Wu Tie's group did not return the way they came.
Instead, they navigated the complex tunnels outside the Yuan Cave, finding a winding path that deviated about fifty miles from their original entrance.
Ahead, they hit a dead end—a wall of rock mixed with iron ore, incredibly hard and blocking their way.
A stone giant stepped forward, muttering an incantation.
His pale gray skin quickly turned bronze, and thick veins of blood-red light swelled beneath his skin.
Behind him, mist churned, and the phantom of a mighty warrior wielding a massive axe appeared.
"Five Titans Split the Mountain."
This was the divine ability the stone giant had gained after reaching the Chonglou Realm.
It was most adept at splitting mountains and rocks, cleaving through boulders as easily as cutting tofu.
The giant let out a low roar, grabbed a massive axe, and swung it at the rock wall.
A bronze-colored axe light flashed, and with a dull thud, a section of the wall about ten meters wide and seven to eight meters deep exploded into countless pebble-sized stones, scattering in all directions with a hiss.
A group of gray dwarves rushed forward, swiftly using their tools to clear away the scattered debris.
The stone giant took a few steps forward and swung his axe again.