Chapter 311: Chapter 196: Dueling Grounds (Part 2) The most despairing thing is, the speed of the bone worm does not match its size at all. Its mobility both above and below ground is astonishing, making it difficult for Holt’s giant statue to capture its trajectory. "Against this kind of enemy, even an Advanced Apprentice can hardly resist..." Holt even began to feel that he might perish here today: "Just like the Scorpion at the gladiator arena, but now it’s just me alone..." At this point, the giant statue was already in tatters: The right arm completely lost, the left leg severely damaged below the knee, a large hole in the chest, with the Energy Core faintly visible. While it seemed the bone worm was just starting to stretch its body, constantly emitting deafening howls, circling the altar, looking for the next chance to attack. "Continuing like this is certainly a dead end..." Holt quickly pondered a strategy. Going head-to-head with the bone worm is clearly unwise, he needs to take a different approach. Observing the environment around the altar carefully, Holt noticed that the seven stone pillars seem to form some kind of Energy Array. Each time the bone worm approached a stone pillar, the red crystal would glimmer slightly. "These stone pillars... might be some kind of defense mechanism!" Holt had a flash of inspiration. He ordered the giant statue to grab a huge rock and throw it with all its might at the nearest stone pillar. Once the red crystal atop the stone pillar was hit, it immediately erupted with a dazzling red light, directly towards the bone worm. The bone worm let out a painful shriek, its body suddenly bounced up, clearly injured. "Just as I thought!" Holt’s eyes lit up, and he immediately changed his tactics. He no longer let the giant statue confront the bone worm directly, instead instructed it to attack the crystals atop the remaining six stone pillars. The bone worm seemed to sense Holt’s intention, frantically charging towards the giant statue, trying to stop it. A race against time began — the giant statue, dragging its damaged body, dodged the bone worm’s attacks while striving to activate the remaining pillars; while the bone worm pursued relentlessly, trying to completely destroy the giant statue before it completed its task. Holt was fully focused, constantly channeling Spiritual Power into the giant statue, even if it meant enduring immense mental strain. When the sixth stone pillar was activated, the bone worm was already within reach, its malicious giant maw almost devouring the head of the statue. At the critical moment, the statue used its last ounce of strength to lunge towards the final stone pillar. "Boom!" The statue and the bone worm collided with the pillar simultaneously, with the red crystal activating at the same time, the statue was completely destroyed, scattering into countless fragments. However, as the seven pillars were all activated, the entire altar began to emit a dazzling red light. Seven beams converged at the center, forming a massive energy vortex. The bone worm was stunned by the sudden light, letting out painful shrieks, its body convulsing uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Holt took this opportunity to dash towards the altar’s center, while quickly retrieving the giant statue’s core. The statue’s destruction would only consume a large amount of his Magic Power, as long as the Energy Core of the "Heart of the Earth," the gladiator arena runner-up reward, wasn’t damaged, he could have a chance to construct another statue. When Holt’s feet touched the central platform, a powerful Energy Fluctuation immediately enveloped him, the surrounding scenery began to twist and distort. At the last moment as he was transmitted away, he glanced back at the gigantic, writhing worm, with a sigh in his heart: "To succeed... truly it was fortunate. Among the Black Mist School, apart from Trish and me, others would hardly break through such a level of Guardian alone..." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚 But then, Holt recalled the Alchemist who displayed astonishing power at the gladiator arena—Ron. "Perhaps... Ron would find it much easier than I did..." With this vague thought, Holt’s figure completely disappeared into the dazzling light, heading towards the unknown altar core region... ......... Trish was the first to arrive at the Bloodline Altar core area. When the dazzling light faded, what lay before her surprised her—it was entirely different from the peripheral areas. Gone was the suffocating Swamp, the twisted and deformed creatures were absent, and even the oppressive feel characteristic of the Abyss lightened significantly. Instead, there was a misty, open plain, the ground paved with rough gravel. The air carried a slight moisture but lacked the nauseating stench. "Here... there are almost no traces of the Abyss." Trish surveyed her surroundings, her brows slightly furrowed. Judging from the terrain, this area is circular, the ground gently inclined towards the center. The overall impression felt like a deliberately crafted arena, specifically prepared for some kind of duel or ritual. "It’s as if someone intentionally purified this region, creating a battlefield setting." She looked through the fog, trying to discern more details, but the thick mist obscured her sight, allowing her to see only a few dozen meters around. "I have to ensure my safety first, then wait for the others to arrive." Trish took a deep breath and retrieved a small cloth bag from her Storage Bag, gently untying the knot. The bag contained a special spore plant, displaying a pale green, glowing faintly in her palm. This was one of the special plants she began cultivating after awakening her Forest Elf bloodline—Perception Spores. They could spread with the wind and relay information about the surrounding environment to their master. "Go, my little scouts." Trish gently blew towards them, and the spores scattered like tiny snowflakes into the mist surrounding her.