Mirrored Lake - Oceanic Abyss

Reaching the top far quicker than I went down. I cursed my luck for wasting three whole days. Laying helplessly upon the surface of the mirrored Lake, I sighed. "What in the world is that? And why can I sense it from here?"

I had theorized that I was the only one to sense it due to my nature, or such a power would have long been taken long ago.

Resting to recover my lost Qi, I frowned. Down there, it was far too cold to absorb Qi. If I had my main body, it would not have been a problem, but there was some strange type of qi mixed in. That I did not dare take the chance.

Taking a few hours, I groaned, rising off the water's surface and onto the shore. "Now, how will I do this? Should I make a crystal that houses Qi? That could take days, if not weeks. And I cannot use foreign energy due to making a false breakthrough. Even if it's not real, that bastard Aldrich will fuck me over for sure."

Touching my head, I looked up towards the skies, "Yo, can you help?" I asked, hoping my stalker was watching.

"This does not pertain to Soloman. Why should I bother to help?" The metallic voice of Aeron resounded.

"Hey, I am giving you an in. So that I might be in your debt. Are you truly going to let me hang?" I cheekily replied.

arriving before me in a scarlet flash, he stared with dark eyes. "What is it you are truly after? You do not seem like one who would simply ask to be in debt." He said, eying me up and down, attempting to see through my intent.

"You were the one who came to me a year ago—telling me tales of starships aimed at this realm. I'd hope you would simply accept my offer and have me in your debt."

"I am no fool, Arsene. What is it?" He questioned with the bearing of a Lord.

"Hmm. It seems like you need a reason. How boring, let's call it, getting to know you. I feel like we are going to be doing tons of business." I whispered with heavy bloodlust. "But let's make a trade. I tell you where I am going next?"

"Going? is it not the underworld?" He said with a knowing glint.

"Not at all. I figured many of you would have figured out who melinoë is. Why the hell would I go there. I needed a place to hide from those Devils before they have me go through another trial. Don't you wanna know where to keep an eye upon me?"

Throwing me a small wooden gourd with a strange rune upon it. He glared with malicious eyes and demanded. "tell me."

Taking the both of us into the Shadow Realm, I whispered, "The Celestrial Palace. Tang Feng is awaiting my arrival. Along the Swords Coast," I said swiftly, returning, not bothered to look upon his shocked expression.

Returning to the very spot I left form, the skies began to darken with rainfall "The Devils, no the very nines. I will be a slave to none. What twelve trials?" I mockingly scuffed. " Asmodeus may have given me a chance to escape, but I do not need handouts. I do not exist, so when I am gone, I am gone. And once I am found, do you truly believe I will simply follow these trials" I said, glancing back down towards the mirrored Lake.

Training Ezra could take countless years. I give devil hearts; I do not take them away. She will serve her purpose, but my goal will not be her savior but my leverage against the King. After all, what is a devil if we do not betray?

Opening the wooden Gourd, my heart trembled as a misty azure covered my body. Growing extremely full all of a sudden, I hastily closed the Gourd. Sensing most of the Azure Qi wasted away, I frown.

What in the world did Areon give me?

"Two days," I muttered, feeling the power being drained from Heaven and Earth. It was like an endless black hole, and two days was all it would take to recover the lost qi I used.

Sinking back into the Lake, I chose to swim without the use of Qi till my body could not take it. Using the minimal amount of qi, the hours began to slip away as I enjoyed swimming through the deep abyss.

Digging my way further into the depths of the Mirrored Lake, I suddenly froze, touching my heart. SHiving for but a second, I almost swallowed a mouthful of water.

"My real body! What the hell just happened?" I fearfully muttered. Feeling my body almost recalled into the shadow realm. "That should not be possible unless I lose consciousness or become close to dying."

Peering at my hands that were growing darker like that of a shadow, I frowned. However, I still continued to head deeper in. My body could adapt, and there were gods all around my main body. So dying should not be an issue.

Gritting my teeth, Demonic Energy began to ripple from my body along with the Dao. Narrowing my eyes, I looked at the Gourd firmly within my shadowy hands.

"If I lose consciousness, then I need to make sure that I get whatever is at the bottom of this lake." I firmly said, piercing through the oceanic abyss like a bolt of lightning. Reaching further than I did before, I ignored the crippling cold clawing at my every fiber.

The first to fade was my sense of touch before the other six began to fade. It was not long after the fridge cold began to claw towards my dantian. A mistake if I had ever seen one. Unlike the rest of my body, my Dantian was actually a part of my demonic line. Cutting my connection would not happen unless a few requirements were met. Trapping a devil was more complicated than what others could believe.

Not fearful of death, knowing I was only a shadow, the darkness became my eyes as I landed upon the bedrock of the oceanic abyss.

Peering around at the thousands of swords, daggers, spears, shields, and many more, my mind trembled as the fridge waters grew even stronger, attempting to turn me into nothing but dust.

Controlling the Shadow Flames and the darkness to keep me alive longer, I did not bother to speak in shock. I could survive for about ten minutes; after that. I will enter the shadow realm to escape this freezing hell.

Stepping over the bed of bodies, I could not help but sense something off. The longer I remained, knowing I was going nowhere, the more this feeling grew more assertive. It was almost impossible to describe, not a sixth sense but rather a whisper of warning from the Dao itself.

"It's an illusion! Did I just get genjustused? No one does that but me!"

Feeling the sands beneath my feet, I suddenly shadowed stepped beneath ten meters below the sands, followed by another and another till I fell upon a piece of land outside of water.

Regarding my senses, I looked up at the endless ocean above of me, flowing freely unhindered by what appeared to be a cave hidden beneath an invisible barrier.