At the summit of Nether Mountain, inside the dark hall, the Sovereign of Death smiled for a moment, then let her expression fade. She turned to the Nether Overgod and asked, "Priestley, why do you think Ren came to Nether Mountain? Surely he isn't here to seize a Nether Fruit. He can't be that bored, can he?"
"Overlord, Ren recently killed an elder of the Four Divine Beasts Clan. He should know that, given the clan's usual ways, they won't let him off easily. Perhaps he came seeking protection?"
The Nether Overgod stroked his beard and made a somewhat uncertain guess.
The news that a Overgod resided on Nether Mountain hadn't spread among ordinary gods, but Prefects with even a little power knew about it. Ren had only been a Prefect for a short time, but it was perfectly normal for him to have heard the rumor.
Since Ren had spent years in Hell, he should know how the Four Divine Beasts Clan operated, and that they had an Overgod backing them. So if he didn't want the clan to hunt him down and kill him, his best option was to seek protection from an Overgod.
At least, in the Nether Overgod's view, Ren had come to Nether Mountain to try his luck—to see if he could meet an Overgod and ask for protection. Overgods usually wouldn't care about a Prefect's request, but Ren didn't have many other options against the Four Divine Beasts Clan. He could only try and hope for the best.
"Seeking protection? That little guy certainly has some nerve! I don't fear Reding and the other three, but a mere Prefect thinks he can ask an Overgod for protection?" The Sovereign of Death gave a derisive laugh. With her status and power, she naturally had nothing to fear from the Four Divine Beasts, but she also didn't care about some Prefect. She made no comment on Ren's actions.
"Priestley, notify Jin and Yin and have them go to the Gray Mist Zone. I'll send Asers with them. The three of them can work together to stop Ren. If he can snatch the Nether Fruit while facing all three, I'll consider taking him on as an emissary."
The Sovereign of Death fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly.
The Nether Overgod's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the Sovereign of Death. But he quickly recovered, quietly acknowledged her order, and withdrew.
"Overlord actually gave Ren a chance. That's certainly surprising," the Nether Overgod thought as he left the purple-black hall.
"I can't wait to see the look on that little guy's face!" After the Nether Overgod left, the Sovereign of Death chuckled to herself, as if imagining an amusing scene.
At first, the Sovereign of Death hadn't planned to do anything. Ren's troubles with the Four Divine Beasts Clan had nothing to do with her. But when she remembered how confidently Ren had guessed that she was a Prefect at the Nether Hotel, she couldn't help looking forward to his reaction when he learned she was an Overgod.
Over the countless years, she had seen plenty of people arrive at the summit from the Nether Hotel and stare in shock. But Ren was the first to decide, right there at the foot of the mountain, that she was a Prefect. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to give him a chance.
"Plenty of people will try to seize the Nether Fruit, and Asers and the other two are no weaklings. If you can't get it, you'll have only yourself to blame." The Sovereign of Death shifted position, then stretched and muttered to herself. If Ren failed her "test" and someone else took the Nether Fruit while Asers and the others had him surrounded, she wouldn't meet with him.
At the foot of Nether Mountain, inside the hotel, Ren knew nothing of the conversation between the two Overgods on the summit. He simply looked at the pretty red-haired girl.
"The Nether Fruit is a treasure of heaven and earth. Even if it's no use to me, I still want to give it a try." When the red-haired girl asked why he had come to Nether Mountain, Ren didn't answer directly, giving her a perfunctory response instead.
"Is that so?"
The pretty red-haired girl raised an eyebrow slightly. She could tell Ren hadn't told her the truth, but she said nothing more. Carrying a bucket and fishing rod, she headed toward the lake.
Ren found a seat and took out some wine, sipping it casually. The night of the full moon was only seven days away, so he decided to put his cultivation on hold and wait quietly by himself.
Everyone around him kept their distance, as if by unspoken agreement. A few people sat together and used their Divine Domains to seal off the area, discussing something among themselves.
The title of Prefect weighed heavily on them. The strongest among them had barely reached the level of a Seven-Star Fiend and was no match for Ren. Normally, they were rivals when competing for the Nether Fruit, but joining forces when faced with someone as powerful as a Prefect was a sensible choice.
Ren could easily guess what they were thinking, but he didn't care. Once the Nether Fruit appeared, he was confident he could seize it—unless an Overgod personally stepped in to stop him. But an Overgod obviously wouldn't do something so pointless.
Seven days later, at the foot of Nether Mountain's northern slope.
A massive gate, twenty meters tall, stood before them. Huge chains surrounded it, their lightning covering the area, while not a single spark appeared inside the gate—as if it were inviting only those who weren't afraid to die.
"This time, some of us may die. If any of us make it back alive, I hope the others will help us fulfill our wishes, just as we agreed before."
A red-haired young man in a black robe spoke solemnly to the people beside him, as if delivering his final words.
The woman in green robes followed behind the group, unmoved by their words. She had seen too many scenes like this over the years. In the end, ninety-nine percent of them never returned. Her gaze rested only on Ren. He was the first Prefect she had ever met, and she couldn't help feeling some anticipation for the Nether Fruit, which had appeared only four times in all these years.
Ren paid no attention to the others. He gazed quietly at the sky as an eerie red moon, round as a disc, brightened. The night of the full moon had arrived, and the entire mountain was shrouded in a hazy red glow.
Cyan qi burst from Ren's body. The patterns on his blue-green robe began to flow, and with a slight shift, he turned into a streak of light and shot into Nether Mountain.
"What incredible speed! With strength like that, can we really beat him to it?" A silver-haired man swallowed nervously, his voice uncertain.
"Damn it! Why would someone that powerful come all the way from Hell to Nether Mountain? What does he even need the Nether Fruit for?" A burly, gray-haired middle-aged man beside him cursed under his breath, his heart heavy with despair.
"All right, the Nether Fruit isn't something you can get through strength alone. You need luck, too. Besides, there are so many of us working together—we may not have to fear him!" The red-haired young man from earlier spoke up at once, trying to encourage the others and reassure himself, though he didn't really believe his own words.
After the others had entered Nether Mountain one by one, the woman in green robes didn't linger. She quickly returned to the hotel.
"Did they all go in?" On the lawn outside the hotel, the pretty red-haired girl casually flicked her fishing rod without turning around.
"Yes, Boss. They've all gone in. Prefect Ren has gone in as well." The woman in green robes answered, then paused and continued, "Boss, do you think Prefect Ren can get the Nether Fruit?"
She had asked specifically about Ren, clearly thinking little of the others. That was only natural; Nether Mountain had never lacked people willing to throw their lives away.
"Ren? His strength is decent, but getting the Nether Fruit won't be easy."
The pretty red-haired girl glanced at the woman in green robes and replied casually. Then she sat by the stream and said no more.
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