The Little Stone Clan's way of life bore a striking resemblance to ants. Beneath the Stone King, there were guards responsible for defense, "soldier ants" tasked with warfare and invasion, and a far greater number that functioned much like worker ants.
Brother Huang and Sister Lan each commanded armies of over a million, a number that surpassed what any single Stone King could lead.
As a result, they now had more than one Stone King under their command. Once a clan grew to a certain scale, the Little Stone Clan would naturally produce a second and even a third Stone King, who would lead a portion of the clan to another location to establish their own nest and propagate their own people.
Each of them currently had roughly a dozen Stone Kings. Their respective million-strong armies had been divided into about a dozen formations, each looking properly organized and battle-ready.
When Yang Kai arrived at the battlefield, Brother Huang and Sister Lan were in the middle of exchanging contemptuous glances and verbal barbs.
This had become their routine for as long as anyone could remember — an endless argument over who was the superior leader.
Spotting Yang Kai, their attention shifted and the verbal assault ceased. Brother Huang said with great enthusiasm, "Come take a look — what do you think of my Little Stone Clan?"
Yang Kai followed his gesture and gazed out over the army, giving a slight nod. "A fearsome host, an undefeated army!"
Brother Huang's face immediately lit up with pride, and he cast a provocative glance toward Sister Lan.
Truthfully, raising the Little Stone Clan was a novel experience for both of them, but after two years, they had grown rather fond of it. Especially when the clan expanded and flourished, it brought an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.
Sister Lan sidled over. "And mine?"
Yang Kai turned to look at the army on the other side and declared, "Iron steeds and golden spears, their spirit swallowing ten thousand li like a tiger!"
Sister Lan beamed. "I put a great deal of effort into them. This battle is mine to win!"
Brother Huang immediately scoffed. "The effort I put in was no less than yours. There's no way you can beat me."
Sister Lan snorted coldly. "Enough talk. If you want to fight, let's fight and see who's better. And if you lose, you'd better call me big sister like a good boy!"
Brother Huang refused to back down. "And if you lose, you'd better call me big brother!"
Their eyes locked, sparks practically flying between them. Yang Kai hastily stepped aside to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
They both turned their heads simultaneously and said in unison, "You be the judge of who wins this battle!"
"Gladly!" Yang Kai clasped his fists with a solemn expression. He had anticipated this outcome when he first suggested they use the Little Stone Clan to settle their dispute, so he was well prepared and not the least bit surprised.
"Are you two ready?" Yang Kai asked.
Brother Huang glared at Sister Lan and let out three cold laughs. "Ready whenever you are!"
Sister Lan returned the cold laughter in kind. "Bring it on!"
"Begin!" Yang Kai issued the command.
The two million-strong armies facing each other across the plain surged forward like beasts unleashed from their cages, thundering ahead with a deafening rumble. Though both had carefully arranged their formations before the battle, once the fighting actually started, such niceties went straight out the window.
This was a chaotic melee involving two million Little Stone Clan members. The scene quickly spiraled out of control, turning brutally savage, with severed limbs and shattered stone fragments flying through the air in every direction.
Brother Huang and Sister Lan did not interfere with the Little Stone Clan's war to any great degree, merely standing outside the battlefield and watching. For them, their efforts had already been invested over the past two years, and now all that remained was to wait for the outcome.
As Yang Kai watched the Little Stone Clan members fall one after another, his expression inevitably turned pained.
These creatures were the very capital of his growing strength. Losing them in such large numbers was a significant blow.
However, upon further reflection, during the growth of these two million Little Stone Clan members, they had already contributed a great deal to his Small World's foundation. The casualties now were simply the result of the contest between Brother Huang and Sister Lan — something he was powerless to prevent.
Yet as the death toll continued to climb, Yang Kai suddenly wore a peculiar expression.
He had discovered that with the mass death of the Little Stone Clan members, the foundation of his own Small World had actually increased. At first, he had assumed it was his imagination, but once the casualty count among the two million exceeded twenty percent, he finally confirmed that it was no illusion — his Small World's foundation had genuinely grown.
The increase was modest, equivalent to several months of his own painstaking cultivation, but the discovery left him utterly astonished.
What was going on?
Cultivating living beings within one's Small World, their reproduction and propagation continuously added to its foundation. This accumulation was subtle and virtually imperceptible, but over time and with the passage of years, its effects gradually became apparent.
Given the same level of foundation, the difference between someone who cultivated living beings within their Small World and someone who did not would become clearly evident after several hundred or even a thousand years.
Yang Kai had always believed that the more living beings one cultivated within one's Small World, the better. That much was beyond dispute.
But now, it seemed he had uncovered another truth he had never previously considered.
Birth, aging, sickness, death — these were all part of the cycle of life and propagation. Propagation was itself a succession of life and death, an endless cycle of reincarnation.
The living could continuously benefit his Small World, but the dead, in the very instant of their passing, could do so as well.
His Small World had never before experienced the death of such a massive number of beings in such a short span of time, so despite having cultivated the Little Stone Clan within his body for so many years, Yang Kai had never noticed this before.