Deep within the Chaos Mountains.
Nirvana, Second Giant Leg, Northeast Direction.
Like the other Giant Legs, this Second Giant Leg was also breathtakingly enormous.
Ancient and intricate magical runes covered its hundred-meter-tall rock structure.
A golden dust storm, like a meteor streaking upstream, avoided the tumbling boulders and passed through the swirling smoke, landing sharply on a large cracked rock near the base of the Giant Leg.
As the gold sand dispersed, Marcus's figure was revealed.
His black and green short hair was slightly disheveled in the chaotic airflow, and his beige jacket was covered in dust, but his brown eyes burned with resolute fighting spirit.
Golden sand, like living spirits, circled his slender yet upright figure, gathering at his feet to form a slowly rotating golden magic array.
"Tsk, this big guy is even more intimidating than he looks from afar..." Marcus gazed up at the base of the Giant Leg, which resembled a sheer cliff, and couldn't help but complain, his voice carrying the unique impetuousness of youth. "But no matter how hard the granite, it'll turn to slag before this great one's gold sand!"
He took a deep breath, his right index and middle fingers pressed together, and earth-grey magic patterns lit up along his arm as the gold sand surged wildly!
"Target locked! Taste this move—gold sand: Lion's Might!"
Boom!
The gold sand magic array beneath his feet burst into light, and a large amount of golden sand was grabbed by an invisible giant hand, instantly condensing in front of him into a lifelike lion's head, five meters tall!
The sand lion's mane flew, its aura magnificent, and it opened its massive mouth, formed of countless rapidly rotating sand grains, letting out a silent roar. Carrying the impact force to pulverize boulders, it fiercely crashed into a rock node at the Giant Leg's base, where the energy fluctuations were most intense!
"Roar—!"
Just as the Lion's Might was about to strike its target!
At that moment—
"Foolish youth."
A gentle, low, and even slightly compassionate male voice suddenly came from above.
The voice was not loud, but it clearly drowned out the roar of colliding sand and rock and the howling wind.
Marcus's pupils constricted, and he sharply looked up!
He saw a burly figure standing on a large, outward-jutting rock platform in the middle of the Second Giant Leg, having appeared there at some unknown point.
The man wore a loose, dark brown robe, embroidered with intricate dark patterns representing the "earth" element.
He had neatly trimmed brown short hair, a square face, and an expression that held a peculiar serenity and... an undeniable majesty, as if he were looking down upon insignificant ants.
It was Hotei, one of the Ten Demon Generals, who controlled Earth-type magic!
"Such pure gold sand power, used for such meaningless destruction, is truly a waste of heaven's gifts." Hotei shook his head slightly, as if admonishing an ignorant child.
He didn't even make any casting gestures; he merely lifted one foot and gently stomped down.
Buzz!
A circle of earthy yellow magic array instantly lit up beneath his foot, spreading outwards like ripples!
There was no earth-shattering roar, but the moment the edge of the magic array swept across the Giant Leg's surface, the area on the side of the Giant Leg that Marcus's gold sand Lion's Might had targeted—several meters thick of hard rock—seemed to respond to the call of the earth!
Layer upon layer of new, heavy rock instantly grew, extended, and hardened from within!
It was as if an invisible giant hand had instantly "built" an incredibly thick, rough, and menacing extra protective wall on the existing structure using the most exquisite earth!
Rumble—!!!!
The lion's head made of gold sand fiercely impacted this "Sigh of Earth" protective wall!
In the deafening crash, golden sand and hard rock fragments scattered!
The powerful impact did shake the newly formed protective wall; huge cracks appeared on the rock surface, even indenting several meters inwards!
A large amount of sand was deeply embedded within it.
However—
The protective wall was not completely destroyed!
Instead, more earthy yellow halos flowed through the cracks, seemingly rapidly drawing power from the earth veins for self-repair!
The gold sand Lion's Might exhausted its strength and disintegrated into specks of golden light.
Yet, the protective wall constructed by Hotei still stubbornly guarded the deadly magic crystal node within the Giant Leg!
"What?!" Marcus's eyes widened, and a tempest raged in his heart.
His full-power attack, the Sand Lion's Might, was blocked so effortlessly by his opponent, almost as if he merely willed it?
"Heh! You're quite capable, aren't you!" Marcus forced down his shock, returning to his flamboyant and unrestrained tone, baring his fangs with a grin, but his gaze had become incredibly serious. "It's just a few more rotten stones! Watch me bury you, man and wall, with my sand!"
Hotei's gaze was calm, even tinged with pity, as he looked down at the youth below: "Stubborn. Your gold sand is indeed exquisite, but when it comes to control over the earth and the deep, profound weight of power..."
He slowly raised his hands, fingers naturally splayed, as if embracing the earth.
"—You are still far from it! Earth's Roar: Rock Wall Corridor!"
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Without any flashy prelude, four enormous, over ten-meter-diameter, earthy yellow magic arrays instantly lit up on the ground and in the air around Marcus!
Each magic array exuded a sense of heaviness like a mountain!
Rumble rumble rumble—!!!!
The ground beneath Marcus's feet violently shook and tore apart!
Four colossal, dozens of meters high and several meters thick, circular rock walls, entirely composed of refined earth and stone, instantly rose from the ground!
It was as if a giant beast sleeping underground had turned over!
These four incredibly massive rock walls not only blocked all of Marcus's escape routes but also, with immense power, rushed towards him like four moving mountains, crushing him from all sides!
Their speed was astonishing, and their momentum was so grand it was enough to suffocate and despair an ordinary Mage!
The muffled sound of air being squeezed left no doubt that anyone caught between them would instantly be reduced to a puddle of flesh!
"Damn it! Going this big right from the start?!" Marcus shrieked, all the hairs on his body standing on end!
The terrifying pressure, like ten thousand mountains collapsing, that rushed towards him almost made him unable to breathe!
Hotei's move not only demonstrated terrifying magic reserves but also contained the most primitive and fundamental power of the "earth" element—heavy pressure and solidification!
Before absolute gravity and material density, skill seemed so fragile!
He dared not hesitate for a moment!
"Sand Coffin!"
Marcus violently swung his hands upwards!
The gold sand magic array at his feet spun frantically, and a large amount of golden sand surged into the air like a gushing golden spring!
These sands did not rush towards the crushing rock walls but instantly gathered and took shape above his head!
Layer upon layer of dense and tough golden sand nets intricately wove together, forming a circular, rapidly rotating sand protective wall, attempting to absorb the immense force pressing down from above!
At the same time, Marcus suddenly sank his body downwards, letting out a low growl: "gold sand Transformation: Floating Sand Escape!"
His lower body instantly transformed into flowing gold sand, trying to merge into the ground beneath his feet to avoid the crushing from the sides!
The idea was good.
However, he underestimated the ruthlessness and experience of Hotei's enraged strike.
The moment Marcus's lower body transformed into sand—
A sharp glint flashed in Hotei's eyes; those eyes seemed to have some special observational magic, predicting Marcus's movements in advance. He merely pointed his right index finger downwards: "Earth Stagnation!"
A man-height, earthy yellow magic array rotated and opened before his fingertip.
An invisible, powerful Earth-type confinement magic was instantly applied to that small area beneath Marcus's feet!
The gravity and earth vein magic of this area seemed to be instantly solidified!
Marcus felt as if he had fallen into the stickiest tar pit!
His speed of sand transformation downwards plummeted!
Concurrently, the massive rock wall above slammed fiercely onto his hastily deployed Sand Coffin shield!
Boom—!!!!
Crack! Crackle crackle!!!!
Like a heavy hammer striking pottery!
The tough gold sand shield lasted less than half a second before letting out a groan of unbearable stress, covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and then shattered with a crash!
The fragments of the broken sand wall were swept up by the massive rock wall and pressed down fiercely!
And the three rock walls from the sides had also closed in!
"Ugh!" The terrifying immense force, passing through the remnants of the shattered sand shield, slammed hard into Marcus's raised arms!
He could even hear his bones making painful creaking sounds!
His legs, solidified by the sand transformation of his lower body, were unable to move and dissipate the force!
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