Chapter 419: Great Gains, Watching Tigers Fight from the Mountain
"[Xun'er has refined a five-star Rock Demon Core. Congratulations to the host for receiving a tenfold feedback!]"
In the center of the Rock Demon Realm, Xiao Ze glanced at the panel prompt that appeared and smiled slightly. The group had been hunting Rock Demons in the central area for over a month, eliminating several small Rock Demon clusters. Xun'er had just refined a five-star Rock Demon Core from the strongest Rock Demon in a mid-sized cluster they recently defeated.
Xiao Ze looked at the valley, now a ruin from their battle. This Rock Demon cluster had fifty-seven demons, with the strongest reaching the five-star Dou Zun level. Due to their linking talent, this demon's power had been boosted to the seven-star peak level. Even Xun'er found it somewhat challenging to handle. Only after Xiao Ze killed the other demons and weakened its power did they manage to defeat it within a few minutes.
"Now that we're encountering mid-sized clusters, we must be nearing the core area. We've made significant gains after crossing the central area for over a month," Xiao Ze said.
According to Xun'er, the Rock Demon Realm consisted of three major areas: outer, central, and core. The core area was the largest, followed by the central area, with the outer area being the smallest. The outer area mainly had solitary Rock Demons, requiring less space. In contrast, the core area had mid-sized clusters everywhere, needing vast territory to support them.
In over a month, Xiao Ze's group hadn't encountered any other adventurers. This could be due to the realm's immense size, making it difficult for adventurers to meet. Or perhaps the adventurers faced Rock Demon clusters too powerful for them, forcing them to break their space stones and leave early. Xiao Ze guessed both reasons were plausible. Their group, with their top-tier strength, managed the clusters quickly. Other adventurers likely didn't possess such formidable power and might have exited early. The Rock Demon Realm's vastness meant it took almost a month of continuous travel to approach the core area.
Suddenly, Xiao Ze looked towards the core area and saw a colossal Rock Demon over a hundred feet tall, exuding immense power.
"A lone high-level Rock Demon?" Xiao Ze wondered. Extending his spiritual perception, he saw the Rock Demon chasing a group of people. Its strength allowed it to outpace its subordinates and pursue them alone.
"An eight-star Dou Zun Rock Demon is terrifyingly powerful even without the linking talent. With its tough stone body, ordinary adventurers would flee at the sight of it," Xiao Ze noted. The demon's massive body caused the ground to tremble with each step, vibrations reaching their valley despite a mountain between them.
Glancing at the ruined valley, Xiao Ze used his illusory power to mask the battle traces and lingering energies. Though he could defeat the giant Rock Demon, he wasn't inclined to help those being chased. They might notice the energy here and draw trouble his way. Masking the traces was safer.
As expected, the group fled past the valley, heading towards the central area. They wore various sect uniforms, suggesting a loosely united team. Such teams were troublesome due to their lack of cohesion. If even one member decided to draw trouble to others, it could spell trouble for Xiao Ze.
Xun'er, having refined her core first, felt the ground's tremor and looked towards the source. "Those people are unlucky to encounter such a strong cluster in the mid-sized group," she noted, hugging Xiao Ze's arm naturally.
"Indeed. According to your intel, only nine-star Dou Zun or stronger Rock Demons can form large clusters. An eight-star Dou Zun Rock Demon is likely the strongest in mid-sized groups," Xiao Ze replied, watching the giant Rock Demon in the distance.
"Are you interested in that Rock Demon, Xiao Ze? It's alone now and without the boost from its linking talent, it should be much easier to handle," Xun'er suggested.
"We'll see. Let's wait until its chase ends," Xiao Ze said. Goodwill was best reserved here; unnecessary risks were unwise.
Xiao Ze condensed a wisp of golden flame, sending it as a tiny, nearly invisible spark towards the distant Rock Demon. It marked the demon with a soul imprint, allowing him to track it.
"If the opportunity arises, we'll deal with it then. For now, let's watch from here," Xiao Ze said, watching the giant stone pillar the Rock Demon hurled at the fleeing adventurers. The pillar struck with such force that it caused the ground to quake and crack over a large area.
Despite their struggle, the adventurers reluctantly crushed their space stones and left to avoid death.
"Let's not waste this rare chance. A lone eight-star Rock Demon is worth hunting," Xiao Ze said, beckoning Xun'er and the others to follow him towards the roaring Rock Demon.
(End of the chapter)