179: Surprising discovery, the essence of earth element is obtained

Liyue City, urban area, Zhou Family Business back hall.

Zhou Yi, who usually showed a friendly smile in front of Ye Xiao, now had a rare look of anger on his plump face, and his hands resting on the table were clenched into fists, with veins faintly visible.

Below him, Zhou Wan and Zhou Ling, the two sisters, also looked indignant.

Finally, Zhou Ling couldn't hold back and angrily shouted, "Why? This is clearly a secret realm we conquered, why should we give them half?"

Zhou Wan, though equally angry, was clearly much more rational than Zhou Ling. Hearing this, she sighed and said, "What can we do if we don't give it? The arm can't twist the thigh after all."

"How is this any different from bandits? I think we should just report it to the Alliance," Zhou Ling said indignantly.

At this moment, Zhou Yi above them let out a faint sigh.

"The Alliance is now controlled by the Eight Great Families. Even if the other seven families are willing to mediate, the final result will only be that these fifty percent of the profits are transferred from the Zhi Family to a few other families."

Zhou Ling, who had always been simple-minded, was stunned by this.

"How...how can they be so shameless?"

Zhou Yi shook his head and said nothing more.

Having dealt with various powers for years, he had long grown accustomed to the shameless actions of these major powers, who devoured people without spitting out the bones.

But he never expected that this time, the Zhi Family's behavior would be so ugly, so utterly reckless.

In the past, facing such an aggressive stance from the Zhi Family, the Zhou Family would probably choose to back down. But this time was different; the Forest of Curses was, to put it plainly, cleared by Ye Xiao alone. His Zhou Family was only responsible for daily maintenance and operation.

Of the entire secret realm's revenue, the Zhou Family only took thirty percent.

But now the Zhi Family wanted fifty percent, which meant his Zhou Family would gain nothing and even have to pay two percent of the profits. How could Zhou Yi possibly tolerate this?

As for not giving Ye Xiao his share of the profits?

If the other party were an ordinary person, he would dare to do so, as he could always pin the blame on the Zhi Family.

But that person was a ruthless individual who dared to annihilate the thousands of Dragon Abyss Legion members stationed by the Zhao Family in the novice zone, and could still calmly leave after being surrounded by more than a dozen Rank Eight powerhouses from the Zhao Family.

Such a person might not be easier to deal with than the Zhi Family.

More importantly, all of this was done by Ye Xiao before level 90. Facing such a newcomer with terrifying potential, Zhou Yi was not foolish and naturally dared not offend him.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to say a word after Ye Xiao killed Zhou Dafu, and instead eagerly approached him for cooperation, as he wanted to cooperate with Ye Xiao long-term.

But now... Zhou Yi fell into silence, unsure how to handle this problem for a while.

---

However, just as Zhou Yi was encountering trouble, Ye Xiao had already returned to the Eternal World with Milad.

Ye Xiao hadn't expected that the Xiling Ruins would be hidden less than three hundred li from the main city of Liyue City.

At this moment, the two stood before a crevice in a giant rock that showed no special features.

Ye Xiao examined the crevice in front of him but couldn't discern any abnormalities.

Milad had also put away his previous carefree demeanor, his expression now a few shades more serious.

"Don't look, the entrance is below the crevice, and there's an invisible barrier on the surface. Even your Human Job Holders at level 300 probably wouldn't discover it."

Ye Xiao was a little curious, "Then how did you know?"

Milad said proudly, "Why do you think I would plant the Xiling curse on myself?"

Ye Xiao understood. So Milad had established a connection with the Xiling Ruins through the curse.

It had to be said that Milad's actions were indeed overly insane.

At this moment, Ye Xiao's heart stirred, and he contacted Xiao Jin through the Red Moon Space, "Can you detect the barrier here?"

Xiao Jin in the space lazily said, "It's just a Grand Earth Illusion Restriction. I detected it from far away. Only that foolish Meiya People would use such an old-fashioned method and even plant a curse on himself. The Xiling Clan's curse is not that fun."

Just then, Milad's voice rang out.

"Let's go, kid. Remember to follow me closely after we go down and absolutely don't mess around, or if you disturb those guys, both of us will be finished inside."

After speaking, without waiting for Ye Xiao's agreement, Milad already led the way in.

Ye Xiao originally wanted to ask a few more questions, but at this moment, he could only helplessly follow.

Soon, Ye Xiao followed Milad through the giant rock crevice. Just as Ye Xiao was wondering where the entrance was, Milad directly pulled Ye Xiao and leaped down.

The next moment, something strange happened.

Ye Xiao found that his surroundings suddenly changed. By the time he reacted, he was already in a dimly lit pile of giant rocks.

Immediately after, he saw Milad make a gesture, signaling Ye Xiao not to make a sound.

Next, Ye Xiao silently followed behind Milad, continuously moving through the pile of giant rocks.

During this time, Ye Xiao finally noticed something amiss.

He wondered if it was his imagination, but just now, he seemed to have seen the rocks on both sides move slightly.

Given Milad's instructions, although Ye Xiao was full of questions, he did not act rashly.

However, just as the two passed through a pile of rubble, a faint sound echoed in the silent space, appearing particularly abrupt.

Milad's face stiffened, and his body involuntarily paused.

Ye Xiao looked down and saw that Milad had unknowingly kicked a thumb-sized piece of rubble.

In an instant, the previously quiet and peaceful surroundings began to shake without warning.

Seeing this scene, Milad looked at Ye Xiao with an old face showing a smile uglier than crying.

"We're doomed, we're doomed. Why did I run into such a jinx like you? I came in several times before and nothing happened."

It was clearly your own problem, and now you're blaming me.

Ye Xiao heard this and looked speechless, but he wasn't worried at all.

He had Void Phantom to hide in the void dimension, plus Xiao Jin's ability to break formations. Even if there was danger, he could leave calmly.

As for Milad, Ye Xiao could only say that if he could save him, he would; if not, he was helpless.

"Boom!"

A dull roar came from an unknown source. The next moment, the previously still giant rocks around them opened their eyes.

Yes, the rocks opened their eyes.

Then they extended limbs that had been hidden somewhere.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Angry roars echoed continuously.

Instantly filling the entire dim space.

Ye Xiao looked at the changes before him, also a little surprised.

He scanned one of the giant rocks.

---

[Rock-Earth Giant]

[Level: 150]

[Health: 2,000,000]

[Attack: 5,000]

[Defense: 80,000]

[Skills: Earth Wall (Passive), Rock Roll, Earth Mist, Earth Roar]

[Description: A special earth-elemental monster born from absorbing pure Elemental Essence, possessing extraordinary vitality and defense, with strong resistance to ordinary attacks.]

---

Level 150 monster?

Ye Xiao looked at the attributes of the Rock-Earth Giant, his brows furrowing unconsciously.

2 million health and a defense of 50,000.

These attributes were even more exaggerated than the Curse Worm. At least the Curse Worm was a boss, while the Rock-Earth Giant in front of him were just ordinary monsters.

How could they have such absurd attributes? Just the 80,000 defense was something even a level 250 monster couldn't achieve, and there wasn't just one of these terrifying monsters, but an entire group.

Ye Xiao looked around, densely packed, no less than 300 of them.

Surrounded by such a terrifying group of guys, no wonder Milad was so nervous.

However, these were not what Ye Xiao cared about. At this moment, he stared at the description on the monster panel, his eyes bursting with surprise.

Elemental Essence?

"Kid, what are you still gawking at? Run! It'll be too late if you don't!"

At this moment, Milad had used all his strength, frantically dashing back along the way they came.

Fortunately, he still had some conscience, not forgetting to call out to Ye Xiao as he ran.

But just as his voice fell, he felt a wave of heat behind him.

Milad subconsciously looked back and was stunned by the sky full of Fireball.

But he quickly came to his senses and immediately cursed in exasperation, "Stop it, you idiot! If you want to die, don't drag me with you! You'll only attract more of these guys..."

Milad's subsequent curses were very foul, and he even began to regret why he had brought such a foolish boy in without asking clearly.

Humans could see the monster's attribute panel, couldn't they see these guys' health and defense?

Was there something seriously wrong with this guy's head?

Just then, Milad, with his keen eyesight, noticed another pile of giant rocks surrounding them from afar.

At this moment, Milad's old face turned green.

Knowing that a breakthrough was impossible, he could only change direction and run back towards Ye Xiao.

Just as he was about to reach Ye Xiao, he saw Ye Xiao holding his staff and, in a remarkably unremarkable manner, tapping it against a giant rock.

"Idiot! You're a mage, yet you're using your staff to hit them? Aren't you looking for death..."

However, he was only halfway through his curse when he suddenly froze.

That giant rock... it cracked?

Milad rubbed his eyes in disbelief, looking again.

The result was that under his astonished gaze, the enormous rock in front of Ye Xiao shattered into dust.

The Rock-Earth Giant didn't even have time to react.

This bizarre scene completely stunned Milad.

But then, he saw Ye Xiao rush to another Rock-Earth Giant and, using the same method, struck it again.

Then, the Rock-Earth Giant shattered again.

Milad didn't understand this.

But the old man reacted quickly; the monsters behind him had already surrounded them.

Without a word, he rushed to Ye Xiao's side and, with a fawning expression, said, "Kid, the first time I saw you, I knew you were extraordinary. My foresight is truly sharp."

Ye Xiao had no time to pay attention to Milad at the moment.

After successively killing two Rock-Earth Giant with his magic weapon, he was in a state of excitement.

These Rock-Earth Giant truly contained fragments of Elemental Essence.

For Ye Xiao, this was an unexpected surprise.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Next, the entire rock pile was filled with the roars of Rock-Earth Giant, along with various Fireballs, ice lances, and whirlwinds flying around.

However, these dense skills hitting the Rock-Earth Giant, except for Fireball, which could cause slight damage, had no effect on the Rock-Earth Giant.

In contrast, Ye Xiao, as a Mage, could easily take down an Rock-Earth Giant with every swing of his staff.

This completely counter-intuitive scene left Milad, who was standing beside him, dumbfounded, scratching his head but unable to figure out what was happening.

Isn't he a Mage? How is he more violent than a melee Professional?

Could it be that these Rock-Earth Giant only have strong magic resistance? Is their physical defense incredibly weak?

If that's the case, then at level 180, my physical damage should still be higher than a Human Mage, right?

If this kid can do it, there's no reason I can't.

With this thought, Milad's eyes lit up even more.

Just then, Ye Xiao was dealing with an Rock-Earth Giant in front, while another Rock-Earth Giant approached Milad from behind.

This time, Milad chose not to dodge; instead, he confidently pulled out a short staff.

"Beast, die!" Milad shouted, slamming the short staff hard at the Rock-Earth Giant in front of him.

"Crack!"

A crisp snapping sound echoed, and Milad's body trembled.

His short staff... broke.

Milad looked at the remaining half of his short staff in his hand with some suspicion, then at the still-intact Rock-Earth Giant, and his eyes immediately bulged out, his face filled with astonishment.

"What's going on?"

Unfortunately, the only answer he received was the cold fist of the Rock-Earth Giant.

Feeling the biting wind approaching, Milad shivered and scrambled to Ye Xiao for protection.

Ye Xiao also saw this scene and swung his staff back.

"Bang!"

The Rock-Earth Giant that had been chasing Milad instantly turned into countless shattered stones.

--- ---

[Ding! You killed an Rock-Earth Giant and gained 30541 experience points.]

[Ding! You obtained Elemental Essence Fragment * 1.]

[Ding! You gained 1 point of Earth Element Resistance.]

--- ---

Compared to ordinary level 150 monsters, this Rock-Earth Giant brought Ye Xiao over 30,000 experience points, which was quite generous.

But considering the attributes of the Rock-Earth Giant, this amount of experience was not that high.

After all, if it weren't for the magic weapon that could provide stacked skill damage, Ye Xiao wouldn't be able to harm this giant in front of him.

Of course, experience was secondary; with Little Gold by his side, finding opportunities to kill people to level up was still very fast.

If necessary, there were a large number of NPCs in Starfire City, and the experience from NPCs was much higher than that from Human Job Holders.

So Ye Xiao didn't value this experience too much; the only thing he cared about was the Elemental Essence dropped from the Rock-Earth Giant.

He now possessed Fire, Wind, Water, and Dark Elemental Essence.

Not to mention the Fusion Mage's reliance on Elemental Essence, just the additional abilities brought by each essence could greatly enhance Ye Xiao's combat power.

For this reason alone, Ye Xiao couldn't miss these Rock-Earth Giant in front of him.

However, one thing surprised Ye Xiao.

After a short battle, Ye Xiao found that the Elemental Essence fragments dropped from the Rock-Earth Giant were very fragmented.

It was not like before, where only 10 fragments needed to be collected to exchange for a complete essence.

At the same time, given that the number of Rock-Earth Giant here was not large, killing one Rock-Earth Giant could only increase Earth Element Resistance by 1 point.

This was quite a bit worse than other elemental monsters he had encountered before.

Despite this, Ye Xiao had no intention of giving up.

No matter how much the resistance increased, Ye Xiao's goal was always a complete Earth Elemental Essence.

Fortunately, after Ye Xiao consecutively killed more than thirty Rock-Earth Giant, the long-awaited message finally popped up.

--- ---

[Ding! Your 50 Elemental Essence Fragments have been collected, and the Elemental Essence Fragments have changed. All your Earth-type skill damage is increased by 20%.]

--- ---

As the message popped up, Ye Xiao found that the 50 Elemental Essence fragments on him had already merged into one.

This magical scene surprised Ye Xiao somewhat.

If based on previous experience, he would have to kill a total of five hundred Rock-Earth Giant to have a chance to collect a complete Earth Elemental Essence.

Thinking of this, Ye Xiao immediately scanned the surrounding Rock-Earth Giant.

Including those that appeared later, the total number seemed to be exactly five hundred.

It seemed his guess was correct.

Ye Xiao narrowed his eyes, then looked at Milad, who was clinging tightly to his side, and quickly ordered, "Don't make a move from now on. All the Rock-Earth Giant here are mine. If you dare to interfere, I will definitely not save you."

Milad rolled his eyes, completely ignoring Ye Xiao's somewhat threatening tone, and muttered softly, "Do I look like an idiot? You quickly kill these big guys; it's simply too terrifying here."

Ye Xiao was a bit speechless. Didn't you boast earlier that coming here was like coming home? Why are you scared now?

However, Ye Xiao was too lazy to talk nonsense with him. He unleashed a flurry of skills and then rushed towards the nearest Rock-Earth Giant.

Right now, getting the Elemental Essence was the priority.

The rest was quite simple.

Even though these Rock-Earth Giant had ridiculously high HP and defense, compared to Ye Xiao's outrageous damage, they were like a small witch meeting a great one.

At the same time, the Rock-Earth Giant' attack power was not weak, but unfortunately, they were facing Ye Xiao.

Under the protection of the three major shields and the Death Domain, plus Ye Xiao's current dual resistances, which were several times higher than those of his peers.

The battle quickly became a one-sided affair.

As one Rock-Earth Giant after another fell at Ye Xiao's feet, in a short while, more than half of the surrounding Rock-Earth Giant were gone.

By this point, Ye Xiao had gained a total of 60% Earth element damage bonus and 40% Earth element resistance bonus.

Milad, behind him, watched this scene and couldn't help but secretly marvel.

"This kid... he's simply a monster. No wonder that old guy Boqi chose him; he really made the right choice."

After gaining a clear understanding of Ye Xiao's strength, Milad also changed his previous arrogant personality and honestly followed behind Ye Xiao.

He even occasionally provided Ye Xiao with the movements of the Rock-Earth Giant in a warm manner.

Half an hour later, with Milad's meager contribution, when the last Rock-Earth Giant' body turned into shattered stones, the battle finally ended.

During this time, Ye Xiao's level also successfully reached 97, which was a considerable gain.

Of course, compared to this, Ye Xiao finally received the message he wanted to see.

--- ---

[Ding! Your 50 Elemental Essence Fragments have been collected, and the Elemental Essence Fragments have changed. You have gained the ability: Earth's Bulwark.]

[Earth's Bulwark: Increases physical defense by 1% per second, up to a maximum of 100%. The effect resets after taking any damage.]

[Ding! Your Elemental Essence Fragments have synthesized into a perfect Earth Elemental Essence.]

[Ding! You have fused the perfect Earth Elemental Essence and gained Nourishment of the Earth.]

[Nourishment of the Earth: Nurtured by the immense life force of the earth, you will no longer die after taking any fatal damage. Instead, your total accumulated experience will be consumed, and you will randomly master one skill from the enemy. If you have no experience, taking fatal damage again will result in immediate death.]

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