Chapter 294: Full of Doubts (1)

This was really a big move. Rod and Sognar were both certain their judgment was correct, and indeed, it was confirmed by the old man moments later.
“Ah, I remember. That guy I threw out earlier didn’t seem to have taken anything with him, did he? What a shame. That Xuan Dan could have fetched a good price outside. Never mind, I’ll just keep it for myself this time!” As expected, Rod and the others were right. The remaining item was supposed to go to Ziyang, but since he was thrown out abruptly, the old man, confused, forgot to give him what he deserved.
“Hahaha… Old man, I can’t take it anymore! You’re… so funny. I like it! Haha, I, Sognar, consider you my friend!” Overjoyed, Sognar laughed heartily.
At that moment, he imagined Ziyang’s expression the moment he realized he hadn’t gotten anything—probably frantic, even driven mad by anger. The thought made him feel pleased.
“I really did forget to give it to him. Never mind, just consider that kid unlucky. I just didn’t like him anyway. You two better be careful, or I’ll throw you out too!” The old man said indifferently, then glanced at Sognar and Lucy with a mocking smile as a threat. Hearing this, Sognar and Lucy suppressed their laughter, fearing they might be thrown out too—who knew what else they might miss?
Had the old man really accidentally thrown Ziyang out? No one had taken anything away—who knew if it was intentional.
“Well, since that’s the case, I’ll reluctantly help you guys. Hehe, not bad! Today, I’m in a great mood, so I’ll give you a favor—just one chance to go to a place to train. It’s only for a month. How much you can achieve in that time depends on your own abilities!” Then, as if thinking of something, the old man said to Sognar and Lucy.
“Really?” Sognar and Lucy became excited. They thought they would really be thrown out, but now they got a chance to train in such a place. Since the old man said it was a good place, it must be reliable. They immediately became filled with longing.
“Yeah, one month. Make the most of it. You should know that one of the two guys who entered there a thousand years ago reached the Yin Huang realm in just one month!” The old man muttered with a smirk.

“Elder, please take us there quickly. Since things have come to this, what are we waiting for?” Hearing the old man’s murmurs, even Sognar, though simple-minded, realized many things. With excitement in his eyes, he shouted loudly.
“Why the rush? I still have two words for you. It’s bitter and dangerous in there. It’s not too late to regret it now. Of course, if you persevere, there will be great rewards!” Seeing Sognar’s impatient attitude, the old man spoke slowly.
“Don’t worry. I, Sognar, have endured all kinds of hardships. Stop wasting time and hurry up!” Eager and excited, Sognar was practically bouncing with anticipation. Imagining the place he was about to enter and the rewards he would receive, his mouth stretched into a wide grin.
“One month. Can I inform the people outside then?” Lucy, on the other hand, hesitated. Such a long time worried her that her family back home would be concerned. She knew all too well how important she was to her family. Ridiculous—just her disappearing for a month could cause all sorts of trouble. Who knew what those old men from Gary might do in the Netherworld out of impulse? That would be troublesome.
“Hehe, you’re not bad, girl. I like that. Don’t worry. It’s fine. One month there is equivalent to just one day in the outside world—no difference! Besides, you won’t be able to leave until tomorrow. Don’t worry. Your family won’t worry. The Netherworld isn’t some casual place; they wouldn’t dare act recklessly!” Seeming to see through Lucy’s thoughts, the old man smiled.
“Really?” Lucy asked, relieved.
“Why would I lie to you? If it weren’t for me being in a good mood today and liking you, even if you begged me, it wouldn’t help!” The old man pouted irritably. In the past, others always cried and begged for a chance. And now someone dared doubt him? That was unforgivable.
“Lucy, agree quickly! Damn it, this is a great opportunity—don’t waste it. Don’t you want to help your brother Rod? Practicing in that place will definitely be beneficial. Once you reach the Yin Huang realm, that would be…” Hearing the old man’s words, Sognar grew anxious, fearing Lucy might anger him and cause them to lose this chance. He hurriedly interjected.
“Hmm, then I’ll leave it to you, Elder!” Lucy wasn’t stupid. She knew exactly what was going on and quickly spoke politely.

“Very well, you may go now. In a month, you’ll be automatically sent to the Netherworld!” With that, the old man waved his hand, and Sognar and Lucy turned into a black and a red beam of light before disappearing from Rod’s sight. The place once again became empty—they had left.

“Thank you, elder!” Rod said gratefully with a slight bow. He felt somewhat relieved now; at least Sognar and Lucy had received some compensation, otherwise he would have been uneasy.

“Mm, you all seem to get along well. Now that they’re gone, come with me. You’ll learn everything you need to know eventually! Those old guys have been waiting for you for a long time!” the old man said, nodding at Rod.

Then, with a soft command, the calm magma began to churn again, spinning rapidly as if about to burst forth, terrifying Rod. Slowly, the vortex reappeared, and this time it hovered above it!

“Kid, what are you standing around for? Use your combat energy to protect yourself and follow me!” When the vortex grew large enough to resemble a giant straw piercing through the entire magma pool, the old man couldn’t help but shout at Rod, who was still dazed.

“Oh… oh… I’m coming!” Taking a deep breath, Rod recovered from his shock. From start to finish, the old man hadn’t moved a finger; he had done it all using the combat energy emanating from within him. It was hard to imagine just how powerful this old man really was. That’s why Rod had been distracted.

“Down!” Seeing Rod rushing over, the old man gave a soft command, and everything returned to calm. Rod felt a gentle aura enveloping him as he entered the magma. All around was scalding magma—even under the old man’s protection, Rod felt terrified. An accident at this moment would surely leave him dead.

He felt himself descending rapidly. It took some time before Rod finally felt his feet touch solid ground. Exhaling, he slowly opened his eyes.

What he saw left him in disbelief. He found himself in a strange environment. The sky was filled with magma, and he was actually below it.

Below was a whole new world—vast and seemingly endless. What puzzled Rod even more was why the magma remained suspended in midair without spilling down. Could there be some great secret here?

“If you’ve had enough, let’s go!” The old man’s voice pulled Rod back from his thoughts.

“Oh… let’s go!” With some embarrassment, Rod replied with a bitter smile. There had been too many shocking and unexpected things today, leaving him somewhat numb.

It was a vast plain, extremely dim, with no visible horizon. As they moved forward, Rod saw a city—yes, actually a city. It was hard to believe that such a city could exist in such an underground world.

Upon entering, Rod was even more astonished. The grandeur of this city was no less than that of any town above ground—immense and magnificent. It was unimaginable that such splendid buildings could exist underground. How much effort must have gone into building them? How much bloodshed must have been required? Especially with new worlds constantly appearing, what kind of powerful beings must possess such abilities?

“Surprised, aren’t you?” Seeming to sense Rod’s shock, the old man said with a smile.

“Surprised!”

“Normal. Every inheritor who comes here reacts this way. Follow me!” The old man smiled faintly, unimpressed. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen such a reaction. He led Rod into the city.

The place was noisy, with people coming and going. Seeing this, Rod’s eyes widened further. There were quite a few people on the streets, and almost everyone seemed to possess strength above the quasi-divine level. The main members were all at the divine level or higher! What was going on here?

There must be at least a thousand or two thousand people. How could so many people live here? Were they humans? They looked exactly like humans, with no traits of demons or magical beasts! What was this?

Once inside the city, Rod’s mind became completely chaotic. Countless doubts surged through his thoughts, leaving him utterly puzzled.

What was going on? There was another world in the Nether Realm, hidden away like this, and more importantly, people lived there. Although their strength wasn’t weak, it still seemed somewhat incongruous for the Nether Realm, given the large number of people. What secrets lay hidden here? Who were these people? With endless doubts, Rod looked at the old man.

“Hehe, haven’t you noticed their characteristics? Haven’t you sensed anything?” Faced with Rod’s confusion, the old man asked with a smile.

“Characteristics? Sensed?” Full of doubts, Rod looked again, squinting his eyes, but still couldn’t sense anything. All he felt was a familiar presence surrounding his heart. The next moment, at the old man’s suggestion, he closed his eyes and tried to feel it carefully.

After a long, long time, Rod suddenly opened his eyes, filled with disbelief: “How is that possible! It can’t be! What’s going on? Could it be that they… they are actually trolls?” With his mouth agape and eyes wide, Rod reluctantly voiced his guess!