Simon agreed with a smile, though he tactfully advised Anthony to wait until he had the strength of a Midgod before going. Seeing how serious Simon was, Anthony took the advice to heart.
Loya, on the other hand, was much calmer. Still, Simon's speed in breaking through to Midgod had exceeded his expectations. Learning that Simon was heading to Hell, he found it only natural. After the two had a small gathering, they agreed to meet again in Hell someday.
As for treasures like Soul Golden Beads, Simon chose not to give them to Anthony or Loya. He did not want to test human nature, nor did he want to leave hidden dangers for the family after his departure.
Besides, with Anthony and the others' strength, if they never made any major breakthroughs, settling down and growing old in the Material Plane would not be so bad.
After handling every matter, great and small, Simon left the Rayast Continent with Fanny, free of all attachments.
Fanny, who had remained quiet and obedient the whole time, spoke up then.
"Simon, if you want to stay a little longer, that's fine too. We can go to Hell later."
Perhaps the attentive Fanny had noticed Simon's low spirits and deliberately tried to comfort him.
"It's fine, Fanny. It's just that leaving so suddenly has made me feel a little down. Everything that needed handling has been handled, and everything that needed to be left behind has been left behind. It's time for me to go and begin the next stage of my journey."
Simon's gaze was resolute. Even if countless hardships lay ahead, he would never be content without experiencing them for himself.
Besides, Simon's heart yearned for a greater world and a larger stage.
To continuously surpass himself in passionate battles and climb to the pinnacle of cultivation was Simon's greatest pursuit.
Before long, the two returned to the small island where the Teleportation Formation was located. The incoming Plane Guardian had yet to arrive, so they simply returned to their residence and waited quietly.
In the blink of an eye, half a year passed. Then, one day, the Teleportation Formation representing Hell lit up.
A man dressed in magnificent robes stepped out. His attire was extravagant and his bearing extraordinary; at a glance, it was clear that he came from a great family.
Just then, Fanny and Simon emerged from the house. Upon seeing Fanny, the man in splendid robes immediately bowed.
"Greetings, Miss Fanny. The family sent me to take over. You may return to the family now. At present, family members are stationed around each of Hell's seven major Teleportation Formations to receive you. Please convey my regards to the patriarch."
"So it's you, Walter, replacing me. Don't worry. Once I see Grandpa, I'll pass on your regards."
Fanny said happily, then turned to Simon.
"Let's go, Simon. We can finally head to Hell!"
Simon smiled and nodded. Then he gave Walter a polite nod before stepping onto the Teleportation Formation to Hell with Fanny.
Although Walter was curious about Simon's relationship with Fanny, as a member of a branch family, he did not dare ask carelessly. Seeing Simon's elegant demeanor and extraordinary temperament, he returned the nod amicably.
Walter, who had only just arrived to take over, then prepared to activate the Teleportation Formation. At that moment, Fanny suddenly said, "Walter, remember to take good care of the Herbert Family on the Rayast Continent in this Material Plane. If you do well, I'll reward you when I return from Hell next time."
Though puzzled by Fanny's request, Walter still nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, Miss Fanny. I will make sure it is done."
If he failed and Fanny discovered it when she came back to visit, he would be in for a world of suffering. He might even have to remain Plane Guardian until he died. He still wanted to return after finishing this term.
After all, for the children of Hell's great families, traveling to various Material Planes whenever they were bored was perfectly normal. The expensive teleportation fees to others were merely pocket change to them.
Having received a positive answer, Fanny nodded in satisfaction and gestured for Walter to activate the Teleportation Formation.
As a beam of light flashed, Simon and Fanny vanished from the Rayast Plane.
When they appeared again, they had arrived in Hell.
Kaluosha Continent
At the peak of Delamont Mountain on the Kaluosha Continent, the Plane Teleportation Array flashed with light.
"Big Brother, someone else has come to Hell! One of them even seems to be a Highgod!" shouted a bald young man clad in standard dark armor.
"People come every day. It's just a Highgod, not like we haven't seen one before. What are you making such a fuss for?" replied the cold-looking young man who appeared to be the captain.
But as the light faded and a man and woman appeared, the captain could no longer maintain his aloofness. Instead, he respectfully said,
"Honored Miss Fanny, welcome back to Hell!"
"Phew, I'm finally back."
Fanny swept her gaze over the people before her.
"If I remember correctly, you're Lumis, right? Where in Hell is this? Why does it seem like I've never been here before?"
"Reporting to Miss, this is Delamont Mountain at the northern end of the Kaluosha Continent. It is extremely far from our family's base camp on the Bifu Continent, with nearly the entire Starry Fog Sea between us," Lumis replied respectfully.
"What terrible luck. I actually teleported here. Forget it, I can't be bothered to keep teleporting back and forth. It's just as well that I return to the family later."
Fanny pursed her lips, clearly not expecting her luck to be so bad.
"So this is Hell. The law fluctuations are so clear, the elemental aura is so strong, and the restraints on spiritual energy are incredibly powerful. They must be tens of thousands of times stronger than in the Material Plane."
Simon, who had just arrived in Hell, was filled with curiosity as he looked around.
"That's right. Hell's binding force far surpasses that of the Material Plane. Here, Saint Realm experts can only barely survive. Only Lowgods can be considered people. Midgods can barely live like ordinary people, while Highgods can do fairly well."
Fanny explained.
"The legendary Hell truly is cruel."
Simon looked at a group of strange-looking creatures trembling in the distance. There were still wet bloodstains on the ground, likely left behind by someone who had refused to obey.
More than half of the group were in the Saint Realm, while there were several Lowgods. There was not a single Midgod or above among them. Clearly, they had just been teleported here from their respective Material Planes.
"Miss Fanny and this friend, please wait in the palace nearby. My divine clone has already informed the family experts waiting here. They will arrive early tomorrow morning to escort you," Lumis said with a smile.
Fanny nodded at his words.
"Come on, Simon. Let's wait for them in the palace next door."
With that, the two followed Lumis into the exceptionally luxurious palace amid the envious gazes of the crowd.
"I didn't expect your family to station people at every Teleportation Formation just to wait for you, Fanny. Your family's strength really is astonishing."
Simon sighed.
On the way here, Fanny had taught Simon some basic knowledge about Hell, including Hell's geographical layout, the distribution of cities across the various continents, and the famous forces large and small.
Although Simon already knew much of it, he still pretended to be a complete novice and listened attentively.
"I didn't expect the family to take this so seriously either. They actually don't believe I can make it back on my own. Hmph!"
Fanny was happy that the family had been so thoughtful, but also annoyed that they did not trust her strength.
"Hell is simply too dangerous. Your family is doing this for your safety."
Simon said to Fanny as he sat on a stone chair carved from a single piece of Cyan Nightmare Stone.
"Hmph. Even if they hadn't sent anyone, I could still take you across the Starry Fog Sea and back to the family. Simon, do you believe me?"
"Of course I do."
Simon replied, holding back his laughter.
Although the strength of a Five-Star Fiend was decent, it was still not enough to cross the Starry Fog Sea.
Of course, Fanny was wealthy. She could hire some powerful Fiends as guards once they reached a city, which would greatly improve the odds of returning safely.
Seeing that Simon's words did not match his thoughts and that he clearly did not believe her, Fanny puffed out her chest.
"You actually don't believe in my strength? Then I, Fanny, will return on my own!"
"Simon, do you dare roam this boundless Hell with me?"
Seeing Fanny suddenly become serious while also seeming somewhat childish, Simon put away his smile.
"Why wouldn't I dare? I want to see just how dangerous this Hell truly is."
What a joke. With Simon's perfected Speed Profound Truth, even if he could not win, escaping would not be a problem. Combined with his various trump cards, anyone who underestimated him just because he appeared to be a Midgod would suffer greatly.
Seeing that Simon answered without the slightest fear, Fanny became embarrassed instead.
She would be fine. Grayson had given her many treasures, enough to ensure her safety. But in her eyes, Simon was merely a Midgod with great speed. If he were surrounded, he would be in great danger.
Though Fanny liked to put on a brave front, she did not want Simon to be placed in danger.
If he truly followed her to roam about, then in such a dangerous Hell, even with her many treasures to assist them, it would be terrible if anything happened to him.
"Oh, Simon, I was just bragging. Let me think about it some more. Hell really is dangerous."
Fanny stuck out her little tongue and spoke awkwardly.
"Actually, I truly do want the two of us to roam Hell on our own. Even if you hadn't brought it up, I would have asked you about it later. Since we've already come to Hell, why should we be so timid? If we have to rely on others for everything, we might as well stay in the Material Plane and grow old."
Simon looked at Fanny as he spoke.
Seeing Simon's resolute eyes, Fanny's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Her pretty face instantly flushed red. Then she remembered the many treasures Grayson had given her, especially the two drops of legendary Sovereign's Might!
With those two drops of Sovereign's Might, Fanny was absolutely confident that she could protect both herself and Simon. Even if all the Sovereign's Might was used up, they could simply find a city and spend some money to hire a group of powerful Fiends as bodyguards.
Feeling that she had considered everything thoroughly, Fanny replied, "Then it's settled. We won't wait for the family's people. We'll rely on ourselves!"
Fanny waved her little fist resolutely, then rose to her feet.
Simon stood as well. The two exchanged a glance before leaving the palace.
"Lumis, I've decided not to wait for the family's people. I've already reached the Highgod level and successfully fused two Profound Mysteries. With my many treasures, I have enough strength to protect myself. Report to the family that I intend to return using my own strength!"
Ignoring Lumis's attempts to dissuade her, Fanny released a Flower-shaped Metal Lifeform from her Spatial Ring. She called Simon over and flew toward the nearest city.
Watching the two depart, Lumis sighed.
"Ah, Miss Fanny is still as willful as ever. This mission has been botched."
Lumis then contacted the divine clone that was on its way and relayed the news that Fanny had left alone with an unfamiliar Midgod to the expert coming to receive her.
This expert was an Honorary Elder of the Grayson Family, a long-famous Seven-Star Fiend. Accompanying him was a Highgod squad dispatched by the Grayson Family.
With such strength, they were fully capable of taking Fanny across the Starry Fog Sea and back to the Bifu Continent.
But now, when House, the Seven-Star Fiend leading the group, heard that Fanny had already left, he could not help frowning.
"I have already waited here for a hundred years according to Lord Grayson's instructions. Since Miss Fanny herself refused to follow the family's arrangements, I cannot be blamed."
The burly House said.
As for Simon, a mere Midgod, he automatically ignored him.
"Yes, Lord House. I will testify to the family. Should we return directly now, or should we catch up with Miss Fanny and the others?"
Before you continue