The year 10045 of the Yulan Calendar was a relatively peaceful one for the entire Yulan Continent.
Lin Lei's true body remained sequestered in the pocket dimension chamber, diligently cultivating "Earth Pulse." Meanwhile, his divine clone stayed in Dragon Blood Castle, spending the vast majority of its time comprehending the "Speed Profound Mystery," with only occasional forays into the Sound Profound Mystery.
As far as the Speed Profound Mystery was concerned, Lin Lei was still far from achieving mastery.
In the summer of Yulan Calendar year 10045, the blazing sun scorched the earth. Beside a clear-water lake in the eastern garden of Dragon Blood Castle stood a pavilion. Lin Lei and Xi Sa sat inside it.
"I have to admit, the War God's luck is truly something else," Xi Sa sighed.
"You mean about the divine spark?" Lin Lei understood immediately what Xi Sa was referring to. The previous year, when Ojiawen had launched a nighttime sneak attack and been killed outright by Tarosha, Tarosha had obtained a Mid-level God's divine spark. In the end, the War God had personally asked Tarosha for it.
And Tarosha had actually agreed.
"A Mid-level God's divine spark… If only someone would give me a Darkness-attribute Mid-level God's divine spark," Xi Sa lamented, a hint of envy flickering in his eyes. "Who knows how long it would take for me to reach the Mid-level level if I keep cultivating on my own."
The further one progressed in cultivation, the longer it took.
"I heard the War God had to pay a price for that Mid-level God's divine spark," Lin Lei said.
"A price?" Xi Sa shot Lin Lei a look.
Lin Lei nodded. "Of course it was a price. Tarosha said that once the matter of the gods' descent is settled, the War God must go with him to 'Hell.' The War God is to serve under Lord Tarosha's command for a hundred thousand years. Only after that will his freedom be restored."
"Hmph." Xi Sa let out a disdainful laugh. "Lin Lei, did O'Brien even hesitate for a few days when he heard Tarosha's demand?"
"No."
Lin Lei was clear on this point. "The War God agreed on the spot. Very decisive."
"Anybody would agree to terms like that," Xi Sa scoffed. "First of all, going from a Low-level God to a Mid-level God — given O'Brien's aptitude, whether he can even manage it in a hundred thousand years is anyone's guess. Keep in mind, O'Brien became a god by refining a divine spark!"
Lin Lei nodded in agreement.
When one became a god by refining a divine spark, that spark had originally been condensed by heaven and earth when someone else ascended. The spark did not fully resonate with O'Brien's soul, creating certain obstacles in cultivation. Reaching the Mid-level God stage would take considerably longer than it would for a powerhouse who had ascended independently.
"First, he'd have a hard time reaching Mid-level on his own. And beyond that, apart from the Tomb of the Gods, where else could a Low-level God possibly get his hands on a Mid-level God's divine spark?" Xi Sa continued. "For one Mid-level God's divine spark, all he has to do is follow someone's orders for a hundred thousand years."
"And most importantly…"
A glimmer of longing appeared in Xi Sa's eyes. "He'd be setting off for 'Hell' and serving under Tarosha there, that's all. When you first enter Hell, unfamiliar with everything, having a powerful figure to guide you means you can survive much better. You can adapt to the supreme plane of 'Hell' far more quickly! Other people would kill for a leader like that. O'Brien steps into Hell and already has Tarosha's protection — he's gotten the better end of the deal by far."
Lin Lei couldn't help but be taken aback. Hearing Xi Sa put it that way, he had to admit it made sense.
"Going to Hell… that means leaving one's homeland," Lin Lei sighed.
Even now, Lin Lei still felt a deep attachment to the Yulan Continent.
"Hmph," Xi Sa countered. "What a joke. Life only has meaning when it's exciting. Once you reach the Saint Realm, these ordinary material planes don't hold much interest for us anymore. Actually, when I came back from the Tomb of the Gods this time, I'd already been thinking of leaving for a supreme plane."
"Leaving?" Lin Lei was somewhat startled.
"When I returned this time, I discovered that a massive number of god-level powerhouses had descended," Xi Sa said with a grin. "It looks like things are going to get interesting, so naturally I decided to stick around a while longer. If it weren't for all these god-level powerhouses, I'd have gone to a supreme plane long ago."
"After all, standing at the pinnacle gets lonely, Lin Lei. Life — it's only interesting when it's rich and eventful," Xi Sa sighed. "Lin Lei, you haven't been alive that long. Give it another hundred years and you'll feel the same way. Think about it, Lin Lei — if you were the strongest on the Yulan Continent, if you were invincible, and you just lived out quiet days like that, wouldn't you get sick of it?"
Lin Lei imagined it, and his heart trembled slightly.
Standing at the peak of the Yulan Continent, living a peaceful life… The moment the thought crossed his mind, he felt a twinge of resistance. His mind quickly flashed through all the things he had experienced over the years.
"A life of excitement and ups and downs — that's what makes life interesting," Lin Lei had to admit.
He was not the type to settle for the ordinary. He knew perfectly well that across the four supreme planes and seven divine planes, there were countless powerhouses. If he resigned himself to mediocrity, hiding away in the Yulan Continent plane like a frog in a well, that would be rather laughable.
"Once this matter is settled, I'll leave for Hell. Lin Lei, come with me," Xi Sa urged. "In Hell, there are powerhouses from countless planes, all sorts of extraordinary races, and all four of the Ultimate Warrior families went to Hell. Don't you want to see your ancestors?"
The four Ultimate Warrior families? Family ancestors?
The Baruch Family's first-generation Dragon Blood Warrior, Baruch! And the second generation, the third generation… all those ancestors who had already gone to Hell.
Just hearing about it filled Lin Lei with longing. He then laughed and said, "Xi Sa, stop trying to lure me. I'm in no rush. I'll stay here with Dilia for now. Maybe someday when the two of us as a married couple find ourselves bored, we'll take a trip to Hell."
"A trip?" Xi Sa was caught between laughter and tears. "What do you take Hell for?"
In early winter of Yulan Calendar year 10045, snowflakes drifted through the air.
Inside the pocket dimension chamber.