Chapter 416: The Rock Demon Core
As the space warped, the crowd grew restless. Due to the dangers of the Rock Demon Hunt, most participants were Dou Zun. A few Dou Zong, at the peak of their level and struggling to break through, were also present, hoping the hunt would help them advance.
Unlike the excited crowd, Xiao Ze's attention returned to the ring-shaped mountain range dotted with black stone pillars, stirring his curiosity.
"Brother Xiao Ze, those are left behind by the Rock Demons after breaking through the Rock Demon Realm," Xun'er whispered to him. "The ring-shaped mountain range has many seals because the Stone Clan had to reinforce it after the Rock Demon Realm was breached."
"I see, those pillars are remnants of the Rock Demons," Xiao Ze noted, gaining a deeper understanding of their ferocity.
After the Rock Demon Realm was opened, the Stone Clan elder addressed the crowd. "Please come forward to receive a space stone. The Rock Demon Realm is extremely dangerous. If you are surrounded by Rock Demons, do not hesitate to crush the space stone. You will be expelled from the Rock Demon Realm and returned to the ring-shaped mountain range."
The Stone Clan elder handed out space stones while cautioning the participants. After all, the Stone Clan invited many forces not to trap and kill their experts but to foster good relations. Too many deaths in the Rock Demon Realm would cause trouble with these forces.
As Xiao Ze and his group stepped forward, many eyes fell on them, most filled with envy and jealousy, especially directed at Xiao Ze.
"So envious, that guy gets to join the Gu Clan's young mistress's team."
"The Gu Clan's young mistress is already a beauty, but where did she find three other beauties just as stunning?"
"I'm so jealous of that guy. If the Gu Clan's young mistress noticed my strength, I could enjoy being surrounded by such beauties too."
"Yeah, right. With your six-star Dou Zun strength, you can't even compare to any of them..."
Xiao Ze heard the murmurs and whispers but ignored them. A space stone, radiating spatial energy, fell into his palm. He sensed a unique seal within the stone, corresponding to the ring-shaped mountain's seal array. Crushing the space stone would cause the Rock Demon Realm to expel the user and trigger the mountain's seal to pull them out. Xiao Ze quickly understood the stone's function.
While Xiao Ze contemplated, the women looked at him, waiting for his decision. Even if he decided to abandon the hunt, they would have no objections.
Over where the Hun Clan gathered, Hun Yu glanced at Gu Xun'er and then lingered on Xiao Ze, his eyes thoughtful.
"Let's go in!" Xiao Ze said after a flash of golden light in his eyes. He had already figured out how to replicate the space stone's effect with his own methods. Noticing that few participants remained, he urged, "Let's go. Entering at the same time means we'll likely be sent to the same area."
The women nodded and followed Xiao Ze towards the distorted space. In the void, Elder Tongxuan watched Xiao Ze's group enter the Rock Demon Realm, stroking his beard. "Who would have thought that the Xiao Clan, with its abandoned Dou Di bloodline, could produce such a genius? With Xiao Ze's talent, he might break through to Dou Sheng and even lead the Xiao Clan to prosperity again. If Xiao Xuan knew about such a talented descendant, he would be astounded."
As Xiao Ze touched the distorted space, the scene changed, and the spatial energy dissipated. He found himself on a desolate, black land. The ground felt incredibly hard under his feet. Sensing through the Origin Tree, Xiao Ze relaxed, knowing Xun'er, Little Doctor Fairy, and the others were nearby. He stood still, waiting for them to gather, but first, he had a minor issue to resolve.
Turning around, he saw a Rock Demon, dozens of meters tall, glaring at him with deep red eyes. The demon's black body looked like obsidian, and its eyes were filled with violent intent.
"Roar!" The Rock Demon, made entirely of stone, let out a loud roar, surprising Xiao Ze. A creature made of pure stone could make a sound? But Xiao Ze remained calm. This Rock Demon was only at the late Dou Zong level, easily within his ability to crush.
The Rock Demon, undeterred by the vast difference in their power, raised its hands in a seemingly comical pose, summoning a massive stone pillar. It grabbed the pillar and threw it at Xiao Ze with immense force, breaking through the air and creating shockwaves.
Xiao Ze flicked his finger, sending a thread of Vast Sea Dou Qi to shatter the pillar inch by inch. The Dou Qi continued, smashing the Rock Demon's head to dust. The headless body collapsed, shaking the ground. As the Rock Demon crumbled, Xiao Ze's eyes brightened.
A black crystal, tinged with red, flew into his hand. "So, this is the Rock Demon Core, said to be as effective as Earth Heart Essence Milk?"
(End of the chapter)