Cade released a strained chuckle that quickly turned into a cough, followed by him spitting out a mouthful of partially coagulated blood. There was a strange dissonance in his mind; being in two places at once was deeply disorienting.

  “Apologies… I did not intend to show up here. And sorry for staring; your appearance reminded me of someone,” he struggled to speak without interruption, as the pain made it difficult to focus.

  The young woman relayed his words. He noticed that when her attention shifted away from his soul projection, his hold on it began to weaken, and the world started to phase, flickering between the flashing, rumbling clouds and the huge tree. The ageless woman frowned and was about to say something when Cade’s mind was fully dragged back into the memory of the godly tribulation.

  “No!” he exclaimed hoarsely, but it was too late. Another lightning strike descended, nearly incinerating his soul, while melting the flesh off his bones and charring them once more. The bolts were no longer separated into distinct colors; now each one shimmered with all hues at once, distantly resembling the prismatic energies of his spherules.

  Please, send me back. Please.

  Cade was desperate. Although his Asura nature dulled anxiety and fear, he still cherished his life and had no intention of dying here. Even as he burned alive, he felt the chill of death crawl down his blackened spine. He tried to force his voracious heart to mobilize the spherules and produce more dust—perhaps it would accelerate his healing—but it didn’t work. He attempted to manifest Life Armor, yet Ang War’s memory denied him. Worst of all, he still couldn’t leave this forsaken yellow planet.

  He poured the entirety of his consciousness into thoughts of the girl and her mother, the massive tree and the purple-blue sky, forcing his will toward that image with everything he had left. When he saw another bolt gathering above his head, he knew he was finished. His body had partially recovered, but his soul was in a terrible state.

  Mom, I’m sorry. In the end, I let you down.

  The clouds flashed with brilliant, multicolored light, but when the bolt descended, Cade’s consciousness shifted once more to the place with the two Asura women, and the storm resumed in the background. Thankfully, it once again ceased directly wounding his soul, which was barely holding together.

  “He’s back!” a bright female voice rang out, and a moment later his vision sharpened. “Mom, I think he’s dying.” There was a faint sadness in her tone.

  “Help… Speak… to me. Otherwise… death… Please.” His hoarse words likely made little sense, but coherent speech was beyond him. Only by remaining with the two women did he stand a chance of surviving this life-and-death ordeal.

  “I think he’s saying I should talk to him or he’s going to die,” the young woman said, sounding confused.

  “Ridiculous,” the mother scoffed. “A lecherous ghost is after my daughter. My eyes have been opened.”

  “Mom, what if he’s telling the truth? Besides, it’s not like it costs me anything. I don’t want him to die just because I refused to spare him a few moments,” the young woman argued.

  “I do not feel comfortable with you speaking to an unknown entity I cannot even detect!” the mother rebuked, her voice rising.

  “He’s not doing anything to me… Mom, please. I feel like my Dao Heart will weaken if I ignore him,” the Ang Yi lookalike said, keeping her eyes fixed on him the entire time.

  “Ang… War…” Cade whispered, barely audible. He had to give them something.

  At those words, the daughter’s eyebrows shot up. “Mom, he just mentioned the Great Ancestor!” she exclaimed excitedly.

  Cade barely registered how her mother’s lips tightened and her eyes flashed dangerously.

  Shit!

  “Will… explain… have to survive… this calamity. Soul… hurts less… here,” Cade forced out. The fragment of soul he had left was barely strong enough to endure the merciless heavenly barrage. If he lost this refuge, he was finished.

  The young Asura woman immediately relayed his words, her expression a mixture of intense curiosity and bafflement. For the first time, a flicker of doubt appeared on the mother’s face, followed by a deep sigh.

  “Fine. But he must swear on his cultivation that he will not harm you. Otherwise, I am taking you away from here immediately,” she stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “I… swear,” Cade rasped without hesitation. Every moment here allowed his soul to recover a minuscule amount of strength. Even if he survived, his soul would be left with a dreadful wound—but right now he couldn’t care less. He just wanted to live. The tribulation lightning was bizarre; it harmed him even as it stretched and tempered the very core of his being. He could feel his soul expanding despite the accumulated damage.

  They began talking, and the young woman continuously relayed his words to her mother. Naturally, this slowed the conversation considerably, but Cade welcomed it—time was the one thing he desperately needed.

  “My name is Ang Yao, and this is my mother—and my Master—Ang Sen. She is a High Elder of our clan, and a very nice person, but it’s best not to get on her bad side.” She wagged her finger. Cade promptly cupped his fists, introducing himself and bowing while clenching his teeth. Lightning still struck his soul without pause, yet he was so relieved to remain here that he could have cried.

  They immediately asked about his connection to Ang War, and he explained that he had inherited some of his teachings, carefully omitting any mention of the eyes or the Red Reaper Scripture. Both women were visibly shocked and exchanged meaningful glances.

  “I don’t understand why the Great Ancestor would leave one of his precious inheritances in a minor Divine Realm connected to some distant planet. One of the geniuses from our Red Reaper Clan would be far more suitable to receive it than some wild youth,” Ang Sen said, shaking her head with a heavy sigh. “No offense, youngblood—I’m simply calling it as I see it. Still, the Great Ancestor’s decisions are undoubtedly wise, and it is not my place to question them. Even if it is only a minor inheritance site, if the others found out… many would not be pleased.”

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  Interesting. It seems Ang War left more than one inheritance. But this Asura woman believes mine is a lesser one, whereas it’s the most important one.

  This was the first time he had heard of Asura living in clans, yet it did not surprise him. Lao Ren had said that ancient Asura could produce dozens of drops of golden essence. It was only natural for those sharing the same ancestor to form a clan and unite their strength.

  During their exchange, Cade learned quite a bit. The two women were in the Immortal Realm—an enormous Divine Realm created in times immemorial, housing a complete solar system with six massive inhabited planets orbiting the same sun. Ang Sen had brought her disciple here to show her the wonders of the realm before Ang Yao’s breakthrough into Wraith Formation. It was a good time for such a journey, as there had been no open conflicts between the Daeva and the Asura for nearly 20 years.

  Ang Sen had raised Ang Yao since infancy and had provided her with golden essence once she came of age. Cade was not entirely convinced by the story, but he chose not to question it. The last thing he wanted was to provoke this old monster.

  “Why are you in so much pain, Cade Ward? And why do you hide your face?” Ang Yao asked, clearly fascinated by his half-real, flickering state. Both women addressed him by his full name, which made sense among the Asura—names typically consisted of two Chthonic runes, occasionally three, but never one, each carrying deeper meaning.

  “I am undergoing a heavenly tribulation—or rather, reliving a memory of one. Regrettably, I cannot stop it. Being here allows me to experience the memory at a greatly accelerated pace and with vastly diminished intensity, lessening the burden on my soul,” Cade explained, feeling marginally better despite the constant agony that would have driven most into madness. “And I hide my face simply because I do not wish for you to watch my skull be stripped of flesh and burned alive again and again.”

  Ang Yao covered her mouth, her blood-red eyes widening in horror before relaying his words.

  “It must be Great Ancestor Ang War’s memory of his first Life Annihilation. He likely left it behind as part of his inheritance for soul tempering,” Ang Sen said, her perfectly manicured brows rising in realization. As someone in the Golden Blood realm, only a few steps from facing her own Life Annihilation, her understanding of heavenly tribulation was profound.

  “But then… how did your mind travel all the way here?” Ang Yao asked, puzzled.

  “I don’t know. It wasn’t something I did willingly,” Cade said, helplessly shaking his head. “Considering it brought me into the company of two beautiful Asura noblewomen, I truly cannot complain.” The words ended in a grin and a bloody cough.

  Ang Yao blushed, smiling shyly as she stole a glance at her mother.

  “What? Why are your cheeks suddenly red? What did he say?” Ang Sen asked sharply, her eyes narrowing.

  “Erm… nothing special. He said he doesn’t know how he got here, and that being in such, uhm, respected company, he really can’t complain,” she replied quickly.

  “Sure. That is exactly what he said. You, boy! Do not dare flirt with my daughter. She is a top progeny and the heiress of my esteemed Red Reaper Clan, not someone you can casually chat up. Hmph. Reliving a tribulation memory and still thinking about courting. Youngbloods these days truly do not know the immensity of heaven and earth,” Ang Sen grumbled.

  “Mom! Cade Ward was just being polite; he’s not flirting with anyone!” Ang Yao protested, blushing even more.

  “I know their tricks, child. First they speak of admiration, and the next thing…” Ang Sen waved dismissively, then her eyes flashed. “Actually, ask him who his master is. Perhaps it is someone I know.”

  Ang Yao relayed the question, and when she heard Cade’s response, her face paled.

  “Mom, he says it’s… Supreme Elder Lao Ren.”

  Cade’s body twitched at the revelation. Master Lao Ren is a Supreme Elder of the Red Reaper Clan?! Hmm, I wonder why he never mentioned this… Maybe he didn’t want me to think too highly of myself.

  “Impossible. I would know if one of the six Supreme Elders—who has never taken a disciple in his entire life—suddenly accepted one,” Ang Sen snorted. “If there is one thing I despise in this world, it is liars.” A dangerous undertone crept into her voice, her golden eyes fixed on the spot Cade Ward was supposed to occupy.

  “He said he was born on the same planet as the Supreme Elder, and that the Elder’s soul wisp offered him the inheritance,” Ang Yao relayed in a bewildered voice.

  “That… Hmm,” Ang Sen trailed off, hesitating. It was not impossible.

  “Mom, this can’t be a coincidence. He’s clearly part of our clan!” Ang Yao exclaimed, clapping her hands happily and looking at her expectantly.

  Ang Sen remained silent, deep in thought.

  Cade’s gaze stayed fixed on Ang Yao, who tried not to look directly at him but kept sneaking glances. To her, he was an utter mystery.

  “What is your cultivation, child?” Ang Sen finally asked, directing the question at him. After hearing the relayed answer, her eyes widened.

  “You are only in the middle of Flesh Fortification and you are reliving a memory of Life Annihilation?! You should not even be alive; your soul ought to have been torn to shreds!” she exclaimed, losing composure for the first time.

  Cade smiled bitterly. If he told them he was actually undergoing a godly tribulation—the highest form of heavenly punishment—he had a strong feeling Ang Sen would seize Ang Yao and leave immediately, cursing his shameless audacity.

  “How many atavisms do you possess?” Ang Sen suddenly asked.

  Cade frowned but answered truthfully. “To my knowledge, four: claws, fangs, eyes, and ears.”

  Hearing that he had the same number as Ang Yao, Ang Sen’s eyes unfocused as her thoughts raced. What first seemed like a bizarre coincidence was beginning to take on a deeper meaning—a possible convergence of fates.

  “Cade Ward, you must make cultivation your top priority. When you advance sufficiently into Wraith Formation, the Book of Life will reveal the path to Chthon. Once you leave your home planet, do not wander the universe—there will be time for that later. Instead, travel to Chthon as soon as possible. Can you do that?” the ageless woman asked, though it sounded more like a command.

  Cade could not be certain, but he sensed a trace of concern in her voice.

  “I will do what I can, Senior Ang Sen,” he replied seriously, cupping his fist toward her. “May I ask… is something happening with my Master or the clan?”

  “That… is a complicated matter, but nothing a youngblood should concern himself with,” Ang Sen answered with a weary sigh. Ang Yao opened her mouth to speak but promptly fell silent after receiving a stern glance. “Do not dawdle. Simply follow the path laid out in the Book of Life,” she concluded firmly, ending the subject.

  They continued their three-way conversation for several more hours while Cade endured the heavenly punishment. Most of the time, he spoke about his life in a voice strained by suffering. The red tribulation robes he wore within the memory were now tattered by the relentless barrage of multicolored lightning, yet they stubbornly held together. He was no longer panicking—he could feel his soul had grown, not only in size but also in resistance to lightning.

  Retelling his past as a vintner, mundane and unremarkable as it was, helped distract him from the constant torment. Interestingly, neither of the Asura women seemed bored by his stories. Perhaps, to them, it was an exotic tale—a life of physical labor and daily struggles they had never experienced.

  Then, halfway through recounting his journey in the Sword Dao Monastery, his mind was abruptly torn away from the space beneath the enormous tree and dragged back to the mountaintop memory. He immediately looked up, only to see the clouds dispersing and revealing a clear yellow sky.

  "It's done...?" he muttered in disbelief, staring at the thinning clouds above. "It's done!" He yelled at the skies, crying in elation as overwhelming relief flooded him.

  Deep within the underground mausoleum, Night continued observing Cade’s real body with grave concern, impatiently counting the hours.

  Suddenly, bloody tears began to trickle down his face, and his eyes snapped open.