Chapter 1029: Earth Spirit Stone Ape

The Western Nether Alliance Leader and the Northern Star Alliance Leader departed with their teams. Soon, all the others were dispatched by them. These individuals dispersed, quietly moving in various directions. Finally, only the two Alliance Leaders remained.

The Northern Star Alliance Leader turned and looked towards the mountain where the Eastern Zenith Alliance Leader was, and said calmly, "We have been planning for many years; it's finally time to cast the net! I didn't expect this last main altar to be hidden so deeply, sealed by the Four Saints within the Golden Core Stage trial realm. We only pinpointed its location after thoroughly understanding the entire grand formation's network. Fortunately, the trial realm was pieced together by the Four Saints using celestial restrictions and the original inner hall secret realms; it's not a seamlessly integrated grand formation, so flaws are inevitable. This place can be left to Fellow Daoist Baili. The other two main altars are also not benign places; it's time for us to act."

The Western Nether Alliance Leader nodded, and his figure vanished deep within the mountains.

The Northern Star Alliance Leader watched the Western Nether Alliance Leader depart. After a moment of contemplation, he flew in a different direction.

The Trial Realm.

Qin Sang entered the final trial.

The moment he was teleported out, Qin Sang felt a sudden emptiness beneath him and found himself suspended in mid-air, as if falling from the sky. He quickly activated his movement technique to stabilize himself.

"Gasp!"

Qin Sang suddenly drew in a sharp breath. Just over a hundred feet in front of him, there was a narrow, elongated silver streak in the void, which was a spatial rift!

"In a trial realm for Golden Core cultivators, there are actually dangerous spatial rifts! I wonder how this secret realm was set up."

Qin Sang remained where he was, not daring to act rashly. He gazed into the distance and saw that there was more than one spatial rift floating in the void. However, there weren't many. Although they looked dangerous, in reality, as long as one was careful, it wasn't easy to encounter them.

Next, Qin Sang awakened the Sky-Eye Butterfly to confirm there were no invisible or mobile spatial rifts nearby, which were the most dangerous. Compared to the depths of the storm zone, this place was still relatively safe.

However, that didn't mean there weren't any elsewhere. Qin Sang kept the Sky-Eye Butterfly on alert outside, then looked around and activated his movement technique to fly to a nearby mountaintop.

He didn't see Ming Wei, nor any other cultivators. Qin Sang knew that everyone's landing spot was different. He and Ming Wei were likely among the first cultivators to enter, so it was normal not to encounter anyone else. They still had plenty of time. They only needed to rendezvous before the Soul Cleansing Liquid appeared.

"First, I need to determine my location..."

Qin Sang understood that the entire trial realm was divided into four regions. Each region had distinct mountain and terrain features, and the Hundred Treasures Pavilion was located at the center of these four regions. The treasures in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion were limited in number, and only those who arrived earliest could obtain them.

"Is that a lake?"

Qin Sang gazed intently into the distance, his vision extending beyond several mountain ranges. He vaguely saw shimmering water, and its area seemed considerable. His heart stirred, and he was about to activate his movement technique to go and see.

Just then, the mountain peak beneath his feet suddenly shook violently. The ground undulated like a swamp and churned fiercely. After several "bangs," clumps of earthy yellow "stone spheres" suddenly sprang from the ground. Each stone sphere was several feet in diameter. It was as if new mountain peaks had suddenly appeared around Qin Sang, and he was enveloped in their shadows.

"Crackle, crackle, crackle..."

As these stone spheres sprang into mid-air, they began to crack open. Dust and smoke billowed everywhere. Amidst the swirling dust, the stone spheres transformed dramatically, becoming giant ape-like creatures. Their bodies were rough and uneven, composed entirely of jagged rocks. But they all possessed four limbs, their posture and appearance resembling apes, and they moved freely. On the head of each stone ape, two hole-like eyes gleamed fiercely, staring intently at Qin Sang.

"Screech... screech..."

"Thump! Thump!"

The stone apes pounded their chests, emitting sharp cries. The cries were piercing and unfriendly, carrying clear hostility.

"Stone Apes!"

Qin Sang's pupils constricted as he realized his location. These stone apes were earth spirits born from rock, unique creatures of the Trial Realm's Wutu (Earth) Domain. They were known as the guardian beasts of the Trial Realm. The other three regions also had similar creatures. These stone apes possessed immense strength and extremely keen perception. They resided underground, blending seamlessly with the rocks, and were difficult to detect. Cultivators participating in the trial could easily stumble into their territory and be ambushed. Evidently, Qin Sang had now stepped into the stone apes' territory and enraged them.

Before these stone apes appeared, Qin Sang had used his divine sense to survey the surroundings, yet found no abnormalities whatsoever. This showed how superb their concealment abilities were.

Enraged by the intruder, the stone apes shrieked loudly. At the same time, in the dense forest below the mountain, ripples suddenly surged, accompanied by rustling sounds. Soon after, roars of beasts erupted. Seeing this scene, Qin Sang inwardly cursed, "This isn't good." These stone apes could actually command the surrounding fierce beasts to hunt him together. The fierce beasts wouldn't recognize the demonic qi on him. If a beast tide formed, Qin Sang would have to exert considerable effort to escape.

"Boom!"

A sword gleam flashed forth, slashing fiercely at a stone ape in front. Thunder rumbled, and the sword gleam was like lightning. Qin Sang attacked with full force. The stone ape had no time to react. Just as it was about to raise its fists to strike, the Ebony Sword had already slashed across its chest.

"Thud!"

The Ebony Sword left a deep sword mark on the stone ape's body. Unable to cleave it in two with a single strike, Qin Sang was somewhat surprised. This showed how strong the defense of these stone spirits was. Then, with a change in his hand seal, the Ebony Sword shimmered, splitting into over a dozen sword lights, which simultaneously slashed at various parts of the stone ape's body, primarily its vulnerable joints. The stone ape stiffened, and its entire body instantly shattered into pieces, turning into fragments of rock which fell to the ground.

A surprising scene unfolded. The dismembered stone ape had not died. After its body fell, it dissolved into the ground. Soon, the ground swelled again, and the outline of a new stone ape appeared, gradually forming in Qin Sang's sight and slowly standing up. These stone apes were actually immortal.

"As expected, they're not easy to deal with. And this one isn't even the strongest among the stone apes. However, although they can regenerate, it takes a certain amount of time. That interval is my chance to escape." Qin Sang mused, realizing the stone apes' characteristics.

At this moment, the other stone apes, seeing their companion killed, became enraged and swung their heavy fists, attacking. The forest below the mountain was in chaos, with beast roars echoing one after another, answering the cries of the stone apes. Their numbers were unknown.

Qin Sang no longer hesitated and pointed vaguely at the Ebony Sword. A sword wheel erupted amidst the stone apes. The stone apes stumbled about. Phoenix Wings and a Flood Dragon Shadow simultaneously appeared on Qin Sang. Spotting an opening, he burst out of the encirclement, easily leaving the stone apes behind. Qin Sang's escape technique was unmatched by these fierce beasts, as he moved with lightning speed.

The stone apes couldn't catch up. They pounded their chests, stamped their feet, and roared at the sky. Some fierce beasts in the surrounding mountains and forest rushed forward to intercept him, but they were either slain by Qin Sang or left far behind.