Isn't This the Key to Going Home?

"Look at that black stone in the middle of the groove."

Yuan Ji looked in the direction Su Zhan pointed.

The fist-sized Black Crystal was quietly embedded in the center of the groove, pulsating rhythmically. With each pulsation, the dark red Rune would glow faintly.

"This..."

Yuan Ji frowned.

His bloodline intuition told him that these Rune were the imprints of the Yuan Household family ancestors, the Key to unlock the Grotto-Heaven Core.

But that Black Crystal wasn't.

The aura emanating from that thing was the same as the various methods of the Black Demon Sect we had encountered before.

Yuan Ji's expression changed instantly.

"This is... something from the Black Demon Sect?!"

"Hmm." Su Zhan released his hand. "The information I extracted from those three Elder's minds—this Crystal Stone was personally planted by the Black Demon Sect Sect Master, and it's called the 'Myriad Demons Heart-Devouring Stone.'"

"Once you infuse your Power of Bloodline into the groove, this stone will be activated. It will create a Blood Pool within the groove, specifically targeting the Yuan Household's bloodline. Anyone who comes into contact with the pool's water will have their soul sucked in, subjected to the ravages of countless demons, suffering a fate worse than death."

Yuan Ji's face turned completely pale.

He involuntarily took a step back, almost falling flat on his backside.

The Yuan Household Disciples standing nearby were also in an uproar.

"What? Blood Pool?"

"Isn't this the Key to home? How did it turn into a trap?"

"Those bastards from the Black Demon Sect! They even tampered with the Altar Core!"

Yuan Chou gripped his broadsword, his face filled with murderous intent.

"That Sect Master turned our ancestral land into a graveyard for killing us!"

Yuan Yuan's eyes reddened.

"Are we... are we never going home?"

The noise grew louder, and a sense of despair spread through the crowd.

"What's all the noise about?"

Su Zhan lowered his voice.

He didn't need to use much force. He was just speaking at a normal volume, but everyone present fell silent.

The events that had transpired along the way had instilled in these people a conditioned reflex of obedience to every word Su Zhan uttered.

"I said we can't rush it, but I didn't say we can't do it."

Su Zhan walked to the edge of the groove, squatted down, and lightly pressed his hand above the Black Crystal.

He did not touch the Crystal Stone itself, but merely sensed the energy fluctuations it emitted.

Within their Sea of Consciousness, the Cultivation Method had already begun their analysis.

[The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon]: The energy within this stone is very concentrated, belonging to the same system as the Curse Seal in the Sect Master's will. Its core components are... crystallized resentment, concentrated Demon Baleful Intent, and a Spatial Binding Principle I've never seen before.

[Shadow Thousand Silk Lock]: My threads can penetrate, but the internal structure is at least ten times more complex than those three golems. Forcibly dismantling it could trigger a chain reaction.

[Nine Heavens Divine Lightning]: What will the chain reaction be?

[Shadow Thousand Silk Lock]: The entire Altar collapsed.

There was a two-second silence in the Chat Group.

[Blazing Dragon Venerate]: Then let's not dismantle it. Let's just burn it! Wouldn't it be enough to burn this broken stone to ashes?

[The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon]: You try burning it? This thing is sealed by the Spatial Principle; your fire can't even reach the core inside. It can only heat up the outer shell; the inside will still jump around.

[Ancient Life Tree]: Then... what should we do?

Su Zhan rubbed his chin, his thoughts wandering.

Forcibly dismantling it won't work, nor will forcibly burning it.

That leaves only one option.

"Old Poison Master," Su Zhan shouted in his mind.

[The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon]: Hmm?

"You just said that the core ingredients here are crystallized resentment and concentrated Demon Baleful Intent?"

[The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon]: Correct.

"Can you eat these two things?"

[The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon]: Nonsense! Isn't this just my job? Resentment can't kill me at all, Demon Baleful Intent is even better. My seventh page, "Poison-Nourished Life Chapter," is exactly in need of this high concentration of negative energy to break through its bottleneck!

"What about the Spatial Binding Principle?"

[Shadow Thousand Silk Lock]: This part belongs to me. I'm very good at absorbing spatial Principle threads.

Su Zhan slowly stood up.

"Since it's edible, the approach is simple."

"No need to disassemble, no need to burn."