Outworld Liberators-Chapter 216: Opening of Preta Lurienna Labyrinth

Fourteen days later, the new disciples had settled in well enough and turned their minds to cultivation.

That day, Radeon gathered them in his black pavilion for what he called enlightenment, a lesson meant to shape the ideals that would guide their path.

By then, most of them had grown used to addressing him in that peculiar fashion.

Boss.

Yet there was no disrespect in it, and Radeon, though an ancestor, never seemed troubled by either name.

The disciples sat cross-legged upon the wooden floor while Radeon remained standing before them, a peculiar smile resting on his face.

"You will start by slapping your brothers and sisters. Make sure the slap stings. We begin with you, Fay."

Fay froze where she stood. Then Radeon gave a small nod, and she obeyed.

The slap cracked through the air. One by one, the others followed. Thaddeus came next, then the next disciple, then the next, until the lesson ended with every face a little swollen and every cheek burning.

Radeon looked over them.

"Why do you think I made you slap each other?"

No one answered at once. They had guesses, vague ones, but no one dared speak too quickly.

Radeon's gaze moved over them.

"These brothers and sisters around you are faces you may see for hundreds of years."

"Perhaps thousands. Tell me. Did it hurt to give the slap? No, not truly. And those who received it, were you offended?"

The disciples, their cheeks puffed and reddened, shook their heads, still uncertain where he was leading this.

"If your brother or sister begins to lose the way, what then?"

"Say Irongrit found himself a wife who was draining his resources dry."

"Almsgiver, would you slap him?"

The chubby boy nodded so hard it looked as though his head might come off. He even pointed at Irongrit.

"I would slap him, Boss Radeon, because he is my brother," Almsgiver said.

That pleased Radeon. The boy had improved. He was beginning to understand how the world worked.

"This is how it should be," Radeon said. "At the end of the day, a slap from a brother is also a fortuitous encounter for the one being struck."

"None of us can see every angle. None of us can read every line of fate clearly. Even if you reach heights of cultivation others would call impossible, you must still be willing to strike your brother or sister when they need it."

That brought them a measure of clarity. Better to deliver the proper slap that woke a blinded brother or sister before they lost not only their sight, but their reason and sense of self.

"That slap comes with a cost, however. We are all people. Before you strike, make sure you hold proper proof."

"Doubting another person's intent is normal, and you would do well to keep that instinct."

He let the lesson settle before continuing.

"These are lessons I hope you pass on to others. Fourteen days from now, the school will open as well."

"Most of you have already reached the initial stage of Breath Tempering, but cultivation is not a race. It is the building of a grand castle. And not every grand castle rises into the sky."

"Some of you may not enter the competition, but that too is part of the world. Not every fortune belongs in your pocket. Some fortunes may even harm you."

"Now then, what are the three rules of cultivation if you wish to grow strong?"

"First, protect yourself. Second, think of what benefits you. Third, decide whether something is right or wrong for you," the disciples answered in unison.

Radeon nodded. Even so, his eyes shifted toward the arena.

An announcement crawled in silence across every screen in Radeon Terraces.

Preta Lurienna Labyrinth.

The Secret Realm was opening.

All the invited schools and sects had arrived early at the Radeon Terraces Arena, where Eldric was meant to give the briefing.

People needed to know the special rules before entering.

In this world, Secret Realms took many forms.

Some were inheritances that opened only for the gifted young.

Some tested luck. Some tested blood.

This one was different.

This Secret Realm had been made by Radeon himself.

Ordinarily, such a place demanded immortal qi or immortal essence to sustain it, and once the treasures within had been taken, the realm would close forever.

Radeon had found another way. He used the Ghost Realm Fragment as the realm's body.

In that manner, fear and other darker emotions could be harvested from cultivators with real strength, which suited the ghosts well enough, since the consumption of their arts was ruinous and they needed such things to temper their ghostly paths.

This time there were no mortals in attendance, and the Radeon Terraces Arena had been folded down to a smaller size.

No one dared arrive late. Every sect, school, and wandering power worth naming had come an hour before the event.

Then Eldric appeared in the middle of the arena and swept his gaze over them.

At once, the gathered cultivators cupped their hands and bowed.

"We greet God Eldric," they said as one.

Eldric raised a hand. "Everyone, be seated."

Then the great screens rose into the air.

Those who had never seen such a display could not hide their awe. The locals from the Goldkeep Crownmarkets, already familiar with it, wore smug little looks instead and regarded the other cultivators like country bumpkins.

Then the screens began to flash with moving photographs.

Woods full of shadows that seemed to appear from nowhere.

Ruined cities, empty and broken, as though they had been abandoned in a single night.

Hallways that shifted and turned upon themselves while something dreadful seemed to follow just out of sight.

A cramped forge facility with a low ceiling, where one could barely see a meter ahead before the dark swallowed everything.

The female cultivators were already frightened, clutching the arms of fellow disciples and masters. The images were better than before, so lifelike that more than a few felt their skin crawl.

"This Secret Realm consists of four areas and has been fully mapped," Eldric said.

"The first area is called the Specters and Mended Cadaver Orchard. It is a long stretch of woods with only one exit door. Secret inheritances may be found within it. But there is a twist. Those inheritances may play tricks on you. Even the entities in those woods may disguise themselves as inheritances, treasures, or weapons." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Eldric waved a hand, and the screen changed to show a whole building with sly, watchful eyes. A moment later, it opened like a great maw and swallowed a man whole.

At that, many of the younger disciples began shaking their heads and whispering the same few words to their masters.

"Master, I'm scared."

Jenkii, who had looked forward to the event at first, had gone a little pale. Denzil noticed at once. The sight of that mischievous woman looking so shaken stirred his own sense of fun.

He leaned close and blew lightly by her ear.

Jenkii's heart nearly stopped. Her hair stood on end. Qi burst from her body as she threw a punch with a thunderous boom.

Denzil caught her at once, one hand over her mouth, the other holding her tight.

"It is only me, Jenkii. Do not make our Court lose face," he muttered, though even he had not expected such a reaction.

Jenkii glared up at him with tears in her eyes. She had nearly soiled herself.

She hated this sort of thing, the kind that turned every shadow into a mystery. Truly hated it.

When Denzil felt her begin to calm, he loosened his grip. That was a mistake.

Jenkii started pounding her fists against him again and again, though it did him no harm at all.

"All right. I am sorry. My mistake," Denzil admitted.

Eldric, for his part, let the outburst among the disciples and students pass without comment.

"The second area is what we call Lit Wick City," Eldric said. "There, you may rest for a brief while, but do not test your luck by growing comfortable. The longer you remain in that city, the more your senses will warp. It also holds a great many fortuitous encounters for those daring enough to seek them."

The screens shifted again. Hallways slid across them, their walls crowded with eyes, grasping hands, and long wet tongues.

Other creatures moved in the dark, their shapes left blurred by Eldric on purpose, which only made them more dreadful.

"The third area is the Mind Unravelling Corridor. There are only two choices there. Go forward or go backward. A cultivator's fortitude will be tested in that place, for it will show you what you fear, and worse still, horrors your mind cannot properly fathom. The more fear your heart gives rise to there, the harder it becomes to escape."

Then Eldric changed the image once more and brought forth the great forge facility with its low ceiling and choking dark.

"The fourth area is the final one. Only a select few will be able to claim the highest tier of inheritances there. Within that facility, ten disciples will appear beside you, and you will be given tasks chosen at random. But be warned. Only six of those disciples will be real. The others will be spectral entities that have read your memories and perfectly mimicked people you know."

Eldric let the words sink in.

The crowd fell into a strained silence before murmurs began to spread through it. No one dared speak too loudly.