Ryan Ouyang glanced at the elder before him, shocked that the old man could see through his identity at a glance and even knew such hidden secrets. He was about to ask when the elder spoke first:
"Anyone who can enter the Netherworld is clearly no ordinary person. But with your strength, you shouldn't be able to break open the entrance by yourself. There must be someone truly formidable among you, am I right?"
"Senior, you really are a sage. There were indeed four of us who came in together, and the strongest one has already gone to Ghost Clan territory. But how did you know all this?" Ryan Ouyang asked.
"Of course I know about the Netherworld Gate. Back then, it took dozens of human experts sacrificing their lives to seal it—my own senior brother was among them. I happened to be in the Netherworld at the time, otherwise I might have joined that sealing battle myself." The elder spoke, his face weathered with sorrow.
"Senior, I know nothing about the Divine Battlefield. The one who truly understands is the man who brought us here—his identity is extraordinary, and you might even know him. He's Evan Chu, known as Lord Frostbane, and also the Divine Dragon inheritor." Ryan Ouyang said, hoping the elder could reveal more of Evan Chu's secrets.
"Oh? Tell me, then. Someone I know? That seems unlikely—it was ten thousand years ago. If he's still alive, he should have at least broken into the Venerable Martial Realm. Why would he need to come to the Netherworld?" The elder said, half believing, half doubting.
"Do you know the Frostbane Sect Master? I came here with him. He also has another identity—the Divine Dragon." Ryan Ouyang said.
"Frostbane Sect Master? You mean Lord Frostbane, Evan Chu? That's impossible! Lord Frostbane fell on the Divine Battlefield, together with the Netherworld Lord's avatar and the Demon Lord. Young man, are you trying to fool this old man? Divine Dragon inheritor too? I find that hard to believe." The elder stared at Ryan Ouyang, eyes sharp and searching, as if to pierce his soul for any trace of a lie.
"I know it's hard to believe, Senior, but it's absolutely true. He's a reincarnator. He hasn't broken into the Saint Martial Realm yet, but his strength is terrifying—he can easily kill even seventh-layer Saint Martial experts. It's enough to make anyone jealous." Ryan Ouyang said earnestly.
Ryan didn't dare lie to the elder before him, nor did he want to. Maybe this was a chance. The elder had lived in the Netherworld for nearly ten thousand years and surely wanted to return to the Azure Tide Ruins, but couldn't break open the Netherworld Gate himself. Only with the help of the four of them could it be done. Who knew—maybe this elder would end up giving him a huge surprise.
"Why hasn't he broken through to the Saint Martial Realm yet? Is he deliberately hiding his true strength? Even for a peak Divine Martial expert, at most he could defy a third-layer Saint Martial, and only if his defense is monstrous. You say he can kill seventh-layer Saint Martial experts—that's just unbelievable. Don't try to fool this old man, or you'll regret it." The elder said sternly.
"Senior, with your power, I wouldn't dare deceive you even if I had a death wish. Every word I've said is true. The main reason we came to the Netherworld is to obtain the Netherghost Violet Orchid. I'm sure you know how important that is. If he gets one, who knows how terrifying his strength will become." Ryan Ouyang said seriously, his expression extremely cautious.
The elder didn't reply, but pondered Ryan Ouyang's words. Someone that monstrous—maybe only Lord Frostbane could pull it off. To meet him again in the Netherworld after ten thousand years was truly rare. Back then, their relationship hadn't been bad at all. If he got the chance, he had to help him.
"You said he went to Ghost Clan territory. Where did the other two go? You should know, the Ghost Clan is the most dangerous of the Five Netherworld Races. If he doesn't know how to hide his aura, he could be in real danger."
"Roxy went to Shade Clan territory, Ethan Fenn went to human lands, and I came to Beast Clan territory—lucky enough to meet you, Senior!" Ryan Ouyang said with a smile.
"Meeting me truly is your luck. Beast King City isn't as simple as you think—it's full of experts, all keeping a low profile. One wrong move and you'll bring disaster on yourself. Even I don't dare act too flamboyantly here. In Beast King City, there are at least three people stronger than me." The elder said.
Ryan Ouyang stared in shock at the elder. Who could possibly be stronger than him? He couldn't help but ask, "Senior, what realm are you at now? Are those stronger than you already at the Venerable Martial Realm?"
"I'm only at the first layer of the Venerable Martial Realm, and I've been stuck here for two thousand years. The Beast King in Beast King City is already at the third layer—he could kill me with a flick of his hand. His strength is beyond anything you can imagine." The elder said.
Ryan Ouyang was a little shaken. He'd only recently heard the name Venerable Martial Realm and never imagined someone could reach the third layer. Breaking through even one layer was extremely hard—he knew that well enough from his own struggle with the Saint Martial Realm. The Venerable Martial Realm was simply unimaginable.
"Senior, why did you call me here? Please be direct. If it's something I can do, I absolutely won't refuse!" Ryan Ouyang cut to the chase—there was no way the elder had brought him here for no reason.
"You're human, but you have the Sacred Beast White Tiger bloodline. That's incredibly rare. I brought you here for two reasons. First, the Netherworld is far too dangerous—I don't want a talent like you to die before your time. Second, I want you to someday escort my granddaughter, Kelly Qin, back to the Azure Tide Ruins."
"Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you grow stronger. In the Netherworld, Starstones are almost nonexistent—I've had to rely on Netherstones for cultivation, which makes progress agonizingly slow. If I could absorb a large supply of Starstones, maybe I'd have already broken through to the third layer of the Venerable Martial Realm." the elder said.
Ryan Ouyang's heart leapt with joy. To be trained by a Venerable Martial expert was more precious than anything. "Thank you, Senior! I promise I won't let you down."
"Good, let's go inside. Kelly Qin probably has the meal ready. She's my only family in the Netherworld—my granddaughter. Her parents disappeared years ago after venturing into Ghost Clan territory, and that's my greatest sorrow. For now, you can train with Kelly Qin. She's already at the peak of the eighth layer of the Saint Martial Realm, so don't provoke her. Her temper is very strange." The elder said, making sure Ryan understood the relationship.
The two entered the hut. Inside, Ryan Ouyang found the simple straw house surprisingly elegant and peaceful, with tasteful furnishings that made the place feel tranquil. On the table, several delicious dishes were already set out. But Kelly Qin was staring straight at Ryan Ouyang...