With the directions settled, Daniel handed out the Tree of Origin saplings and corresponding forging materials to his students.
After some thought, he also imbued each of them with a fragment of his own willpower—a safeguard against the residual forces of gods and devils they might encounter.
This safeguard would allow them to suppress those corrupted energies when necessary.
Prepared and resolute, the group headed toward the teleportation array in Sunken City.
The air in Sunken City seemed cooler than it had been in previous days, or so some locals remarked.
A passerby jokingly speculated, "Could it be that the fire in the Fire Abyss is finally burning out?"
The comment drew laughter from the crowd.
"Burning out? Impossible!" someone retorted. "The Fire Abyss has been producing flames for countless generations. It's a lifeless place, brimming with magma and unending heat."