The days inside that sealed world passed quietly.
All the young members of the Heavenly Spirit God Sect were deeply immersed in the entrance test. Meanwhile, the demons of the Shadow God Sect focused on cultivating the infernal laws. Additionally, a dozen of the universe’s largest sects, allied with these two, had brought their disciples to try their luck since the place held many natural treasures.
The ultimate goal of the Heavenly Spirit God Sect’s recruitment was to have the average disciples, who remained in the inner region, absorb the infernal laws into their bodies using the Dao they had received.
They had no choice. To survive in that environment, they needed to adapt to the infernal laws. The sect had chosen this specific date for the test, planning for its end to coincide with the heroes’ most critical moment. At that time, these young disciples would be handed over for the heroes to use—possibly until death.
As for the less than 1% talented enough to reach the central region, they would become the true disciples of the sect. For them, additional tests and significant benefits were made available.
By the end of the test, the heroes would receive a few million slaves with pure and moderately controlled infernal law in their bodies.
While the heroes forcibly handled the laws themselves, thanks to this Dao and the innate power of their race, these young ones could do it naturally. This added advantage was meant to ensure the flawless completion of their objectives.
It was the lives of millions of youths, but that didn’t concern them. Nor were there promises of rewards or agreements made in exchange with the sect. None were needed, as this was an order given by the heroes to the Heavenly Spirit God Sect over a decade ago.
The deity commanding them had, from the day of his ascension, fought fiercely for his race. Before his existence, the lives of the Heavenly Elemental Spirits were marked by suffering. They were luxury slaves, sought after and sold at auctions across the universe.
Determined to change this, he waged an open war against anyone who exploited his race, killing relentlessly until he became feared across the universe. Countless sects were destroyed by his hands, and his own sect rose to the top, demonstrating the power of the Heavenly Elemental Spirits.
After an entire generation drenched in blood, his race finally achieved a pseudo-safety.
But... despite all that, when the heroes’ order came, this God couldn’t even question it. His mind was left blank, filled only with obedience. It was similar to what happened to Almin in the other universe, when Isla killed herself and he felt nothing. The mental control of the queen, which the heroes could invoke, erased beliefs, objectives, and even the identity of those under its influence.
Now, only three days remained before the month-long test ended.
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It was on this day that a Cerberus, covered in black blood, approached the High Elders of the Shadow God Sect. Upon seeing him, their eyes widened in shock.
"Vrix! What happened?!" The sect’s former administrator, now its leader, exclaimed, alarmed. "You tried going to the core? Are you insane?!"
Quickly, he and several High Elders pulled out the highest-grade healing pills and scattered medicinal powder over Vrix to accelerate his recovery. It was a rapid emergency method, wasteful but effective, as it didn’t require ingestion.
"These wounds erupted from the inside out... Was this a reversal?" the leader analyzed.
"Leader..." Vrix murmured as his wounds slowly healed. "I did go beyond the plan, and these wounds were caused by myself. But it wasn’t a mistake. I had to return immediately and ignored the laws inside me, which caused the reversal."
All the demons present were stunned to hear this. "What? Why would you do something so reckless?!"
"I found... clear evidence," Vrix said, still tense. "I’m sure it’s the one the heroes are looking for. That’s why I came back immediately—maybe he wanted to silence me."
"What did you see?" the leader roared, his face turning pale.
"I sensed a subtle spatial distortion, isolating a small hidden area deep inside the place. It was a perfectly concealed and invisible space amidst the infernal laws. Inside, I felt a fluctuation, like something was watching me. I only noticed it by chance when I randomly absorbed the laws in that area," Vrix explained, his voice heavy with tension.
The leader took a deep breath, his mind working quickly to analyze the situation.
"I know it’s hard to believe…" Vrix began, but he was interrupted.
"No, you did well to flee." The leader’s rough voice cut through the air as he turned to the High Elders present. "Keep everything normal on the surface. Don’t raise any alarms. This is far bigger than us."
Everyone silently nodded. Vrix, however, remained confused and alarmed. Alm and Bruno had prepared multiple pieces of evidence to validate his claims and even devised a plan to lead the leader directly to the exact location.
Although these demons lacked mastery over the infernal laws, with their elevated cultivations, they could forcibly explore the depths of that place and still return safely if they acted quickly. And now… they believed so easily?
"Vrix, stay with the High Elders. You are to be protected discreetly. Under no circumstances should you return to that place. That’s an order," the leader said firmly, leaving no room for argument as he left in haste.
Shortly after, the leader retrieved a golden crystal and activated it to establish direct communication with the heroes’ location.
’Lord Hero, by chance, I’ve found evidence of where the Heaven-Defier is.’
***
Far away, Alm and Bruno observed the unusual lack of action from the demons, behavior that clearly indicated something unknown was happening.
’They didn’t come… They believed Vrix right away without any evidence?’ Bruno thought, surprised. ’Maybe the heroes warned them about something. After what happened with the other half of the cauldron, they’re probably prepared for anything.’
Alm snorted. ’We can’t back down now. Whether they’re on alert or not doesn’t matter. It was likely just a suspicion. Let’s adjust the plans.’
The two turned to Maelik, who led the invasion group alongside Almin. Close to him were Lyra, Rivine, Runula, and Calirer.
"The plans have changed. They didn’t fall into the trap, but they definitely have direct communication with the heroes. You’ll need to work together," Alm stated calmly, receiving confident nods from the group.
***
The final hours of the last day of the month-long deadline arrived quickly.
In the area where the immortal heroes were, all activity around the half of the cauldron had paused. They were relaxing, waiting for the decisive moment and the support of millions of young reinforcements that would soon arrive.
"That Heaven-Defier really isn’t going to try anything?" a demoness murmured, intrigued.
The other demonic heroes scoffed lightly. Everyone knew his insane nature and hunger for combat, so her disappointed tone didn’t surprise anyone.
Another demonic hero, after receiving a message, remarked, "It doesn’t matter. Once the deadline ends...!"
*Rumble!*
A deep sound, like something massive breaking apart, made all the heroes jump to attention. The sudden changes were intense.
The hero who had received messages moments before tensed as he heard new reports.
"He realized the trap and is trying to force his way out? Foolish, he’s already..."
**BOOOOM!**
A massive impact shook the area, and all the heroes’ eyes widened. They felt the sealed world’s formation begin to collapse. Then something overtook it, severing their connection to it entirely.
The isolated space where they were, once secure, shattered like glass, leaving them exposed instantly.
In unison, everyone turned to a distant point within the sealed world. Something unimaginable had happened: the infernal laws had lost their core, and everything in that place abruptly weakened.
The five natural laws and the five immortals had vanished, along with the infernal laws. The environmental laws were empty, revealing everything to the heroes.
Suddenly, the demon hero received another message and roared:
"He killed thousands to escape?! Impossible!"
After exclaiming, he received an even more shocking report. His expression turned even more incredulous. "What? Poison?!"