The position Yang Kai occupied was half a day's journey from No-Return Pass, but this所谓的 half-day referred to the time it would take using ordinary means of travel. For instance, if the human race's squadron-level standard warships were to travel from here to No-Return Pass, it would take roughly half a day.
However, this distance was already within striking range for Yang Kai and the Ink Race Giant Spirits alike.
The Ink Race Giant Spirit's strike hadn't been intended to actually harm Yang Kai — after all, he was currently at the Ninth-Order Realm, so how could he be wounded by something as trivial as a World Fragment? Facing this fierce incoming attack, Yang Kai merely raised a hand slightly, and the hurtling World Fragment suddenly transitioned from extreme motion to perfect stillness, hovering before him.
His raised hand clenched gently, and the massive World Fragment shattered into powder with a thunderous explosion.
Still, this commotion alerted every Ink Race member within No-Return Pass. Figure after figure shot out, all turning to look toward Yang Kai's position.
Each of these figures radiated a tremendous aura that shook the void — they were none other than the Ink Race's Pseudo-King Lords. Having obtained tremendous power through the Fusion Return Technique, they were unable to fully control it, and the price they paid was that they could never suppress their own presence.
Thus, whenever a Pseudo-King Lord appeared on the battlefield, they stood out like bright lanterns in the dark night. They could never serve as hidden reserves for ambushes.
Yang Kai also spotted Monaye and Moyu, the two Ink Race King Lords, stationed in the center of No-Return Pass, surrounded and guarded by the numerous Pseudo-King Lords.
Their gazes met across the distance. Yang Kai flashed a grin toward them, and both Monaye and Moyu's expressions darkened.
Yang Kai had arrived. Could the human army be far behind?
Though they had long known the human army would inevitably come to attack No-Return Pass and had made every possible preparation, the speed of the humans' arrival was still startlingly fast.
After gazing at each other from afar for a moment, Yang Kai raised his hand and made a throat-slitting gesture toward Monaye and Moyu, then turned and departed with a flourish, vanishing from sight almost immediately.
Within No-Return Pass, Monaye's brow furrowed. There was no denying that Yang Kai's behavior appeared extremely childish, but he couldn't quite fathom what the true intention was. Was it simply to come and show off? But what would be the point of that? Or perhaps there was some deeper meaning? Monaye fell into deep thought.
It was no wonder he was so cautious. Over these years he had clashed with Yang Kai many times and had never once gained any advantage. From his perspective, every move Yang Kai made warranted vigilance.
Meanwhile, in the void roughly three days' journey from No-Return Pass, a Cosmos Palace stood suspended in the emptiness. From within, human troops poured out ceaselessly. The Qingyang Army, which had arrived first, had already fully assembled and established a tight defensive perimeter in the surrounding void.
Not only that — the Void Guard soldiers who had arrived even earlier had searched the nearby void and gathered several floating landmasses of various sizes to serve as temporary encampments for the main army.
Mi Jinglun was stationed near the Cosmos Palace. Yang Kai flashed over and informed him of what he had discovered at No-Return Pass.
Upon hearing this, Mi Jinglun nodded. "As expected. The Ink Race never cared about those passes before because the humans couldn't threaten No-Return Pass. Now that they're on the defensive and know the human army will come sooner or later, they'll naturally have made arrangements. The passes left behind by the humans in the past are natural barriers."
After speaking, he turned to look at Yang Kai and asked, "Did Monaye spot you?"
Yang Kai replied, "I wasn't exactly hiding."
Mi Jinglun chuckled. "That's even better — now they'll be even more reluctant to make any rash moves. Monaye is an inherently suspicious creature. With you suddenly appearing outside No-Return Pass, he'll inevitably overthink things. We were worried they might launch a surprise attack, but it seems that won't be happening now."
In truth, before the entire human army had fully assembled, if the Ink Race were to attack, it would certainly cause the humans some trouble. At this moment, the Qingyang Army alone couldn't withstand so many Ink Race powerhouses.
Of course, if they actually did that, the Ink Race would be taking enormous risks. With so many powerhouses leaving No-Return Pass, its defenses would weaken, giving the humans an opening.
So such a scenario was unlikely to begin with. Mi Jinglun had merely been on guard against it, but with Yang Kai's little stunt, he could now be nearly certain the Ink Race wouldn't act rashly.
This, in turn, gave the human army the opportunity to fully assemble.
The troops continued pouring from the Cosmos Palace in an endless but orderly stream, without any sign of chaos.
Yang Kai, meanwhile, retrieved the sphere compressed by the River of Time and Space. Finding an open area, he tossed it skyward with a wave of his hand. As the River of Time and Space swirled around it, the sphere expanded explosively, quickly transforming into a towering, magnificent pass.
Pure Yang Pass — this was the only pass the humans currently possessed, and it would surely become a crucial weapon for taking No-Return Pass.