Chapter 157: Earth Core Tempering Essence

"This Snow Demon Sky Ape has only just reached the Dou King rank, yet it can already speak? But if there truly is Earth Core Tempering Milk here, then the ape being able to talk at the Dou King level isn't surprising," Xiao Xie murmured to himself.

Earth Core Tempering Milk is born deep beneath the earth, pure earth power compressed by the passage of years. After a hundred years, it becomes a mist called Earth Core Fog, possessing wondrous solidifying effects. After a thousand years, it condenses into a liquid, and higher quality forms are called Earth Core Tempering Milk, renowned for its miraculous ability to cleanse marrow and refine bones. Moreover, due to the immense purity of its earth power, it can even help those at the peak of their rank break through bottlenecks, though naturally, there remains a significant risk of failure.

Generally speaking, the harsh conditions required for Earth Core Tempering Milk to form make it extremely rare to encounter. Such treasures of heaven and earth are sought but seldom found. Having stumbled upon it now, he certainly couldn't let the opportunity slip away.

"Earth Core Tempering Milk is mine!" Xiao Xie laughed aloud, carrying Zi Yan as he soared forward.

"You?" The six present—Han Yue among them—were all top ten on the Strong Ranking. They recognized Zi Yan as the first on the list.

"Xiao Xie, act quickly!" Zi Yan paid no mind to their astonished gazes, urging Xiao Xie on.

Xiao Xie nodded. With a gesture of his right hand, a shallow blade appeared. In a flash step, he was behind the Snow Demon Sky Ape. A flash of the blade, then he casually hung it at his waist.

A spurt! Before anyone could react, the massive head of the Dou King-ranked ape tumbled to the ground, a pillar of blood as thick as a barrel shooting skyward. Its enormous body crashed down, raising clouds of dust.

All six, Han Yue included, were dumbfounded by what they saw. Their hearts remained unsettled for a long time, unable to utter a word.

Xiao Xie performed the Divine Refining Hand, a white radiance flickering in his right palm as he swept it over the ape's corpse. A white treasure chest appeared in his hand, invisible to others unless Xiao Xie wished it. He stowed the chest in his worship space, and then put away the ape's body.

"Xiao Yan, come with me!" Zi Yan, seeing Xiao Xie dispatch the ape in one stroke, took his hand and led him toward its den.

"Should we follow?" Yan Hao, one of the six, asked.

"Forget it! What's the use now?" Lin Xiuya shook his head.

"Let's go," Han Yue said. The information about the Earth Core Tempering Milk had originally come from Zi Yan, and the ape was slain by Xiao Xie. Even if they followed, it would be pointless—what, would they forcibly take it? Trying to snatch something from Xiao Xie? The six of them weren't enough for him to cut down with a single stroke.

Led by Zi Yan, the pair arrived at the entrance of a cave. Xiao Xie sniffed the air drifting out—there was a faint beastly scent, much like that of the Snow Demon Sky Ape.

"This is it. Let's hurry inside!" Zi Yan gulped, having caught the scent of a feast, and took the lead.

The cave was quite large, enough to accommodate the ape's dwelling. The high ceiling reached over ten meters, and inside, chaos reigned, with white fur scattered everywhere.

"Don't try to fool me!" Zi Yan strode to a corner of the cave wall, where the ground was deeply sunken and covered in white fur. She curled her palm and, with a sudden grip, unleashed a powerful suction. The scattered sand and mud shot out in response to the influx.

After a while, the sand was drawn away, revealing a dark, subterranean opening before Xiao Xie and Zi Yan.

"Let's go," Zi Yan said, pulling Xiao Xie into the tunnel.

Xiao Xie waved his right hand, sending forth a dragon-shaped, azure flame to scout the path ahead. Although the passage was winding, he could sense they were descending ever deeper beneath the earth.

In this quiet atmosphere, they walked for nearly ten minutes before Zi Yan suddenly noticed a faint, pale light at the distant end of the dark tunnel. Joy sparkled in her heart, and she quickened their pace. As they drew nearer, the white dot expanded, eventually becoming a glowing entrance.

Stepping out of the darkness, Xiao Xie was momentarily dazzled by the brightness. After adapting to the light, he looked around, and a hint of astonishment appeared on his face.

Before them lay an underground world filled with stalactites, stretching as far as the eye could see, their milky-white forms extending to the horizon, emitting gentle, pale light that banished all darkness. Stalactites grew everywhere—some hung from the lofty ceiling, some were over a hundred meters long. The dome was lined with enormous stalactites, and occasionally, a drop of white liquid fell, splashing milky-white droplets on the ground.

"This way!" Zi Yan sniffed with her delicate nose and led Xiao Xie to the left. They wandered through this world of stalactites for nearly ten minutes before Zi Yan halted, gazing up at a colossal stalactite before them, wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth.

This massive stalactite connected the top of the dome to the ground, standing upright, its bulk over a hundred meters long and two people wide. A soft, white glow surrounded it, rendering it like a crystalline pillar—the greatest of all stalactites here, the king among them, receiving the homage of countless others.

Looking down, beneath this stalactite was a vast green stone, more than half buried in the earth. At its top was a shallow trough, less than half a foot deep, precisely aligned with the tip of the stalactite above. Within the trough was a pool of milky-white liquid, about two inches deep, from which faint white mist drifted. This strange mist never dissipated, no matter how it swirled. Xiao Xie took a deep breath, and a peculiar sensation tingled through his bones.

Zi Yan gleefully rushed to the top of the green stone, leaned over the trough, and drained all the milky liquid in one gulp.

"Burp!" Zi Yan licked the corner of her mouth, letting out a satisfied belch. Only a magical beast in human form like her could drink all this liquid at once—any other would be overwhelmed by the enormous energy within.

Xiao Xie watched her adorable, burping face and smiled, shaking his head. Using his Sky Dance technique, he flew upward along the vertical, massive stalactite, soon reaching the top of the dome. Looking down, the stalactites that once seemed huge now appeared as tiny as ants. He could see many others hanging from the dome, their faint glow illuminating the underground world.

Xiao Xie hovered at the base of the largest stalactite, where it met the dome. A gentle phosphorescence seeped from within, making it shine like transparent crystal—utterly beautiful.

"Xiao Xie, what are you doing?" Zi Yan flew to his side, curiosity written all over her face.

Xiao Xie produced a jade shard and dug at the base of the stalactite. Wrapped in Dou Qi, the jade shard became quite sharp. With a gentle touch, its tip sank into the crystal-like stalactite with a soft sound.

He carefully carved a small opening at the base. Peering inside, he saw a mass of emerald-green viscous liquid, floating within the stalactite. This substance, as if possessed of its own spirit, flowed gently inside.

Though he didn't know exactly what the emerald liquid was, the pure energy it contained stunned Zi Yan. Its concentration was at least ten times richer than the Earth Core Tempering Milk in the trough below.

"What is this?" Zi Yan swallowed, nearly drooling, and asked Xiao Xie.