Flash Step Multipliers in the Shadow-God Realm

Mason Lewis was forcibly transferred into that corpse body, struggling all the way, until he finally opened his eyes to find himself inhabiting a new vessel.

"Grandfather, why can't I stay in my original body?" Mason Lewis felt strange and uncomfortable in this new form.

"I originally planned to put you into a Space Ring, but your body can't stay in one for too long, so this is the best we can do. It'll also make things easier when we operate in the Human World," Elder Lewis explained.

"Lewis, I've set everything up for you—so, what's my reward?" The Corpse-Refiner chuckled.

"There is a reward, but let’s see if you have what it takes to get it," Elder Lewis replied with a grin.

"Oh? What is it?" The Corpse-Refiner asked, still smiling.

"There’s someone—he’s a master at alchemy, and his explosive power is incredible. His potential is huge. He’d be perfect for you," Elder Lewis said with a smile.

"Who?" The Corpse-Refiner asked, curiosity piqued.

Elder Lewis handed the Corpse-Refiner information about Evan Yang. After seeing Evan’s speed, the Corpse-Refiner muttered, “He really is much faster than others at the same level.”

"That’s why I’m recommending him. He won’t disappoint you—he’s the ideal candidate for your Living Corpse Thrall. The only problem is, he’s hard to deal with. Right now, he’s in Fiend Palace," Elder Lewis said with a smile.

"Lewis, you’re not planning to use me against him, are you?" The Corpse-Refiner frowned.

"That’s exactly what I’m thinking. But let me be clear—his explosive power is immense, his potential is huge, and his alchemy skills are on par with the best alchemists in Fiend Palace," Elder Lewis said with a grin.

The Corpse-Refiner nodded and said, "Alright, then I really want to see just how strong he is."

"I’m leaving now. Next time I come back, I’ll be the one in charge of Fiend Palace," Elder Lewis sneered.

"You’re that confident?" The Corpse-Refiner asked skeptically.

"I have plenty of people in Fiend Palace waiting for me. Just wait and see—the Palace Lord still thinks he’s wiped us out," Elder Lewis snorted.

The Corpse-Refiner nodded, then saw them off. After they left, he summoned the Nether Patriarch, whose cultivation had now reached Mist-Forming Stage. Under the Corpse-Refiner’s unique methods, the Nether Patriarch had grown much stronger.

"Go investigate this person. If possible, bring him to me," the Corpse-Refiner instructed the Nether Patriarch.

The Nether Patriarch nodded and then departed.

Elder Lewis took Mason Lewis to the checkpoint. The Fiend Palace guards didn’t notice anything unusual, so the two easily left the Fiend Realm. Outside, the cloaked warden saw nothing amiss and let them pass as well.

"Grandfather, when will we come back?" Mason Lewis asked resentfully on the road.

"We will. Once my strength recovers—or even when I reach a higher realm—that’ll be the moment I return," Elder Lewis replied with a sneer.

Mason Lewis nodded.

Evan Yang had no idea what was happening outside; he just kept up his training.

Outside, the Nether Patriarch waited every day for Evan Yang to come out of Fiend Palace, but year after year passed without any sign.

One day, after defeating a clone, Evan Yang stopped and said, "Whew, I’ve cleared the fifteenth floor. Is there a sixteenth?"

Evan Yang couldn’t imagine—was this endless? Still, he was sure that after spending a hundred years here, his cultivation had broken through to late Mist-Forming Stage.

It was something no one else could even dream of, but Evan Yang had achieved it through his own efforts. His Phantom Step Art had reached twenty-five-fold, and his attacks could occasionally hit three hundred-fold. Stacking his gauntlets and soul power, he could reach a thousand-fold.

His stable output was two hundred-fold, with occasional bursts to three hundred-fold, so consistently he could reach at least six hundred-fold. Even Evan himself couldn’t fully measure it; all he knew was his attack power kept climbing, and the higher he went, the greater the multiplier.

"A thousand-fold—I could challenge a whole higher realm without a problem," Evan Yang laughed.

At that moment, Evan Yang wondered whether he should enter the sixteenth floor.

"Should I go in or not?" Evan Yang asked himself, uncertain.

After thinking for a while, Evan decided to press on. He entered the sixteenth floor, where the clones were as terrifying as ever.

This was the most pressure Evan Yang had ever faced—he was constantly at risk of losing his life.

Faced with this, Evan Yang could only keep pushing himself.

Eventually, he broke through to the Peak Mist-Forming Stage and easily defeated the clone of his former late-stage self.

As the figure on the sixteenth floor vanished, what appeared before Evan was no longer two flashes, but one departing flash and a staircase stretching into the unknown.

"Should I go up?" Evan Yang wondered aloud.

So Evan began to climb, curious about what lay ahead. At first, it felt easy, but the farther he went, the greater the pressure and the stronger the aura around him.

"Is this part of the training too?" Evan Yang frowned, but soon relaxed and decided to keep going, treating it as further tempering.

After climbing five hundred steps, Evan Yang could go no further—the pressure ahead was enough to crush him.

"This is far enough," Evan Yang decided. He sat down and began meditating under the intense pressure.

Evan Yang lost track of how many years passed. When he finally opened his eyes, he felt a vague sense of breakthrough.

Evan looked around from the middle of the staircase and entered the tower.

But once inside, Evan’s expression changed in surprise. "What’s going on?"

"Master, you finally made it," Diray said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

Youshuang also looked sad, as did the others. Only Ye Chen was missing. Evan Yang sensed something was wrong and asked, "Where’s Ye Chen?"

"In the room," Diray replied.

Evan Yang rushed over and found Ye Chen lying there. Hearing Evan’s voice, Ye Chen quickly pulled up the blanket and said, "Don’t come in."

"What’s wrong?" Evan Yang asked, puzzled.

"Don’t come in—get out!" Ye Chen shouted from under the blanket, his voice trembling with tears.

The more Ye Chen acted this way, the more Evan Yang wanted to know what was going on. He walked closer, and Ye Chen, hearing Evan’s footsteps, nearly broke down crying. "I’m begging you, please leave," he pleaded.

"What happened? Tell me," Evan Yang asked, doing his best to control his emotions.

"It’s useless, useless," Ye Chen said, sounding utterly heartbroken.

Evan Yang was confused. "What on earth happened?" he asked again.

Ye Chen began to sob. "Let’s leave it at that. I don’t want you to see me."

Evan Yang was baffled, but noticed a detail—Ye Chen’s hand looked extremely aged, almost like an old woman’s.

Seeing this, Evan Yang was shocked. "What happened?" he cried as he rushed over and pulled back the blanket.

The moment Evan saw Ye Chen, he was stunned. Ye Chen hadn’t expected Evan to act so suddenly, and quickly covered himself with both hands. "Don’t look—it’s not pretty," he said.

"What happened?" Evan Yang knew how important beauty was to a woman, but Ye Chen was a cultivator—how could this happen?

Ye Chen sobbed, "It’s useless—the side effect of the Feng Family’s Domination Art. Although it stopped my life from slipping away, my youth is still fading as expected. Eventually, I’ll just be old bones."

"No, no, don’t worry. I’ll make the Feng Family reveal how to fix the side effect," Evan Yang promised. He hadn’t expected that, even though Ye Chen’s lifespan was extended by fifty thousand years, the signs of aging continued. He reassured Ye Chen with determination.

"Don’t—don’t throw your life away," Ye Chen said, knowing Evan Yang’s strength couldn’t match the Feng Family Patriarch. Even in the future, she didn’t know what she’d become.

"I’ll take you to the Human World and let you out," Evan Yang decided. He wouldn’t let Ye Chen stay in the tower any longer, to avoid her life draining too fast. Nor would he leave her in the Fiend Realm, since she couldn’t endure the fiendish energy there. The only solution was the Human World.

"The Human World? Can I even show myself like this?" Ye Chen asked in disbelief.

"You can, absolutely. When I get to the Human World, I’ll bring everyone out so they can stay with you," Evan Yang said excitedly. Just then, the door opened and Diray and the others came in, telling Ye Chen, "We’ll stay with you."

Hearing this, Ye Chen finally broke down and cried, "I..."

"Don’t cry—it’ll be alright," Evan Yang said, holding Ye Chen and letting her rest her head on his shoulder as a pillow.

Ye Chen cried herself to sleep in Evan Yang’s arms.