“F*ck, what a rip-off!” Jared couldn’t help but curse when heard the price.
The woman snorted coldly and glared at like was ready to bite his head off.
“He’s just a kid and doesn’t know any better. Don’t take it personally…” Eason quickly stepped in to apologize to the woman.
Then pulled Jared aside and warned in a low voice, “It is the nobody that is hard to get along with. Don’t go picking fights with the staff. If they decide to make things difficult for you, you might not even make it out of the purgatory.”
“Understood…” Jared nodded.
This so-called celestial realm didn’t feel much different from the mundane world. Even a staff member like had the same arrogant, condescending attitude, like someone owed money.
“Go on in. Just be careful. If it feels like too much, don’t try to tough it out. Get out immediately.” Eason reminded Jared again, worried might push himself too far.
“I know!” Jared said, then turned toward the staircase.
One hundred and eighty thousand steps stretched ahead, disappearing into the distance. Standing at the bottom, Jared felt as if were about to walk into a road without end, cliffs plunging down on either side.
Seeing Jared begin the climb, Eason was about to leave, but after a moment of hesitation, stayed put.
He figured if something really happened to Jared, could help somehow by being there. If Jared got hurt or worse, and Catina came to the celestial realm looking for him, might not even acknowledge Eason as father anymore.
Jared climbed step by step. For someone like him, with a powerful physique and abundant strength, the staircase posed no real physical challenge. The only thing required here was perseverance, and that was something had in spades.
Everything had been through until now, had survived through sheer grit.
When Jared finally reached the entrance to the massive cave, took a moment to catch his breath. Following that, pulled out the trial crystal and tossed it into the cave.
Buzz!
With a flash of white light from within the cave, Jared suddenly felt as if a mysterious force had pulled in.
When opened his eyes again, found himself in the middle of a wasteland. The surroundings were dark red, the ground littered with bones and skeletal remains, and a cold drizzle fell from the sky.
He reached out and touched the droplets. This wasn’t rain. It was blood. The sky was literally raining blood!
He looked around, and there wasn’t even a trace of the cave anymore. It was as if had been transported to another world entirely.
Jared’s expression grew grim. This place was seriously creepy.
He immediately activated the Focus Technique and began absorbing the lethal intent in the air. The area was thick with it, like a realm straight out of the underworld.
The lethal intent around surged toward his body like a tide. Thankfully, his Focus Technique could refine anything. Any kind of energy could be absorbed and converted into his own.
On top of that, Jared had demonic blood running through his veins. As more of the lethal intent flooded into him, felt power filling his body. Even the nervousness he’d felt earlier was completely swept away.
“This really is a great place…”
Jared actually closed his eyes and began absorbing the lethal intent with full focus.
As more of it entered his body, his skin took on a dark hue, and the veins across his body bulged like thick ropes.
“Kid, this lethal intent might be good stuff, but don’t get careless. You’ll lose control if you go too far. Plenty of malicious spirits are trapped here. Looks like a massive battle once took place, and all those souls were locked in this place, unable to escape.” Just as Jared was absorbing the lethal intent, the voice of the Vermilion Demon Lord echoed in his mind, issuing a stern warning.
