Chapter 432: Opportunity

Priam turned toward the silent crowd and made a calm gesture with his right hand.

A dazzling point of light emerged from within his Nexus Seed, floating gently until it came to a stop in the air right in front of him.

It was the entrance to his secret world. While stored inside the Nexus Seed, the secret world remained isolated and couldn’t absorb the energy of this world’s laws. For that reason, Priam couldn’t keep it open permanently. However, for this rescue mission to succeed, doing so was essential.

At his command, the point of light expanded with an imperceptible spatial snap.

An oval, translucent portal emitting silvery reflections appeared before everyone.

Priam looked at the crowd of Pristine Wild-Spirits, witnessing the trembling faces and the tears held back in thousands of eyes.

"Go through," Priam declared, his firm, encouraging voice resonating in everyone’s chest. "On the other side, a new world awaits you, your true home. An inviolable sanctuary where you can prosper in freedom, without the burden of tyranny or fear. In the future, entire new planets will emerge in that place, and your home will only continue to grow, endlessly."

A collective, trembling sigh swept through the forest air. Without hesitation, the evacuation began. The Primordials were the first to march forward solemnly, leading the way for everyone else.

The passage led directly to the first and only truly habitable planet Priam had ever created. Over the past few days, thanks to the accelerated passage of time inside, its ecosystem had developed considerably, boasting vast native forests and winding rivers of crystal-clear water. Although it was still a young world with a relatively simple structure...

As he recalled the unique gift of the Pristine Wild-Spirit Primordials—the Miracle of Life Magic Art—Priam felt his heart race.

The benefits of welcoming them were monumental. Under the care of this race, that planet and every other world that emerged within his secret realm would transform into sanctuaries of vitality at an unimaginable rate.

Within minutes, hundreds of thousands of people passed through the portal, vanishing from that prison without making the slightest commotion.

The moment the last person crossed over, Priam expanded his senses to their absolute limit, meticulously tracking any fluctuation coming from the direction of the black castle.

...

...

...

Several minutes passed in deathly silence.

No disturbance or change was detected. There was definitely no sign of an alarm. He finally let out a restrained sigh of relief.

Then Priam turned to the side and found his sister’s beautiful face radiant with joy, her eyes glistening with tears.

"You should go in too," he said calmly.

Upon hearing his command, Meien’s expression abruptly changed, suddenly overcome with apprehension.

Priam nodded gently. "I don’t intend to leave this planet just yet. I’m going to infiltrate that black castle, find out what they’re hiding, and only then will I plan my escape route."

"Bro... that’s..." Meien murmured, her voice faltering as fear took over her face. To her, Priam was acting far too recklessly and taking unnecessary risks. He had already achieved his main objective and could simply retreat silently, just as he had when entering the planet.

"I can’t just leave without seeing what’s inside," he explained, a cold glint in his eyes.

"I have a feeling that castle is hiding valuable things. I can’t afford to waste any opportunity to grow stronger. Don’t worry. It might not look like it, but concealment and escape are my greatest specialties. If I wanted to operate purely from the shadows, I’d unquestionably be the greatest assassin and thief this world has ever seen."

Meien took a deep breath, fighting the tightness in her chest, and slowly nodded. "I trust you, Bro... I really do. But... I just wish I could be useful."

Priam smiled genuinely and affectionately stroked her head. "You’ve already been incredibly useful. Without you, I would never have found this place so quickly. It’s only a matter of time before you help me on an even greater scale. Right now, I’m desperately lacking a high-level alchemist to produce pills and potions—something our faction is sorely missing. In the future, that entire burden will be in your hands."

Hearing those words of absolute confidence, Meien clenched her fists with renewed determination and nodded vigorously.

Priam took a step toward the spatial portal. Meien slowly released his hand, turned around, and crossed the rift, disappearing into the secret world.

As soon as the last person had crossed the rift, Priam gently waved his hand and closed the passage. The oval portal compressed with an imperceptible snap, collapsing until it returned to the form of a tiny point of light.

The next instant, the glowing point plunged into his chest, returning to the shelter of his Nexus Seed.

He turned toward the dark silhouette of the black castle.

With Meien safely settled inside the secret world, the energy consumption rate of Transcendental Concealment dropped drastically. He quickly calculated that he could remain undetectable for three to four uninterrupted days.

Even so, the risk remained razor-thin: one tiny mistake, and he would be fucked.

Priam manipulated the winds, then shot forward just above the ground, gliding like an invisible specter.

Minutes later, he reached the perimeter and landed silently before the colossal walls of the black castle.

He froze in place, extending his perception to meticulously examine every inch of the masonry, built from dull, black stones. He searched for sentinel inscriptions, alarm runes, or anything of the sort.

But he already knew he was unlikely to find anything like that.

That sect hadn’t even bothered to imbue tracking marks into the most precious treasure of that place—the Pristine Wild-Spirits themselves. They certainly wouldn’t waste resources installing complex defenses around the castle’s perimeter.

After all, the enslaved population possessed absolutely no combat power, making the structure little more than a purely utilitarian monument.

Priam studied the black rocks for a few seconds, then sighed.

’This stone wasn’t naturally imbued with this cursed aura, similar to the one in my black branch... The contamination was artificially infused. Perhaps it’s the result of continuously using some kind of bloodline?’

He exhaled. He needed concrete answers. With a gentle push of air, Priam rose vertically, clearing the top of the wall without creating the slightest disturbance.

On the inside, he clearly sensed twelve powerful auras concentrated at a single point within the structure. Those figures seemed to be immersed in an extremely complex process that demanded absolute focus and uninterrupted attention.

Priam wasn’t afraid of being detected by them, but he remained on high alert for the possibility that others might be hidden somewhere within the complex.

A vast open area covered in tall grass separated the outer wall from the central citadel. In the middle of it all stood the monumental castle—a stern structure with ten floors, flanked by four observation towers.

Priam glided through the grass like a flowing shadow, advancing cautiously while mapping every inch of his surroundings.

However... the silence was absolute. The castle seemed like an empty shell, built not to house a garrison or accommodate life, but merely to conceal some other purpose.

Within moments, he positioned himself right beside the black wall of the main structure.

Looking up, he noticed a tall, unglazed window a few meters above his head.

He channeled his mastery over the Wind element, sending a gentle breeze to inspect the room’s interior. His probe revealed a spacious, deserted room completely devoid of furniture.

Priam took a deep breath and leaped in a perfect arc, passing through the window and landing lightly on the stone floor.

The room was completely bare; there were no decorations, curtains, or furniture. The exit—a mere rectangular opening without a door—led into a dark corridor.

Moving with ghostlike steps, Priam explored the area.

The castle’s interior reinforced the impression of looting or abandonment: entire floors were completely empty, with wide corridors of bare stone devoid of anything whatsoever. Gradually increasing his speed, he ventured deeper into the structure, guided by the continuous vibrations emanating from those twelve auras.

A short while later, Priam stopped in the middle of a large hall on the ground floor, fixing his gaze on the floor. The fluctuations and disturbances were coming directly from underground.

He silently crouched and pressed the palm of his right hand against the cold stone.

[Synthesize?] [Yes / No]

Priam confirmed the command.

He shaped a simple power rune designed for espionage—a glyph of earthly perception capable of merging with rocky matter and traveling through the pores of the stone, transmitting visual and auditory data.

A tiny, brownish rune materialized on his skin. With a gentle impulse, Priam guided it into the narrow gap between the black floor slabs, watching as it sank into the stone.

"..."

Seconds later, Priam closed his eyes and synchronized his consciousness with the hidden glyph.

In his mind, the architecture of the underground floor unfolded with crystal clarity.

It was a vast subterranean temple lined with black stone, its floor entirely covered in a runic inscription that pulsed with a subtle black glow.

At the center of the chamber...

There was a pool carved into the ground, measuring more than ten meters in diameter. The fluid filling the basin was thick, viscous, and a deep crimson red... The moment he sensed it, there was no doubt: it was blood, mixed with an even more sinister essence.

Immersed up to their chests in that profane pool were the twelve figures.

Ten men, two women.

They all looked incredibly young, their eyes closed as they focused on absorbing the substance into their bodies.

A single glimpse of the scene was enough for Priam to put the pieces together. This was the infamous supreme physical refinement method of the Paragon Art that Meien had mentioned.

At that moment, the tragic fate of the eight adults and four youths abducted from the tribe several days earlier became painfully clear.

They had been sacrificed. Their lives, bodies, and bloodlines had been reduced to raw materials, distilled over days of torture and continuous extraction to fill that pool.

Sensing that their bodies still lacked any distinct aura, Priam came to a conclusion:

The refinement ritual involving the Pristine Wild-Spirits had probably just been completed when he arrived on the planet. Those twelve had then begun absorbing its benefits. Even after several days, they were still in the initial stage of absorption.

Priam’s body trembled almost imperceptibly.

An overwhelming fury and a savage killing intent threatened to break through his restraint and expose his presence.

He closed his eyes and forced his breathing to slow down, repeating the mental purification cycle several times until he finally subdued the rage burning in his chest.

When he reopened his eyes to the vision provided by the rune, he noticed a crucial detail in the corner of the hall, outside the pool’s perimeter.

An elderly figure radiating a profound aura was carefully observing the fluid’s reaction and the condition of the twelve individuals.

Priam wore a cold smile. The perfect opportunity had just presented itself before his eyes.