By their reckoning, it should have been the next day outside the cave.
Shi Chun closed the book and put away the pile of books on the ground, then glanced at the lavishly dressed man lying stiff and motionless nearby.
He had grabbed the man while looking for a suitable messenger earlier. The fellow was a street bully. Whatever backing he might have had, Shi Chun hadn't liked the sight of him tormenting innocent people, so he had taken him along.
Shi Chun spread his fingers, drawing the man straight up from the ground and catching him by the throat. Ignoring the terror and pleading in his eyes, he snapped his neck with a crack.
Once they confirmed that he was thoroughly dead, Wu Jinliang grinned and took out the jar of Death-Defying Incense, scooped out a little with his pinky, and summoned a flame to burn it.
Both were thoroughly familiar with the procedure. Before long, they had opened another black hole leading to the Nether Realm.
Before entering, Shi Chun told Wu Jinliang, who was rubbing his hands in anticipation, "We don't know where the opening will appear on the other side. I'll go first. Wait for my call."
Wu Jinliang naturally understood. If anything went wrong, he could still provide support from outside. Everything went without saying, and he nodded.
Shi Chun flashed inside. The instant he emerged from the opening, he quickly activated the Cloud-Treading Boots beneath his feet to steady himself.
The reason was simple: this time, the opening had appeared high in the air. Below him lay an entire city of dim, shimmering lights, like stars scattered loosely or clustered thickly across the sky, glowing red and white, blue and green.
There were houses, streets, and pedestrians. It was an enormous city.
Sure enough,