On hearing Remo's condition, Mitchell—who was initially suspicious—found himself tempted.
It was true that if he were to lose, then not only would he lose the qualifications to enter the Myriad Beast Forbidden Grounds, but his entire Sect would also suffer.
But if the Ascension Sect were to emerge victorious, then the Golden Crow Sect would suffer the same fate.
The losing side would be denied entry to the Myriad Beast Forbidden Grounds!
And if the Golden Crow Sect were to lose this bet, then his Ascension Sect would gain a huge advantage in the future.
But there was a problem. This bet was proposed by Remo himself. He wasn't foolish enough to put his Sect's future in jeopardy for no reason.
He was absolutely confident about his victory in this bet!
Why is he so confident? We are both equally matched in our cultivation. So where is he getting this confidence from?
Even other members of the Golden Crow Sect looked confident.
Are they truly certain of their victory? Or are they just bluffing with this bet, trying to play with us psychologically?
Mitchell had many questions in his mind. He wanted to say yes, but if they lost, the consequences would not be limited to himself alone. The entire Sect would have to pay a heavy price.
Finally, after making up his mind, Mitchell spoke with a mocking smile:
"Some other time. We are not here to play around. This place might be a joke to you, but it is not for me."
Remo wasn't disappointed by this answer. Instead, he smirked and said,
"Are you scared?"
Mitchell shook his head and replied,
"No. I'm simply putting my Sect's interest above everything else. In front of the Sect's interest, meaningless competitions like this are worthless. We shall meet again—at the Ancient Battleground."
With that, Mitchell departed with his companions from the Ascension Sect and walked towards the river filled with blood.
After the distance between them widened, one of the Golden Crow Sect's members asked,
"Are we just going to let them go? It looks like they didn't fall for our trick."
Remo shook his head.
"I never truly believed that Mitchell would accept my bet. The Four Sacred Grounds place immense importance on this expedition. One week after the Demonic Forbidden Grounds closes, the Myriad Beast Forbidden Grounds will open. Mitchell wouldn't let my bet control his head—he's not that foolish. I was simply testing his bottom line."
He then smiled and added,
"Forget about them. Let's focus on what we are here for. As the Temple Lord said, our true trial begins within the Blood River. That's where the real Demonic Forbidden Grounds exist. Everyone must be prepared. Once we enter the Blood River, things will grow far more dangerous if we're not careful. Stay sharp."
Remo looked around at his companions with a serious tone.
Just like Mitchell and his Ascension Sect, Remo too had been stunned by the sight upon entering through the portal.
As members of one of the Four Sacred Grounds, the Golden Crow Sect lacked no senior members who had ventured here during their youth. Those seniors had told them many things.
But seeing the Demonic Forbidden Grounds with their own eyes—the reality was even more terrifying than the legends. Caution was absolutely necessary.
Steeling himself, Remo reminded his companions:
"According to the map provided by the Temple Lord, once we enter the Blood River, we must head north. We must complete what the Temple Lord failed to achieve when he was young. That inheritance should belong to us!"
The others grew solemn upon hearing this.
They knew their Temple Lord had once ventured into the Demonic Forbidden Grounds during his youth. Though he had acquired the inheritance of an ancient existence, his journey remained a story marked by regret.
Before every new generation departed, the Temple Lord would ask them to finish what he could not.
Yet, every batch that followed him had failed.
This time, Remo's generation bore that responsibility. For the first time, the Temple Lord had revealed to them the regret he carried all his life.
Though he had acquired a powerful inheritance, there was another—an inheritance he coveted above all others—that he had been unable to obtain.
From that day onwards, he prepared the younger generations in hopes that one day, one of them would succeed where he had failed.
Every group had failed so far. But he had never punished nor blamed them, for he knew better than anyone how impossibly difficult it was.
And now, it was Remo's turn.
The moment he learned of the existence of that inheritance, his determination ignited like fire. He wanted to claim it at all costs—and witness the long-awaited joy on his Temple Lord's face.
Remo turned to his companions.
"We will win that inheritance at any cost. None of our seniors have succeeded, but this time—we must."
The others nodded, their expressions weighed with resolve.
Together, Remo and his Golden Crow Sect companions approached the Blood River. Without hesitation, they dove into the crimson depths.
Meanwhile, Ethan—who had been silently watching everything from behind a rock—fell into deep thought.
He had learned something crucial.
This blood-drenched wasteland was not the true Demonic Forbidden Grounds. The real one lay beneath the Blood River.
The second revelation was even greater: a legendary inheritance existed in the northern regions of the Forbidden Grounds.
Although Ethan wasn't particularly interested—since he already held the support of the System—he knew this information could be used as a powerful bargaining chip in the future.
And more importantly, this gave him renewed hope of finding the rare ingredients he needed—for both himself and the injured assassin.
Ethan also recalled information about the Four Sacred Grounds. He knew the mysterious woman, whom the founder of the Sacred Wind Academy had once called Teacher, was from one of them: the Blue Ocean Sect.
Later, through the System, he had gathered more knowledge about the Blue Ocean Sect and the other Sacred Grounds.
In fact, in order to complete one of the System-issued quests—a "V" Rank Quest—he had to learn more about the Blue Ocean Sect.
But knowledge alone wasn't enough. What Ethan needed most was strength. He understood better than anyone that he wasn't strong enough yet. That was why patience was key—until the time came when he could truly stand at the required level.
Still, important information was too valuable to ignore. If there was a chance to acquire it, he would never back down.
Just as Ethan was lost in thought, the entrance portal trembled once again.
He immediately snapped back to his senses. Without hesitation, he hid once more behind the massive black rock.
As he watched cautiously, another group of people appeared through the portal.
The moment he saw their uniforms, Ethan froze. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Only one name surfaced in his mind:
Blue Ocean Sect!