Lin Qin landed on the outskirts of Devil Rock. The sandstorm was growing stronger. Dark clouds hung low, and dark red lightning darted through them with a dull rumble. The chaotic, violent fluctuations of energy were coming from deep within the rocks.
He didn't rush in. Instead, he explored the edges of Devil Rock. Before long, beneath a massive rock that sheltered it from the wind, he discovered a small oasis and a shabby-looking village nestled beside it.
The village was tiny, with only a few dozen households. Most of the homes were rudimentary structures built from mud and stones. A mood of panic hung over the village. The residents had gathered together, anxiously watching Devil Rock and murmuring among themselves.
Lin Qin concealed his presence and walked over. His arrival drew the villagers' attention. Seeing his unfamiliar face and unusually composed manner, they grew wary, though a glimmer of hope showed in their eyes.
An elderly man who looked like the village chief stepped forward, leaning on a cane. He asked cautiously, "My lord, have you come from outside?"
Lin Qin nodded. "I'm passing through. What's that Black Storm up ahead? And what's inside Devil Rock?"
The old man sighed, fear showing on his face. "A demon... A terrible demon has come to Devil Rock! It's the one that makes the Black Storm! Several passing caravans have already fallen victim to it, and our village can barely hold on."
"A demon? What does it look like?" Lin Qin pressed.
"We couldn't see clearly," a young man nearby blurted out, his face etched with lingering fear. "When the Black Storm rises, all you can make out is a huge shadow flying inside it. It's incredibly fast! It makes a shrill sound that leaves anyone who hears it dizzy. Then they get swept away by the wind, and not even their bones can be found!"
"It comes out every few days, raising a Black Storm and attacking anyone passing by, people and livestock alike," the old man added. "It's already taken most of the sheep in our village. If this keeps up, we'll either starve to death or be killed by that demon."
Lin Qin frowned. It didn't sound like any common magical beast he knew. "Does it always come from deep inside Devil Rock?"
"Yes, from the very heart of those red stones," the old man said firmly. "Devil Rock was dangerous before, but nothing like this ever happened. This thing only appeared in the last two months."
Two months. The timing matched the mission description and the appearance of the abnormal energy fluctuations.
"Has anyone gone in to investigate?" Lin Qin asked.
The villagers all shook their heads, fear deepening in their faces. "Nobody who went in ever came back! That Black Storm is too strange. The sand cuts like knives, and then there's that horrible sound... No one dares go in!"
Just then, the energy fluctuations coming from deep within Devil Rock suddenly intensified! The black clouds overhead churned more violently, and dark red lightning crisscrossed through them like a dense net!
"It's coming! It's about to come out again!" the villagers cried in terror, scattering toward the back of the village for shelter.
The old man anxiously called out to Lin Qin, "My lord! Get to safety! The demon's coming!"
Lin Qin stood his ground, gazing sharply toward the depths of Devil Rock. "I came here for it."
Before he'd even finished speaking, a piercing, soul-rending shriek rang out from deep within the rocks. With it came a massive black tornado, carrying a sky full of yellow sand. Like a ferocious serpent, it burst out of Devil Rock and shot into the sky, sweeping straight toward the village! Within the tornado, a huge, blurry shadow could be seen twisting and changing shape.
As the Black Storm passed, it swept up layers of sand and stones from the ground, filling the air with a terrifying howl. Its chaotic, violent aura rushed toward them, making their hearts pound.
The villagers were white with terror. They shut their eyes in despair.
Lin Qin's gaze turned cold. He stepped forward, placing himself between the village and the Black Storm. Facing the black tornado that seemed capable of destroying everything in its path, he didn't release the powerful aura of the Saint Realm. Instead, he focused his mental power and carefully sensed the energy makeup and fluctuation patterns of the shadow at the storm's core.
He realized the shadow wasn't a pure life-form. It seemed more like an elemental creature formed from some kind of chaotic dark energy and windblown sand, though that wasn't quite right either. There was also a trace of... resentment from a soul curse mixed in. The shrill shriek was a psychic attack created by that resentment mingling with the energy.
With the Black Storm about to swallow the village, Lin Qin made his move. He didn't use a wide-area attack. Instead, he raised his right hand toward the heart of the raging tornado, spread his fingers, and slowly clenched his fist.
"Disperse."
An invisible wave, infused with the pure, weighty power of the Laws of the Earth, spread out from him and precisely struck a weak point in the Black Storm's energy structure!
Like boiling water poured onto snow, the terrifying black tornado began to collapse from within the instant it came into contact with the power of the Laws of the Earth. The raging wind and sand lost their energy source and came tumbling down. The shadow hidden at the storm's core let out an even sharper shriek, full of fury and alarm, its shape turning unstable. It had clearly taken a serious hit.
With a single move, he had dispelled a Black Storm powerful enough to destroy the village!
The villagers, having survived the disaster, stared in stunned disbelief at the sight. They looked at the young man standing firm amid the dust, his clothes perfectly undisturbed, their eyes filled with awe and fervent reverence.
"A god... A god..." someone murmured.
Seeing the Black Storm broken, the shadow realized it had met its natural enemy. It sent out a malicious wave of psychic energy and turned to flee back into the depths of Devil Rock.
"Trying to run?" Lin Qin sneered. He'd gone to all the trouble of finding the culprit. How could he let it escape? He pushed off the ground and shot forward like lightning, covering hundreds of meters in an instant as he pursued the fleeing shadow into Devil Rock.
The villagers watched Lin Qin disappear into the strange red stone forest. They exchanged uncertain looks, their hearts filled with hope but shadowed by deep concern.
"Can that lord... really destroy the demon?"
"Of course he can! Didn't you see how powerful he was just now?"
"Heavens, protect that lord. Please bring him back safely..."
The village chief gazed toward Devil Rock, tears welling in his cloudy old eyes. He bowed deeply in the direction Lin Qin had disappeared.
By then, Lin Qin had already ventured deep into Devil Rock. Jagged rocks crowded the area, and the paths twisted in every direction. The lingering chaotic energy also interfered with navigation, so ordinary people would inevitably lose their way. But Lin Qin's mental power was formidable, and he kept the fleeing dark energy firmly in his sights.
He was far faster than the shadow. After a few bounds, he caught up with it. This time, he held nothing back.
"Thick Earth Seal!"
A solid, ochre-colored seal formed in an instant. Carrying the weighty intent of something that could suppress all things, it overtook the shadow and slammed into it!
Sensing a lethal threat, the shadow let out a desperate shriek. It frantically gathered the dark energy and windblown sand around it, trying to form a barrier.
"Boom!"
The Thick Earth Seal crashed down, shattering the hastily formed defense like paper! The shadow let out a shrill, agonized scream. The pure power of the Laws of the Earth within the seal instantly purified and annihilated the energy at its core!
The twisted shadow vanished completely, leaving behind only a black crystal the size of a pigeon's egg, radiating chaotic, resentful energy. It dropped from the air.
Lin Qin reached out and caught the black crystal. It was icy to the touch. Inside, it seemed to hold countless fragments of suffering souls and twisted dark energy. He understood now: this wasn't an elemental creature born naturally. It was more like a monster formed when an evil ritual went wrong, fusing the resentful souls of the dead with dark energy.
He looked at the ill-omened crystal in his hand, then toward the deeper reaches of Devil Rock. Was the source that had created this monster still inside? It seemed the Death Desert concealed a deeper darkness.
He put away the crystal and decided to continue investigating.
Before you continue