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Translator: Silavin & Qing
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
Thinking back to the time when they gathered at Azure Void Pass to form the Great Evolution Army, Xiang Shan and Liu Zhi Ping were appointed as Great Evolution’s Eastern and Western Army Commanders. On that same day, many of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were appointed as Division Commanders and accepted with great solemnity.
Back then, Yang Kai was just a Seventh-Order Squad Leader.
Never had he imagined he would someday hold the Army Commander Token like today, so he couldn’t help but sigh internally.
Being an Army Commander wasn’t just any duty, it was a responsibility to become the central pillar for an army of hundreds of thousands of soldiers!
[Can I do it?]
Yang Kai didn’t know the answer to that question, but since things had already come to this point, he could only give it his all and do his best. From today onwards, his every decision will affect hundreds of thousands of lives directly.
“I can’t spend too long here. Besides the appointment of Profound Nether Army’s Army Commander, there is one other thing I need to accomplish here.” Xiang Shan spoke up.
Yang Kai put away the token and nodded, “Please say it, Senior Brother.”
At first, he thought it was about the Great Sun and Moon Marks, but that was just a minor matter because he had already given one set of Marks to Su Yan. Moreover, the nine Divine Spirits outside were the ones who had been chosen to receive the Marks, so all that was needed was to call them inside.
He wasn’t expecting Xiang Shan to not talk about this matter but instead summoned his Universe Chart. Then, with a wave of his hand, a three-dimensional virtual image appeared before everyone.
Following that, Xiang Shan moved his hand and pointed at a particular spot, “A month ago, the Supreme Headquarters received intelligence that the cultivators from more than a dozen Sects in the Acacia Territory have been besieged by the Black Ink Clan and are facing a critical situation. If they don’t get any reinforcements soon, they might not be able to hold out much longer.”
Wei Jun Yang frowned, “Where did this information come from? Is it reliable?”
Xiang Shan nodded, “The intelligence was brought to us by a few different roaming Hunter teams, so its likely authenticity was deemed high. Afterwards, the Supreme Headquarters moved and confirmed it.”
Division Commander Chen raised an eyebrow, “Is the Supreme Headquarters asking Profound Nether Territory to send out troops to rescue them?”
“That’s right.” Xiang Shan nodded, “At first, there was no plan to have Profound Nether Territory carry out this mission, but all the other Great Territory Battlefields are engaged in heated conflicts right now, so our side is at a disadvantage and can’t dispatch troops for a rescue mission. However, Profound Nether Territory could be said to have won a great victory during the previous battle, so there should not be any large-scale battles here for the foreseeable future. Therefore, you are the ones most suited to attempt this rescue mission.”
While saying that, he looked at Yang Kai, “Junior Brother, now that you are the Army Commander, you will be responsible for planning and executing this mission! You must bring our trapped allies back safely.”
Yang Kai knew this was also a test to see how he would deal with such matters. Although the Supreme Headquarters had appointed him as the Profound Nether Army’s Army Commander, they also knew that the talents he had shown were mostly in charging into battle and defeating the enemy. He had never shown much talent in things like strategy and tactics.
This mission to rescue the Humans trapped in Acacia Territory was a chance to make a contribution and show off his talents.
Therefore, he immediately cupped his fist, “I have received the order!”
“You can discuss this matter on your own. There is no need to report to the Supreme Headquarters about your plan before carrying it out, but there is one thing you must remember, you mustn’t let Profound Nether Territory fall into the hands of the enemy!” Xiang Shan enjoined them before shouting towards the entrance, “Enter.”
He then turned to look at Yang Kai, “Previously, we’ve received news from Profound Nether Territory that you’ve received nine sets of Great Sun and Moon Marks from the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer. These are the nine Divine Spirits the Supreme Headquarters chose to receive those marks. I’ll leave them to you as well.”
“Understood, Senior Brother!”
Later, Xiang Shan, Wei Jun Yang, and the other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters left the Main Conference Hall while Ji Lao San and the other eight Divine Spirits came in.
It wasn’t difficult to pass the two marks from the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to them because they were just drops condensed from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s Source Strength. After the Divine Spirits received them, they only needed to slightly refine them to condense the Great Sun and Moon Marks.
The nine Divine Spirits only took about an hour to complete this process.
Later, Yang Kai distributed the nine Space Rings he had prepared beforehand to them, rings filled with Yellow and Blue Crystals.
With the two Great Marks and a large supply of Yellow and Blue Crystals, there would no longer be a lack of Purifying Light on the various battlefields. This could also greatly lessen the pressure on the Human Race.
It could also lessen the Alchemists’ burden, allowing them to put in more effort to refine other Spirit Pills.
Purifying Black Ink Pills weren’t the only Spirit Pills the Human Race lacked. Open Heaven Pills for cultivation and healing pills for healing injuries were all in short supply.
As for how these nine Divine Spirits would be distributed to each front, that was for the Supreme Headquarters to figure out. Although there weren’t enough Divine Spirits for each Great Territory Battlefield, it might not be too much of a problem for one Divine Spirit to aid two neighbouring battlefields and provide them with Purifying Light.
Xiang Shan was waiting outside, so Yang Kai led the Divine Spirits out before seeing them off.
Once they left, Yang Kai finally said, “Senior Brothers and Sisters, please enter the conference hall!”
The group of Eighth-Order Masters then returned to the Main Conference Hall and sat down. Yang Kai sat at the head of the table and looked around. He saw all the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had serious expressions on their faces as they looked straight ahead.
Seeing that, Yang Kai burst out laughing, “Since all of you Senior Brothers and Sisters think so highly of me and choose me to take up the position as Army Commander, I, as your Junior Brother, will not let all of you down!”
The atmosphere suddenly became lively, and Ou Yang Lie slumped back into his chair and beamed, “Our generation of cultivators respect strength above all else. Since your fist is bigger, of course it’s you who will take up the position of Army Commander, but you little br… ahem, Junior Brother, the most important issue you need to deal with now is the matter of Acacia Territory. This is your first mission after your appointment, so you have to do it well.”
Wei Jun Yang added, “Indeed. Since the Supreme Headquarters has entrusted us with this mission, we must do our best to complete the task and not let the other battlefields look down on us.”
Nodding, Yang Kai replied, “Both Senior Brothers are right, but I’ve only recently returned from the outside. Though I have a basic understanding of Profound Nether Territory, I don’t know much about the situation outside of Profound Nether Territory, so I still need you all to catch me up.
Fei Yong Ze looked at him, “Junior Brother Yang, what would you like to know?”
Yang Kai answered, “According to what I know, after the war in the Barren Territory, the Human Race Army retreated and broke up into many different teams to help the cultivators from the various Great Territories retreat and evacuate. However, that was a couple dozen years ago, so those who could evacuate should have already arrived. How could there still be Humans left outside?”
Division Commander Chen sighed and replied, “That’s not a surprise because the purpose of evacuation back then was to let all the Sects move to the nearest territory directly controlled by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Afterwards, those Cave Heavens and Paradises would have their Masters escort those people to High Heaven Territory. However, the Black Ink Clan moved too fast, so cultivators from a number of Great Territories could not evacuate in time and were surrounded by the enemy. We have suffered quite a significant number of casualties as a result.”
Yang Kai nodded as he knew about such incidents as well. When the Black Ink Clan invaded Swallowing Seas Territory, Yang Kai was fortunately there to lend his assistance.
If Yang Kai hadn’t appeared there at that moment, the cultivators from Swallowing Seas Territory wouldn’t have been able to escape.
In addition to those who failed to evacuate in time, others were ambushed along the way, which might be what had happened to the Humans trapped in Acacia Territory.
When Yang Kai heard this, he frowned, “Forgive my crassness, but if they were intercepted by the Black Ink Clan over 20 years ago, they should all be dead by now.”
Wei Jun Yang raised an eyebrow, “Junior Brother, are you thinking this might be a trap?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Perhaps the cultivators in Acacia Territory found somewhere to hide all these years but have now been found by the Black Ink Clan. Otherwise, they can’t have held out until now.” While he spoke, he used his fingers to tap on the armrest, “What is strange is for word of this to have reached us. Theoretically, Acacia Territory has been entirely conquered by the Black Ink Clan, so if there were any Humans left there, the Black Ink Clan should have easily taken care of them, but of course, dragging on—”
Suddenly thinking of something, he looked at the others below him, “Senior Brothers and Sisters, do you think that the Black Ink Clan are besieging a stronghold to strike at the reinforcements?”
Wei Jun Yang raised an eyebrow, “Why do you ask that?”
Yang Kai explained, “The Black Ink Clan should have been able to easily finish off the cultivators in Acacia Territory but haven’t. It’s obvious that they want to attract our side’s attention, which led to today’s events where Senior Brother Xiang charged us with this matter. We won’t be able to hide the Profound Nether Army dispatching a large number of troops to the Acacia Territory. The enemy is likely planning an ambush in Acacia Territory. There should be multiple Territory Lords and a large Army guarding that place.”
Once he said that, the other Eighth-Order Masters looked at each other and then burst out laughing.
Wei Jun Yang turned to look at Ou Yang Lie and teased, “Are you going to kill a Territory Lord, or are you going to call me ‘Father?”
Rolling his eyes, Ou Yang Lie retorted, “You didn’t win! What’s more, it’s just killing a Territory Lord. How difficult could that be?”
Wei Jun Yang chuckled, “I’ll take it as you choosing to kill a Territory Lord.”
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was dumbfounded as he looked at the others below him, “Senior Brothers, did I say something wrong?”
Division Commander Chen stroked his beard and chuckled, “No, you didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just that your performance shocked us.”
“What do you mean?” That answer made Yang Kai even more confused, [Also, what’s up with Wei Jun Yang and Ou Yang Lie? Why would they say something like calling the other ‘Father’?]
Division Commander Chen explained, “Junior Brother, what you’ve just said is correct. There is a Second Class Great Force, Acacia Sect, in Acacia Territory. During its founding, Acacia Sect discovered a Universe Cave Heaven left by an unknown Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after their death, which Acacia Sect obtained many benefits from. Didn’t you say the cultivators in Acacia Territory might have found a place to hide all these years? It’s been surmised that they have been hiding inside that Universe Cave Heaven and somehow managed to seal its entrance, which is why it remained safe until today. But their hiding spot has now been exposed, which is why they are now under siege.”
He continued, “It’s not that the Black Ink Clan doesn’t want to deal with them, but it isn’t an easy task to break open a Universe Cave Heaven’s portal from the outside without appropriate skills. Of course, the Black Ink Clan can still do it, but it will take them some time. Also, us receiving this news should also be the Black Ink Clan’s doing. Junior Brother, you were right when you said they were planning to strike at the reinforcements. However, their target is not the various Armies from the Great Territory Battlefields, but the roaming Hunters who have snuck into their territory.”
A short pause later, he elaborated, “There are many Human Masters that are either unwilling to be governed or are simply not used to functioning in an army and working with others, so they choose to become roaming Hunters instead and sneak deep into the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clan controls. Over the years, the Hunters have attacked and killed many Black Ink Clansmen, and traces of them can be found in many Great Territories. There are indeed many Black Ink Clansmen, but most of them are busy battling the Human Race Army, so those roaming Hunters take the chance to cause chaos behind the Black Ink Clan’s lines by destroying Black Ink Nests and raiding their supply lines. The Black Ink Clan is clearly frustrated with this, and besieging those in Acacia Territory is a good opportunity to attract large numbers of Hunters over. They want to clean up as many of them as possible with this one move.”
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Many thanks for the chapter, as always.