Deep inside Nether Mountain, there were three regions: the outermost white region, the gray region in the middle, and the purple region at the very heart.
The white region was the least dangerous. Once inside, a powerful pressure would bear down on you. Even Highgods struggled to withstand it. And with the white mist limiting the range of Divine Sense, those who entered usually proceeded slowly and cautiously.
But today, a figure raced through the white region, swiftly crossing the entire area.
"Whoosh!"
Ren passed through the boundary between the white and gray regions, quickly vanishing into the gray mist. At the same time, his Divine Sense spread rapidly outward.
"Roar!"
The moment Ren entered the gray region, a furious roar rang out. Several Highgods with blood-red eyes charged at him without hesitation, as if they meant to eat him alive.
"So these are the people who've entered Nether Mountain over countless years in search of the Nether Fruit. There are quite a lot of them."
Ren gave a quiet exclamation and shook his head slightly. A huge, translucent white sphere suddenly appeared, stretching a hundred meters in every direction around him. Strange vocal music spread through the space, and everyone who drew near lost their lives in an instant.
The gray region contained a special energy. Anyone with a weak soul who entered would soon fall into an illusion, trapped in endless slaughter and unable to wake. Over the countless years, far too many people had accumulated inside Nether Mountain.
Some of them were even Seven-Star Fiends who weren't skilled in the soul. If they were surrounded by a mob, even Seven-Star Fiends could fall.
But none of this was a problem for Ren. He swiftly spread his Divine Sense and raced toward the core region, following the direction in which the surrounding vegetation grew.
Meanwhile, in the heart of the gray region, by a branch of the Nether Fruit Tree.
The tree stood nearly thirty meters tall, its trunk surrounded by countless densely packed branches and leaves. Above its canopy, a crystalline purple fruit gave off a faint fragrance.
In front of the canopy, a silver-haired, hawk-eyed man sat on the ground. He seemed utterly uninterested in the Nether Fruit behind him, simply waiting in silence.
"Whoosh!"
Ochre light burst from the ground, which split open in an instant. A stocky man with short brown hair suddenly leaped out.
"Hahaha! After all these years, the Nether Fruit has finally appeared again!" The brown-haired man's face was alight with excitement. His narrow eyebrows shot up, and his voice carried the weight of countless years of waiting.
"Oh? Bolelei, you're still alive? What a surprise!" The hawk-eyed man, who had been sitting on the ground, slowly opened his eyes and looked at the brown-haired man in surprise.
"Asers? What are you doing here? You... Are you here to compete for the Nether Fruit too?"
Only then did Bolelei notice the hawk-eyed man. His heart jolted, and he couldn't help asking.
Bolelei had come to Nether Mountain billions of years ago. Like him, Asers had once competed for the Nether Fruit, but Asers had succeeded and was now a Sovereign Envoy, while Bolelei had failed and remained in the gray region ever since.
In the Gray Mist Zone inside Nether Mountain, besides those who had fallen into illusions because of the special energy, there were also people with powerful souls who refused to give up on the Nether Fruit and wandered there endlessly. Bolelei was one of them.
Having once witnessed the Nether Fruit appear, he knew full well that the sudden, large-scale growth of green vegetation meant the fruit might be appearing again. So he had been the first to act, forcing his way through the obstacles with his formidable strength until he reached the Nether Fruit Tree.
What he hadn't expected was to find Asers here too. For a while, he was so uncertain that he didn't dare make a move.
"Strange. In the past, whenever the Nether Fruit appeared, wasn't there only a Snake Spirit? Why is Asers here? And it looks like he's trying to stop anyone else from getting the fruit. But why?" Bolelei fell into deep thought, his mind racing.
"Bolelei, this time I'm here to test you all. Only the person who takes the Nether Fruit from me will earn an audience with the Overgod."
Asers glanced at Bolelei's grim expression and sighed inwardly. He and Bolelei had known each other back then, and they'd gotten along well. But now he was carrying out the Overgod's orders and couldn't show the slightest favoritism.
I wonder why the Overgod gave such a strange order, Asers thought, his silver hair drifting in the breeze.
Not long ago, the Overgod had ordered Asers to take part in this contest for the Nether Fruit in the Gray Mist Zone. Together with Jin and Iwina, he was to stop a man named Ren. If Ren managed to snatch the Nether Fruit from them, they were to take him to meet the Overgod. If someone else took it, they could forget about him.
Asers didn't understand the reason, but as an envoy, he didn't need to ask why. He only had to carry out the order. At the same time, he was curious about this man named Ren. What kind of person would attract the Overgod's attention?
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
A short while later, several figures swept in with the sound of rushing air. More than a dozen people arrived in the core region, and others were still coming. Sensing that the Nether Fruit had appeared, all the lucid people wandering the Gray Mist Zone were racing over.
"The Nether Fruit? Hahaha, it really is the Nether Fruit! It's mine!" A white-robed figure shouted as he charged forward. A streak of white light was about to reach the canopy.
Asers raised his eyelids and glanced at the man as if he were already dead, then shook his head slightly.
"Ah! What's happening?" Before the white-robed man could react, his body suddenly convulsed. Terror spread across his face as he crumbled into dust.
A flash of green light passed, and a tiny green snake, no bigger than a thumb, wriggled slightly before darting into the vegetation.
"Damn these green snakes!" A black-haired young man cursed. A long saber appeared in his hand as he warily scanned his surroundings.
By now, dozens of people had gathered. They all retreated a little and watched the Nether Fruit Tree warily. For a moment, no one made the first move.
No one knew how much time passed. A streak of blue light flashed, and Ren's figure slowly took shape. His gaze settled on the Nether Fruit in the canopy.
The moment Ren appeared, rustling sounds came from around the canopy. One after another, countless little green snakes glowing with a ghostly green light poked their heads out. They were densely packed, a terrifying sight.
"How can there be so many?" someone muttered first, his voice full of shock.
Bolelei watched the scene in surprise, then turned his gaze to Ren. The green snakes seemed to have begun moving only when this figure appeared. Asers's presence was strange too—he seemed to be waiting for this man.
"Looks like everyone who came here to die has arrived!" A chilling voice suddenly rang out, interrupting everyone's thoughts. A golden head slowly emerged from behind the canopy, followed by its enormous body. It was a Golden Great Snake, more than five hundred meters long, its cold eyes glowing emerald green.
"Since you're here, you might as well become fertilizer for the Nether Fruit Tree." Another soft, chilling voice rang out. A nine-headed Silver Black-Eyed Great Snake appeared, regarding the dozens of people present with interest.
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