Chapter 410: The Origin of the Rock Demon Hunt
After a long while, Xiao Ze and Xun Er finally separated. Xun Er's eyes were slightly dazed, and her beautiful face was extremely red.
"Brother Xiao Ze, you always bully me. We just met and already..." Xun Er bit her lip lightly, looking shy.
Seeing Xun Er like this was rare, and Xiao Ze laughed heartily. "It's been so long since we last met, I couldn't help myself..."
He didn't deny it; he did what he did.
Xun Er gave Xiao Ze a light glare. If the young prodigies of the ancient clan saw her like this, their eyes would surely pop out of their heads.
"By the way, Xun Er, didn't any elders from the ancient clan come with you this time?" Xiao Ze asked, somewhat surprised. He had expected an elder to interrupt when he lowered his head earlier.
Xun Er smiled playfully. "This time, the elder chosen by the council was Elder Tong Xuan. I have some connections with him."
"I talked to Elder Tong Xuan and convinced him to let me come alone. He is waiting for me in the Stone Realm. However, he was still a bit worried and gave me a spatial jade slip."
A flash of light from her ring revealed a spatial jade slip emitting a powerful spatial force.
Xiao Ze was slightly taken aback. "Did the Stone Clan invite you?"
"Yes, the Stone Clan is holding the Rock Demon Hunt. It's a common trial among the ancient clans," Xun Er explained. She was about to elaborate when she suddenly noticed two powerful auras behind Xiao Ze.
"Xiao Ze, you're quite lucky to have won the heart of the ancient clan's beloved daughter," said Mang Tianchi as he approached with Hei Qing, looking somewhat roguish.
Xiao Ze had informed Xun Er of Mang Tianchi's identity through the golden tree.
"Greetings, Elder Mang. I also studied at Jia Nan Academy for a while," Xun Er said, her face slightly red. She didn't refute Mang Tianchi's words.
"No wonder the ancient clan made such a big deal. For someone like you, it's justified," Mang Tianchi laughed, accepting Xun Er's salute.
Xiao Ze introduced the three to each other. Despite their impressive identities, Xun Er was already aware of Hei Qing, so she wasn't too surprised. She was only curious about him being from the Taixu Ancient Dragon clan.
Hei Qing, on the other hand, was amazed at Xiao Ze's extensive connections. He had ties with the powerful ancient clans.
Given the ancient clans' Dou Emperor bloodlines, they were filled with strong individuals. They were comparable to, if not stronger than, the Taixu Ancient Dragon clan.
"So, what exactly is the Rock Demon Hunt?" Xiao Ze asked.
"Is it time for the Rock Demon Hunt again?" Mang Tianchi was surprised and explained, "The Stone Clan's ancestors discovered a group of strange rock demons in the void."
"Using great power, they relocated the rock demons to the Stone Realm for the younger generation to train."
"It's not just about combat. The rock demons attracted the Stone Clan's ancestors because their bodies contain a rare treasure similar to Earth Core Tempering Milk."
After Mang Tianchi's explanation, Xiao Ze understood. It seemed similar to the Heavenly Tomb, full of opportunities.
"So, Xun Er, participating in the Rock Demon Hunt will be very beneficial for you," Xiao Ze said with a smile after learning about the hunt.
"Actually, Brother Xiao Ze, I came to invite you and your friends to join the Rock Demon Hunt as guest elders," Xun Er explained with a smile.
"Such a precious opportunity, and there's no limit on participants?" Xiao Ze was surprised. He thought it would be like the Heavenly Tomb, with only two people from each of the ancient clans allowed. But it seemed different.
"The Stone Clan would love for more people to participate. The rock demons are not easy to deal with. More people would help share the burden."
"Besides, it's not considered very precious. Compared to other training grounds of the ancient clans, the Stone Clan's Rock Demon Hunt is at the bottom."
"There was a time when the rock demons proliferated, causing heavy losses among the young generation of the Stone Clan. That's why they opened the trial to more people."
Xiao Ze nodded in understanding. He wondered why the Dou Saints didn't clean up the rock demons first, but there must be special reasons.
"Headmaster, would you like to join us? As a member of the Thunder Clan, you might find it interesting," Xiao Ze invited Mang Tianchi.
"I've participated in the Rock Demon Hunt before. Unfortunately, due to my age and cultivation level, I can't meet the standard anymore. Otherwise, I'd love to face those rock monsters again," Mang Tianchi shrugged but didn't refuse to accompany Xiao Ze.
"Shall we return to the Ancient Dragon Island and bring Little Doctor Immortal, Medusa, and the others?" Xiao Ze asked Xun Er carefully.
Xun Er smiled and nodded, not noticing anything unusual.
On the way, Mang Tianchi explained the Rock Demon Hunt's cultivation restrictions to Xiao Ze. The rock demons originally lived in the void, but the Stone Clan's ancestors forcibly relocated them to the Stone Realm. This process was far from peaceful and was likely very bloody.
After repopulating, the rock demons developed a deep-seated fear and hatred for Dou Saints. Their way of expressing this hatred was simple: self-destruction. If a Dou Saint entered the Rock Demon Realm, many rock demons would start exploding. This would destroy the rock demon hearts inside them.
"Initially, the Stone Clan's Dou Saints didn't believe it," Mang Tianchi said with some schadenfreude. "They tried to clean up the frenzied rock demons to make it safer for the young generation to train."
"But they were quickly forced out by waves of self-destructing rock demons. At one point, the explosions almost shattered the entire Rock Demon Realm."
"No wonder the Stone Clan doesn't limit the number of participants. The Rock Demon Realm must be a burden to them now," Xiao Ze concluded.
"The rock demons keep reproducing. Destroying them would be a waste, but they can't let them proliferate unchecked either..."
Xiao Ze's words resonated with the others. The high value of rock demon hearts, comparable to Earth Core Tempering Milk, made the Stone Clan reluctant to destroy the Rock Demon Realm entirely.
Holding the Rock Demon Realm was like holding a treasure trove that continuously produced valuable resources. Even if they had to share some benefits with outsiders, they wouldn't want to destroy it.
(End of Chapter)