Chen Cheng descended from midair and used his finger as a sword, killing an Explosive Demon Ape that was bathing in volcanic lava with a single strike.
Seeing their Beast Emperor slain, the savage Demon Apes beat their chests and charged at Chen Cheng.
But whether they were weak Silver Rank Demon Apes or Platinum Rank ones second only to the Explosive Demon Ape Emperor, none could withstand a single move from him.
Chen Cheng approached the Demon Ape's corpse and beckoned, using traction magic to lift it out of the lava.
Seeing that its hide was still intact, he nodded in satisfaction.
"At least it wasn't damaged. Now I won't be showing up empty-handed."
With a wave of his hand, Chen Cheng stripped the Demon Ape Emperor's hide from its body.
Explosive Demon Apes lived in volcanoes. A mass of fire poison had been inside them since birth, and they could only keep it in check by living in lava.
To survive there, their skin had naturally evolved a horny layer that could withstand the lava's heat.
In the hands of a potion maker, that layer was an extremely precious potion ingredient. In the hands of a Magic Artifact maker, it was an ideal material for crafting Magic Artifacts, especially those with fire resistance.
After putting away the hide, Chen Cheng sliced open the Demon Ape's chest. Inside lay a Magic Crystal Core filled with terrifying fire poison.
Given the amount of fire poison inside this Demon Ape Emperor, detonating the core would cause destruction no less than a Forbidden Spell cast by a Legendary Grand Mage.
That was why the Explosive Demon Ape clan had become a dominant force.
Chen Cheng picked up the Magic Crystal Core, moved his fingers a few times, and inscribed the most basic