In just a single month, the Stone Clan army housed within Yang Kai's Small Universe had swelled to several hundred million — a staggering number that was already placing considerable strain on even his Small Universe. Though he could still take in more, after careful consideration he decided to put a stop to this indiscriminate recruitment and instead shift toward a more elite-focused approach.
Over the next two months, he roamed the various battlefields scattered throughout the Chaos Death Domain, specifically targeting Stone Clan members whose strength was comparable to eighth-rank Human Race cultivators.
He couldn't subdue the ninth-rank Stone Clan members under Zhang Ruoxi's control, but with the aid of the Sun-Moon Record, subduing some eighth-rank ones was well within his ability. Right now, the Chaos Death Domain had no shortage of eighth-rank Stone Clan members, and with the Sun and Moon forces constantly erupting and dispersing, that number would only continue to grow.
So Yang Kai's approach had little overall impact on the Stone Clan. He merely needed to maintain a certain balance — subduing an equal number of Solar Stone Clan and Lunar Stone Clan — so as not to disrupt the equilibrium of the Chaos Death Domain. That way, neither side would be completely overwhelmed, preventing a scenario where one faction was eventually annihilated in its entirety.
Three months after the last energy eruption, a brilliant radiance once again blazed from Zhang Ruoxi's direction. The Sun and Moon forces surged outward in all directions, flooding the Chaos Death Domain.
This time Yang Kai was well prepared, and immediately began competing with the Stone Clan army for the manifestations of Sun and Moon power. His harvest was far greater than the last time.
Whenever the energy ran wild, he collected the manifestations of Sun and Moon power. Once things calmed down, he went hunting for eighth-rank Stone Clan members. The cycle repeated itself over and over.
It wasn't until more than a year had passed that Yang Kai finally departed the Chaos Death Domain.
He had subdued more than enough Stone Clan members and accumulated a massive stockpile of Yellow Crystals and Blue Crystals — enough to sustain the Human Race for a thousand years. Though he still had some time to spare, he didn't dare linger any longer.
According to the plan he and Mi Jinglun had agreed upon beforehand, the Human Race would launch a second attack on Returnless Pass two years after the first, regardless of the outcome.
But plans didn't always survive contact with reality. Unexpected developments might arise and push the second battle forward, so he needed to return to the Void Domain early to prepare.
The journey was uneventful, but it took another full three months to reach the Void Domain.
The trip there had consumed the same amount of time, but back then Yang Kai hadn't been in any rush — he'd been nursing his injuries and used the travel time to gradually recuperate, so he hadn't pushed his speed.
On the way back, though, he hadn't rested for a single moment. The reason the journey took just as long was simple: his speed had dropped. The enormous number of Stone Clan members housed within his Small Universe made the circulation of his energy somewhat sluggish. To put it plainly, the burden on his Small Universe was hampering his strength, which naturally slowed his pace.
Upon returning to the Void Domain, Yang Kai immediately looked toward the Domain Gate. Through the swirling, hazy vortex, the majestic silhouette of Returnless Pass was faintly visible. There didn't appear to be any large-scale battle underway, which gave him a small measure of relief.
Still, to be safe, he plunged his head through the Domain Gate and carefully surveyed Returnless Pass.
As far as the eye could see, the entire pass was on edge, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive. Dense Ink Force hung like a thick shroud of dark clouds, blotting out the sky and earth.
Compared to after the last great battle, Returnless Pass's defensive arrangements had clearly undergone significant changes. Exploiting the layout of the damaged ramparts, the Ink Race had contracted their defensive perimeter. A great many Artifacts had been installed along these broken fortifications, and the entire pass now radiated the air of a veritable tiger's den.
It seemed the last battle had driven home to the Ink Race the extent of their disadvantage. Holding the pass gave them the advantage of terrain, but it also made them a sitting target — the Human Race's tactic of using their Small Universes to ram the enemy line was the perfect counter to such a setup.
So even though they still had formidable numbers, they had pulled back their defensive perimeter. A tighter formation meant a correspondingly greater defensive strength.
Under normal circumstances, with the Ink Race making such adjustments, the Human Race would find it nearly impossible to replicate their gains from last time.
Last time, the Ink Race had been caught completely off guard by the Small Universe ramming tactic. Hundreds of Small Universes, each fitted with various formations, had launched a long-distance charge whose devastating impact had torn the Ink Race's defensive line apart. Once gaps appeared in the line, the Human Race army had exploited them to devastating effect.
With the Ink Race's current deployment, even if the Human Race employed the Small Universe ramming tactic again, it would no longer be easy to tear open gaps in the defensive line.
Yang Kai couldn't help but click his tongue. He'd always known Returnless Pass wouldn't be easy to crack, but now it seemed that the Ink Race, having consolidated all their forces into one place, was even more formidable than he'd anticipated.
He wanted to continue observing, but suddenly more than a dozen violent energy fluctuations erupted nearby. In the next instant, a barrage of techniques came sweeping in from all directions.
Yang Kai hastily retracted his head.
The commotion quickly drew Mo Na Ye's attention. He appeared in a flash near the Domain Gate, glanced upward, and said in a cold voice, "What happened?"