The space around the return portal became more and more crowded as time went on, though no conflicts ensued, mostly thanks to the presence of a particular cultivator.

The young man appeared solemn as he leaned against the portal’s pillar, occasionally scrubbing his sandals through the sands. His overall appearance was rather peculiar, attracting several rounds of gossip.

As one of the three new arrivals from the Palace, his primary mission was to enquire about the demise of the three Desert Tribes cultivators. So far, all investigations seemed to arrive at the same conclusion; that all deaths were caused by an unexplained explosion.

Aware of this development, one of the trios had already left outside to inform the elders, while the strongest one had departed towards the impacted region to investigate. As for him, he had no other choice but to assume the only available job; guarding the damn portal. Well, still better than risking his life out there.

Appearing somewhat pensive, he extended his vision towards the horizon. “Lady Bai... what’s taking you so long…?”

Unbeknownst to him, faraway in that particular direction, a sealing formation hovered up in the air, still glowing with the same intensity. Several ethereal chains hung out from its walls, wrapping themselves tightly around a mysterious man, his eyes as cold as ever.

From the outside, a female cultivator examined him.

An average looking woman with a helmet resting over her head, two silver feathers attached to it. Her short hair cascaded down on her right side, rhythmically flapping with the winds along her mantle. A tight skirt seemed to make it a priority to showcase the most attractive part of her body; her breathtaking legs.

“I still don’t buy it... how am I supposed to believe that this guy was the cause of everything?”

The Cult’s disciple raised her shoulders. “If you are unsure, why don’t you take down the barrier? Just let me know before you do that however. I don’t want to be around when that happens.”

Lady Bai frowned. She had already spent a whole day in pointless waiting. With roughly one day and a half remaining for the competition to end, her chances of finding treasures were dwindling away like a burning stick of incense.

If she left now to report the situation to the Palace Head, not only she would have wasted this fantastic opportunity, but she would end up being scolded for her incompetence. Seriously, not even an idiot would believe that the cause of their deaths was this 5th ranking fool.

Her time running out, she glanced at the red-haired cultivator. “If I find you’ve been keeping secrets from me I—”

“Aaa, F*ck off! Your face is becoming more irritating than the thing I use to wipe my ass when I empty my bowels.”

Lady Bai’s face turned dark as she wielded her weapon; a heavy sword hilt that supported four swords, similar to a large claw. “Oi, keep that mouth of yours under control. The word out there is that you are the strongest female disciple, but I only see the face of a coward.”

The red-haired cultivator smirked. “Oh, why don’t we test it out?”

They kept gazing at each other, their breaths increasing along with the tension. However, their little game was interrupted when the air around them rippled with strange waves.

Lady Bai furrowed her brows. “Eh? Waves of breakthrough?”

The Cult’s disciple also detected the anomaly. She assessed the nearby space for quite a while, but she couldn’t discover anyone.

Clink~ Clink~

Odd sounds alerted the duo as they both turned their surprised gazes towards the formation.

It was at that precise moment that they both came to a terrific realisation. The one that broke through was none other than the man sealed inside.

Lady Bai extended her arms in confusion. “What? How is it possible for someone to experience a breakthrough while chained inside a formation?!”

The Cult’s disciple froze, staring with rounded eyes. Shivering, she examined the formation while constantly reassuring herself that one difference in level shouldn’t cause the structure to collapse.

But reality was different than expectations.

A series of strange vines began creeping out from Jack’s body, pushing against the formation’s walls and producing soft audible sounds. White leaves emerged from the various branches, attaching themselves onto the walls like parasites ready to suck out its power.

The formation vibrated, immediately showing signs of weakening.

The red-haired cultivator instantly jumped up with a blast, forcing herself to maximum speed and fled in the direction of the return portal.

The surprised Lady Bai could only shake her head in embarrassment. Still laughing at the supposed number one, she proceeded by proclaiming her second martial art, producing a rotating stream of ice that slowly transformed into an ice phoenix.

The summoned creature kept hovering in circles around her, leaving a trail of snow particles that brought some splendour over the dull-looking lands.

She then aimed her weapon towards the fading barrier. “Handsome, make sure to come out as soon as possible. Lady Bai promises that she will kill you fast and swiftly. Once I obtain your head as a trophy, I’ll be able to show to everyone what a coward that wh*re literally is.”

Anticipating her imminent triumph, her evil snickering reverberated out into the distance.

***

The occasional sounds of bangs resounded as five young swordswomen utilised whatever techniques they had, trying to break the only obstacle that blocked the Pavilion’s entrance. But no matter which martial art or essence they used, the barrier would not budge an inch from its position.

With their faces drenched in sweat, the group eventually sat down in a circle, a clear hint of disappointment showing over their faces.

“We have explored every part of this darn cave, and all we’ve found is mud and junk. This darn shield… there is something inside it, something beyond extraordinary!”

Crack~

A small tear suddenly appeared on the barrier the moment one of them finished speaking, expanding on itself like a dropping bolt of lightning. Soon, these cracks spread out to cover the full barrier, causing it to shatter in a wide range of glittering colours.

The five rose, their bodies shaking with shock, excitement and anticipation. The barrier that they had struggled so much to take down had disappeared just like that.

They hurried forward but stopped at the entrance, trying to ascertain that there weren’t any hidden dangers.

It was then that they heard the most random voice ever. “Done already? Faster than she told me... this is amazing, just great.”

A male cultivator walked out from the shadows. A young man expressing a broad smile, making his face stand out from the rest of his body. Strange golden dust swirled around him, settling down on the tiles below and evaporating soon after.

He strolled ahead, passing straight through the five, forcing them to spread out of his way. Their eyes appeared stupefied as they watched him passing by, undecided if they should interrupt him or not.

Jack noted their confusions. He paused, pointing his index finger up.

This strange acting from his part only added to their bewilderment as they glanced upwards, observing the dulling vines.

“Leave this place, and tell the others to return back to the arena. This realm is about to self-destruct.”

He smiled wryly, then disappeared from their sight.

The five opened their mouths wanting to say something, but nothing could come out. Instead, they stared at each other, blinking their eyes stupidly.

Jack hurried through the trial’s passage. Once on the outside platform, he skyrocketed upwards, ascending the entire abyss in a blink of an eye.

He landed on the ground with a soft thud, inhaling a long stream of fresh air while he awaited his eyes to adjust to the brightness.

“This… is… simply amazing!”

He lifted his face upwards, enjoying the light breeze that stroke against his face. He could feel his body brewing with renewed strength. He actually began fearing the immense power concentrated inside his body.

He remained in this position for quite a while. Afterwards, he extended both palms, trying to invoke both essences simultaneously. He found out that he couldn’t, but wasn’t surprised. He had read about this matter before; it wasn’t possible for a cultivator to utilise more than one essence at a time until progressing to the fusion realm.

Still smiling, he switched his focus on finding that impossible herb. Preparing to depart, he suddenly paused, frowning.

Two cultivators had appeared, blocking his path. One of them was Ren Tu, the guy Jack had trashed just before entering the trial grounds, and the other Li Bai of the Desert Tribes, the troublemaker that had infiltrated the Divinities Alliance’s dwelling place.

Ren Tu crossed his hands, smiling sardonically. “See? I wasn’t imagining things when I told you that one of them was here.”

Li Bai could barely contain his excitement, clearly unaware of the other Jack’s existence, and the tragic fates of his three companions.

Jack let out a sigh of annoyance. He really detested it when he had a plan in place, just for some random shit to come popping up at the very last moment.

Not taking any risks, he reinforced his physique with solidifying essence. They surely weren’t here to congratulate him for his breakthrough.

Li Bai pressed forward. “Hey, Ren Tu. Wanna make a bet? Killing him with three moves, 1000 silver.”

Ren Tu nodded in agreement, mostly because he was aware that Jack possessed that weird golem.

Li Bai extended his hand, taunting Jack to make the first move.

Jack responded with a smile, mimicking the opponent’s posture while waving his solidified sword. He had fought many back then inside the mortal realm, and he could tell that this man was good at taunting others, but similarly easily provoked. If he could somehow piss him off, the fight would naturally become more manageable.

“Li Bai, is it? Had your strength depended on your nonsense, I would be trembling with fear right now.”

Li Bai forced a fake smile. “Ren Tu, start counting that money!”

He proceeded by leaning his neck forward, sticking his finger inside his throat and exhaling out an endless stream of smog. His lungs appeared infinite as the entire landscaped was engulfed by a large cloud of fog, swallowing both Jack and Ren Tu.

Li Bai immediately rocketed upwards, observing with pride the magnitude of his attack. He rubbed his hand against his chin, thrilled by his improving cultivation.

Amidst the receding fog, a cultivator struggled to emerge, holding his chest in pain while spraying out droplets of black blood. “Bastard! Are you trying to kill me?”

Li Bai laughed it out, placing his hand on Ren Tu’s shoulder and sucking out the residual smog that still lingered inside Ren Tu’s body.

“Funny, I truly am a bastard child hehe…” Li Bai smiled. “But I am not an asshole towards those who assist me.”

Patting on Ren Tu’s shoulder, he then turned his attention downwards, awaiting the cloud to disperse.

“My smog essence contains degenerative particles. He is probably already crawling like a snake begging for mercy.”

As he lost elevation slowly, his eyes soon bulged outwards.

Jack had emerged, coughing but unharmed. He appeared annoyed as he tried to wipe off the black particles that remained stuck against his skin. “What the hell are you trying to do? Blowing this smelly shit...”

Li Bai blinked his eyes once, followed by a fast slap against his face to regain his clarity. He couldn’t understand. Did this freak had an essence that cancelled toxic fumes or was he somehow immune to the degenerative toxins?

Judging from Jack’s reaction, Li Bai quickly assumed that it was the latter.

He suppressed his confusion, reassuring himself that there was nothing to worry about. Besides, there was a reliable Ren Tu who could assist him anytime.

Unwilling to take his opponent too lightly, he plucked his hand inside his dimensional pocket and summoned a spear, levitating it upwards as a show of force.

His face then convulsed. Not out of anger, and neither because of Jack. At that precise moment, his eyes unexpectedly came into contact with the most horrifying scene of his life.

The sky above him had darkened, and the dimensional space twisted on itself.

Spatial tears began forming all over the place as black tentacles of horror broke through the boundaries of the Realm, accompanied by roaring, eerie winds. The various tentacles then funnelled into each other, condensing themselves into towering dark clouds.

The thunderclouds expanded outwards as they took position between the two continental masses, blanketing a large portion of the Realm with a vast shadow.

Unable to do anything but observe, Jack, Ren Tu and Li Bai had their faces turn paler than white, a feeling of impending doom building inside their hearts.