“Afraid of what?” Such an oath bound the spiritual heart itself, breaking it would shatter the cultivator’s very foundation. in plain terms, one day outside meant ten days in the secret realm, and inside the tower, that became several years.
“Now a prodigy who sliced down the Five Venerables of the Divine Punishment Hall finally stands before us, this is the gift fate has been hoarding… The celestial rule looks unshakable, yet cracks run all through it; one spark will set the prairie ablaze!
Jared, this old man will not demand that you clash head-on with the celestials today… I ask only this, when the day comes that you wield enough strength, you must seek justice for the Ghost Clan and every race crushed beneath celestial boots!”
“I swear upon my very soul, until the celestials lie in ruins, I shall not rest! Should I falter, let my spirit be destroyed and never know rebirth!” Chaotic force roared through Jared’s meridians.
Above his head the energy gathered into a dim gray sigil, then plunged between his brows like a falling comet. Such an oath bound the spiritual heart itself, breaking it would shatter the cultivator’s very foundation.
Seeing this, the Great Elder’s aged face warmed with fierce pride. “Good! Good! I knew I had not misjudged you!”
He descended the dais in steady strides and drew a pitch-black jade slip from his sleeve. “This is the upper half of the Nether Codex, the supreme scripture of our Ghost Clan… You are not of the Ghost Clan, yet the understanding of nether principles recorded here may well illuminate your pursuit of the Chaos Grand Path.”
Jared accepted the jade slip with both hands. A sweep of divine sense sent torrents of intricate glyphs flooding his mind, and his pulse skipped in disbelief.
No wonder the Nether Codex stood at the apex of Ghost Clan lore, its layered exposition of the nether path echoed his own comprehension of chaos, yet opened corridors he had never imagined.
“Many thanks, Great Elder,” His voice carried unfeigned gratitude.
The Great Elder waved the courtesy away. “Think nothing of it. Whether you reach the High immortal Realm depends on your own fortune.”
He paused, then lowered his voice. “Deep within Nether City lies the Nether Secret Realm, forged by ancient Ghost sages. Its nether aura is purer than anything outside, and time within flows swifter. You may retreat there for your breakthrough.”
Hearing that, Jared‘s eyes lit up. “Time acceleration?”
“Ten days inside equals only one outside,” Elder Gloam confirmed. “Yet each opening devours vast resources, and a person may enter only once in a lifetime. Will you take this chance?”
“I will…” Jared answered without a heartbeat’s delay.
More time was exactly the edge he craved for the impending breakthrough. Besides, he still possessed the Pentacarna Tower, where one outside day stretched into a hundred within.
Layer that atop the secret realm’s gift, and the hours multiplied beyond counting.
In plain terms, a single external day could buy him years. Outside one day, inside the tower several years-his mind reeled at the arithmetic. If he still failed to advance under such conditions, he might as well be dead.
“Good… The secret realm opens in three days; make your preparations,” the Great Elder instructed. “Luther will accompany you; he must fully restore his clan’s source.”
Leaving Nether Hall, Jared returned to Shadowrest Lodge and plunged into preparation. He sorted every breakthrough-ready pill into neat rows, then buried himself in the Nether Codex’s densely etched runes.
The manuscript’s discussions of energy essence and law manipulation deepened his grasp of the Chaos Grand Path with every page.
***
Three days later, deep beneath Nether City, before an ancient altar, Elder Gioam, Luther, and Jared stood in solemn silence.
Eight Ghost elders ringed the platform, each gripping a bone flag that linked into a cryptic formation.
“Jared, Luther… Step to the center of the altar,” Elder Gloam ordered.
Jared and Luther climbed the weathered steps; the stones chilled their soles. At the summit they stepped onto a glass-smooth crest etched with faint runes and halted at its center, awaiting the rite.
On the platform above, Elder Gloam pressed his palms together, fingers weaving an intricate seal faster than mortal sight.
In a broad ring, the eight ghost elders snapped their bone flags through the air in perfect unison. Harsh, ancient syllables poured from their throats, buzzing against the vaulted ceiling like a swarm of insects.
Runes carved into the altar skin lit one after another, chasing a pale glow across the stone. That glow surged straight upward and punched into the dark, opening a spinning corridor of light over their heads.
Elder Gloam‘s voice cut through the chant. “Remember: the secret realm stays open for only 3 days. That equals 30 days inside. When time is up, it will send you back on its own.”
“Understood!” the two answered together, their words snapping like flint.
A cool, weightless pale light poured overthem; before Jared could draw another breath, the floor, elders, and altar folded away, and he and Luther vanished.
