The humans erupted in an uproar, and the Ink Clan seethed. In an instant, the already razor-tense atmosphere grew even thicker.
Wei Junyang quietly relayed orders down the line, telling the army behind him to be ready to launch into full-scale battle at any moment.
During the earlier deliberations, all the Eighth-Order masters had been persuaded by Yang Kai, believing that negotiating passage through the domain gate was at least feasible. But no one could guarantee anything.
If the Ink Clan were truly provoked into throwing all caution to the wind today, a massive battle would be inevitable.
In this situation, if fighting truly broke out, it would be painful for both the humans and the Ink Clan alike. Just as Yang Kai had said, the last great war between the two races had not been long ago, and both sides needed time to recuperate.
While the humans were quietly making their arrangements, the commotion among the Ink Clan army grew worse by the moment. One Domain Lord after another snarled words like "insolent" and "courting death," their faces flushed with fury.
How brazenly arrogant of these humans. Sending a lone ship forward was one thing, but now they actually dared to spout such outrageous demands—clearly, they did not take these Domain Lords seriously at all.
The Domain Lords acknowledged the strength of this human Eighth-Order, but that did not mean they would entertain such an absurd request.
If they actually agreed, what kind of position would that leave them in? How would their armies see them?
The six-armed leader's expression was particularly dark as he stared fixedly at Yang Kai, gritting out: "Does your human race enjoy making jokes?"
Yang Kai's expression remained flat. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
The six-armed leader frowned. He had genuinely thought Yang Kai was joking, trying to bluff his way into boosting his own prestige and crushing the Ink Clan's morale. But upon closer inspection, it seemed this human truly intended to pass through—and was not joking at all. He flew into a rage: "You're getting ahead of yourself!"
Yang Kai drawled, "It's just passing through. It costs your Ink Clan nothing. Why be so unreasonable?"
The six-armed leader was rendered speechless with fury. If it truly was just passing through, it would indeed cost the Ink Clan nothing. But if he agreed, wouldn't that be an open admission that he feared the humans? That would be a devastating blow to the already flagging morale of the Ink Clan army.
Under no circumstances would he agree to such an outrageous demand.
If the roles were reversed and the Ink Clan wanted to pass through a domain gate controlled by the humans, the humans would certainly refuse as well.
"And what if I don't agree?" the six-armed leader said coldly.
Yang Kai wasted no more words. He brought out the Army Commander's seal. In an instant, the great seal spanned the void, blazing with radiance. Channeling his power, his voice boomed across the heavens: "One incense stick's time. If the Ink Clan does not allow passage, the entire Xuanming Army will fight the Ink Clan… to the death!"
The seal blazed across the sky. Atop the First Dawn, Yang Kai's silhouette stood proud and defiant. Amplified by his power, his words resounded like thunder.
The human army stood frozen for a heartbeat, then erupted into a roar like a collapsing mountain and a surging tide.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
With the Army Commander's command, not one of the Xuanming Army's hundreds of thousands of soldiers would dare disobey.
Only now did the humans realize that the Xuanming Army had a new commander. The previous Army Commander had been Wei Junyang. Over decades of war, Wei Junyang had done a reasonable job—at the very least, he had held the Xuanming Domain.
But compared to him, this new commander was clearly more fierce and courageous.
To stir up such a commotion the very moment he took command—Wei Junyang, steady and cautious as he was, could never have matched that.
With such a commander presiding over the Xuanming Domain, the Ink Clan's days ahead would likely be anything but pleasant.
"The Young Master is the Army Commander?"
On the warship forged from the Bixi incarnation, Yue He stared blankly.
Yu Rumeng and the others were equally stunned. Their own husband was the Army Commander? They had not known a thing about it—no news had ever reached them, and Yang Kai had never mentioned it.
But as they gazed at that figure upon which countless eyes were fixed, bathed in the seal's radiance, a swell of pride rose in the hearts of all the women.
This was the man they had chosen.
"The Xuanming Army's… Army Commander!" When the Army Commander's seal had been revealed, a blinding light had blazed in the six-armed leader's eyes.
This human Eighth-Order who had suddenly appeared in the Xuanming Domain was actually the Army Commander of the Xuanming Army!
If he could kill the man right here, before hundreds of thousands of human soldiers, the humans would surely suffer a catastrophic defeat.
His heart stirred with sudden impulse, and his gaze toward Yang Kai turned dangerously sharp.
He was not the only one. Many other Ink Clan Domain Lords shared the same thought. In that moment, divine senses surged as the Domain Lords conferred in secret.
But soon, the six-armed leader reined in his impulse, simultaneously sending messages to the other Domain Lords not to act rashly. This human would not be easy to kill. If they failed and were killed in return instead, that would be the greatest loss of all.
This man had brought out the Army Commander's seal before both armies, tens of thousands strong. There was no telling what hidden agenda he might harbor.
Suppressing his anger, the six-armed leader ground out: "If your humans want war, then let it be war…"
Would the Ink Clan cower? They had been pushed to this point. No matter how reluctant the six-armed leader and the other Domain Lords might be, a war between the two races was on the verge of erupting.
But as he spoke, the six-armed leader suddenly paused, his brow furrowing. At the same time, a ripple of fluctuating divine sense swept through the void.
Someone seemed to be transmitting a message to him.
Yang Kai smiled, his gaze sweeping across the numerous Ink Clan Domain Lords before settling on a figure shrouded entirely in a cloak of black shadow.
This was another Domain Lord, but one that looked like nothing more than a shadow—neither real nor illusory, somewhat peculiar.