“Missy, don’t be angry!” Before Billy could respond, Stout spoke up for him.
“If it was your princess who encountered Boss that day, he would have agreed on the spot!”
Stout, are you feeling mischievous again?
“With the cultivation of seventh-rank Entering Empyrean Realm, you can withstand the second level assessment. You really surprised me!” The purple-clad woman named Kaitlyn Houston glanced at Stout before turning to Billy.
“Does passing the second level mean we can join that special task group?” Billy asked.
“Are you here for that mission or for our princess?” Kaitlyn Houston asked further.
“Well, it seems like these two things don’t conflict, right?” Stout added.
“Although it’s surprising that both of you passed the second level assessment, don’t expect the princess to treat you differently because of it,” Kaitlyn Houston responded.
“Putting aside the talents from other cities, just among the people in your batch, there are many who are better than you…”
“Just tell me if the two of us can go on that mission!” Billy interrupted her.
“Wait for the results!” Kaitlyn Houston replied before turning and leaving.
The results came quickly, with news arriving in less than fifteen minutes.
Fifty or so people, including Billy and Stout, were selected for the special group, which included twenty men and women at the Heavenly Empyrean Realm.
Just like last time, each person received a map and was informed to gather at the destination three days later.
For the next three days, Billy and Stout didn’t wander around aimlessly. They stayed in the Nine Dragons Cauldron Space to cultivate.
After three days, both of them broke through another level without any surprises. Billy advanced to the eighth-rank Entering Empyrean Realm, while Stout stepped into the half-step Comprehending Empyrean Realm.
On this day, after Billy and Stout came out of the Nine Dragons Cauldron Space, they flew to a mountain at a distance of ten thousand miles from Empyrea City.
Looking around, they saw more than a hundred people gathered there.
In addition to the fifty people who passed the second level assessment three days ago, there were also seventy to eighty unfamiliar faces, most likely people selected from previous Imperial Guards.
Apart from these people, seven or eight members of the Imperial Clan were present.
Leading them was Allyson Houston, followed closely by an old man in a black robe with sharp eyes and an expressionless face.
Standing beside her were Kaitlyn Houston and an old woman named Lilliana. In addition to these four people, there were four elderly men and women whose specific cultivation levels Billy couldn’t discern.
However, Billy could sense that among all the people present, the strongest one should be the old man in the black robe behind Allyson Houston.
“Firstly, on behalf of the Imperial Clan, I thank everyone for coming.” After everyone had arrived, Kaitlyn Houston smiled and nodded to the crowd.
“Princess, can you now tell us what mission we are going on?” a man shouted loudly to Allyson Houston.
Everyone turned their attention to Kaitlyn Houston, clearly wanting to know the answer as well.
“To be honest, this mission is indeed related to the treasure of the Chaotic Imperial Palace from years ago!” Allyson Houston responded. “This includes the Chaos Compass!”
Upon hearing this, there was a commotion in the crowd, with most people showing excited expressions on their faces.
“Boss, we made the right bet!” Stout turned to Billy with a grin.
After a brief pause, he continued speaking, “Boss, could there be something fishy about this? If it’s a treasure hunt, why would the Imperial Clan entrust such a good opportunity to outsiders? Why not let their own people do it?”
“I don’t know either. Let’s listen to what she has to say!” Billy replied.
Stout had naturally thought of this question as well but couldn’t come up with a reasonable answer for now.
“Why would the Imperial Clan invite outsiders for such a good opportunity?” another man in the crowd asked, echoing Stout’s doubts.
“This is a question I believe all of you here is curious about!” Allyson Houston smiled again before continuing. “Let’s start with the treasure’s location!”
After a brief pause, she began to explain to everyone.
Before long, after listening to her description, everyone understood.
When the Chaos Realm declined in the past, a powerful individual opened up a Different Dimension within the palace. Most of the treasures, including the Chaos Compass, were placed inside it.
The entrance to that Different Dimension was as mysterious as the entrance to the Chaos Realm itself. Unless one could break through its intricate formation, no one could enter.
What was even more astonishing was that this Different Dimension was not fixed in one place. Under the influence of the formation, it changed its location every hundred years.
That was why for so many years, most people in the Chaos Realm didn’t even know where that Different Dimension was located.
Furthermore, the entrance to the Different Dimension would automatically open every hundred years for about two months.
However, there was a restriction on the formation at the entrance: anyone over a hundred years old couldn’t enter. Even if someone forcibly entered despite exceeding that age limit, their soul would instantly perish, even if they were a powerful late-stage Heavenly Empyrean Realm expert.
Most of this information had been summarized by later generations through continuous attempts and exploration.
“Princess, are you saying that the Imperial Clan already knows the location of that Different Dimension and that its entrance will open soon?” Stout asked loudly.
“Exactly!” Allyson Houston’s gaze lingered on Billy and Stout for a moment before she continued speaking.
“Not only does the Imperial Clan know about it, but so do the Emperor Clan, Holy Sect, and Heavenly Palace. Like us, they will also send people into that Different Dimension.”
“We have reached a consensus among our four powers. Each power will send a hundred people inside. As for what treasures can be found, it will depend on individual abilities.”
“If I’m not mistaken, this shouldn’t be the first time your four powers have sent people in,” Stout asked further.
“To be honest, it’s not the first time!” Allyson Houston nodded.
“We discovered the pattern of that Different Dimension a thousand years ago. In other words, before today, ten groups of people have already entered.”
“And what happened? Did they find the Chaos Compass?” Stout pressed on.
“That’s what I want to tell all of you!” Allyson Houston looked around before continuing.
“After entering, not only do you have to face attacks from people of the other three powers but also uncertainties within that Different Dimension. It is extremely dangerous. One careless mistake could lead to your soul being destroyed…”
“What kind of uncertainties are there?” a woman asked.
“No one knows!” Allyson Houston took a deep breath before responding.
“What do you mean?” Stout paused for a moment. “Princess, you’re not trying to tell me that all those who entered before died, right?”
“Exactly!” Allyson Houston nodded.
“Not only our Imperial Clan’s people but also those from the other three powers. No one has come out alive from inside. That’s why no one knows what uncertainties lie within.”
Upon hearing her words, there was an audible gasp from the crowd.
Ten groups of people totaling four thousand individuals with at least late-stage Entering Empyrean Realm cultivation had entered before. Yet not a single person came out alive!
This was getting terrifying!