As Xiaoxiao continued leading the way forward, they soon arrived at an open clearing.
Seven or eight Stone Spirits had already gathered here, each standing behind a flat stone disc. The discs were all roughly the size of millstones and appeared to have been crafted by the Stone Spirits themselves, set up here to serve as tables. Behind each stone table sat a stone stool.
At the very front, behind the foremost stone table, the aged Stone Spirit Elder had already taken his seat and was gazing over toward them with a warm smile.
As
Below the Elder's seat, there were two empty stone tables, clearly prepared for Yang Kai and Zhang Ruoxi.
As they drew near, the Elder raised his hand and said, "Please, honored guests, take your seats!"
Yang Kai offered a polite apology and walked to the stone table on the Elder's right, sitting down behind it. Ruoxi glanced around, then could only walk to the other side and quietly take her seat.
Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, scurried straight to the very back, squeezing in at a table with another Stone Spirit. He was still fidgeting about, which prompted that Stone Spirit to give him a light rap on the head, producing a resonant *dong* sound.
He immediately became much more well-behaved.
"We are greatly honored to have guests traveling from afar. Our Stone Spirit Clan holds this humble banquet to welcome our distinguished guests — we hope you won't be put off by how crude and modest it is," the Elder said with a hearty chuckle, his voice rumbling like thunder, ringing in their ears.
Yang Kai rose to his feet and replied, "The Elder is too kind. It is this junior's privilege to receive your clan's hospitality. How could I dare find fault?"
The Elder smiled and nodded, gesturing for Yang Kai to sit, then spoke again: "Our Stone Spirit Clan is born with very few members. Everyone gathered here represents all that remains of our people. Allow each of you to introduce yourselves to our guests so they don't get confused."
"Yes!" The Stone Spirits below responded in unison, then stood up one by one, bowing toward Yang Kai as they introduced themselves: "Stone One!"
"Stone Two!"
"Stone Three!"
…
"Stone Eight!"
Yang Kai stared, dumbstruck, his mouth twitching.
These Stone Spirits certainly kept things simple — every single one of them went by a number for a name. Counting the Elder and Xiaoxiao, that made a grand total of only ten clan members. They were vanishingly few, almost absurdly so.
The thing was, these introductions didn't really serve much purpose. No matter how hard Yang Kai looked, he still felt like all these fellows had been carved from the same mold — he couldn't tell a single one apart from the others.
Even though he couldn't distinguish them, proper etiquette still demanded a response. Yang Kai returned each bow in turn, putting on the air of someone who had memorized every name, when in reality he hadn't the faintest clue who was who.
Once all eight Stone Spirits had finished their introductions, the Elder chuckled and said, "Our Stone Spirit Clan is born with no more than ten members. If we ever exceed ten, some are doomed to perish — such is the will of the Heavens."
Yang Kai asked in surprise, "Your clan has never had more than ten members?"
The Elder nodded. "That is correct."
Understanding dawned on Yang Kai. No wonder that back when he had obtained two Stone Spirit embryos, only Xiaoxiao had ultimately hatched — the other one simply couldn't survive no matter what. He had been left with no choice but to refine it into his Dharma Body, which was the only way it had persisted.
He had always attributed it to bad luck, but now it seemed the issue hadn't been with his cultivation methods at all. It was simply fate.
He wondered what sort of reaction these Stone Spirits would have if he released his Dharma Body.
The Elder continued, "Though our numbers are few, we live in peace with the world, and so we have managed to survive until today. I'm sure our guests find this amusing."
Yang Kai waved his hands quickly to dismiss the notion.
"Enough idle talk — let the evening banquet begin," the Elder said with a laugh. His voice boomed: "Our accommodations are humble, and we have little to offer, but we present some spirit fruits and spirit wine for your enjoyment. We hope our guests won't find them lacking."
"Not at all, not at all!" Yang Kai answered, though a look of puzzlement had crossed his face.
Because despite the Elder's talk of spirit fruits and spirit wine, Yang Kai hadn't seen a single item appear. And with all ten Stone Spirits — including Xiaoxiao — seated right here, who was going to bring out the wine and fruit? He glanced sideways and noticed that the other nine Stone Spirits, Xiaoxiao included, were all sitting perfectly still, not moving an inch. Instead, every one of them had turned their gaze deep into the surrounding forest, their eyes bright with anticipation, their expressions eager.
What in the world was going on? Yang Kai was filled with suspicion, but all he could do was watch and wait.
*Clap, clap!* The Elder suddenly clapped his hands twice, as though summoning something.