In the inner area of the Secret Realm, a small black snake swirled along hunting for prey.
However, just as it opened its mouth to devour its target, it suddenly shivered as black flames lit up in its eyes!
Memories that weren’t its own flooded through its mind!
A moment later, its eyes opened, and though they looked blank at first, they quickly became cold, and then menacing.
The black snake looked around. He suddenly felt uneasy.
‘I’m very weak now. I’m not even as strong as a mid stage Foundation Establishment. I guess I need to find a place to hide for now and reach my original cultivation. Just you wait Iris, I’ll make you my slave and devour your partner’s soul.’
Suppressing his anxiety, he raced off to find a hiding spot.
Indeed, this snake was Aldric who after entering the Secret Realm had used his cultivation technique’s divine ability to separate parts of his soul.
He planted these soul fragments as seeds in various creatures within the realm. It was a precaution, and also his final trump card.
But this technique came with a heavy price.
Each time he was killed and revived in a new body, a part of his soul would be forever lost. His memories, personality, and cultivation would decrease.
And if he failed to fill the gap in his soul, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage would be impossible.
Moreover, due to the Laws of the Secret Realm, his connection with the substitutes outside of the Secret Realm had been severed.
…
“How can you be so sure that he’s still alive?” Iris asked as Lucian and she flew through the low sky towards northeast.
Lucian grinned mischievously, “You still don’t believe me? Then how about a bet?”
Iris noticed his grinning expression and knew he was up to no good. But how could she, a Dragon step away?
“What are the conditions?” She asked cautiously.
“If I’m right, you have to do one thing I ask, no questions,” Lucian said, in amusement, “If I’m wrong, I’ll do whatever you want.”
Iris hesitated. It seemed like a trap, but she was confident in her earlier attack. There was no way Aldric could have survived.
“Fine,” she agreed and replied, “But nothing inappropriate!”
Lucian chuckled, “When did I say anything about inappropriate?” Lucian said with a sly grin, “Or do you want me to do something…”
Iris’s cheeks flushed pink. She turned her head away with a snort, “Don’t be ridiculous!”
Lucian laughed, enjoying Iris’s this side. He couldn’t get enough of her flustered reactions.
Moving closer, he suddenly wrapped his arm around her slim waist from behind.
Iris stiffened at the contact but didn’t pull away.
Slurp~ shluurrp~ liiick~!
“You know,” Lucian ran his tongue along her neck, leaving a trail of saliva, and then murmured in her ear, “There’s still one dragon hole that needs to be filled.”
Iris’s face turned bright red. She shoved him away, stammering in embarrassment.
“Y-you pervert! How dare you say such things!” she exclaimed. But despite her words, her purple eyes glimmered with lust.
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Lucian just smirked and resumed his flying. The wind whipped through his hair as they soared over lush forests and mountains.
After two incense sticks of time, they stood above a murky swamp. A foul stench rose from the depths.
“Why did you stop? Is he here?” Iris asked as she spread her Qi Sense to scan the area. But she didn’t sense anyone.
He didn’t reply but waved his hand, creating a fire lotus. The flower bloomed, its petals burning with crimson flames.
Then with a flick, he sent it down towards the swamp. The lotus drifted through the air, leaving a trail of fire.
At this moment, in the depths of the swamp, Aldric focused on channeling his cultivation technique, slowly guiding his soul to adjust to his new physical vessel.
However, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked up.
“Impossible! I can sense Iris and that guy! But how could it be? Not even a Nascent Monarch should be able to see through my technique!” His snake eyes widened with horror and shock.
Suddenly,
BOOM!
Sizzle!! Sizzle!!
As the lotus touched the swamp, a booming sound echoed. The murky water began to churn and bubble violently. Clouds of steam rose, and the foul stench intensified as the swamp’s water evaporated.
Within five heartbeats, the water vanished completely, leaving behind a barren crater.
The former swamp’s slimy, soil-covered floor was exposed at the bottom. Rotting vegetation, bones, and other unidentifiable debris were visible on the muddy surface.
Amidst the dirt, a black snake writhed in agony. Its scales smoked and sizzled where the lotus’ flames had touched it.
“Think you can escape?” Lucian laughed coldly.
He took a step, his eyes pulsing with killing intent.
Iris’s gaze widened in astonishment as she saw what Lucian was gesturing to.
“How is this possible?! You’re saying this serpent is Aldric? What demonic technique is this? A demonic possession?!” she exclaimed in astonishment and disbelief.
On the swamp floor, Aldric somehow managed to suppress Lucian’s fire. His snake body writhed as he roared, “How did you find me? WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? DID YOU ALSO TRAVEL BACK IN TIME?!”
Lucian ignored his questions. His face was cold and emotionless as he opened his mouth to spit a blood needle. The thin red needle shot through the air with lightning speed.
Aldric tried to dodge, but the needle pierced right through his snake head.
Dark blood spurted out as its body twitched violently before going limp.
“Is he really dead this time? Or…” Iris asked as she looked at Lucian’s face.
Lucian’s brows furrowed.
“This sneaky bastard is too careful,” he said and flew towards the northwest, following the System’s ethereal arrow.
Lucian and Iris traveled through the northern part of the Secret Realm for the next two days.
…
Right now, Lucian and Iris were in the outer area once again.
In front of them was a small fox. The creature looked up at them with a horrified expression.
With a swift kick, Lucian sent it flying through the air. The fox slammed into a nearby rock with a “thud”.
Before it could recover, he swung his Halberd and in four quick strokes, he severed the fox’s legs.
“Awooooooo!!!”
Blood stained the grass crimson as the small creature howled in agony.
“The future you saw, didn’t include this scene, did it!” Lucian laughed coolly.
This sentence from Lucian completely broke his last psychological defenses.
Terror intensified in his fox eyes.
Aldric asked, “H-how do you know this? I never tell anyone!”
This was the question that had been plaguing him the most.
Lucian merely smiled, “Do you want to live or die?”
“I want to live! Please, spare my life!” His eyes flashed with the desire to survive.
Lucian paused slightly before speaking, “Then cooperate with me and I can spare your life.”
Aldric immediately nodded in agreement, “Of course! Of course! I will tell everything that I know!”
Lucian finally learned about his past life.
He was a person of average talent, nothing special.
Only after two years did he joined a Demonic sect, and later controlled a Prince of Tianyu Empire.
With his aid and the supply of resources, he made rapid progress and reached Nascent Soul.
Later on, he offended a core disciple of an Ancient Sect and was killed.
After that, his memories stopped.
After he finished, Lucian had a guess.
In Aldric previous life, perhaps Lucian didn’t awakened the System.
Moreover, it was possible that he possessed an unique Innate Fate that allowed his consciousness to transcend time and space.
Aldric also revealed that in about five years, the strongest Empire situated in the centre of the Continent would attack all the sects.
“In my previous life, this event shook the entire cultivation world,” Aldric explained, “Many sects were destroyed, and countless cultivators perished. Only the most powerful Ancient Sects managed to resist.”
Lucian listened intently.
However he believed that his existence might have already changed the future.
“I told you everything I knew,” Aldric pleaded, his voice weak from pain and blood loss, “My storage ring also has a key to enter a secret place. Now please, spare my life!”
“Sure.” Lucian smiled and before Aldric could react, his fox head was severed clean off with a swift stroke of the Halberd.
At this very moment, a System notification appeared in Lucian’s mind.
“Finally,” Lucian murmured with satisfaction. He had been waiting for this confirmation.
Beside him, Iris stood with a stupefied expression. Her purple eyes were wide, mouth slightly agape.
She blinked rapidly, trying to process everything that had happened over the past two days.
Hearing Lucian’s words, she exhaled a long breath she didn’t know she had been holding.
Iris was about to ask Lucian to explain what Aldric just said. But before she could speak, Lucian replied, “Let’s find a quiet place to rest and talk”