“What’s the matter?” Jared asked cautiously. However, the old priest completely ignored him. and continued crying, which left Jared feeling. speechless.
With that, Jared and Flaxseed had no choice but to watch the old priest cry for over ten minutes before he finally ceased his tears. “Hey-” Just when Jared was about to ask what had happened, the old priest spoke, cutting him off.
“The Fire Incineration Sect I mentioned is in the Ethereal Realm, and that’s why you haven’t heard of it. It’s hard to believe that in the blink of an eye, I’ve been away from the Ethereal Realm for more than ten years…” The old priest’s voice was tinged with sadness. His utterances stupefied. Jared and Flaxseed.
“You’re… You’re from the Ethereal Realm?” Jared’s face was filled with disbelief as he struggled to comprehend the notion of someone from the Ethereal Realm descending into the mundane world.
The old priest nodded solemnly. “For all these years, I had believed I was still living in the Ethereal Realm, but little did I know that I had left the place many years ago.”
“Aren’t you subjected to the suppression by the laws of nature when you descended from the Ethereal Realm into the mundane world?” Jared was curious to know if the old priest was like him, unaffected by the suppression of the laws of nature.
“Of course, I’m affected by the laws of nature. But for the sake of survival, I had no choice. Over the past ten years or so, my strength has regressed significantly under the suppression of the laws of nature. However, my skills in refining weapons have not been affected by the suppression. So it’s effortless for me to repair weapons,” the old priest explained in a calm. voice.
“What exactly happened? What made you leave. the Ethereal Realm and willingly endure the suppression of the laws of nature to come to the mundane world?” Jared was eager to find out why the old priest left the Ethereal Realm.
After all, to cultivators in the mundane world, the Ethereal Realm was literally a paradise! The old priest sighed and replied, “It’s a long story…”
Jared and Flaxseed listened to his recount attentively and finally understood the whole situation. The old priest was not actually a priest but a blacksmith master from Divine Smithing Sect.
His name was Hammerhead. Due to Divine Smithing Sect’s renowned expertise in crafting divine weapons, they caught the attention of Fire Incineration Sect.
Fire Incineration Sect demanded the assistance of Divine Smithing Sect in forging weapons. However, Divine Smithing Sect refused to comply because Fire Incineration Sect practiced Demonic Cultivation. That refusal led to the annihilation of Divine Smithing Sect, with their sect leader being captured.
Amidst the chaos, Hammerhead managed to escape with the sect’s secret scrolls, causing him to become the target of relentless pursuit by members of Fire Incineration Sect.
Left with no other options, Hammerhead tore through space and time and found refuge in the mundane world, willingly. subjecting himself to the suppression of the laws of nature in order to elude the grasp of Fire Incineration Sect. As members of Fire Incineration Sect were terrified of the laws of nature, they eventually abandoned their pursuit, granting Hammerhead. a narrow escape.
Stranded in the mundane world, Hammerhead could only be a wanderer and later became a priest in Spiritus Occultus Monastery. However, because the monastery fell into dilapidation afterward, he lived a life of uncertainty again, with no fixed abode.
Despite his circumstances, Hammerhead remained steadfast in his determination to rescue his sect leader. That was why when Jared sought him out, he laid down a clear condition-they must first save his sect leader.
As Jared listened to Hammerhead’s account, he realized the Ethereal Realm was far from being a heavenly paradise, as it was filled with deceit and constant battles.
He sympathized with Hammerhead, who had spent many lonely years wandering in the mundane world. Jared and Flaxseed remained silent for a long time after hearing the story.
Hammerhead, overcome with sorrow, took a long moment to compose himself. He then exhaled deeply and forced a smile. “Since you two listened to me so attentively, I will not impose the condition on you anymore. With your abilities, rescuing someone from Fire Incineration Sect is impossible anyway. If you have any weapons that need repairing, just take them out. After I repair them, I’ll be leaving this place as well.”
