I didn’t!” Greta shook her head.
“I have some research on the Heaven Book myself and can guide you, but only if my soul recovers; otherwise, I won’t be able to help.”
“How do you know about the Heaven Book?” Billy asked, slightly surprised.
“The Azure Clan faced a disaster years ago because of the Heaven Book,” Greta continued.
“The Azure Clan once possessed three volumes of the Heaven Book. A common man is blameless, but possessing something valuable may lead to trouble. Three volumes of the Heaven Book were enough to make many people envious, weren’t they?”
“Indeed!” Billy nodded.
Even one volume could cause a bloody storm!
“After the Azure Clan’s downfall, the three volumes of the Heaven Book went missing. I’ve been tracking them for years and have only found the whereabouts of one volume,” Greta added.
“The one at the Celestial Pavilion?” Billy asked.
“Yes!” Greta nodded.
“Alright!” Billy shrugged and asked again, “Who was that person just now?”
“He is the grandson of the Great Elder,” Greta replied.
“I made an agreement with him. If I can’t restore my body and soul within a month, I must lead our people to acknowledge him as the new clan leader and reveal the method to break the formation to him.”
“Is his strength greater than yours?” Billy asked.
“Before I recover, we are about equal,” Greta said.
She paused before adding, “Our agreement was made in front of all the clan members. If either side breaks it, it would be hard to explain to them.”
“Moreover, the Azure Clan cannot endure another internal conflict!”
“Understood!” Billy replied.
“That’s about it. I apologize again for deceiving you earlier,” Greta continued.
“Think it over. If you don’t want to help, I won’t force you. I can send you out now.”
“How can you be sure that the Nine Dragons Cauldron can restore your body and soul within a month?” Billy asked again.
“I’m not sure,” Greta shook her head. “We can only try.”
“Take it then!” Before she finished speaking, Billy’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the Nine Dragons Cauldron appeared above Greta’s head.
“Hmm?” Greta was stunned. She hadn’t expected Billy to hand over the Nine Dragons Cauldron so readily.
After a brief pause, she asked, “Aren’t you worried that I’ll take the Nine Dragons Cauldron and run away?”
“If you can take it, that’s your skill!” Billy responded.
“Are you testing me?” Greta smiled faintly and continued.
“You don’t need to give me the Nine Dragons Cauldron. Just let my body and soul enter it for seclusion.”
“That’s even simpler!” Billy said. “You can enter anytime!”
“No rush!” Greta shook her head.
“Curtis Wade must have noticed you just now. He will undoubtedly have someone keep an eye on you.”
“Although you’re skilled, there’s still a gap between you and him. If I go into seclusion, you might face some trouble…”
“Can I kill him?” Billy interrupted her.
Greta paused slightly before continuing, “Don’t underestimate him. He’s a fourth-rank Controlled Kun Realm. Even if you can fight across realms, you’re no match for him…”
“If I kill him, will it affect you?” Billy interrupted again.
“If he truly intends to kill you, then you can kill him…” Greta’s lips twitched slightly as she responded.
“That’s settled then!” Billy replied.
Greta’s lips twitched again before she continued, “I’ll take you somewhere first!”
“Where?” Billy asked.
“You’ll know when we get there!” Greta said before leading Billy towards a mountain peak behind the courtyard.
A quarter of an hour later, they landed on a flat area halfway up the mountain.
Billy looked around and saw a pavilion about two or three hundred meters away, with four elderly men and women standing around it.
Billy checked their cultivation levels but couldn’t sense any fluctuations. They were at least in the early stages of Controlled Kun Realm!
“Greetings, Miss!” The four people bowed simultaneously upon seeing Greta.
While speaking, they all glanced at Billy.
“Elders, let me introduce Mr. Billy, who just arrived from outside,” Greta said to the four. “Please take him to the forbidden area!”
“Miss, Mr. Billy is only at ninth-rank Supreme Source Realm. If he goes to the forbidden area, I’m afraid…” one of the elders hesitated before speaking.
“It’s alright!” Greta interrupted. “Let him try!”
“Very well,” the elder said after a pause.
“Go ahead!” Greta then looked at Billy and said.
“What’s in the forbidden area?” Billy asked.
“There are soul remnants left by my Ancestors. If they acknowledge you, it should be beneficial for you,” Greta replied.
“How can I gain their acknowledgment?” Billy continued to ask.
“You don’t have control over that. You just need to show up,” Greta said. “But be mentally prepared!”
“Because you’re an outsider, if none of the souls acknowledge you, you’ll be seen as an unfriendly intruder and expelled from the ancestral domain.”
“Optimistically, you’ll be severely injured; pessimistically, your body might perish.”
“So if you’re worried, you can back out…”
“How do I get there?” Billy interrupted.
Fortune favors the bold; he wouldn’t miss such an opportunity!
“He will take you,” Greta pointed to the elder who had spoken earlier.
“Thank you!” Billy responded and bowed to the elder. “I appreciate your help!”
“No need to be so polite, Mr. Billy. Since you’re Miss’s friend, you’re also a friend of our Azure Clan!”
The elder made a gesture of invitation. “Mr. Billy, please follow me!”
He then led Billy towards the pavilion.
Clearly, the pavilion was the entrance to a teleportation passage.
About half an hour later, Billy found himself in a pitch-dark environment.
Thick fog surrounded him with visibility only a few dozen meters. The entire space was filled with a chilling pressure.
All he could see was fog; nothing else was visible.
“Mr. Billy, you can walk around and see if you can gain the Ancestors’ acknowledgment,” the elder said.
“Alright!” Billy replied and stepped forward.
As he walked, he released his spiritual power to explore his surroundings. Besides the elder who brought him here, he couldn’t sense any other life forms.
But he could vaguely feel spiritual power scanning him.
“Aren’t you from the Azure Clan?” About fifteen minutes later, an old man’s voice reached Billy’s ears.
Billy looked around but saw no one and couldn’t sense anything with his spiritual power either.
“No, I’m not from the Azure Clan,” Billy replied respectfully.
“If you’re not from the Azure Clan and haven’t reached Condensed Kun Realm yet, how dare you come here?” The old man responded.
“I…” Billy began to speak.
Before he could finish his sentence, a terrifying force struck him rapidly. Though he sensed danger, he couldn’t dodge in time.
With a loud crash, Billy was sent flying seven or eight kilometers away, blood trickling from his mouth…