Ancestor finally asked offhandedly.
"Nothing at all!" Yang Kai chuckled. "Just came to pay my respects and see how you're doing."
"Mm." The Ancestor gave a perfunctory response and promptly ignored him again.
Yang Kai contemplated how to bring up the matter with the Ancestor without seeming too abrupt. The main reason for his visit was that he wanted to borrow something from her. Though they were very close, asking to borrow something always came with a certain awkwardness.
The Ancestor had clearly seen through him, but since Yang Kai wasn't going to bring it up, she simply let him stew.
Before long, a small pile of wooden skewers had accumulated in front of the Ancestor. Candied hawthorn tasted sweet enough, but eating too many made one's teeth ache. The Ancestor seemed to have thoroughly satisfied her craving, letting out a contented sigh. She looked around left and right, finally settling her gaze on Yang Kai, and beckoned him over with a curl of her finger.
Yang Kai immediately straightened his back and leaned his ear close, ready to receive the Ancestor's wise counsel.
The Ancestor proceeded to wipe the sticky sugar syrup from her hands onto Yang Kai's clothes...
Yang Kai's mouth twitched: "If you want to wipe your hands, wouldn't it be better if I fetched some water for you?"