~~Ink Battlefield~~
Yang Kai flew back to the ship, he looked a bit drained. Though in my eyes, it was different. He suffered that drain to get justice for me. My body felt compelled to respect him. "Child thanks father for gaining vengeance for him." I said, still being smothered by Feng Ying and Bai Yi.
Yang Kai paused for a moment, his face becoming somber. It was as if he felt unworthy of the praise. He then wrapped his arms around Feng Ying, Bai Yi and myself. A few tears could be seen on his face. Though not a damn soul would dare say anything about it.
"Son, I'm sorry, had I acted earlier you wouldn't have had to suffer under the hands of such a bully." Yang Kai said, as the four of us huddled together.
"Father shouldn't worry about this. The battlefield is dangerous and can become unpredictable. Even a rabbit will bite when backed into a corner. Let alone a Territory Lord. And it doesn't matter anyways since I'm alive." I said, trying to absolve him of guilt.
"Good, now that the battle is over, we can retrieve the spoils of war." Yang Kai said, and then the family hug broke up.
Feng Ying relayed the order to begin cleaning up the battlefield. It wasn't just a great victory. It was a near flawless victory. The only casualties were the Ink Clan. Dawn squad was just extremely exhausted with a few minor injuries. Aside from mine of course.
"Have you checked your wounds? How are they?" Yang Kai asked, still worried. Not about the situation but rather about me. I was his kin so it would only be natural to worry about it.
"I'm fine, I'm a dragon after all, and with Martial Uncle and former Temple Master's help my wounds have all been reduced to minor problems. Though my body does feel different. And so does my cultivation. It's not a normal fluctuation. But… I feel like I could take that hit again without suffering much harm. But I can't seem to understand why. And there is a substantial amount of energy just… missing for some reason." I said, with a confident pound of my fist on my chest.
"It's good you have reduced the severity of your injuries. But you should make sure to check yourself thoroughly before using your strength again. It's best if you suffer no more accidents before seeing your mothers." Yang Kai said, patting my head.
"Understood, this child will go and heal up to absolute perfection. Father won't be disappointed." I said, cupping my hands with a smile. Then turned around and left to enter a small room on the ship.
"Yang Kai… I should have kept that bastard entangled. It was my fault that he got away from me." Ding Yao said, attempting to take responsibility for acting too rashly. "My actions were what created such a danger on this battlefield. And as the senior here I shouldn't have shown such an example." He continued.
"Martial Uncle… I know what happened. You shouldn't feel guilty about it. But I do need to rest for a while. So I'll have to trust you in the safety of the ship once more. We have defeated this army. But there are bound to be more Ink Clan at each of the nests. I went a little overboard just now and felt a… anyways, I need to rest please take care of Dawn squad for a few days." Yang Kai said, raising a hand to stop Ding Yao from speaking, and then started walking away. "Oh, and as for his trip back… I'm taking the Dawn Squad back this time as well. This matter… you should know very well that it is non-negotiable." He added before going into retreat.
"That's going to be extremely difficult to pull off. But after what I just saw… I wouldn't say it's impossible. Though I wonder what he intends to do there this time?" Ding Yao thought, turning to see the squad and former Ink Disciples collecting the spoils… "But since he has the ability to bring back so many soldiers… I'm sure there is a path forward for this plan. I believe the Old Ancestor will agree once he finds out how many former Ink Disciples are coming back home." He pondered, looking out at the once hectic battlefield, now quiet.
~~Inside A Room~~
"These days I have been healing and investigating my condition… Why does it feel like not only is there nothing to worry about but, I feel as though there is something good right around the corner?" I thought.
"I'm not sure about the full details of the situation myself. But I feel like there aren't any problems. Let alone hidden dangers it feels like something is about to reveal itself. Maybe it's that other shadow in the Knowledge Sea? Or perhaps something else…" Fang Qing said. "Oh I should also say congratulations for reaching the pinnacle of the 3rd order Emperor Realm Young Master. Your progress is astounding." She added.
"And I should congratulate you as well. With both of us being the peak of the 3rd Order… Heh, so that might be it. I wonder how quickly we can break through to that realm?" I said, standing up. "It's been half a month now. I'm sure Father is a little worried. And if he isn't, my mothers definitely will be." I added, stretching as I walked to the door. No one was there to greet me after coming out so I went to the deck of the ship.
"How are your injuries now son?" Yang Kai asked, seeing I had come out.
"I've more or less fully recovered. Though that feeling of something being just a half step away is still there. Fortunately, I'm positive on how to solve it." I said with a large happy smile.
"Good, we have been going around and collecting resources from the various Ink Nests. And we have restricted all of the Ink Disciples that had remained at each location. I may have a way to restore them, but it's best if you do it." Yang Kai said.
"Then I'll get to work right away." I stretched and my Lighting Sphere appeared. Giving off a significantly more profound feeling. As if it had grown a great deal.