“If this were to be used as a smithing material, I’m certain the end product would be a weapon of the highest grade. I’ve never seen such a stone,” someone chimed in.
However, because the sealing stone clearly had defensive measures in place, no one dared to approach it casually. Meanwhile, Jared and his party, who were hiding nearby, appeared somewhat anxious..
“Those fools! That’s a sealing stone. If tampered with carelessly, the sealed entity inside could be released, which would spell trouble for us all,” Jared uttered in an undertone.
“Mr. Chance, should we stop them?” Renault asked Jared. After pondering for a moment, Jared nodded. “Yes. We should inform those idiots that they can’t simply mess with that stone.”
With that, Jared led Renault and the others over. While Zordey and his group were contemplating how to transport the stone, the sudden appearance of Jared and his party surprised them.
“It’s you? Why are you here?” Zordey knew Jared and his companions had departed on the divine turtle but hadn’t expected them to arrive on the island as well.
“Zordey, that’s a sealing stone. The engravings on it form a sealing arcane array. It shouldn’t be tampered with because we don’t know what’s sealed beneath. If a terrifying demon beast is unleashed, everyone here could die,” Jared warned. Hearing that, many of the cultivators present distanced themselves from the sealing stone.
Zordey hastily said, “All of you shouldn’t listen to his nonsense. He’s just trying to deter us so they can claim the stone for themselves. Why else would they be hiding here? Sealing stone, my foot! That’s just something he came up with to scare us. Do you really believe his tale?”
After Zordey finished his sentence, even the cultivators who initially believed Jared began to doubt his intentions.
“Zordey, I’m warning you for your own good. If you insist on tampering with the sealing stone, be my guest. However, when a demon beast is set free, you should prepare for your doom,” Jared added, then quickly retreated to one side, showing no inclination to stop Zordey.
At that point, even Zordey’s confidence waned. Still, he couldn’t resist the temptation at the sight of the faintly glowing stone before him.
Zordey glanced at the crowd and declared, “I don’t believe your nonsense. I’m determined to have this stone today. Anyone who wishes to claim a share should join me now.” Soon, some people gave in to the temptation
and aligned with Zordey to stake their claim to the stone. As the stone was quite large, Zordey decided to shatter it into smaller pieces before taking them away. Spiritual energy pulsated within the stone, which was a clear indication of its great value.
“Let’s work together to break this stone, then we can split it equally among us. Those cowards who shy away can quit dreaming about laying their hand on even a piece,” Zordey uttered with a snort.
Zordey and a few cultivators began to gather energy, preparing to strike the sealing stone. At the same time, Jared suggested, “Let’s retreat a little further and observe what’s sealed underneath this sealing stone.”
Jared, Renault, and his party swiftly pulled away. In truth, he was also eager to learn what lay beneath the seal.
“Attack!” Zordey shouted, signaling the few cultivators to launch their attacks simultaneously. An immense surge of energy erupted from their palms, heading straight for the sealing stone.
Boom! With a massive explosion, the sealing stone shattered into pieces, scattering fragments everywhere. However, the broken pieces no longer bore any runes or emitted spiritual energy.
The extraordinary properties stemmed from the sealing arcane array. Now that the arcane array was forcibly destroyed, the stone instantly reverted to its ordinary state. Taking in the mundane shards strewn across the ground, Zordey was dumbfounded.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed. The entire altar began to collapse, prompting everyone to jump away in haste. The collapse of the altar revealed a dark, bottomless pit, and from its depth, an eerie and spine-chilling aura emanated.
