The Sovereign's Trial

At the summit of Nether Mountain, inside a dark, somber palace, the Sovereign of Death smiled for a moment before her expression faded. She turned to look at the Nether Overgod and asked:

"Priestley, why do you think this Ren came to Nether Mountain? Surely he isn't bored enough to come just to snatch a Nether Fruit, is he?"

"Sovereign, Ren killed an elder of the Four Divine Beasts Clan not long ago. He must know that with their style of conduct, they won't let him off easily. Perhaps he came seeking protection?"

The Nether Overgod stroked his beard, his tone filled with uncertainty as he speculated.

Although the news that a Sovereign resided on Nether Mountain had not spread among ordinary gods, every Prefect with even a modicum of strength was aware of it. Even though Ren had only been a Prefect for a short time, it was normal for him to have heard rumors.

Since Ren had been in Hell for many years, he should be well-acquainted with the Four Divine Beasts Clan's methods and the fact that they were backed by a Sovereign. Therefore, if he didn't want to be hunted down and killed by them, the best course of action would be to obtain the protection of a Sovereign.

At least in the eyes of the Nether Overgod, Ren likely came to Nether Mountain to try his luck, hoping to see a Sovereign and seek sanctuary. Although Sovereigns usually wouldn't care about the requests of a mere Prefect, facing the Four Divine Beasts Clan left him with few options; he had no choice but to treat a dead horse as if it were still alive.

"Seeking protection? This little guy certainly has guts! While I don't care about Reding and the others, a Prefect actually wanting to seek a Sovereign's protection?" The Sovereign of Death let out a scoff. Given her status and strength, she naturally didn't fear the Four Divine Beasts, but she also didn't care about a Prefect, and she remained noncommittal regarding Ren's actions.

"Priestley, notify Jin and Yin. Tell them to go to the Gray Mist Zone. I will have Asers go with them. Have the three of them block Ren together. If he can snatch a Nether Fruit while the three of them are working together, I might consider taking him on as an envoy."

The Sovereign of Death fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

The Nether Overgod's eyes widened in an instant. He looked at the Sovereign of Death with some surprise, but he quickly regained his composure, whispered his acknowledgment, and retreated rapidly.

"The Sovereign is actually giving Ren a chance; that really is surprising!" After leaving the purple-black palace, the Nether Overgod couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"I truly look forward to the expression on this little guy's face when he sees me!" After the Nether Overgod left, the Sovereign of Death chuckled to herself, seemingly imagining an amusing scene.

Originally, the Sovereign of Death hadn't intended to do anything, as Ren's conflict with the Four Divine Beasts Clan had nothing to do with her. However, remembering how Ren had stood in the Nether Hotel and confidently speculated that she was a Prefect, she was particularly eager to see his expression when he realized she was a Sovereign.

Although she had seen many people reveal expressions of shock after arriving at the summit from the Nether Hotel over the countless years, Ren was the first to judge her as a Prefect while still at the foot of the mountain. For a moment, the Sovereign of Death felt a sense of anticipation, which was why she decided to give Ren a chance.

"There are many people snatching the Nether Fruit, and the three of them—Asers and the others—are not weak. If you can't get it, you can only blame yourself." The Sovereign of Death shifted her posture, stretched, and muttered. If Ren couldn't pass her "test" and had the fruit snatched by someone else while under the siege of Asers and his companions, she wouldn't bother meeting him.

At the foot of Nether Mountain, inside the hotel, Ren was unaware of the conversation between the two Sovereigns at the summit. He simply looked at the beautiful red-haired girl.

"A treasure of heaven and earth like the Nether Fruit—even if it's useless to me, I want to give it a try." Hearing the red-haired girl's question about why he had come to Nether Mountain, Ren didn't answer directly, instead giving a perfunctory reply.

"Is that so?"

The beautiful red-haired girl raised an eyebrow slightly, sensing that Ren wasn't telling the truth, but she didn't say anything more. She picked up her bucket and fishing rod and walked toward the lake.

Ren found a seat at random and took out some wine to drink. With only seven days left until the night of the full moon, he decided to stop cultivating for the time being and waited quietly by himself.

The people around him tacitly kept their distance from Ren. Some even sat together, using their divine domains to isolate themselves while discussing something unknown.

The title of "Prefect" placed too much pressure on them. The strongest among them barely reached the level of a Seven-Star Fiend, which was completely insignificant compared to Ren. Usually, they were rivals when competing for the Nether Fruit, but when encountering a powerhouse at the Prefect level, banding together was not a bad option.

Ren could naturally guess what they were thinking, but he didn't care. As long as the Nether Fruit appeared, he was confident he could snatch it, unless a Sovereign personally intervened to stop him—though it was obvious a Sovereign wouldn't do something so boring.

Seven days later, at the northern foot of Nether Mountain.

A giant gate twenty meters high stood tall, surrounded by lightning emitted from massive chains. Inside the gate, however, there wasn't a trace of electricity, as if it were specifically inviting those who didn't fear death to enter.

"Everyone, this time, some of us might die. If any of us manage to return alive, I hope the others will help fulfill their wishes, just as we discussed."

A red-haired youth in a black robe spoke in a low voice to the few people beside him, as if he were delivering his final words.

The woman in the green robe followed behind the group, showing no reaction to their words. Over the many years, she had seen too many such scenes, and ninety-nine percent of them never returned. Her gaze fell only on Ren. After all, he was the first Prefect she had ever encountered, and she was somewhat expectant, given that the Nether Fruit had only appeared four times in countless years.

Ren ignored the others and looked quietly at the sky. As a strange, red moon resembling a round disc lit up, the night of the full moon arrived, and the entire mountain was shrouded in a hazy red glow under the moonlight.

Cyan energy erupted from Ren's entire body, and the patterns on his cyan robe began to flow. With a slight movement, his figure instantly turned into a streak of light and rushed into the interior of Nether Mountain.

"Such speed! With this... with this strength, can we really compete for it?" A silver-haired man swallowed hard, his tone filled with uncertainty.

"Damn it! Why would someone with this kind of strength come to Nether Mountain from Hell? What could he possibly need it for?" A middle-aged man with gray hair nearby couldn't help but curse, his heart filled with despair.

"Enough, the Nether Fruit isn't something you can get just by having strength; it also requires a bit of luck. Besides, with so many of us working together, we might not necessarily fear him!" The red-haired youth from earlier spoke up immediately, as if to boost everyone's morale and provide himself with some psychological comfort, even though he didn't believe it himself.

After the group entered Nether Mountain one after another, the woman in the green robe stopped lingering and quickly returned to the hotel.

"Did those fellows all go in?" On the grass in front of the hotel, the beautiful red-haired girl swung her fishing rod without turning her head.

"Yes, Boss. They have all gone in. And, Prefect Ren has also gone in," the woman in the green robe replied. She paused for a moment before asking:

"Boss, do you think Prefect Ren can obtain the Nether Fruit?"

The woman in the green robe asked specifically about Ren, clearly not holding much hope for the others. This was only natural, as Nether Mountain never lacked people throwing their lives away.

"Ren, eh? His strength is decent, but getting the Nether Fruit won't be such an easy task!"

The beautiful red-haired girl glanced indifferently at the woman in the green robe, spoke in a casual tone, and then sat by the stream, saying no more.