Yang Kai nodded slightly. "We can't just keep resting indefinitely. It's been two years since the last great battle. While none of you have fully recovered, I reckon the Ink Clan isn't in much better shape. Neither side has the advantage."
Ouyang Lie immediately perked up. "I'll be the vanguard!"
Wei Junyang, however, was somewhat hesitant. "My Lord, the Xuanming Domain has seen intense fighting previously. We've only just managed to get some respite. If we rashly start another battle, I'm afraid the soldiers won't be able to hold on."
When Ink Clan powerhouses suffered heavy injuries, they needed to enter Ink Nests to enter dormant slumber and recuperate. On the human side, while things weren't so troublesome for wounded powerhouses, recovery was no easy matter either.
Take Ouyang Lie, for example — his injuries from two years ago still hadn't fully healed.
Ouyang Lie glanced at him. "What's there to be afraid of? The kid Yang is right — we're having a hard time, and so is the Ink Clan. Neither side has the advantage. Besides, things are different now. We've got more Evil-Breaking Divine Lances."
Over two years, the Xuanming Army's accompanying artifact refiners had produced some Evil-Breaking Divine Lances. Though the numbers weren't large, used sparingly they'd be enough for a single battle. With the Evil-Breaking Divine Lances in hand, the humans' pressure would be considerably reduced.
Wei Junyang shook his head. "It's not that I'm afraid, it's just..." He looked up at Yang Kai. "What does My Lord have in mind?"
Though he didn't particularly agree with the humans launching an offensive, he decided to hear Yang Kai's plan.
Yang Kai said, "The Ink Clan's forces are vast and powerful. Compared to them, our human race is weak. Over the years, it's basically been the Ink Clan launching attacks while we play defense — and that's perfectly understandable. If I want to launch an offensive, it's not to settle the Xuanming Domain in one battle. The human race doesn't have that capability right now, and neither do I nor any of you."
Kong Chengde thought for a moment. "My Lord means..."
Yang Kai said, "I want the Xuanming Army's main force to engage in battle and draw the Ink Clan army's attention." He raised a hand and pointed to a spot on the void map before them. "I'll infiltrate this location and help the Eighth-Order Commanders there kill the Domain Lord and secure this front."
Ouyang Lie grinned happily. "Just like last time?"
Yang Kai nodded.
Last time Yang Kai had struck from the shadows, the results had been enormous — not only were five Domain Lords killed, but the Ink Clan army on that auxiliary front had been routed and fled, suffering devastating losses.
The Xuanming Domain had more than just that one auxiliary front — there were several others, and Yang Kai had clearly set his sights on those places.
Kong Chengde and Wei Junyang exchanged a glance. The former smiled bitterly. "My Lord has been in seclusion recovering from injuries these past two years and may not be aware of the situation in the Xuanming Domain. I'm to blame — I forgot to report this to My Lord."
"What do you mean?" Yang Kai looked at him in puzzlement.
Kong Chengde said, "After My Lord struck so decisively last time and the Ink Clan suffered a crushing defeat, they've completely abandoned those auxiliary fronts. All their forces have been withdrawn — they even moved their Ink Nests away."
Yang Kai was stunned.
He had been planning to continue targeting those auxiliary fronts, but he hadn't expected the Ink Clan, after suffering one defeat, to simply pull their forces off those fronts entirely.
Well, so much for that.
"This Six Arms — quite decisive!" Yang Kai nodded slightly.
This was within expectations. If Yang Kai kept causing trouble at the auxiliary fronts time and again, the Ink Clan couldn't hold them, and withdrawal was only a matter of time. It was just that the Ink Clan wasn't giving them any opportunity at all, which was somewhat frustrating.
However, this actually worked out somewhat in the humans' favor. Without the Ink Clan establishing auxiliary fronts, the Xuanming Army only needed to guard against the main Ink Clan army and wouldn't need to split their attention elsewhere.
Kong Chengde pondered briefly. "My Lord's intention is to kill Domain Lords?"
Yang Kai nodded. "The number of Ink Clan Domain Lords far exceeds our human Eighth-Order cultivators. We killed a batch before, but it's still hard to close the gap in high-level combat power between the two races... In fact, this gap may never be closed. But where there's a will, there's a way. Only by killing more Domain Lords can we alleviate the pressure on the human race. I want those Domain Lords terrified at the mere mention of my name!"
The Eighth-Order cultivators exchanged glances, secretly marveling at the young man's fiery passion. While these veteran Eighth-Order cultivators weren't afraid of fighting the Ink Clan to the death either, when compared to Yang Kai, they lacked some of that youthful vigor.
Perhaps this was also why the Great Headquarters had appointed Yang Kai as the Xuanming Army's Commander. Yang Kai's formidable personal strength was one factor, but on the other hand, the Great Headquarters probably wanted to see some change. All the other army commanders were steady, conservative types.
Kong Chengde said, "If that is My Lord's intention, then there's nothing to hesitate about. The army presses forward, draws the Ink Clan into battle, the Eighth-Order Commanders engage the Domain Lords, and My Lord seizes the opportunity to strike and kill the enemy."
Someone still worried. "The Xuanming Army has mainly been on the defensive because of the gap in our respective strengths — we had to rely on all sorts of preparations to repel the enemy. Launching an offensive without support from the rear may not be a good idea."
On the Ink Battlefield, the humans had similarly focused on defense over the years because they could rely on the great passes to fight the enemy. The Xuanming Army was in the same situation — while they didn't have impregnable passes to use, they could make preparations in advance at their defensive positions.
These preparations could greatly compensate for the weakness in combat power and effectively repel the Ink Clan's attacks.
Kong Chengde said, "That's not really a major issue. The offensive does have its drawbacks, but now that the Xuanming Army has some Evil-Breaking Divine Lances, if we don't count the cost of using them, the Ink Clan may not gain much of an advantage in the short term. Of course, it's hard to say if the battle drags on."
Yang Kai said, "Senior Brother Kong, how long do you estimate the Xuanming Army can hold on with the Evil-Breaking Divine Lances?"
Kong Chengde pondered briefly. "Half a day!"
Two years of crafting, yet they could only last half a day — though this was understandable. After all, crafting Evil-Breaking Divine Lances was no easy task, but activating them was simple. Finding the right opportunity was a matter of an instant.
Yang Kai understood. "In that case, once the battle begins, the humans must withdraw within half a day, or they'll lack the power to fight back."