Time passed on Cesar, and Jin, Agnethe, and Cesar found jobs to fill their days. Yet, there was a persistent void due to the absence of Al, one of their own.

Ellie and Cesar concealed themselves at night, embarking on covert missions to locate Al. Meanwhile, Al strived to find a way to contact Kesha, who remained unaware of his presence.

Al shared his quarters with Benjamin, a fellow captive whose reputation among cultivators was tarnished. Many perceived him as a kiss-ass and a traitor.

Nonetheless, Al remained indifferent to others' opinions. He was drawn to Benjamin's unconventional teachings, which urged him to see the world from a completely different perspective.

"Look closely. They are lost without their etheric shells. They wouldn't be so attached if they knew that an etheric shell is simply the husk of their Will." Benjamin advised, his gaze sweeping across the imprisoned cultivators. Some were engrossed in games of basketball, while others focused on weightlifting. None of them were focused on cultivation.

Al, searching for guidance, asked, "But, Senior, without our etheric shells, how can we free ourselves?"

Benjamin responded with a hint of disappointment, shaking his head slightly. "What's the difference between a cave and a jail cell to a cultivator? We cultivate our Will by breathing in the world, which is everywhere and is everything. Iron bars or rock walls make no difference to us. I am free so long as I am..."

Al listened to Benjamin, not immediately grasping what he meant.

"Don't lend an ear to this old geezer!" A fellow inmate chimed in as he strolled over and sat beside Al. "This coward's all about defending those idiotic cults. By the way, my name is Viktor. I heard you've been searching for a way to contact your cultivation partner."

Al's cheeks tinged with embarrassment before he replied, "We're just friends, but yeah, her name's Kesha Ambrose. If there's any way you could assist me, I'd be grateful."

Viktor grinned, his nod punctuating his words. "Sure thing, I can get you connected with her. Jot down whatever you want to convey, and when we're back from the yard next time, hand it over to me. The only catch is, I'll need a little favor from you in return."

Al raised an intrigued eyebrow, prompting him to ask, "And what might that entail?"

"Nothing to sweat about right now. We'll fill you in. Meanwhile, I'd like you to meet our mentor," Viktor proposed.

Al rose from his spot and accompanied Viktor, leaving Benjamin to meditate peacefully. A towering figure loomed in a corner where some inmates engaged in a basketball match. He appeared notably younger compared to the other imprisoned cultivators, Al included.

As Al walked alongside Viktor, who had struck a deal with him, he eventually departed, leaving Al to converse with the enigmatic, youthful-looking man.

"My name is Avilius Cato. I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time with young Benjamin," the seemingly youthful man remarked, piquing Al's curiosity.

Al, genuinely intrigued, responded, "Senior, Benjamin is almost 200 years old and possesses profound knowledge about cultivation. Since you refer to him as 'young,' may I ask how old you yourself might be?"

A sly smirk curled on Avilius's lips at Al's reverence for Benjamin. "What he knows about cultivation will lead you astray, as it has led him astray. I should know; I entered the Immortal Chasm centuries ago and have seen many like him lose themselves in false teachings."

While Al didn't doubt Avilius's claim of his age and high cultivation, he struggled to see where Benjamin had faltered in his teachings.

Avilius, as if sensing Al's thoughts, shifted his focus to a small building beyond the prison yard. Without pointing, he revealed, "They store our etheric shells in that building. They're attempting to study what they perceive as 'dark magic,' though they are all mere pawns of the Light Acolytes. We could have extinguished their influence almost a thousand years ago, but we chose not to..."

Avilius's voice took on a soft, contemplative tone as if he were speaking to himself. Yet, Al began to connect some dots and form a clearer picture of what he believed was unfolding.

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Avilius turned to Al, his words carrying a weighty significance. "In two weeks, my execution is scheduled. If you do as we say, you might have a chance to enter the Mental Domain. I can sense you're on the verge of a breakthrough."

With that message, Avilius dismissed Al. Yard time eventually drew close, and the inmates were summoned back to their prison cells. Benjamin didn't ask about Al's conversation with Avilius. He did the same thing every day after they returned from the yard: he immersed himself in reading and prayer.

While Al held deep gratitude for Benjamin's teachings, what Avilius had told him made him begin to doubt. "Senior, there's a stark contrast between our imprisonment and self-imposed isolation in a cave. Here, we're oppressed and destined for execution," Al remarked, seeking clarity.

Benjamin responded with a serene smile, "Oppression and death or freedom and life. We often reject the bitter elixir, yearning for the sweeter nectar. But the bitter-tasting elixir inebriates the spirit and liberates the mind from inhibitions."

Al listened to Benjamin's perspective, leaving him with more questions. He was starting to doubt his so-called teacher. After that conversation, Al refrained from seeking further guidance or advice from Benjamin on cultivation.

Al followed his instructions the next day, diligently composing a letter to Kesha.

Writing the letter to Kesha proved far more emotionally taxing than Al had anticipated. Much of it was filled with heartfelt apologies and pleas for forgiveness. Following this, he delved into his thoughts about a potential escape plan that could liberate them both.

In a matter of days, Al received a handwritten response from Kesha. She reassured him that he bore no blame, explaining that she could have easily concealed her awakened Will.

However, witnessing the church, including her parents, vilify Al and Cesar for what had occurred all those years ago made her begin to resent the church. After the end of the world, she saved her parents from the wreckage of their home.

The church then extended its helping hand to her parents. She made the difficult choice to join them on the condition of renouncing her awakened Will and cultivation. Years passed in this way until she and a group of cultivators were caught secretly cultivating. Her parents, after learning what had happened, denounced her.

Kesha mentioned a fateful encounter with a woman who served as Avilius Cato's right hand, leading her to become a disciple of their group.

As their correspondence deepened and the days passed, Avilius Cato's looming execution date drew nearer, casting a shadow of uncertainty over their plans.

Later at night, Al was resting on his prison bed when a rock struck his head, followed by the fading sound of footsteps moving away. Al swiftly rose, clutching the very tangible rock that had hit him. He scanned the surroundings, finding no one present.

Tied to the rock was a note, which he promptly untied and read. "You have one month to find Kesha and prepare her for our escape. - Love, Cesar, Ellie, Jin, and Agnethe." The heartfelt message brought a warm smile to Al's face.

He had unjustly doubted his friends, yet their unwavering determination to help him was evident.

The following morning, Benjamin inquired, "Was that your friend last night?" Al feigned ignorance, not revealing the source of the mysterious note.

However, a few moments later, as they went through their morning routine, Benjamin halted Al and looked at Al with the same compassionate eyes he had stared at him when he first arrived.

"Al, if there's one thing I hope you remember after we part, it's this: the one is always three, and five is perfection. There are seven perfections in total. When you seek the light, pay attention to these."

Al felt thoroughly bewildered; they had never discussed numbers before. Nonetheless, he committed Benjamin's enigmatic words to memory.

As Al mingled with fellow inmates in the prison yard, he received a summons from Avilius. "Only 5 more days until they attempt to execute me," Avilius remarked somberly. "Victor will brief you on what we'll need from you." A fleeting thought crossed Al's mind, considering whether to confide in the Immortal Avilius about Al's Phantom Seed's plan to break him and Kesha's pout. However, he chose to remain silent.

When yard time concluded, Benjamin was conspicuously absent and nowhere to be seen. Later that night, Al found himself alone in his jail cell, thinking about where the Benjamin could be, the man went nowhere without his holy book yet there it was neatly laying on his bed.

A low rumbling sound suddenly seized his attention, followed by a deafening explosion as if a bomb had detonated nearby. Through the small window of his cell, Al glimpsed brilliant flashes of light accompanied by thunderous blasts. An alarm blared, resonating through the prison.

After a few intense minutes, the chaos subsided. Moments later, Al's cell was subjected to a thorough search, but all they found was their holy book, which belonged to Benjamin, and they seized it. It was evident that they had been specifically targeting Benjamin. The head guard fixed his gaze on Al and declared, "You're coming with me!"

Al endured a grueling interrogation, with guards and a priest pressing him to divulge every detail he knew about Benjamin and everything the man had told him. Al chose to obfuscate the information, making Benjamin's cryptic teachings even more enigmatic. Following the interrogation, they released him, leaving Al to ponder Benjamin's identity.