1443-1456

Chapter 1443: Test

"The Pristine Jewel of the Sea, huh?" Surprisingly, Rean became interested in the item. "Oh well, forget it. I don't have Water Element Affinity."

After that, Rean went to a relatively empty corner with Falangia, Rafatia, and Luan, taking the chance to call Roan out. Roan, of course, was already waiting for it. "There's no point in staying here for much longer. Let's head directly to the Under Desert Sea."

Rean didn't mind. "Sure, let's go."

However, just as they arrived at the gate, they were stopped by the guards there. "Halt! What do you want outside the city?"

Roan narrowed his eyes, saying, "It's none of your business. Let us pass."

The guards obviously didn't like Roan's attitude. There were quite a few of them, three at the Transition Realm and one at the Void Tempering Realm. Obviously, such a high level was definitely achievable because this city has many high-level cultivators as well. "No can do. If you want to explore the city outside, you will need to pay for the token at one of the city managing offices."

"Token?" Rean found it strange. "Since when did cities start to ask for tokens when someone wants to leave? Shouldn't it be the opposite?"

The guard snorted, saying, "Hmph! In other cities, that's true. However, Ertos City isn't the type of city you want to enter from the outside. Instead, it's a city where many people try to leave. It's not like your group doesn't know why either. Since that's the case, the city management started to charge for leaving instead of entering. If you don't like the idea, just teleport to another city and travel here on your own. Of course, the second closest city to the Under Desert Sea is at least ten times farther away than us."

Rean and Roan looked at each other and nodded. "Very well. We just have to buy it, right? So be it."

The twins had indeed seen a building board saying City Management Office. They thought that was a very rare sight in a place like Treavin but didn't care at that time. The twins could try to summon Kentucky and fly to leave through the city walls. However, if one of the guards was already in the Void Tempering Realm, there were bound to be more guards like that, perhaps someone with even higher cultivation. Without much choice, the twins went back to the city center before entering that City Management Office.

They weren't the only ones there, though. There were several queues as many cultivators, mostly at the Transition Realm, who seemed to be waiting for their turn. Naturally, the twins did the same thing while Falangia, Rafatia, and Luan waited by the side.

"It's rather peaceful, don't you think?" Rean said with a confused expression.

Roan understood what he meant. "Indeed. Everywhere we went in Treavin so far has always had its own bullies and those who didn't want to follow any rules. The people responsible for such cities didn't do anything about that either. How come everyone is waiting dutifully in the queues without those with higher levels forcing the weaker ones to move?"

When the twins finally arrived at the counter, they finally found why that happened through the worker's explanation. "Oh! The city management can't afford to let the cultivators act rampantly in their territory. That's because this city has an unusually large number of high-level cultivators. If everyone acted as they wished, as they do in other cities, this city would turn into rubble in no time. With that said, the City Lord's forces place a lot of effort into hiring high-level cultivators to keep peace and order. If someone tries to rebel, they would have to deal with many cultivators at their level or even higher."

The twins had to admit it made sense. Since this place did have a lot of Transition Realm cultivators and above, and if battles arose all the time, the city would cease to exist at some point. "I see... anyways, forget about that. Can you give us a token to leave the city?"

The worker shook his head, saying, "I can't. The tokens aren't for sale. Those who want the tokens have to pass the test, and the payment you give is for the test itself, not the token. If you fail, you have to try again."

"Test?" The twins were confused. "What kind of test?"

"Strength, obviously," answered the worker. "It's no secret to anyone that over 90% of the high-level cultivators who come to this city want to enter the Under Desert Sea. However, only the strong have a minimal chance of surviving there. As for the rest, it's better if they don't try it at all."

The worker then looked at the twins and said, "You two, for example, should just give up. The Peak Stage of the Elemental Transformation Realm is good, but it's far from enough in the Under Desert Sea. Don't try to rely on luck, as it most likely won't help you. First of all, you won't be able to pass the test with your cultivation anyway."

The twins shook their heads. "Just tell us the price for the test. By the way, can we bring our disciples with us if we get the token?"

The worker shrugged his shoulders, telling them, "That depends on their level. They must be below the Saint Realm if you want to use the token with them. Anyone above that level would be considered to just be someone trying to weasel their way out."

"That's good enough." Rean and Roan nodded. "So, how much is the test?"

Seeing that the twins didn't intend to give up, the worker could only continue. "It's 300 Rank One Divine Stones for each try. You can try as many times as you want. Do you still want to take the test?" 

Rean immediately took out 600 Rank One Divine Stones and passed them to the guy. "Just let us take the test already."

The worker sighed in response. "Very well.. Don't come complaining later that you lost your Divine Stones in vain."

Chapter 1444: Only Elemental Transformation Realm Cultivators

With that, the twins were guided to another room, where they joined many other cultivators. Though, the twins weren't the only ones at the Elemental Transformation Realm wanting to leave the city. Although not as common, there were also those who didn't want to go to the Under Desert Sea but needed to leave the city. Of course, there were those at the twins' level or even lower who still wanted to risk entering the Under Desert Sea regardless of the dangers it had.

The twins quickly noticed quite a few Soul Transformation and Saint Realm cultivators in the mix as well. Those at the Elemental Transformation Realm made up quite a few. However, half of the people in the room were at the Transition Realm at the very least.

Once again, the twins had to enter a queue and wait for their chance to take the test. The test was very simple, though. Based on one's cultivation, a formation would fortify a dummy that was placed inside. The cultivators had one chance to strike the puppet with whatever skill they had. The only rule was that the dummy should be destroyed within three seconds. That's all.

There was a limit to how much damage the dummy could resist when its settings were at max defense level. That was a limit where Transition Realm cultivators should be able to pass. Simply put, this was a test made to stop those with low cultivation, not the high-level ones.

However, what caught the twins' attention was that the cultivators who seemed to pass the test all gathered in an empty space of the room. Rean then called the guy in front of him and asked, "Sorry for disturbing you, friend. Would you mind telling me what they're doing there? Is there another test after this one?"

The guy didn't seem very willing to talk. But since Rean was quite polite, he decided to answer in the end. "Everyone who passes the test will try to form a group to enter the Under Desert Sea. After all, there's strength in numbers. That happens mostly with cultivators at the Elemental Transformation Realm and below, though."

Rean nodded. "I see... does that mean they know the route through the Under Desert Sea?"

"Who knows? Some of them say they do, but in fact, they just don't want to enter alone. Once far inside the Under Desert Sea, their companions won't think about dealing with the liar since they need his strength. Of course, there are those who genuinely got information about paths in the Under Desert Sea. Whether you can find someone like that or not, that's up to your luck," the guy explained.

Rean then thanked him before looking at Roan. "What do you think? It would be better if we at least know where we're going, no?"

Roan narrowed his eyes, saying, "The guy ahead didn't tell everything. There are those who know the real routes, and there are those who pretend to. However, there are also those who want to rob others and use their knowledge of the 'Under Desert Sea' to lure their victims. In fact, the third type is probably most likely."

Rean had to admit Roan was right. "That's true. However, we have you, so our chances of falling for a trap are smaller."

"Next!" Suddenly, Rean heard the worker calling his attention. It was his time to try to destroy the dummy.

As Rean walked forward, he continued to talk, asking, "You're basically a lie detector, don't you think?"

*Bang!*

*Shatter!*

Rean simply threw a punch covered in Light Element, which obliterated the dummy into countless pieces. Some people even had to use their Divine Energy barrier to stop the shrapnel from injuring them. Rean didn't seem concerned with that as he made his way back. "Let's give it a try."

Roan was obviously behind Rean, so he was the next one. "We'll see. Let's talk with the groups there. Perhaps we can find someone genuine."

*Bang!*

*Shatter!*

Just like Rean, Roan tore the dummy apart with one punch. "The only doubt is whether someone who really knows the routes would accept people at our cultivation level. Don't forget about the Transition Realm limit that we heard about." 

Little did they know, but all eyes were focused on them as many shocked expressions came out. Everyone had to use their best skills to barely destroy their dummies. However, Rean and Roan made it look so easy that some wondered if the dummies were broken. Of course, no such thing happened. The twins' real power was at the Initial Stage of the Void Tempering Realm. A dummy made to test the strength of an average Transition Realm cultivator was obviously fated to be pulverized.

The worker's shocked expression didn't last long before he quickly passed the tokens to Rean and Roan. "Here you go. You can leave the city anytime you want."

The twins nodded and made their way to the area where the people were trying to form groups. 

"Hey, wanna join my group?" Suddenly, a man who looked to be in his early thirties called the twins' attention.

However, he wasn't the only one. 

"No, come join us. Our leader knows the path to Pol Continent."

"Bullshit! Don't believe these guys. They're only trying to lure you into a trap. Come with my group. I can guarantee that the path my clan researched will deliver us close to one of the blind spots on the Pol Continent."

"Your ass! I've never entered the Under Desert Sea before. How come you know if I'm preparing a trap or not? Why aren't we so sure that perhaps it is your group who want to deal with these guys?"

"What did you say?!"

"Hey, brothers. Forget those two idiots. Join my group. We even have one Void Tempering Realm cultivator at the Initial Stage."

Rean and Roan looked at each other, confused.. How come so many groups with high cultivation decided to take them in? "We're only Elemental Transformation Realm cultivators, though."

Chapter 1445: The Weakest

It was then that one of the guys intervened, saying, "Who cares? Judging by how easily you destroyed the dummy, it's obvious that your cultivation doesn't reflect your real strength."

Everyone else nodded at the man's words in agreement. It turns out that even the Transition Realm cultivators couldn't destroy the dummy as easily as the twins did, so they all thought the twins were part of some big power. In other words, that meant they must have quite some treasures on them. 

Thanks to that, the people calling the twins to join were divided into three groups. Those who didn't know the path for real but wanted to use the twins' strength to complement their own. The second were the ones who thought the twins were full of treasures and wanted to lure them into a trap. And the last ones were the real groups with someone who really knew something about the Under Desert Sea and wanted their journey to be smoother with the twins' help.

However, how would the twins know who was telling the truth or not? Obviously, it was Roan's time to shine. 'None of the groups with reasonable strength are telling the truth, at least not fully. Another problem is that the ones who seemed to have some idea are groups with at least one Void Tempering Realm cultivator.'

Rean nodded, saying, 'Indeed. Even though they might not be lying about knowing some of the routes through that labyrinth, it would be complicated if the Void Tempering Realm cultivators suddenly decide to attack us. If it's only you and me, we probably can escape. However, we have to carry Luan, Falangia, and Rafatia as well.'

'It was supposed to be only Luan, but you had to bring the others,' Roan could not help but say.

Rean shrugged his shoulders as he told him, 'Come on! Consider it training for the day you travel the world with your kids. I'm sure you want to spread your seeds with Calina, right? This is a great opportunity to get used to protecting people much weaker than you.'

Roan pondered over Rean's words a bit and nodded. 'Makes sense.' Sure enough, Roan always took the most logical thought process, not feeling any hint of emotion about the topic. 'Protecting one's offspring is crucial for the development of a group as a whole. Very well, then. I will take it more seriously.'

Rean didn't get the effect he wanted, but he was already happy that Roan came to terms with Falangia and Rafatia. 'Now then, since all the groups with high-level cultivators seem to be hiding something...'

Rean and Roan's eyes suddenly turned in a certain direction. There, they saw a couple who looked pretty much alike, although one was obviously younger. They didn't try to invite Rean and Roan. However, when the twins arrived at the area where groups were being formed, they seemed to want to call them that but gave up when many other much stronger groups tried the same.

The difference was that Rean and Roan didn't feel the greed, disdain, or opportunistic looks that the rest of the groups did. If anything, they had very serious expressions.

While the people seemed to fight for having the twins in their group, Rean sent a Divine Sense Message to the couple. 'Hey there! Do you perhaps know anything about the routes in the Under Desert Sea?'

The two were taken aback and immediately looked in Rean's direction. However, they also understood the opportunity, so the man immediately nodded slightly. 'I do. It has something to do with my father, who traversed the Under Desert Sea before.' He didn't know if Rean would believe him, so he decided to tell the truth straight away.

Rean then looked at Roan and said, 'It doesn't feel like he's lying. However, you're better at detecting lies than I am. What do you think?'

Roan agreed with Rean. 'Not only is he not lying, but he's also probably terrible at it. I have seen his type quite a few times in my past life, but I have to admit they're quite rare. Of course, he might just be like that guy we met in the Lost Star Realm and have a lot of experience in fooling others. I'm good at detecting lies, but I'm not omnipotent.'

That was good enough for Rean. 'Well, that works for me.'

Rean looked back at the couple and continued his Divine Sense messages. 'Very well, then. We can go together. We have some people we want to bring with us, though. Will that be a problem?'

'What kind of people?' the man immediately asked. He didn't want to be at a disadvantage in this journey since he never knew if the twins would suddenly attack.

'One woman at the Middle Stage of the Core Formation Realm and two kids at the Foundation Establishment Realm.'

The man and the woman were even more surprised now. 'Are you really bringing such low-level people with you?'

Rean nodded, telling them, 'Yes. However, there's no need for you to worry. My brother and I will be responsible for their protection. If something goes wrong, you can abandon us straight away if you want.'

The couple looked at each other and discussed for a bit before they decided to accept. At the very least, those cultivators wouldn't cause trouble for them as they were just too weak. 'Very well.'

Eventually, Rean looked at everyone before saying, "I'm thankful that you all asked us to join your group. Just so you know, many of you sent Divine Sense messages during your arguments, but that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone here. My brother and I have already decided which group we'll join, and we will meet them somewhere else, so please excuse us."

Immediately, the area went silent as everyone wondered which of the strong groups being formed took the twins with them. It made sense that they didn't want to be discovered as to not generate more problems for themselves.. Well, little did they know that the twins chose one of the weakest teams there.

Chapter 1446: Which Direction?

Unsurprisingly, the twins preferred to trust their own strength instead of risking pairing with a bunch of high-level cultivators that might betray them later. Outside, Rean told Falangia about what happened and that they got the tokens. Nevertheless, Falangia was confused. "Why do we get a free pass with your token just because our cultivation is low?"

Rean shrugged his shoulders, telling her, "Because, unlike the high-level cultivators, you won't be able to help with anything. But above all, it's the fact that losing a Core Formation and two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators won't cause any impact to the city."

Falangia bitterly smiled, being made aware once again just how useless she was. "I see... well, forget it. When can we go?"

Roan looked at her before saying, "Now. Our guides will encounter us outside the city at a point we previously decided on."

The twins' group then left the City Management Office and went to the city's gate once again. This time, with the tokens, the guards didn't take much of their time and allowed Rean's group to pass through.

The couple only appeared around an hour later. That's because they didn't want to be seen as the ones who got the twins' help after all that confusion, so they stayed there longer.

153 kilometers away, on top of a hill covered with fine sand, the twins finally got to meet their guides. Both the man and the woman came flying on a demon beast, showing that they were indeed below the Transition Realm. Rean obviously did the talking, as always. The man was at the Late Stage of the Elemental Transformation Realm, while the woman was at the Initial Stage of the same realm. "Hello, friends. I can see we finally have some time to talk."

The fact that they got the tokens even though they weren't in the Transition Realm also showed they could fight stages above their own cultivation. Otherwise, they wouldn't have destroyed the dummy.

The man nodded, saying, "Indeed. Thanks for selecting us as your group. My name is Carion, and this is my sister, Briget. We are also in the Elemental Transformation Realm, just like you."

Briget quickly nodded to the twins' group. "Nice to meet you."

Rean did the same. "I'm Rean, and this guy who looks like me is my brother, Roan. This teenager here is called Falangia. The kids are Rafatia and Luan."

"Hey, don't forget about me," said Kentucky, quickly coming down from the skies. "I'm Kentucky. I'll be the one carrying Rean's group this time around."

"He can talk?!" Briget and Carion were shocked to see that. After all, they could tell with their Divine Senses that Kentucky was still a Peak Stage Eight Demon Beast.

Rean sighed and explained, "He's just an anomaly. Don't focus too much on it. All you need to know is that we will use him to fly." Rean then looked at the purple Demon Bird below Briget and Carion before asking, "A Late Stage Seven Purple Lightning Eagle, huh? Are you going to bring him with us?"

Carion nodded, saying, "Yes. He's quite fast, even for his level. Besides, if we succeed in traversing the Under Desert Sea, we need a ride to go away instead of swimming in the water, don't you think? Pol Continent is mostly a huge sea, after all."

Rean had to admit he was right. "That's good. Then you need to do the same as we'll do. You don't need to worry about Falangia's group as they're our responsibility. As for this Stage Seven Demon Bird, it's up to you to keep it safe. Are we fine with that?"

Briget and Carion nodded. "That's a given."

Rea was happy to hear that. "Now, about our cooperation. Will there be a need for a Soul Binding Contract?"

Briget and Carion'sexpressions immediately turned terrible as one of them replied, "We don't have good experiences with Soul Binding Contracts, so we won't sign anything. If you think it's a must, then we can end our partnership right now."

Rean shook his head in response. "No need. It's just that some people would definitely want one in place, so we usually do sign them." Rean and Roan could tell that there was some story behind their refusal, but they didn't ask.

The siblings sighed in relief after hearing that. "That's good. Shall we go?"

The twins' group agreed. "Sure, let's go." They quickly jumped on Kentucky's back and departed from that location.

Along the way, Carion and Briget noticed that something wasn't right with their Purple Lightning Eagle. They wanted to fly side by side with Rean's group, and their Demon Bird definitely had the speed to do that. However, it simply didn't want to get too close to Kentucky. It was as if it feared Kentucky very much. 

Kentucky, obviously, easily noticed that as he knew the pressure that his Divine Demon Bird bloodline put on another Demon Bird without it. "Don't worry, little one. You can come closer. It's not every day I have the chance to fly with other Demon Birds."

The Purple Lightning Eagle seemed to understand Kentucky somehow and happily got close to Kentucky. Well, that made things quite obvious to Carion and Briget. "Kentucky... right? Do you perhaps have some traces of Divine Demon Bird bloodline?"

Kentucky laughed out loud when he heard that. "Hahaha! Traces? No, I don't have some traces."

The siblings became confused. "Then... why is our Demon Eagle so obedient to you? It usually doesn't care about other demon beasts, even if they're at a higher cultivation level."

Rean didn't intervene and simply let Kentucky talk as he wished. 

Kentucky, of course, loved to show off, so... "I don't have traces of Divine Demon bird Bloodline. I am a Divine Demon Bird. My entire bloodline is divine. Hey, now that I say that, it really sounded quite nice. I. Am. Divine! Sounds cool, right?"

Everyone's mouths twitched a little in response. Isn't that a little too much?

"Ahem..." Carion then recovered his thoughts. "So you're a Divine Demon Bird. No wonder, no wonder."

Roan didn't seem to care, though.. "Enough of that. Tell us, which direction should we head to?"

Chapter 1447: Impressive

Carion then explained, "The Under Desert Sea is located several kilometers underground. There's no such thing as a direct passage there, except for the ones where you'll find guards protecting. However, that doesn't mean we have to take one of those passages. We can literally dig our way down and connect to the Under Desert Sea."

Rean couldn't help but ask, "If it's that easy, wouldn't anyone from Pol Continent also be able to enter Treavin?"

Carion nodded, saying, "And why do you think there are so many items from the Pol Continent for sale in Artos City? People from our Treavin Continent who can head to Pol Continent most likely will never come back. With that being said, it has to be the people and demon beasts from the Pol Continent that brought them here. Treavin and Pol constantly do trades, exchanging materials that can only be found in each other's continent. However, the ones who bring the good stuff are the Pol Continent's forces. Our Treavin Continent doesn't go to their side at all."

Roan nodded after hearing that. "That makes sense. The Under Desert Sea is supposed to be very dangerous due to the demon beasts and what else may lurk there. However, if the aquatic demon beasts at the Transition Realm and above are the ones coming here, then they don't need to worry about the demon beasts in the Under Desert Sea. On the other hand, any cultivator or demon beast from Treavin would definitely be attacked if they bump into any aggressive demon beast in that place."

Carion was surprised Roan understood it so quickly. "He is correct."

Rean still found it suspicious. "But if the Pol Continent's aquatic demon beasts can head to our side this easily, isn't it a bad thing for Treavin?" However, Rean immediately understood the problem. "Oh! Forget it. To invade the continent, billions of aquatic demon beasts would be necessary, maybe trillions even. There's no way a force of this size would pass undetected. Since it's just small forces bringing items to trade, then the Treavin Continent's experts overseeing the under Desert Sea don't pay much attention."

"That's also correct," Carion said. "Now then, our point of digging will be 2459 kilometers from here, on the top side of the extension of the Under Desert Sea. The Under Desert Sea in that area has very few demon beasts, and they're mostly at Stage Six or Seven if we are unlucky. This can already help us save some time since such demon beasts won't be a treat to our group."

Kentucky didn't need to hear it twice. "Well then, let's go."

"Wait." Briget stopped Kentucky. "What Carion said is true, but we aren't the only ones who know that. You must understand that Treavin Continent doesn't want to keep losing its fighting power, even if the numbers are extremely small. Over time, it can become an issue. With that said, the area my brother told you about is constantly under the watch of cultivators at the Void Tempering Realm and above who patrol the area."

Roan narrowed his eyes. "Would that make it worse than digging another point, then? If we do meet stronger aquatic demon beasts, they will be mostly unintelligent ones. If we fall into the hands of those at the Void Tempering Realm and above, then things will be a lot worse." 

Well, Roan knew that Rean could use his Light and Divine Sense bending skill. The range of spatial detection was many, many times smaller than Divine Senses, after all. Those guys at the Void Tempering Realm and above would definitely be relying a lot more on Divine Sense. As long as Kentucky flew very high and Rean kept the skills active, there shouldn't be much of a problem unless they were very unlucky. However, Carion didn't know about Rean's abilities, so Roan wanted to hear what was his plans first.

Carion nodded. "That would be the case if we didn't know the patrolling routes. Trust me when I say this piece of information had cost me a huge sum. However, I can guarantee that it's genuine. With this, we can avoid the Divine Senses of the cultivators watching that region and start our digging."

Roan obviously wouldn't just trust it because Carion said that. However, it was still better than nothing. "Very well, just show the way. Also, Rean will board your Purple Lightning Eagle."

Rean nodded as he knew what Roan wanted. "Indeed, that would be the best." 

Rean then jumped on Carion and Briget's Demon Bird, much to their surprise and suspicion. They had just met each other, so the siblings also didn't trust the twins that much. "What are you trying to do?"

Rean smiled and pointed in Kentucky's direction. "Just watch."

Suddenly, Kentucky's form began to disappear until, finally, only the sound of Kentucky's flapping wings remained. "This... what kind of ability is that?" Briget asked. If not because she could still see Kentucky's group with her Divine Sense, she wouldn't believe they were there at all. In fact, her Divine Sense wouldn't see anything either if she was much further away. But since Carion and Briget were flying beside Kentucky, their Divine Sense was too strong for the Divine Sense bending skill to work.

"It's a concealment ability. The reason I came here was to do the same thing." As soon as Rean finished his words, Light Element gathered around him before it spread around the group on the Purple Lightning Eagle. 

The strange thing was that Carion and Briget didn't see anything changing. "We're still visible. Did you do something?"

Rean laughed in response. "Hahaha! You're wrong. You can see each other because you're within my skill range. Anyone outside won't see even a trace of your existence nor the eagle. If you don't believe me, one of you can jump on Kentucky and try to look back."

Briget couldn't hold her curiosity and did what Rean mentioned. Sure enough, as soon as she left Rean's range, the Purple Lightning Eagle and her brother disappeared from her sight.. "Impressive."

Chapter 1448: Digging Point

Briget then jumped back to the eagle and was received with her brother's expression of disapproval. 'You're too reckless. What if it was a trap?'

Briget couldn't help but scratch the back of her head when she heard that. 'Sorry. However, it's true. I can't see anything at all with my eyes.'

Carion sighed and didn't dwell on the topic. 'It's fine. It works, so it's good.' With that, he looked back at Rean. "This hiding skill is indeed impressive. However, Divine Senses from Void Transformation Realm cultivators can reach further than their own vision. What's the point?"

Rean shook his head as he replied, "The only reason your Divine Senses can see us is that you're very close to Kentucky, Roan, and me. If you go twenty or so meters away, you won't be able to see us with your Divine Senses anymore. Again, you are invited to give it a try."

Carion shook his head. He already understood that Rean wasn't joking around. "No need. Since you can do that, it's obviously much better for us. Tell me, would you be willing to use this skill in the Under Desert Sea?"

Rean nodded, telling him, "I would do it even if you didn't want to. Since I can avoid most of the trouble by doing that, why should I not use this skill?"

"That's good, then." Carion had nothing to complain about, obviously. "It's good that you can keep us hidden with it. Though, with my information about the patrol routes and times, I hope we don't even need them before starting digging."

After that, Carion shared the information about the route they would take and had Kentucky follow his eagle from close behind. Just like that, their group headed to the top side of the Under Desert Sea, close to the continental barrier.

However, not long after the twins entered the protected area, Rean, Roan, and Kentucky narrowed their eyes, asking, "Didn't you say you knew the routes without the patrolling cultivators? How come we can feel some Divine Senses scanning our location?"

Carion was taken aback. "What?! I can't sense anything."

"That's because you're in the range of my Anti-Divine Sense skill. The cultivators' Divine Senses can't reach you and your sister since I'm stopping it. However, since I'm the one redirecting their Divine Senses, I can feel their presence. There are at least five Divine Senses touching my barrier, which is most likely a patrol team," Rean told them.

Carion and Briget looked at each other and said, "We can only think about one possibility. The patrolling routes and times have been changed."

Roan snorted in response. "Or perhaps your information had never been genuine as you said."

Carion didn't blame Roan for thinking like that. If he was Roan, he would think the same. "I understand what you mean. However, I insist on what I said earlier. The information we got was genuine. Although I can't explain how we did it, you must know that the way we got this information leaves room for no mistake."

Unfortunately for them, Carion didn't expect that Rean and Roan would pick up on some clues with just those words. 'Oh! Look, Roan, they stole the information!' Rean said through their Soul Connection.

Roan nodded, saying, 'Indeed. There shouldn't be many ways cultivators at their level could acquire this information. They simply don't have the authority nor the background for it. In the end, only stealing is left. I'm not 100% sure, but it's still quite impressive that they acquired the information without being caught.'

Rean agreed with Roan. 'Yes. Then again, it's quite unfortunate that the cultivators protecting this area probably noticed that the information was stolen. After all, it would be too much of a coincidence if they simply decided to change their routes and times just as we were coming. This might even be connected to why Carion and Briget wanted to leave the continent.'

'Clearly,' Roan thought the same. 'At the very least, I can't pick up any signs of lies from them. Of course, there's one more option. The information they thought to be genuine was wrong from the very start. It's just that they don't know about it.'

Rean then smiled at Carion after that, saying, "Don't worry. We trust that you aren't lying. It's just that I find it too risky to steal information, so you better be more careful next time. It's obvious that the enemy noticed it and changed their routes." 

Carion looked at Rean with a surprised expression. "How..."

Rean cut him there. "Let's just say you worded your response wrongly. Anyway, that makes me curious. Is the information about the Under Desert Sea the real deal? Because if it was stolen from the same place, we might be in for a huge ambush."

Carion and Briget immediately nodded. "The information about the Under Desert Sea is related to our father. It has nothing to do with the stealing of the patrolling routes and times."

Rean didn't insist. "Since you say that, let's believe it for now." Though, Rean and Roan kept the Divine Sense bending skill active to detect more of the guards. If there was an ambush waiting for them at the digging point, they would find it straight away.

Rean then had the Eagle and Kentucky fly much higher than before, trying to avoid any possible Void Tempering Realm cultivator close to the ground. That also allowed them to pick up a point with relatively no surveillance, thanks to the Divine Sense bending skill. In the end, they had to land around 50 kilometers away from the point Carion wanted to dig, but it wasn't considered a big difference when one took the Under Desert Sea's size into consideration.

Carion then took a jade slip out of his spatial ring and took a look inside before nodding. "This is good enough. Leave the excavation to me. Don't worry, I'll cover the area behind us." He then looked at Kentucky, who was much bigger than the Purple Eagle. "However, it might take some time to bring Kentucky as well, so be patient."

"Oh, is that an issue?" Rean asked with a smile. Suddenly, Kentucky vanished from their sight. "Done.. Now you don't need to care about him anymore."

Chapter 1449: A Great Asset

Once again, Carion and Briget were shocked. Naturally, one of them asked, "Where the hell did he go?"

Rean laughed in response, saying, "Hahaha! There are a lot of things you don't know about us. In any case, all you need to understand is that Kentucky is with us, and we can bring him out once we get down there."

The siblings couldn't help but become a little nervous after that. Nevertheless, that also showed that the twins' group might really be a good choice of people to have on this journey. "Very well, we won't ask anything."

Following that, Earth Element began to gather around Carion, which was his elemental affinity. Following that, the sand in the desert under him began to revolve before a hole started to appear. The more Carion did that, the faster it became. Eventually, the hole increased to a size that could accommodate even the Purple Lightning Eagle. "Let's go."

Everyone jumped inside, and Carion used his Earth Element to cover the entrance. For those who looked from the outside, there didn't seem to be any difference. Rean then used his Light Element to create a sphere of light that illuminated their surroundings. "It's quite nice to have an Earth Element cultivator."

Carion smiled as he continued to work. At his level, even with the lack of Divine Energy in Treavin, he could still dig down around half a meter per second. When one considered he was creating a hole that even the Purple Lightning Eagle could fit in, it was quite impressive. Not to mention that he was covering the ceiling once his group finished passing through.

However, the Under Desert Sea was several kilometers below the ground, so his Divine Energy quickly ran out. "Phew... 310 meters, huh? Not bad for the first step," Carion said. Well, in fact, he still had at least half of his Divine Energy remaining. But since he was traveling with the twins and didn't totally trust them, he didn't use everything at once. 

In Roan's eyes, that was definitely the right thing to do as he nodded in approval. "Being ready for all possibilities is never a bad thing. Though, if we wait for you to recover your Divine Energy every time, we might take days to reach the Under Desert Sea. Here, just use them." Roan then threw a hundred Rank One Divine Stones to Carion.

"This..." Feeling the rich Divine Energy filling the surroundings, Carion and Briget didn't know what to say anymore. "Is it really okay to give me this many Divine Stones?"

Roan nodded, saying, "Just some pocket change. Just use it already and keep excavating. Even though everyone can use Earth Element to some extent, we won't match a real Earth Element Affinity cultivator in that regard."

"Po-pocket change..." Hearing that, Briget and Carion finally accepted it. The twins were basically two tycoons. It was then that Carion noticed something when he started to use the Divine Stones. Falangia, Rafatia, and Luan were cultivating on his eagle's back and were using Divine Stones as well. 'Alright, perhaps it's just us who are poor...' Well, they weren't. The twins were just out of the norm.

With the Divine Stones, it didn't take long for Carion to recover his Divine Energy. He also held several of them in his hand as he continued to open the space below everyone. It was a constant cycle of spending and recharging. What could have taken several days only took several hours.

Suddenly, the earth below everyone began to get wet. That was the sign that they were getting close to the Under Desert Sea. That also helped Carion as wet ground was much easier to move than a dry one. "Everyone, be prepared. Once we connect to the Under Desert Sea, the entire place will fill up with saltwater. The pressure will also increase many times."

Rean then looked at Falangia, Luan, and Rafatia and could tell that they had already begun to feel the difference in the pressure. He quickly spread his Divine Soul Power, which covered the three, making that pressure disappear completely. "I stored a little of my energy in your bodies, so even if you get far from me, you won't run out of protection instantly. It should be enough for at least thirty or so minutes."

Falangia couldn't help but get nervous, asking, "What about air? How will we breathe?"

"Breathe?" Rean asked with a smile. "We already used all the oxygen in the air a long time ago. There's nothing for you to breathe here. You were being supported by my Divine Energy instead. It's just that you didn't notice. In any case, the same will happen once the water covers everything."

Falangia was surprised to hear that. Sure enough, she quickly noticed that although she was performing the action of 'breathing,' she wasn't really inhaling any air at all. "I truly wish to reach your level one day..."

Roan wasn't paying attention to that, though. He kept the Divine Sense bending skill active, trying to see if there would be any ambush below or not. However, it truly seemed that there was nothing ahead of them. 'At least the information they got from their father seems to be correct. Well, at least in this part of the journey, at least.'

With that, Carion called their attention. "There it comes. Shield yourself as the earth below will burst at us because of the pressure of the water below."

Carion was right. A few seconds after he said that, the ground seemed to inflate like a balloon before it burst with water. Naturally, everyone used their Divine Energy to protect themselves or others. In the next second, they were all under dirty water. Carion immediately sent everyone a Divine Sense message after that. 'Let's go down so that we can leave the dirty water behind. Be careful. There might be aquatic demon beasts at the exit.'

They weren't using their Divine Sense to not alert the demon beasts, so it was hard to tell... or so Darion thought.

Roan looked at Luan and asked, 'How is it? Can you see anything?'

Luan shook his head as his three pupils seemed to revolve. 'There are no concentrated Divine Energy spheres below.'

Roan nodded, satisfied.. 'Your eyes are indeed a great asset.'

Chapter 1450: Counting On You

As mentioned before, the concentrated Divine Energy spheres were the dantians and cores from cultivators, demon beasts, and spirits. Luan's three pupils had different fields of vision. One was to see the same thing as everyone. The second went for Elements. As for the last, it could see Divine Energy. That meant that barriers and things like that were of no use as Luan could see through it all with the Elemental and Divine Energy Pupils.

Then again, that didn't mean Roan felt safe. He already tested Luan's abilities and knew it couldn't see more than 153 meters. More than that and he would miss a lot. That wasn't a distance that could really make a cultivator feel safe in a situation like this. In any case, it was much better than nothing since no one wanted to use Divine Sense.

Eventually, they left the dirty water and fell into a huge underwater tunnel. Rean then conjured a light sphere to illuminate the surroundings. After all, if they couldn't use Divine Sense, there was no way to tell which direction they would go. At least light wouldn't get as far as Divine Sense, reducing the chances of attracting hordes of aquatic demon beasts.

There was nothing in that tunnel, though. Other than several algae that had adapted to the dark, the tunnel was pretty much devoid of life. Rean didn't waste time and immediately tried to access the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm. If it was blocked, then there was definitely danger. Fortunately, Rean had no problem with it as he was able to bring Kentucky out straight away. 'Seems like we're safe for now.'

Carion and Briget didn't even want to ask about Kentucky's sudden disappearance and appearance anymore. It was obvious that the twins had some kind of spatial item that could store life. With that in mind, Carion took a jade slip from his spatial ring and checked the contents inside. Briget did the same thing as him. After a few minutes, the two seemed to reach a decision. "Alright, we aren't much further from the point I first wanted to fall into. I'll start guiding us through the tunnels until we get into the Under Desert Sea."

"Aren't we in the Under Desert Sea yet?" Rean asked, somewhat confused.

Briget shook her head, telling him, "Does it look like a sea? This is just one of the countless tunnels at the border of the real sea. Once we reach the Under Desert Sea, you will notice that it's a gigantic space completely filled with water."

The twins' group nodded as Carion and Briget began to bring them away. Rean and Roan covered Falangia, Rafatia, and Luan with their Divine Soul Power, and Kentucky dragged everyone along, following the Purple Lightning Eagle. Rean also kept illuminating the passage to see where they were going.

Well, it turned out that Carion and Briget were right. They only stayed in the tunnels for a little over an hour. Along the way, they found a few aquatic demon beasts at Stage Six and below. However, with Rean's Light and Divine Sense bending skill, the majority didn't notice their presence.

However, Rean also noticed a problem. Some of those demon beasts still detected their presence and attacked, even though his skills were up. It didn't take long for his group to understand that the turmoil in the currents that their bodies caused caught the demon beasts' attention. Unfortunately, that was something that Divine Soul Power and Light Element could do nothing about.

On the other hand, those demon beasts were very weak. Carion, Briget, Rean, and Roan were able to dispatch them almost instantly. They also moved away from the scenes straight away as the blood would definitely attract more.

Suddenly, the passage ahead began to expand. Rean's light also became unnecessary as there was light up ahead. Soon, the twins' group was able to see the Under Desert Sea. "That's quite impressive."

It was like Briget and Carion mentioned. Sure, there seemed to be some entrances in their field of vision, but they all led to this massive sea. When they looked down, they noticed the seafloor several kilometers below. As for the ceiling, it was just a few tens of meters above. That was to be expected since they came from the surface.

The entire area was illuminated by countless glowing blue algae as far as they could see. There were many cave pillars connecting the ground to the ceiling. Obviously, it was those uncountable pillars that prevented the desert and the ground under it from caving in. 

Carion then pointed in several directions, saying, "Look. There's no lack of aquatic demon beasts here." He was right. Although the majority were very weak Stage One Aquatic Demon Beasts, a few of their leaders were at Stage Three or Four. "This is the side of the Under Desert Sea where you'll find the least number of high-level demon beasts. However, that doesn't mean it's devoid of life. Try not to catch their attention. Some of these low-level demon beasts may look weak, but they can swarm a cultivator with tens of thousands of them from all sides."

Roan understood what Carion meant, saying, "Even if tens of thousands swarm us, it wouldn't be much of an issue. However, the chaos would definitely attract a lot of strong demon beasts."

"Correct." Carion nodded in agreement. "Anyways, they aren't as sensitive to the change in the current like demon beasts at Stage Five and above. I'll try to guide us through the water as far away from the demon beasts as possible. There are definitely much stronger aquatic demon beasts ahead, but most of them stay in those tunnels, as you saw before. I'll try to avoid them as well."

Rean then jumped on the Purple Lightning Eagle's back after that. "It will be better if I use my skill here while Kentucky and Roan do the same on their side."

Carion and Briget already saw that, so they just nodded in response. "Alright.. We're counting on you."

Chapter 1451: Blade Tail Sharks

Once the journey started, Roan took the chance to ask. "How long do you think it will take?"

Carion immediately answered, "If everything goes well, around two months. Of course, although I know a relatively safer route, it doesn't change the fact that it's still dangerous. I don't know what will happen on the way, so it might take much longer. If we're lucky, it can take a lot less time."

Roan nodded in response. "That's fine. I just wanted to have an idea."

In the first two days of travel in the Under Desert Sea, Carion was successful in avoiding most of the issues. Of course, Rean's skill played a huge role here. However, they also noticed that the concentration of aquatic demon beasts began to increase. Not only that, but their level did as well. There were rarely any Stage One Demon Beasts in sight, except for the very young ones. Mostly were already at Stage Two or Three.

On the third day, things had already gotten a lot more complicated. Kentucky, Rean, and Roan's eyes suddenly narrowed. A strong Divine Sense swept the area they were in, only being redirected by the Divine Sense bending skill. "Initial Stage Transition Realm," said the twins at almost the same time.

Carion and Briget's attention were obviously piqued. "Really? Where?"

Rean then pointed at the floor on the ground, where it was possible to see a cave entrance. "It's coming from inside there. Also, it's approaching us fast."

"Can it feel our presence?" Briget asked in response.

Rean shook his head in response. "No. It's using something else other than Divine Sense to locate us."

Suddenly, Luan called their attention. "So many! There are a lot of Divine Energy spheres coming from that same tunnel."

Sure enough, as soon as Luan said that, the tunnel filled with aquatic demon beasts. They were all from the same species. "It's the Blade Tail Sharks!" Carion exclaimed, identifying the demon beasts in one glance. "There must be a king between them that's leading the group."

Roan took out his scythe after that. "It doesn't matter. Are we going to fight or try to outrun them? Most of those Blade Tail Sharks are only Stage Two and Three. There's only one there that might cause some trouble, which is the one at the Initial Stage of the Transition Realm."

Carion shook his head as he took out a pair of spears. "No can do. Blade Tail Sharks can communicate with other aquatic demon beasts much faster than we can run away. If we try to escape, we will only encounter more and more swarms along the way. That's a pretty common ability for aquatic demon beasts in the Under Desert Sea."

Rean also took out his sword after that. "That makes sense. The idea is to prevent cultivators from Treavin from fleeing to Pol Continent. It's understandable that the Under Sea Kingdom arranged this Under Desert Sea to have a lot of reconnaissance-type aquatic demon beasts. They don't want to let anyone escape." Rean was right. In any other place of the Pol Continent, it would be very hard to find this many reconnaissance-type aquatic demon beasts.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the water. Obviously, it was only possible through the help of Divine Energy. "Do you think you can hide here? In the Under Sea Desert, concealing abilities don't work against me." It was then that a huge Blade Tail Shark appeared from the same tunnel, followed by quite a few Stage Eight and Seven sharks of the same species. "My children, attack! Bring their corpses back so I can have lunch."

*Shua!*

As soon as the order came out, all the low-level Blade Tail Sharks launched in the direction of the twins' group. Carion and Briget narrowed their eyes but didn't panic. Carion was close to the ground at this moment, so he immediately dove down and stood on the wet dirt. As soon as the mob reached Carion's range, he began his assault. "We need to finish this quickly before we catch the attention of even more aquatic demon beasts."

The earth on the ground began to take the form of hundreds of earth spears, which Carion launched against the sharks. 

'Earth Spikes!'

Although it was a very simple skill that most Earth Affinity users could use, it was very effective due to the difference in cultivation between Carion and the shark. As for the ones who passed by his barrage, he ended them with his real spears.

Briget, on the other hand, was a Lightning Affinity cultivator, so she stayed with her Purple Lightning Eagle. The two seemed to have fought together before as the Purple Lightning Eagle fed Briget with its own Lightning Element. 

Rena could tell that Briget was going to use some attack in the area, so he quickly jumped back from the eagle and went close to Kentucky.

'Lightning Field!'

Purple and blue lightning quickly spread several meters around Briget and the eagle. All the Stage Two and Three Blade Tail Sharks who got close were immediately electrocuted to death almost instantly. 

The eagle's eyes became even sharper as it dove into the enemy's ranks, knowing that his and Briget's Lightning Ability would kill everything on their path.

Nevertheless, Rean could tell that Carion and Briget's massacre was far from making any meaningful change. There was simply no end to the Blade Tail Sharks coming their way. 'They're being controlled by that Transition Realm Blade Tail Shark. If we don't get rid of him quickly, this will never end.'

It was then that Rean noticed something. 'By the way, where's Roan?'

Kentucky, who was just watching Carion and Briget's performance, shrugged his shoulders. 'Where else? He obviously doesn't care about those small fries, so he went for the king.'

Rean sighed when he heard that. 'He just has to have all the fun, huh. Oh well, whatever. Kentucky, protect Falangia and the others. There are a lot of sharks coming our way as well. I'll help Carion and Briget since they're our guides.'

Kentucky nodded in response.. 'Sure, just go ahead.'

Chapter 1452: Having Fun

'Life Style, First Form, Enhancement!'

'Death Style, First Movement Form, Shadow Steps!'

Rean quickly swam in Briget's direction. Normally, Shadow Steps wouldn't work since, obviously, Rean was swimming. However, he concentrated his Divine Soul Power on his feet, creating something like flippers that helped him obtain extra propulsion with Shadow Steps as the base. It was a far cry from using Shadow Steps on the surface, but it was definitely much better than just normal swimming.

Briget, who was now using her Divine Sense in this battle, was taken aback when she saw Rean. That's because Rean was charging straight at her. 'What is he doing?! He will get hit by my Lightning Field!'

However, Rean simply created a Divine Soul Power barrier around him as Light and Dark Element spread through it. The Dark Element destroyed the lightning while the Light Element fed it. Both were sustained by the Divine Soul Power. Rean was in the same cultivation realm as Briget. However, Briget was in the Initial Stage while he was at the Peak Stage. At the same time, Rean was obviously several times stronger than any common cultivator at his level. Briget's Lightning Field simply couldn't break his protection at all.

"Ah!" Briget was shocked at how useless her Lightning Field was against Rean and was afraid that he was taking this opportunity to attack her. Carion also saw that with his Divine Sense and immediately tried to go after Briget to help her. Unfortunately, neither of them was fast enough to prevent Rean. Briget closed her eyes, waiting for the worst to happen when suddenly...

*Touch!*

Rean touched her shoulder.

'Life Style, First Form, Enhancement!'

Briget felt her body fill with power. Not only her, but Rean also touched the Lightning Eagle below her feet, giving him the same treatment. 'Alright, it should help you two fight much better, especially the eagle since it's using its wings for swimming.'

Briget had little time to process what just happened as Rean turned in Carion's direction. 'Oh, you came as well. Great! Come here!'

Carion didn't know what happened, just that his sister had a shocked expression. Naturally, his first thought was that Rean did something bad to her and was now trying to do the same to him. 'Don't underestimate me!'

His Earth Spikes and both his spears moved in Rean's direction, trying to stop him. However, in the end, Rean and Carion were too far from each other in their combat abilities. If Rean was being affected by the water, then Carion was even more so.

'Death Style, Third Form, Three Claws of the Dragon!'

Well, in fact, Rean didn't attack Carion with three swords. Instead, he only created two, which hit both of Carion's spears. The spears were then quickly deflected, leaving Carion exposed completely. Carion knew that Rean was one stage above in cultivation than him. He was at the Late Stage, after all. However, he never expected that Rean could be that much stronger than him, especially since Earth Affinity cultivators like him normally had higher raw strength in direct clashes. 'Not good! I won't be able to use my life-saving treasure!'

He prepared for the impact, concentrating as much Earth Element and Divine Energy around his body as possible. However, the thrust he was expecting never came. Instead, he felt a light touch on his shoulder as Rean did the same thing with him as he did with Briget.

'Life Style, First Form, Enhancement!'

Immediately, Carion felt like his body filled with strength, a strength that he had never felt before. 'This...'

Rean shook his head in disappointment as he said, 'What are you even doing? Weren't we supposed to be allies? I'm just helping you, and you decide to attack me?' Of course, Rean was just messing with him. He knew very well why Carion did that, and he was just having his own fun there. 

Carion then looked at his sister, who was as shocked as himself. He had a skill that could increase his own allies' raw strength to such a degree... just how good was that?

That wasn't all. Carion and Briget weren't your average cultivator. They also could jump one or two stages to fight those above. However, both of them were completely powerless against Rean's approach. Not to mention that Roan and Kentucky didn't do anything. 'We knew they had higher strength than common cultivators since they also passed the test. However, isn't this way too ridiculous?!'

However, Carion quickly recovered before apologizing, 'So-sorry... It's just that you approached us so quickly and didn't say anything. How could we not think you were trying to take advantage of the situation to kill us?'

Rean laughed in response. 'Hahaha! Then, please tell me. Would you just let me touch you in this situation if I told you that I could increase your power?'

Carion and Briget bitterly smiled in response. Of course not! Rean was literally the first cultivator they ever saw that could increase an ally's strength. At least the first one to increase it by this much. 

Rean didn't wait for Carion or Briget to answer before looking away. 'Well, forget it. I would pay attention to the battlefield if I were you.'

'Ah!' Carion and Briget immediately returned their attention to the sharks, who were once again right on their faces. 

'Life Style, Flash!'

Suddenly, a sphere of Light Element burst, brightening everything around them. This Under Sea Desert was illuminated by the blue algae. However, it couldn't hold a candle to the light of day. The demon beasts here were all used to the darker environment. When the Light Sphere burst, they were all blinded for a few seconds, which was enough for Briget and Carion to get back on their feet.

Well, Rean's enhancement was a lot more useful for Carion, though. After all, it was something that increased the body's raw power strength. For Briget, it had little use. Just like Rean said, it was a lot more helpful for the eagle she was standing on. Still, they quickly noticed a problem. 'Rean, we can't delay much more. We need to go after the Blade Tail Shark King.'

Rean shook his head as he cut down all the sharks coming in his direction with ease. 'No need. It won't last long.'

Chapter 1453: Pummeling Technique

Sure enough, the assault from the sharks suddenly stopped. After that, the sharks seemed to be confused for a moment before beginning to disperse, just like that. 'This...'

Carion and Briget were confused as to what just happened. 'Why did the attacks suddenly stop?'

However, Rean looked in a certain direction before asking, 'You're losing your touch, no? How come you took so long to kill that shark?'

It was then that Roan appeared from within the sea of dispersing Blade Tail Sharks. 'Kill? Who said anything about killing?'

Roan then turned around before using his Divine Soul Power to make his voice spread throughout the water. "What are you waiting there for? Come out already. If you think I was cruel a moment ago, don't wait and see me get irritated."

"Y-Yes! I'm coming! I'm coming!" It was then that the giant Blade Tail Shark appeared in front of their vision. He had countless deep cuts on his body as Dark Element seemed to be oozing out of quite a few of them. It was hard to tell why he was still alive. "I'm here, m-m-mas...ter..."

It was none other than the Transition Realm Blade Tail Shark! His sorrowful state showed just how bad of a time he had in Roan's hands.

Rean smiled after seeing that, saying, "Oh, I see. It's been some time since we used the Pummeling Taming Method. I just didn't expect it would work on a sentient demon beast."

Roan nodded, saying, "It's because I focused a lot more on the pain than the benefits. Well, there's also the fact this guy was simply too weak. He tried to use the Stage Seven and Eight Sharks to take me down, but he only helped me get a lot of Demon Cores for selling later. I might use a few in my pills as well, actually." Roan then showed a hand full of Demon Cores, all of them brimming with Demonic Energy.

"Oh! They look delicious! Can I have some?" Suddenly, Kentucky appeared by Roan's side like a ghost. 

Roan narrowed his eyes in response. "At your current level of strength, would these Stage Seven and Eight Demon Beast Cores be of any help?"

Kentucky shook his head, telling him outright, "No... but they're still very tasty!"

Roan then put the Demon Cores away after that. "Then forget it. I'm not operating a charity here. Next time, you go out and get the cores yourself."

"But... you guys left me to protect Falangia, Luan, and Rafatia. I couldn't join the battle. That's not fair." Kentucky obviously felt wronged when he heard that.

Roan pondered over it for a bit, soon thinking that Kentucky was right. "Fine! You can have half of the Demon Cores we get from now on in this place. However, you can only eat them after we leave the Under Desert Sea."

Kentucky's eyes lit up once he heard that. "Great! I'll make sure to keep these three well protected."

Little did they notice, but Briget and Carion felt like they were losing their minds. 'Just how ridiculous are these two?' By now, they had already begun to feel like idiots. They were afraid of Rean and Roan attacking them at some point, so they were always ready to defend themselves. However, there was simply no need to be afraid. That's because if the twins decided to attack, they would be 100% dead. They were absolutely no match for those twins, plus they wouldn't be able to flee either. In a certain way, it could be said that the twins simply didn't care about their strength, only that they knew the path with the least of problems.

"Ahem..." Carion then tried to recover as he looked at the submissive Transition Realm Blade Tail Shark. "Is it really fine to let him stay alive?"

Roan snorted in response, replying, "That depends if he wants to cultivate again in his life or not."

The shark bitterly smiled when he heard that. "I won't betray you... I promise." No way in hell did he want to go through the same suffering again. Dark Element was just too terrifying. Not to mention that Roan himself was just way too strong. While fighting him, he killed most of his lower-level subordinates, and he did all of that with ease.

However, there was another reason why he wouldn't betray Roan. That's because Roan showed him that he could use Dark and Light Element to help his internal injuries. As a demon beast, he accumulated numerous long-lasting internal defects. Things that he couldn't be healed anymore until he was much, much wealthier. Now, the opportunity to get rid of all of those things appeared in front of him. So what if he had to be Roan's plaything for a while? It was better than dying, while he would get many benefits once he brought the twins' group out of the Under Desert Sea. 

Carion wasn't aware how Roan got the demon beast's loyalty or whether the shark's loyalty was true or not. The important thing was that they were safe. "I see... well, we should leave this place. The entire area is filled with the blood of the dead sharks. I'm sure many other aquatic demon beasts will gather here soon."

The Blade Tail Shark King shook his head, saying, "Don't worry. With me alive, the other Transition Realm aquatic demon beasts won't get close."

Rean was happy to hear that. "Oh! That's definitely useful. By the way, what should we call you?"

The shark narrowed his eyes, telling them, "I don't really have a name. It has only been a few years since I got my sentience, so I've never thought about that."

Rean didn't mind. "Alright, calling you Blade Tail Shark King all the time is annoying. From now on, you're Sharky."

"Sh-Shar...ky?" Sharky didn't like that name very much.

However, Roan didn't seem to be very patient about name choices. "So be it. He won't stay with us for long anyway, so Sharky it is."

Sharky could only sadly accept it as he definitely wouldn't go against Roan's decision. "Ahem... then, can you give me some time to recover before continuing? I'm in pretty bad shape."

Roan then looked at Rean, soon telling him, "Heal Sharky up.. We'll be leaving right after."

Chapter 1454: Kinda

After that, Rean completely healed the Blade Tail Shark King, much to his surprise. With the promise of having his defects cured as well, he was more than happy to help. "So, you're trying to get to the Pol Continent, right?"

Roan nodded in response. "Since you're from here, you must know this place quite well."

Sharky nodded in response. "I do know my territory and the path I took to reach this place. However, I was given the mission by the Under Sea Kingdom to come, so I entered the Under Desert Sea through the route they told me to. That route is completely covered in aquatic demon beasts much stronger than me, so I wouldn't recommend it."

Sharky also added, "I can't help you much in selecting a route to move through. However, I can definitely be the vanguard as most of the aquatic demon beasts won't care if you're with me. Because I'm in the Transition Realm, the other Transition Realm demon beasts will think that you guys are my prisoners."

Roan shook his head, telling Sharky, "We will use this method only if we can be found. You saw us hiding with our skill earlier, right? We'll continue to use it."

Sharky shook his head, though. "You definitely have an amazing concealment skill. I couldn't feel your presence with my Divine Sense at all. However, I can definitely feel the changes in the current you left behind up to several kilometers. It was like you drew a line in the middle of the sea for me to follow. Most of the other Transition Realm demon beasts here are the type with very good senses, so they'll definitely notice your group even with the skill activated."

Hearing that, Carion mentioned, "I have a route that should be relatively safer. It shouldn't have as many Transition Realm aquatic demon beasts as other places. You're the first Transition Realm beast we found after more than two days traveling."

Sharky was impressed to hear that. "I don't know how you found this route, but it's really good. This territory we're in at the moment is mine, but it's new. There weren't any Transition Realm demon beasts here before. If not for that, we would have never met each other."

The twins were satisfied with Sharky's answer. That was one more proof that Carion and Briget's information about the route was really good. Then again, it's obvious that the information they had was from a few years in the past. After all, Sharky did say he was put here just a few years ago.

"Alright, Carion will continue to guide us. As for Sharky, he will be at the front. Sharky, I didn't kill all your Stage Seven and Eight Blade Tail Sharks, so tell the rest to come to your aid. It'll be easier to believe that we're your prisoners if you have more of them around."

"Wouldn't that be bad?" Briget asked in response. "What if he decides to turn on us while we're passing through the territory of another aquatic demon beast?"

Roan snorted in response. "He can try. However, he won't be alive to see what will happen next if that happens."

Sharky would sweat if he could. There's no way he would do such a thing. He just got his sentience not long ago, so he didn't want to die so soon. Nevertheless, he agreed with Briget. "I agree with the woman, though. It would be bad to have my subordinates following me. That would be the same as saying that I can't deal with you own my own, so others will come to check."

Roan didn't go against Sharky's words. "You're the one who lives here. If you're the one refusing to bring your subordinates, then it must be a bad choice since they would be under your control. Alright then. We'll just follow you. Carion will show the way as always."

"You can count on me. I'll keep my part of the deal," Carion said in response, happy to see that his father's information about the route was mostly correct so far.

With that, their group finally departed once again.

Along the way, Falangia couldn't help but ask, "Rean, isn't there anything I can do to help? I've only been cultivating together with Rafatia and Luan all the time. Luan, at the very least, can help you with that eye ability of his in case something you don't know comes our way."

Rean sighed in response, telling her, "Unfortunately, I really don't know how you could help in this situation. It might look rude, but even as cannon fodder, you wouldn't be of any help. Enemies who could pose a threat to us will simpl-" It was then that Rean had an idea. "Oh... I think I do know what you can help with. Take this." Rean then passed a piece of equipment to Falangia.

"What's this?" asked Falangia.

Rean smiled before sending her a Divine Sense message, explaining its use. "Do you understand?"

Falangia had a shocked expression on her face, but she nodded nonetheless. "Can this thing really achieve that?"

"That will depend on how well you choose to use it," Rean replied as he shrugged his shoulders. 

Falangia's shocked expression then turned serious after that. "Alright."

"Mommy, what did big brother Rean give you?" Suddenly, the curious Rafatia joined the conversation. 

However, Falangia just shook her head, saying, "It's nothing, baby." It was then she thought of an excuse. "It's just one more of those candies. They're very good, so I asked big brother Rean for another one." 

"Oh!" Rafatia's eyes lit up in response. "Can I have one too?"

Rean laughed out loud as he nodded. "Hahaha! Of course!" He had a lot of them, so he gave the girl another one. Of course, he noticed the jealous expression of Luan on Kentucky's back, so he gave Luan one as well.

With that, Rean looked forward when he suddenly received a message from Roan through their Soul Connection. 'Does that even work?'

Rean smiled in response.. 'Nope.'

Chapter 1455: Separation

Things worked very, very well for over half of the path as an entire month went by. With Sharky at the front, the other aquatic demon beasts didn't try anything against the twins' group. As for those at the Transition Realm, only two other ones appeared, but Sharky easily convinced them that everything was under control. 

Of course, the reason they found so few demon beasts at the Transition Realm or above was because of the route Carion's father gave them. That truly helped a lot.

However, the closer they got to the division between the continents in the Under Desert Sea, the more nervous Carion and Briget seemed to become. Rean and Sharky thought that it was because that was supposed to be the place with the highest concentration of aquatic demon beasts. On the other hand, Roan didn't believe that was the reason. 'Rean, are you able to tell which cardinal direction we're moving in at the moment?'

In theory, the Pol Continent should be located on the west-northwest side of the Treavin Continent. It's just that after a month of several detours, Roan felt like they weren't exactly moving in that direction. 

Rean pondered in silence for a bit before bringing out a device from the Dimensional Realm. 'That's easy. The Realm of Gods doesn't really have a place we can call 'north,' but people still name the cardinal directions that somehow. That's why we know we need to go west to reach Jhiod. The reason for that is this thing.'

To be more specific, there were several small triangular-shaped items on Rean's ring. However, they seemed to be connected by some kind of invisible power. If Rean pulled one apart, as long as it wasn't too far away, it would return to the other pieces. Rean then injected Divine Soul Power inside, and the items began to shine with a dark yellow color. Not long after, they formed a line, with the tip of the triangles all pointing in the same direction. 'That's where the Realm of Gods is located. Wait, that's a little out of place.'

'As I thought,' Roan said in response. If the line of triangles was really pointing north, then their group wasn't moving west-northwest. Instead, they were moving more along the lines of west-southwest. The difference in direction wasn't that great, and it would still bring them to Pol Continent in the end. However, it didn't make sense from their point of view as it would increase the traveled distance by a lot.

'Perhaps this is the safe route,' Rean considered. 'By taking this long-distance path, we will not bump into many high-level aquatic demon beasts compared to following the straight line.'

Roan nodded in response. 'Perhaps you're right. However, you should still keep your guard up.'

And just like that, another week went by without issues. However, Roan's instinct proved true when they reached what seemed to be a gigantic chasm. There were no algae inside, so it was impossible to see the bottom as it was pitch black. Rean and Roan's Divine Sense could reach up to eight kilometers away. However, they weren't using it as it might catch the attention of other demon beasts.

It was at that moment that Carion and Briget ordered their Purple Lightning Eagle to stop. "Seems like we're here."

Rean looked at him and at the environment around him. The continental barrier was severely weakened in the Under Desert Sea. Yet, the continental barrier didn't simply disappear. It was still there, and they hadn't seen it yet. Naturally, they haven't arrived at Pol Continent. "What do you mean? Is there supposed to be something here?"

Briget and Carion then looked at the twins and nodded in response. "Yes, this is our real objective. We're thankful for all your help, but we will part ways here."

Everyone was puzzled when suddenly, Carion threw a jade slip at Rean. "This is the route our father marked down. As you can see, it continues even further away. Just follow it, and you'll eventually enter the Caskide Sea, located in the Pol Continent." Soon after, Carion and Briget ordered the Purple Lightning Eagle to dive down into the chasm.

Sharky looked at Roan and asked, "Master, what do you want to do? Should I stop them?"

Roan pondered the current situation for a bit. The map in the jade slip really showed the entire path they made until now, and it also showed the rest. However, there was also a mark at the location where they were at the moment, which was the chasm. It was obvious that there was something here, or those siblings wouldn't have decided to enter. "Don't you know anything about this place, Sharky?"

Sharky shook his head, saying, "As I mentioned before, I only took care of the territory I was placed in. I don't know much about the rest of the Under Desert Sea."

Rean then looked at Roan and told him, "They didn't seem to be lying, though."

Roan agreed with Rean. "Indeed. I didn't detect any lies when they said the path in the jade slip would lead us to the Caskide Sea. That also explains why I didn't detect any lies before. Even though they weren't planning to make their way to the Pol Continent, they never lied that they knew about a safer route that could bring us there."

Soon, Briget, Carion, and the Purple Lightning Eagle disappeared into the chasm's shadow. Roan didn't try to stop them, though. None of the siblings tried to attack the twins while providing the safer route to Pol Continent. In a certain way, the siblings did complete their part of the deal. "The question is. Do you want to go down and see what's down there, or do you want to leave the Under Desert Sea?" 

Rean then looked at Falangia's group and sighed in response. "We know way too little about this place. I would rather deliver Falangia and the others to safety first before trying anything. Besides, it's not like we really need to know what those siblings are planning as it's highly unlikely that it'll impact our journey."

Roan completely agreed with Rean on that point. He didn't like the Under Desert Sea either. "Indeed. Let's get out of here.. Sharky, lead the way according to the map in this jade slip."

Chapter 1456: Bird Fish

One extra week. That was the time it took for the continental barrier to finally appear in front of the twins. The Divine Energy raged in the Under Desert Sea as the currents made everything chaotic. However, even though the twins' group was very close to it, they could still resist its power without much effort. "Seems like the information was right. I don't know how it works, but the Under Desert Sea weakens the destructive power of the continental barrier."

Sharky nodded in response. "I passed through it after the Under Sea Kingdom assigned me to my territory. Of course, I used their knowledge to get an easy route which they safeguarded very tightly. It was very easy to go through. However, the power of this point of the barrier doesn't seem much different than the point I used."

Rean also looked around and could see that some Stage Three and Four Sea Demon Beasts roamed the area. That proved that the continental barrier wasn't really that bad in this place. Above that, the twins' couldn't detect any Transition Realm aquatic demon beasts either. "Let's go."

Rean then shielded Falangia and Rafatia while Roan protected Luan. Kentucky and Sharky didn't really need any protection, so they just pressed forward. The continental barrier then hit them, making their protection tremble quite a bit. However, it didn't last long. Everyone got used to the environment quickly, stabilizing the protection around their bodies.

Then again, the continental barrier itself wasn't that big. It was only several tens of kilometers in length in the Under Desert Sea. It's just that one couldn't move very fast as it could affect the protection of Divine Energy... or the protection of Divine Soul Power in the twins' case. 

"There really is nothing inside the continental barrier..." Kentucky couldn't help but comment.

Rean, on the other hand, continued to look around him. "I wonder if we can't find one of those Spirits that live in the continental barrier."

"Do you mean that whale that those smugglers used to bring us to Lanqueas?" Roan asked.

Rean nodded in response. "Yeah. If we had one of those, we wouldn't need to worry about traversing the continental barrier anymore."

Roan found it unlikely, though. "I don't think it's that easy. It's possible that many conditions have to be met for those whale-like spirits to live here. Back then, Timoteo had to call the whale from within the continental barrier. Obviously, he couldn't keep it outside, or he would have definitely done so. Even if you find one of those here, they might not be suitable at all."

Rean understood what Roan meant, saying, "Indeed. The power of the continental barrier in this Under Desert Sea is nothing compared to the outside. Even if I find a spirit like that whale and find a way to bring it outside, it might die in any other barrier. It might not even be a problem regarding the continental barrier's power. Maybe it would die simply because the barriers aren't the same everywhere."

Roan nodded in response. "That's correct." Then again, Roan had to admit. "Well, if we do find one of those, there's no harm in trying to capture one. Who knows? It might work."

Sharky couldn't help but ask. "Are there really spirits capable of living inside a normal continental barrier?" He obviously understood that this wasn't the first time the twins were passing through one.

Rean confirmed, nodding. "Yes. The fact that you didn't know that proves that they're truly quite rare. Who knows? Maybe they only exist in the continental barrier between Lanqueas and Huring."

Their conversation wasn't a secret or anything, so everyone heard it, including Luan. "What's a whale?"

Roan looked at him before explaining through a Divine Sense message. 

Only then did Luan understand. "I see... I can't see anything like that with my eyes either."

Rean didn't mind. "It's fine. I was just dreaming out loud. Hahaha!"

"However, there are a few others here that look like a big bird mixed with a fish..." Luan said soon after as his pupils shone inside the continental barrier.

"Oh! A big bird mixed with a fish. That's quite different." 

"..."

"What did you say?!" Rean and Roan immediately asked Luan back as they looked all around them. However, they still couldn't see anything like that at all. In the continental barrier, Divine Senses were useless. 

Luan then pointed in several directions, saying, "There's one there, there, and there..."

Rean, Roan, Kentucky, and Sharky then raised their guards since they didn't know if they could be attacked or not. "Are they coming after us?"

Luan shook his head, telling them, "No, there was a lot of them that swam by our sides, but they seem to ignore us. None of them looked in our direction either."

Rean pondered a bit, wondering, "Back then, the whale was a very big spirit, so it could swallow all of us before passing through the barrier. Luan, how big are these bird-fishes?"

Luan then raised his hand, replying, "The size of my palm."

Rean sighed after hearing that. "Well, I don't think they would be able to protect us against the continental barriers, then. They're just too small." It was then that Rean thought. "By the way, how many can you see?" 

"I can't count. There are just way too many of them. Look, there's one swimming around me right now," Luan said as his eyes followed the bird-fish. He was still a six-year-old kid, so that entertained him very much.

Roan then looked at Rean, asking him, "Do you think you can use quantity to make up for size?"

Rean nodded in response. "Well, I did think about that. But how would I capture something I can't even see? Also, do they even have the strength to resist the continental barrier somewhere else? After all, this barrier here is a very weak continental barrier because of the Under Desert Sea."

The twins then looked at Luan and asked, "Your eyes can see both energy and elements. Would you be able to tell which element they have inside their bodies?"

Luan nodded, saying, "They all have a mix of all elements as far as I can see."

"Indeed, they're just like the whales from back then," Roan said.