Chapter 99: Chapter 97: Boundary Stone Fragment
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The message Zhaang Ye received from the stone slate made it clear: the world he had just been in was created by an Ancient Great Power using a Great Divine Power.
The purpose of creating this Little World was to serve as a Trial Arena for the young elephants of the Elephant Race.
The Young Elephant Trial Arena! That was the name of the Little World he had just been in.
The Young Elephant Trial Arena contained all sorts of strange plants and animals, as well as various trials and tests. The fruit Zhaang Ye had just eaten was merely a common body-strengthening fruit, and there were many more similar trees inside. Young elephants who entered could rapidly increase their strength, growing faster and stronger. The Mammoth Zhaang Ye was riding had benefited from this Young Elephant Trial Arena, which was how it had managed to increase its strength so quickly.
After existing for a vast period of time, the Spirit Stones that maintained the Little World’s operation were depleted. As a result, the Young Elephant Trial Arena was finally and utterly destroyed by a terrifying Space Storm, reduced to nothingness.
’To forcibly carve a Little World out of the void! What kind of Divine Power is that?!’ Zhaang Ye’s heart pounded with shock; he simply couldn’t imagine what kind of Realm or level of strength that would require.
Zhaang Ye was stunned by the power used to create the Little World, but he was just as stunned by the utterly terrifying Space Storm. Everything in the Little World had been real, not an illusion. Yet whether it was a towering tree or a lofty mountain peak, the moment it touched the Space Storm, it was instantly reduced to ash, vanishing without a trace. Zhaang Ye would never forget that indescribable power as long as he lived.
Zhaang Ye sorted through the information in his mind. After composing himself, he held up the pale cyan stone slate in his hand and said, "Big guy, this belongs to your Elephant Race. I’m returning it to you."
The pale cyan stone slate in Zhaang Ye’s hand was, of course, no ordinary slab of rock. In the era of the Ancient Wilderness, it had a resounding name—Boundary Stone. Zhaang Ye had learned from the stone that Boundary Stones typically originated from spatial rifts. They were indestructible and possessed all sorts of wondrous properties. When Ancient Great Powers created Little Worlds, they often used a Boundary Stone as the foundation, letting it support an entire world.
The Boundary Stone in Zhaang Ye’s hand was only the size of his palm, a mere fragment of a whole. Even so, it was an exceptionally rare treasure. If a Great Power were to get their hands on it, they could create a new space within the fragment. Though it wouldn’t be large enough to form a Little World, it would be more than sufficient for storing items.
To be honest, after Zhaang Ye learned the fragment’s purpose from the intent contained within the Boundary Stone, he was sorely tempted to keep it. He wrestled with himself for a long time before finally deciding to return the item to the Mammoth.
’After all, it belonged to the Elephant Race. The will of an Elephant Race Great Power was left inside this Boundary Stone fragment.’
The Mammoth’s reaction surprised Zhaang Ye. After hearing his words, it didn’t take back the Boundary Stone fragment. Instead, it waved its trunk and let out a soft cry.
Zhaang Ye was taken aback. "Are you saying you’re giving this to me?"
"GROO!"
When he realized the Mammoth was actually giving him the practically priceless Boundary Stone fragment, Zhaang Ye was both thrilled and worried. The Boundary Stone was the raw material for creating a Storage Space, and he certainly wanted a space of his own; it would make carrying things much more convenient. The problem was, in his hands, the fragment was just a piece of rock for now. Moreover, it was an incredibly rare treasure. If word got out, people would definitely try to snatch it from him.
After thinking for a moment, Zhaang Ye leaped off the mammoth’s back, walked a short distance away, and opened the box containing the Mysterious Blade Tip. He then carefully placed the Boundary Stone fragment inside.
This box had the wondrous ability to block Spiritual Power. Until he found a better way to store it, using the box to hold the Boundary Stone was a relatively good solution.
RUMBLE—
The Mammoth ran on, leaving the hundreds-of-miles-long Dark Canyon and crossing the swamp beyond it. It carried Zhaang Ye for two days and two nights before finally stopping at the edge of a vast, gravel-strewn desert.
’The outskirts of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range are lush with vegetation and teeming with Fierce Beasts. It’s hard to believe a desert exists in a place like this.’ And yet, the desert lay stretched out right before Zhaang Ye’s eyes.
Zhaang Ye surveyed the endless, barren desert when something suddenly occurred to him. "Big guy, are there a lot of Robber Ants in this desert?"
As he spoke, Zhaang Ye jumped to the ground and drew a picture of a Robber Ant.
The Mammoth glanced at it and nodded.
Seeing the Mammoth’s confirmation, a glint appeared in Zhaang Ye’s eyes. He finally knew the origin of this desert.
More than three thousand miles from Cyan Mulberry City, there lay a desert thousands of miles across. This terrifying desert was home to countless Robber Ants. These creatures ranged in size from as large as wild horses to as small as gophers. They were covered in armor, their sharp teeth were venomous, and they moved swiftly in massive colonies. Devouring every beast and plant in their path, they left nothing but barren land behind, earning them the name Robber Ants. The desert they inhabited was known as the Ant Robbing Plain.
The number of Robber Ants on the Ant Robbing Plain was astounding, practically inexhaustible. Because of this, some of the younger generation from Cyan Mulberry City enjoyed coming to this desert to slay Robber Ants and temper themselves.
More powerful Martial Artists were also fond of coming to the Ant Robbing Plain. Most came for one reason: Ant Crystals.
Ant Crystals were a unique product of the Robber Ants. Consuming one could extend a person’s lifespan. Even an ordinary Ant Crystal was worth a fortune, while a top-quality one was priceless.
However, while Ant Crystals were a fine prize, only the Ant King possessed them. And the Ant King always resided in the heart of the Robber Ants’ nest, a place so heavily guarded that not even an expert at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer would dare to venture there recklessly.
"GRUU GRUU GRUU—"
The Mammoth let out a few soft cries, drew a door in the dirt with its trunk, and then pointed a few times toward the interior of the Ant Robbing Plain.
Having spent a long time with the Mammoth, Zhaang Ye understood its gestures quite well. He immediately asked, "You’re saying you want to increase your strength quickly so you can open that door inside?"
The Mammoth nodded, then pointed at the Robber Ant Zhaang Ye had drawn and made an eating motion. frёewebnoѵēl.com
Zhaang Ye understood at once. "You mean you can rapidly increase your strength by eating Robber Ants?"
The Mammoth nodded again.
"Alright, alright." Zhaang Ye understood what the Mammoth meant. He considered it for a moment. ’With my strength and the Mammoth’s, it shouldn’t be too dangerous as long as we don’t venture too deep. Plus, I still have that half of the Mysterious Blade Tip. If we run into trouble, escaping won’t be a problem.’ After thinking it through, Zhaang Ye said, "I’ll go in with you. But we have to stick to the outskirts. We absolutely cannot enter the inner regions. Otherwise, we’ll be in deep trouble."
The Mammoth nodded.
With a light push of his toes, Zhaang Ye leaped onto the Mammoth’s back. The man and the beast then slowly entered the Ant Robbing Plain.