CHAPTER 917: A FORCE PARTNERSHIP

The voice from the Nether Stone answered without any emotion, but its words carried a bone-deep chill. "It’s very simple. If you reach the Fifth Life and Death Cycle of the Divine Rank or higher, you can forcibly open the secret domain and enter here at will."

Max and Kevin’s minds went blank for a moment.

"What?" Both of them blurted out almost at the same time, their faces turning pale.

Max forced a bitter smile, his tone halfway between disbelief and despair. "Senior, you’re not joking with us juniors, are you?"

Kevin’s gaze fixed on the Nether Stone, his lips tightening as bitterness filled his chest. The Fifth Life and Death Cycle of Divine Rank... that realm wasn’t just far away, it was nearly impossible for them to reach within ten years.

Even among the most powerful figures of the Middle Domain’s seven overlord forces and the four great god nations, people who stood at that level were counted on one hand.

Max and Kevin exchanged looks, their expressions stiff and strained, a shared grief passing silently between them like rabbits mourning another rabbit’s death.

The rage in their hearts surged like fire, directed at the mysterious soul inside the Nether Stone, but neither of them dared to speak their true thoughts. In the end, both could only force bitter smiles and bow their heads slightly, swallowing their humiliation in silence.

"Okay, you can go. If it weren’t for the demonic energy I needed, I would have swallowed you two up long ago." The voice from within the Nether Stone echoed coldly, carrying with it a chilling finality that made the hairs on Max and Kevin’s necks stand on end.

Both of them shivered involuntarily, their hearts heavy with relief and dread. They were glad—glad they had not fallen as low as the big-bellied monk, who had dabbled in demonic practices. If they had, they might have ended up just like him, swallowed whole by that terrifying stone with no chance of escape. Compared to the monk’s fate, theirs almost felt lucky.

"Remember," the hoarse voice continued, sharper now, almost like a knife grazing their throats, "you must not disclose this matter to anyone, or you will bear the consequences."

"Yes, we two juniors will take our leave." Max and Kevin spoke almost in unison, bowing their heads slightly in submission. Then, without daring to waste another second, they began to back away from that ominous stone.

Just before they turned to leave, Max’s eyes caught the faint glimmer of something lying beneath the Nether Stone—a storage ring. It had belonged to the big-bellied monk. Quick as lightning, Max bent down and snatched it up.

Kevin’s lips parted slightly when he saw this. For a brief moment, he considered stopping Max, but in the end, he remained silent. There were far bigger problems on their shoulders now than a single storage ring.

Max clenched the storage ring in his palm, feeling a trace of comfort despite the hollow despair in his chest. But deep inside, regret gnawed at him. If I had known this would happen, I would never have come here seeking treasures. This was courting death...

Both he and Kevin felt their faces grow pale as reality sank in. They not only had to find the four legendary materials—Phoenix Blood Crystal, Dragon Blood Stone, Sun Essence Stone, and Six Yin True Water—within ten years, but also had to advance to the Life and Death Realm of the Divine Rank, a height so distant it was almost laughable.

"Hateful."

"Damn it."

The curses slipped from their lips almost at the same time, their voices thick with frustration and unwillingness.

After a moment of silence heavy enough to crush the air between them, they looked at each other. Kevin was the first to speak, his tone complicated but steady, "Max, you and I... we’ve had conflicts before. But now we’re in the same boat. I think it’s best we put aside our past hatred and work together."

Max’s eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold sneer tugged at the corner of his lips. "Are you afraid that I’ll kill you?" he asked bluntly, his killing intent barely masked. Max had long nurtured the thought of killing Kevin, and this forced alliance didn’t sit well with him.

But Kevin, far from backing down, met Max’s gaze head-on and snorted coldly, "If you think you can kill me, you’re welcome to try."

Max stared at Kevin for a long moment and noticed something unusual—a deep and unshakable confidence hidden between his brows, the kind of calm certainty a man only carried when he had a powerful card up his sleeve. That made Max hesitate for just a heartbeat before forcing a laugh.

"I was just joking with you, Brother Kevin," he said, his tone suddenly warm, as if there had never been any hostility between them. "You are right. Right now, we’re not just two people bound by circumstance—we’re partners, even allies."

Kevin tilted his head slightly but didn’t comment, merely waiting for Max to continue.

Max quickly added, "First things first, let’s focus on finding these four materials within this secret domain. If we fail, then we’ll search outside after leaving this place. Either way, we need to keep in touch and move together on this matter. There’s no way to complete this alone. We will meet after the secret domain closed."

"It’s settled then. Goodbye." Kevin accepted the plan without hesitation, his voice calm and clipped.

Without wasting another moment, he turned, his black robe fluttering like a shadow at dusk, and in the blink of an eye, he shot off down one of the dark tunnels, his figure disappearing completely into the black mist of the abyss.

Max stood there for a moment, watching Kevin’s rapidly vanishing back. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his mind stirred with unease. There was something about Kevin—something too calm, too assured, like he had a hidden trump card that Max couldn’t see.

After a long silence, Max raised a hand to his head, rubbing it slowly, and asked quietly, "Blob, you’ve been observing him for quite some time now... what exactly have you discovered about him?"