Mist Sea Riot

His Spiritual Sense began to spread, straining to detect every disturbance around him.

In Hell, even a High God's Spiritual Sense had a range of only a thousand meters.

But here in the Purple Crystal Mountain Range, Bamer's Spiritual Sense had shrunk from a thousand meters to several hundred, then to several dozen.

Now it could reach only ten meters.

"Let's stay closer together," Bamer sent telepathically. "My Spiritual Sense can only cover a few meters now."

He knew the Purple Crystal Mountain Range was called the Mist Sea

not only because of its thick fog, but also because unknown dangers lurked within it.

The fog blocked Spiritual Sense, and Purple Crystals would occasionally shoot through it.

They traveled so fast and hit so hard that even High Gods were in danger.

Bamer was already as powerful as a Six-star Demon, so he wouldn't be wounded by a Purple Crystal flying at high speed.

But he still had to be cautious.

Just then, a low rumble came from nearby, and the ground began to tremble faintly.

"The Mist Sea is rioting!"

Bamer and Hermes exchanged a glance. He knew this might be a natural phenomenon unique to the Purple Crystal Mountain Range.

"Looks like our journey won't be too boring."

Hermes said coolly.

He hadn't expected the Mist Sea to give them no chance to spend some time getting used to its edge first.

Just as Hermes and the others had stepped slightly into the outskirts of the Mist Sea,

the Mist Sea erupted into a riot.

"My lord!"

A scarlet chain shot from Bamer's hand and wrapped around the ornament on Hermes's armor.

"That way, we won't get separated."

Perhaps because of the Golden Space, Hermes's Spiritual Sense was completely unaffected.

It had remained at a range of one hundred meters the entire time.

He was a Middle God. Even though he was about to fuse three Mysteries and reach the strength of a Seven-star Demon, the range of Hermes's Spiritual Sense hadn't changed.

Perhaps this, too, was part of the Heavenly Law of this world.

"Should we keep going deeper?"

Bamer gripped the long blade in his hand, ready to face any threats that might appear.

He'd read about the Purple Crystal Mountain Range in books, but that information was from who knew how many tens of thousands of years ago.

Who knew if it was accurate?

They continued onward, passing through layer upon layer of fog as they headed deeper into the Purple Crystal Mountain Range.

Meanwhile, Vinson and Anse's conversation hadn't ended when Hermes and Bamer left.

"Hahaha, what a pair of complete idiots!"

Anse openly mocked them. "They actually walked straight into the fog. And they call themselves High God Demons? Do they want to die faster?"

Unlike Anse, who was full of scorn, Vinson wasn't so flippant.

Could people who'd passed such a brutal Demon Assessment really be idiots?

"Woo-woo-woo!"

The Eighteen Families' patrol team suddenly sounded the Divine Power Horn.

"What's going on?"

Anse's expression changed.

The Lucio Family had only recently sent him to this outpost, and he'd never encountered a Mist Sea Riot before.

"Quick! Tell all the patrol teams to retreat five hundred miles."

Ignoring Anse, Vinson ran straight out of the castle.

In truth, Vinson didn't need to tell them!

As soon as they heard the horn, all the patrol teams belonging to the Eighteen Families retreated toward the castle.

Those far from the castle headed away from the Mist Sea, retreating at least five hundred miles.

"Activate the Magic Array!"

Seeing that no one remained in the sky nearby, a middle-aged High God in black standard-issue armor called out.

"Activate the Magic Array!"

"Activate the Magic Array!"

The eight Magic Arrays, positioned in eight directions around the three castles, lit up at once.

Pale purple curtains of light gradually converged from all sides, and in the blink of an eye, they enveloped the castle built in the mountain valley.

"It's going to be boring from here on out."

An old man standing behind the black-armored High God spoke.

"This happens every so often. Haven't you gotten used to it yet?"

The black-armored High God said.

"Unfortunately, tens of thousands of powerful beings from the Divine Realm who were mining Purple Crystals are trapped in the Mist Sea this time."

"What does it matter? It's not our people from the Eighteen Families Alliance who are trapped."

Alfose's words were cruel, but they were also true.

The Eighteen Families had sealed off and taken control of the Purple Crystal Mountain Range. By collecting Ink Stones or accepting Purple Crystals in place of entry fees, they could rake in an endless supply of Purple Crystals without mining a single one themselves.

They'd mastered the art of exploitation.

"The value of Purple Crystals far exceeds our expectations. The Baldivi Family has been far too conservative!"

Alfose said.

At his words, the old man standing behind him fell silent.

He couldn't chime in on that.

It involved the struggle for power within the Eighteen Families. What place did an ordinary High God have to comment?

"Elder Alfose, Anse told me two powerful people wearing Demon Medals went deep into the Mist Sea. One of them was a High God."

Unable to respond to that, the old man could only force the conversation onto another subject.

Fortunately, Alfose and he were both members of the Lucio Family, so Alfose wouldn't say anything.

"Hahaha, it's only one High God Demon. Even if a Seven-star Demon came to the Purple Crystal Mountain Range, he'd still have to obey our rules!"

Alfose Lucio said.

Although the Eighteen Families fought among themselves for power, when it came to control of the Purple Crystal Mountain Range,

there was no debate!

They were completely united in their stance.

Anyone who dared challenge the Eighteen Families' control would be killed, no matter how many stars their Demon rank had.

"I meant, could that High God Demon mine too many Purple Crystals and cause us losses?"

The old man realized Alfose had misunderstood him and added an explanation.

"Your concern is completely unnecessary!"

"Since I became a God, I've never seen anyone escape the Mist Sea!"

"Then I'm relieved."

Thinking of how their family's elder had been a God for hundreds of millions of years, the old man immediately felt reassured.

That was how people were.

It didn't matter if Purple Crystals lay buried deep in the Purple Crystal Mountain Range. The Eighteen Families allowed Low Gods and Middle Gods to toil away mining Purple Crystals for a little money.

They simply wouldn't let them get rich.

They claimed you could hand over three Purple Crystals and leave in peace?

What a joke!

Perhaps in ordinary times, those poor souls who had no token could leave by handing over three Ink Stones.

That was fine.

But not now!

A Mist Sea Riot—and a massive Purple Crystal eruption, the likes of which came only once every tens of thousands of years—meant that anyone who came out would inevitably be carrying a large amount of Purple Crystals.

A single Purple Crystal was worth over ten thousand, and even in bulk they sold for seven or eight thousand. Letting that crowd walk away with them?

How could they allow that?

"Hmph!"

At this, Alfose couldn't help but say angrily:

"If it were up to me, we'd capture a batch of divine beings and throw them into the edge of the Mist Sea to gather Purple Crystals.

"Or have the family's Seven-star Demon who specializes in the Laws of Death use Soul Control on a large number of Low Gods and make them mine. Why rely on other people?"

Within the Eighteen Families, both Alfose and his Lucio Family were hardliners.

But the head of the Lucio Family, who was also its strongest member, was only a Seven-star Demon.

In both strength and status, he was far beneath Baldivi of the Baldivi Family.

At the alliance meetings, the Lucio Family's proposals never received much attention.