Jemima’s face flamed anew, and ducked behind Jhaelyn. Jhaelyn scolded softly, “Mr. Flaxseed, stop teasing!”
Jared burst into hearty laughter, slinging an arm around each woman’s shoulders. “Curious? Find yourself a willing partner and try it, you’ll see soon enough.”
Flaxseed stroked his chin, eyes shining with anticipation. “You know, that sounds like an excellent plan…”
From his post at a respectful distance, Saleto watched the three of them chatting and beaming at one another, then shook his head in mild bafflement.
“What a shame,” muttered, “Jared’s overall strength is impressive, but when it comes to dual cultivation, he’s still a little green. Barely an hour, and he’s already spent!”
Jared heard that and could only stare, speechless.
Flaxseed burst into boisterous laughter. “You don’t get it, Mr. Saleto. Inside the Pentacarna Tower, time flows differently, one year outside equals a hundred years inside. To you, it’s been one short hour, but our Jared in there has been at it for several days…”
“If my guess is right, those two young ladies are probably sore all over and swollen by now…”
“What? He’s that formidable?” Saleto gaped, utterly astounded.
Jhaelyn and Jemima dropped their heads, faces scarlet, only they knew whether anything was actually swollen.
***
At a mysterious region of the Third Heaven.
Here, daylight never reaches. Viscous black mists pool like liquid night, so dense that even sunlight would be throttled before it found a way through.
Deep within that gloom, a palace of bleached bones hung in midair. Over its gate, three words were painted in congealed blood, Malevolent Path Hall, filling the air with a nauseating, rusty stench.
Upon the highest seat sat a figure wrapped head-to-toe in a billowing black cloak.
Nine gray-black soul banners revolved around him. On each banner, countless warped human faces shrieked in agony, every swing of the fabric stole another few degrees of warmth from the hall.
This was Grand Elder Dioz of the Malevolent Path Hall.
The Nether Duo‘s soul lamps had gone dark, and even the Underworld Shadow Guards had been wiped out. For Dioz, the blow was enormous.
As Grand Elder and acting commander of this outpost, didn’t know how was supposed to explain this to the organization. Worst of all, the token Ghostmask held had been lost, that was a treasure the Malevolent Path Hall prized above all else.
Once each token absorbed enough wandering souls, it could unlock the star chart to Skyfall Grotto, leading them to the legendary place.
To harvest those souls, the Hall had sent Dioz, the Nether Duo, Ghostmask, and the others into the Third Heaven, carving out a domain and reaping souls everywhere they went.
Who could have foreseen the token would be lost and Ghostmask and the Nether Duo butchered?
If word reached the higher-ups in the Malevolent Path Hall, a hundred lives would not spare him.
“Useless-every last one of you!” roared.
The shout cracked the stone columns of the meeting hall into spider-web fissures.
Twelve underworld Shadow Guards dropped to one knee, foreheads pressed to the floor, bodies shaking so hard they scarcely dared breathe.
Before Dioz, on an emerald desk, lay two dull, lifeless soul orbs, the Nether Duo’s soul orbs, now shattered, retaining only the faintest ripple of spiritual energy.
“The Nether Duo served me for three hundred years, and their cultivation is at the Top Level Wandering Immortal Realm. Even faced with an Earthly Immortal, they could have held out for a spell-yet a mere Third-Heaven brat killed them?!”
His voice scraped like nails over glass. “Investigate! I want every detail, who exactly is this Jared?!”
A stooped elder wobbled forward. “Grand Elder Dioz, we have learned the youth is named Jared Chance… He appeared near Azurecloud Sect only days ago, advancing at frightening speed. While only a Level Three Wandering Immortal, slew a Level Five opponent…”
“As for the Nether Duo’s demise,” the elder added, “Their last message suggested… Jared was possessed by an exceedingly powerful divine soul…”
