Half a day later, in the void, Yang Kai was channeling Lei Ying's innate ability to conceal his aura and figure, watching from afar at the region where that egg-shaped mist hovered, his face drawn with melancholy.
He had initially thought there was only a single Ninth-Rank Stone Clan member. Failing to subdue it would be unfortunate, but there was nothing to be done about it — and if there was nothing to be done, then one simply had to accept it.
But later, Yang Kai had discovered that the Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members numbered far more than just one!
After half a day of probing and maneuvering, Yang Kai could confirm that there were no fewer than five Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members. As for the exact number, he couldn't be certain, because each time, these Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members charged out from within that hazy mist, and once they had taken too much damage, they would retreat back into the mist — and once they returned, they dissolved like water into the ocean, vanishing without a trace.
That was why Yang Kai hadn't been able to spot these Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members before. Their existence was simply too difficult to perceive.
At least five Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members — possibly more. Yang Kai stared at that mass of mist, so covetous that drool was practically streaming from the corner of his mouth...
If this force could be successfully subuded, it would be an enormous boon to the Human Race's assault on Returnless Pass. But for the moment, all he could do was look. He simply didn't have the means or methods to bring them under his control.
The Solar and Lunar Imprints couldn't command these Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members. Yang Kai had previously attempted to forcibly extract one and suppress it within his Small Universe...
But the creature possessed barely any intelligence, making communication impossible. Even after being suppressed, it resisted ceaselessly, draining Yang Kai's energy and attention. If he tried to bring it to the battlefield like that, it might even cause casualties among the Human Race forces.
Left with no choice, Yang Kai had been forced to release the suppressed Stone Clan member again.
Unable to subdue them, yet unwilling to simply leave — Yang Kai's mood was thoroughly dour.
By his estimation, since these Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members had been born due to Zhang Ruoxi harmonizing the Solar and Lunar powers, then presumably only Zhang Ruoxi herself could command them.
Moreover, judging from their behavioral patterns, these Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members appeared to be acting as Zhang Ruoxi's guardians. As long as Yang Kai stayed away from the area, everything remained peaceful, but the moment he drew near, the Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members would attack — a clear protective posture.
Yang Kai had no idea what Zhang Ruoxi, Brother Huang, and Sister Lan had accomplished over the past millennium, but judging by the present results, they seemed to have done something truly extraordinary. The birth of Ninth-Rank Stone Clan members was beyond anything he could have imagined.
After watching quietly for a long while, Yang Kai was forced to set aside his avarice. There were simply some things in this world that could not be forced.
What he could confirm was that Zhang Ruoxi herself was safe. She was currently using her Heavenly Execution bloodline to harmonize the Solar and Lunar powers of Brother Huang and Sister Lan. Though he didn't know how long the process would take, once she succeeded, it might propel her directly into the Ninth-Rank!
At that point, the power she could wield would surely surpass that of all other Ninth-Ranks.
But what about those energy surges?
Yang Kai couldn't help but recall the scene he had witnessed before — the Supreme Yang and Supreme Yin forces had seemed to spiral out of control, dissipating throughout the entire Chaotic Dead Zone. This had given rise to massive manifestations of Solar and Lunar power, which the Stone Clan members then devoured.
Judging by the enormous numbers and overall scale of the Stone Clan population in the Chaotic Dead Zone, such out-of-control surges could not have happened just once. They had occurred many times.
At the same time, because Brother Huang and Sister Lan were in a state where their powers were being harmonized, the various Stone Clan factions in the Chaotic Dead Zone had lost their restraint and gone feral, reverting to their base nature. That was why Yang Kai had encountered so many Stone Clan members fighting each other when he arrived.
If the Solar and Lunar powers had gone out of control many times, that meant the frequency was high. Perhaps he could observe the area — it probably wouldn't take long...
With this decision made, Yang Kai resolved to observe the situation here for a period of one year, in order to gather more intelligence.
Time trickled by. Yang Kai remained concealed in the void, watching the area around Zhang Ruoxi.
Just as he had expected, the frequency of the energy surges was indeed high. Long before a year had passed — roughly three months, by his estimate — the previously calm, hazy mist suddenly began to churn. In that instant, Zhang Ruoxi, who appeared to be sleeping at the very center of the mist, let out an unconscious moan — the sound of someone enduring unbearable agony.
Simultaneously, the Solar and Lunar powers flowing and mingling within the mist erupted into a frenzy.
In the blink of an eye, blinding light began to bloom from the mist as its epicenter, radiating outward with a thunderous roar.
Moments later, the scene Yang Kai had witnessed three months prior repeated itself — the entire Chaotic Dead Zone was flooded with manifestations of Solar and Lunar power, and countless Stone Clan members swarmed toward them.
Having witnessed this with his own eyes, Yang Kai now understood completely.
The loss of control and the violent surges of Solar and Lunar power were entirely due to Zhang Ruoxi being too weak...
Of course, her current cultivation at the Eighth-Rank of Open Heaven was anything but weak by any normal standard, but compared to Zhuo Zhao and You Ying, she was still far too fragile.