In the early minutes of that morning, Goku's group returned to Dark Night City.
Zanou was extremely nervous, concerned about the possibility of old Dyen lurking. Zane and Gael, however, were more at ease, knowing that the old man would certainly wait for them in the main city as they would be obliged to return for the test.
According to Zanou, the test always took place at noon, and the location was decided on the day and communicated to all disciples. If a disciple was not in Celestial Abyss City, they would receive a message in whatever city they were in.
The symbol of the Dao of Evil, present in all evil cultivators, had a kind of signature that allowed locating all members. However, the farther a disciple was from the city, the more inaccurate the information about their location would be, and the more costly it would be to send the message. That was why the sect had the approximate coordinates of the elders who died in the desert and the mission to retrieve their belongings existed.
As soon as they took the first step into Dark Night City, a message arrived directly in the minds of the three. However, the content was quite different than expected: the test would be held in the same location as the entrance test, the Abyss Prison.
Zanou expressed surprise as he spoke, "I've been here for three years, and there has never been a test in the prison. It's almost like a sacred training ground, where everyone can enter to train, but the amount of abyss crystals is daunting. Only the elders can truly afford the costs. This seems extraordinary..."
Zane and Gael got excited hearing this. They had already asked Zanou about that place before, and the legends surrounding it made them eager for a chance to return. The prison consisted of five levels in total, and not even the sect's patriarch could pass the third. There were even records of an ancient patriarch who died attempting to cross it.
The last level was legendary for all sects because only the three founders of each had reached there. These founders lived in the same era, were friends, and high-level cultivators. When they returned from the last level, they became invincible beings, developing the primordial techniques of their respective sects and founding them.
The place was an obsession for all patriarchs, but what did Goku have in common with all the ancient founders? They were all Evil God-level talents.
Zane and Gael had been analyzing the symbol of the Evil God that Goku received directly from the Evil God's Tablet at the end of the entrance test. Although they almost saw no use in using the two wings formed, examining Zanou's common mark, they saw a giant difference. It was like heaven and earth, so different.
Zanou could only absorb a small amount of runes into his body before it dispersed, while Zane and Gael collected everything completely.
Zanou, who also had two wings, avoided using them because the infernal laws seemed like an entity that refused to help him completely and still made him lose reasoning, just like they did before receiving the symbol. Zane and Gael felt that the infernal laws seemed to be part of their bodies, totally submissive.
Moreover, they constantly perceived that the symbol on their bodies was absorbing the infernal laws in the air, something Zanou thought he did not experience or was very subtle. Initially, they thought Zanou was useless even in this aspect. However, Langrum also gave some hints that she was also similar to him.
With all this, Zane and Gael felt that they could reach the last level over time. The main problem was that they were still too weak, and the infernal beasts would certainly hinder them now.
They returned to walk towards the main building, where they came to receive the mission rewards. As they walked through the silent and cold city, something caught Zane and Gael's attention.
Every step they took, a feeling of strangeness enveloped them. Without fully understanding why, they began to analyze the surrounding environment, looking for any clues. A few steps from entering the building with the missions, a certainty formed.
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'The old bastard's eyes are not on us. Even if he's waiting, someone should be here to confirm our return... something seems strange.' Zane commented.
Gael agreed, even though they had gathered some members and reduced their numbers. Dyen knew they had abnormal cards to play, and variables could arise. Having spies watching their every move was essential.
Upon entering the building, the female elder who gave them the mission saw them and immediately got up from the counter to greet the group.
They handed over several spatial rings, which had been properly analyzed by Zane and Gael before. There was nothing worth much. After all, the elders died in battle and used everything of value in an attempt to survive.
The elder was surprised to learn that they had killed six beasts in just over twenty days, not imagining that this feat actually occurred in the first six days. Zanou presented his flaming core, part of something left by an elder. Fortunately, the female elder considered it part of their reward and gave it back to him.
They received half of everything, along with 900 abyss crystals, all divided among the three. Zanou was relieved; despite being a pet in name, he was still considered part of the group by Goku.
As everyone prepared to leave, Zane and Gael had already announced that they would visit another city to sell one of their creations, so they needed to hurry. However, the whale remained still and addressed the elder.
"Ma'am, I have something personal I would like to ask."
She looked at them seriously, indicating that they could proceed. "We had some trouble on the way and encountered cultivators from outside. It was a group of three, all in the same realm and level as me." The whale's gaze became more serious. "At first, we thought it would be easy, and we killed the two weaker ones, leaving only the leader. At that moment, I saw something that was beyond my knowledge."
The female elder found it normal for them to encounter enemies in the desert. Still, same-level cultivators from outside posed no danger to evil cultivators from this separate dimension; normal cultivators were considered pathetic because, at the same level, they were always inferior. Of course, Zane's words piqued her curiosity.
"It was a weapon. He seemed reluctant to use it, but when cornered, he did. Suddenly, his power multiplied, and with just one attack, I almost died to him." The whale's gaze expressed pain as he recalled the moment.
"With the help of others, we tried to escape, and luckily, a sandstorm came to save us. Still, the enemy didn't give up on chasing us... but our luck held, and we quickly got out of the storm, safe."
"Then we returned... and that cultivator... he was dead. His whole body was covered by desert sand; he couldn't get out of the storm and died because of it."
The whale then pulled out a short black sword. "Here is his weapon. I have no knowledge of what happened, but I'm sure. This weapon is way beyond my level. I'm already targeted by everyone, but if they find out I have something this strong, even the most powerful elders might target me."
"For this reason, no one in the group wanted to keep it. And I want to sell it, but this should stay between us. It will be good for you and good for me to get rid of it. Crystals will be much more useful and less dangerous," he concluded seriously.
The elder received the short sword incredulously with that story. But as soon as she put her Qi to analyze, she felt something in its core. It was a dense Yin and Yang power, so pure it made her mind tremble; she was startled and analyzed it more calmly. Then, she felt something even more hidden, making her entire Qi stir. She couldn't even measure what it was... but she knew it was truly beyond her level.
She then took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and turned to them. "Well... this is a type of weapon that some pathetic cultivators sometimes possess. It's very rare and, therefore, almost undocumented. The elders would really go crazy if they saw you with one."
Zane and Gael internally smiled. Of course, they knew the female elder was lying. Well, their story was even more of a lie, so who cares?
She continued, "Unfortunately, it's a short sword; most elders use heavy sabers or spears. Its power must be below the norm... but, luckily for you, I prefer this type of weapon."
They nodded in understanding, and she said, "I offer ten thousand crystals, which is a fair value. Not every elder in the sect has such a value to give away easily."
The whale then replied, "Accepted, but I only want five thousand in crystals. The rest I want to receive in another way."
Langrum, Mira, and Zanou froze at those words. Gael spoke again in a strange way with a double meaning. Even the elder found it odd, but soon she understood.
"I see. You want information about the test, right?" Zane and Gael nodded before the elder continued. "I really have many contacts and know some things."
If she knew something, then old Dyen equally had the information. Zane and Gael still had a strange feeling, and even knowing that they would lose many crystals, they decided to take the risk of selling with her. Information and knowledge could save lives, and everything was confirmed when she mentally told them everything she knew.
The patriarch of the Vital Yin Sect met with the higher elders and decided that their test would be in the prison. That place was shared with other sects; the more people, the fewer infernal beasts, and training would be slower for everyone, hence its high price.
The cost of sending more than a hundred disciples would be astronomical. But still, everyone accepted. The reason? The talent level Evil God was present among them. Even though no one had managed to reach the last level, Goku had a real chance.
After the first terrifying test, where he took all three top places, they wanted to give him the best environment to develop. The prison was the best place, and sending so many cultivators together would be a luxurious offering for them. In the future, they hoped to create someone on the same level as the founder and reap many fruits.
However, the part that really caught their attention was another one. 'Hmm... this explains a lot. Everyone can enter the prison, so Dyen knows we would have nowhere to run inside. No wonder there are no spies watching us. He probably gathered all his people and set up a deadly trap. It seems the abyss crystals he spent to help the test happen in the prison are not worth as much as our lives.'
Their survival instinct was essential. It was something they relied on to save their lives in the past, and now, as they cultivated, it was coming back, although currently, it was something quite subtle, more like a gentle breeze.
'Tens of elders with a whole realm above us hunting us in a place where we don't have much to run. If we couldn't gather this information, we would definitely be dead,' Gael concluded with a sigh.