The Heartscale’s Aura Begins to Leak

Lily Bai stopped looking at him and lowered her gaze to the water.

The water's surface reflected the boat's flickering lights, appearing deep, dark, and unfathomably mysterious.

They say that if anyone—human, immortal, or god—falls into the Nine-bend Nether River, they never surface again.

Besides, it's bottomless inside...

If she jumped in, would she really be able to escape?

"You’d better not get any ideas," Damian said. "There’s more than just water down there."

"What else?"

"Water ghosts. They drain flesh, blood, and even your soul—worse than the Hell of Blazing Flames."

Lily Bai: "..."

She’d still rather burn to death.

Lily Bai stopped looking at him and lowered her gaze to the water.

The water's surface reflected the boat's flickering lights, appearing deep, dark, and unfathomably mysterious.

They say that if anyone—human, immortal, or god—falls into the Nine-bend Nether River, they never surface again.

Besides, it's bottomless inside...

If she jumped in, would she really be able to escape?

"You’d better not get any ideas," Damian said. "There’s more than just water down there."

"What else?"

"Water ghosts. They drain flesh, blood, and even your soul—worse than the Hell of Blazing Flames."

Lily Bai: "..."

She’d still rather burn to death.

The boat sailed for a long time before finally arriving.

Damian Black lifted her up and used Swiftstride; before Lily Bai could even see what the Underworld looked like, they were inside a dimly lit room.

Someone was inside, and turned to face them when they arrived.

He looked like a middle-aged farmer, but radiated a terrifying power.

Upon seeing Damian, he bowed. "Fifth—"

"No need," Damian interrupted. "Look at her."

The man looked at Lily Bai, then transmitted to Damian: "Just as you said, the Heartscale’s aura is already leaking."

"How should we deal with it?" Damian asked via transmission.

"There are two ways. First, remove the Heartscale. Second, refine it deeper so it fully fuses with her."

"Which method is better?"

If you remove it, your Heartscale will be separated from her soul, and there will be no more worries.

If you refine it further, your Heartscale will never be separated from her, and its aura will never leak again.

Both methods work equally well; it just depends on which you choose.

Damian Black remained silent.

"Which one will you choose, Fifth Highness?" The man’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked at Damian.

"Will she feel any pain?"

"She won’t feel a thing! She won’t notice at all."

After thinking it over, Damian finally decided: "The second way!"

The man smiled. "Alright! Come with me to the Hell of Blazing Flames."

Damian nodded, grabbed Lily Bai, and stepped onto a Portal Array, instantly transporting them elsewhere.

It was a place straight out of purgatory.

The vast, pitch-black space was riddled with fiery magma pits.

Black vapors curled out of many pits, congealing above the lava into screaming skulls.

"This is the Hell of Blazing Flames," the man said. "Any pit will do."

Lily Bai stared at him, unblinking. "May I ask who you are?"

"Just a nobody."

Lily Bai fixed her gaze on his face. "Liar! You’re Lord Hades, ruler of the Underworld! Don’t think I wouldn’t recognize you just because you’re dressed like a farmer!"