192: Enter the hidden level
Upon seeing Song Ming enter the dungeon, everyone present collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
They couldn't be blamed for it.
The pressure Song Ming exerted on them was simply too great.
Ten mercenaries, all above Rank 115, and among them, the Japan Professional was a Rank 120 powerhouse.
Yet, in front of Song Ming, they couldn't even use any of their abilities.
They died so easily.
Not even their bodies remained.
This was enough to show that Song Ming's strength was terrifying, even completely beyond their comprehension.
Thus, they finally understood one thing.
No wonder Song Ming could clear the hell-level difficulty dungeon within ten minutes and successfully obtain the hidden stage item.
With such strength...
Except for the deepest parts of the Black Land, there was nowhere Song Ming couldn't go.
He could practically walk around here unhindered.
However, what puzzled them was this:
With such incredible strength, why was Song Ming still in the Black Land?
Was he just here to bully weaker opponents?
"How many Ranks is this big shot, to instantly kill these mercenaries?" someone in the crowd couldn't help but ask.
"I don't know, but I wouldn't dare use Appraisal Technique on him!"
"To be able to instantly kill a Rank 120 Professional, he must be at least Rank 150!"
"No, this Golem dungeon only allows Professionals up to Rank 125 to enter."
"Hiss, does that mean he's only, at most, Rank 125?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible."
After a round of speculation, everyone collectively gasped.
Even if Song Ming was five Ranks higher than that vice-captain, he couldn't have instantly killed him.
Let alone the rest of the group.
But the fact was, it happened.
Song Ming killed these ten mercenaries with incredible ease.
The only explanation was that it likely came down to the skills Song Ming possessed.
Everyone recalled the dazzling purple flame.
The high temperature it inadvertently emitted made them feel incredibly uncomfortable.
If it had landed on them, they couldn't even imagine the consequences.
It was undoubtedly a Forbidden Spell-level skill.
To master a Forbidden Spell at such a young age, this person must have a very significant background.
"What should we do? Should we continue to stay here?"
"Stay for what? When that bald guy comes out, we'll all be in trouble."
"Besides, with the big shot's strength, clearing the hidden stage will be a piece of cake."
"Right, and then the Abyss Gate will be destroyed, and this dungeon will cease to exist."
"Let's disperse, everyone disperse. There's no need to stay here any longer!"
Everyone chattered, none of them intending to remain.
Because that group of mercenaries wasn't completely dead yet.
If the bald guy came out and saw that all his companions had disappeared, he would surely come looking for trouble with them.
Moreover, the big shot's visit this time was probably aimed at closing the Abyss Gate.
If the Abyss Gate was gone, the dungeon would be gone too.
Then they would have no reason to stay.
Everyone then got up in twos and threes and left the area.
In a short while, they had all departed.
After all, there were many dungeons and Secret Realms in the Black Land; they didn't need to be stuck here.
......
Inside the Golem dungeon.
Song Ming looked at the familiar black boulders before him and didn't hesitate.
With a strike of the Heaven and Earth Seal, all the Golem Monsters instantly turned to dust.
Familiar experience notifications scrolled across the screen, one after another.
However, Song Ming's expression remained unchanged.
No other reason than the experience penalty for repeatedly entering the dungeon.
Fortunately, this was only his second entry, so he would only lose ten percent of the experience and rewards.
The loss wasn't significant.
And as long as he entered the hidden stage, the experience penalty would naturally disappear.
After all, this was his first time entering the hidden stage.
The familiar Stone Steps once again appeared before Song Ming.
He naturally didn't hesitate; his figure flickered, and he was already in front of the gate made of vines and branches.
Before he could push open the wooden door, the Demonic Rune Leaf in his inventory space reacted.
Song Ming's heart stirred, and he took it out.
A faint purple glow emanated from the leaf, flickering on and off.
On the huge gate before him, a concave pit appeared at the opportune moment, shaped exactly like a leaf.
Song Ming placed the Demonic Rune Leaf into the pit, and the two immediately fit together tightly.
He then reached out to push.
But the gate remained motionless, which was somewhat unexpected.
After a moment, Song Ming suddenly realized.
The hidden stage item still needed Mental Energy to activate it; otherwise, it couldn't function as intended.
Song Ming, eager to clear the dungeon, had forgotten this detail.
He immediately channeled his Mental Energy towards the Demonic Rune Leaf at the center of the gate.
The entire gate instantly erupted in a strong purple light.
And in the blink of an eye, its appearance drastically changed.
All the vines and branches on it turned purple, intertwining and reorganizing to finally form a bizarre, giant ghostly face.
The ghostly face had its mouth wide open, revealing jagged fangs, making it look extremely terrifying.
Song Ming naturally wasn't frightened by this ghostly face; it was merely an inanimate object.
After observing for a moment and confirming that the giant mouth was the entrance to the hidden stage, he stepped in without hesitation.
The surroundings suddenly darkened.
Passing through the entrance, Song Ming arrived in a dim space.
Under his feet was a desert, and looking up, all around him was an endless sea of sand.
He immediately showed a surprised expression.
He had originally thought he would re-enter the previous island.
But he hadn't expected the terrain within the hidden stage to be a desert.
And the space seemed quite large.
Song Ming casually chose a direction, but before he had taken a few steps, the sand beneath his feet suddenly swelled up, about to lift him.
However, Song Ming had already noticed the anomaly beneath his feet.
His figure flickered, and he instantly vanished from his original spot.
At this moment, the rising sand dune grew larger and larger, finally shattering with a 'bang'.
Sand and dust immediately scattered everywhere.
When the dust settled, Song Ming finally saw the monster's appearance.
It was indeed the Golem Monster that had appeared before.
However, this Golem's size was twice that of the ones in the hell-level difficulty, standing a full six meters tall.
Its entire body was earthy yellow, with two giant spherical orbs embedded in its chest.
They rotated continuously, seemingly observing the unfamiliar human before it.
Song Ming narrowed his eyes, and the monster's detailed information immediately appeared before him.
[Abyssal Golem Enhanced Warrior (Super Enhanced Elite Monster)]
[HP: 16,500,000]
[Rank: 116]
[Strength: 13,800]
[Agility: 13,000]
[Mental Energy: 13,200]
[Physique: 14,100]
[Defense: 14,100]
[Skills: Indestructible Body, Sand Power]
A Rank 116 Abyssal Golem Enhanced Warrior, significantly stronger than the Demon Tree Guardian.
And this was only the first monster Song Ming encountered.
From this, one could see the difficulty of clearing the hidden stage!