The group traveled aboard the metallic lifeform and soon returned to Blackcloud City.
Each person clutched a Fiend badge they had obtained, lining up to register.
Once their registration was complete, Fiend Castle would issue them their official Fiend badges.
At that moment, they would officially become Fiends.
"Dylin, once we've officially become Fiends, we'll take on a mission to the Amethyst Mountains. That's the only place on the Amethyst Continent where amethysts are produced. As long as we gather enough amethyst, we won't have to worry about future expenses."
Dylin nodded.
In this Infernal Realm, without inkstones, one truly couldn't take a single step.
Soon, it was their turn to register.
The two of them each handed over one Fiend badge they'd obtained, along with their proof of having completed the exam.
The registrar glanced at the badges, then carefully inspected them.
"Gentlemen, you're very lucky. These two badges are three-star Fiend badges. According to the rules for this task, whatever star-level badge you bring back, you'll directly become a Fiend of that same rank."
The others nearby all turned to look at them.
Most had only brought back one-star Fiend badges.
A few were lucky enough to get two-star badges, but no one else had managed to acquire a three-star Fiend badge.
Three-star Fiends were all stronger Midgods, and most had been killed by the Highgod Fiends who participated in the exam.
Now two Midgods had returned with three-star Fiend badges, causing many to look at them with envy.
Ordinary people couldn't tell a Fiend's star level.
Only Fiend Castle personnel had the means to detect it.
These two badges confirmed Sadius and Dylin would instantly become three-star Fiends.
"You first. What's your name?"
The registrar used a God Domain to isolate them from the others.
"Sadius."
"Now, I'll collect your soul aura."
He took out a pea-sized, emerald-green orb and placed it next to Sadius.
The orb quickly turned gray.
Moments later, the man retrieved two brand new Fiend badges.
"This is your primary Fiend badge, and this is the secondary badge. Drip your blood to bind both."
Sadius didn't ask anything.
He already knew these steps—he'd seen this process described in Coiling Dragon in his previous life.
"This Fiend badge is your proof of identity as a Fiend. The secondary badge will stay here in Fiend Castle. If it ever becomes an ownerless item, we'll know you've died."
The registrar found it odd.
Sadius didn't seem curious about the process at all, nor did he ask any questions—almost as if he'd already gone through this before.
Sadius took his Fiend badge and stepped aside, waiting for Dylin to finish.
Dylin, unlike Sadius, was very curious about the procedure.
The registrar thought this was the normal reaction of someone becoming a Fiend for the first time.
Afterward, Dylin joined Sadius.
"Lord, where are we heading next?"
"First, to Amethyst Castle, to exchange the valuable items for inkstones."
They'd harvested a lot this time, obtaining plenty of Midgod Divine Sparks.
Keeping them on hand was useless—turning them into inkstones was far more practical.
They soon reached Amethyst Castle and exchanged the Divine Sparks and divine artifacts for inkstones.
In an instant, they had gained hundreds of thousands of inkstones.
It seemed like a lot…But in truth, it wasn't even enough to buy a single Highgod artifact.
It was barely enough to purchase a few Soul Gold Beads.
In fact, Sadius still held a spatial ring containing some of the Extreme Intent Fiend's wealth.
Even though that divine clone had only been a Midgod, as a former seven-star Fiend, Extreme Intent Fiend had not lacked resources.
And he was also a magic array master and a research fanatic, so the ring naturally contained many rare treasures.
If Sadius sold those items, he could probably exchange them for a huge sum of inkstones.
But Sadius wasn't stupid.
If he sold such things here in Blackcloud City, it might arouse the Blackcloud City Lord's suspicions.
He didn't want to invite unnecessary trouble, so he decided not to sell them—for now.
With some money in hand, Sadius and Dylin first went out for a good meal.
The delicacies of Infernal Realm were far beyond anything found in a material plane.
Since arriving in Infernal Realm, the two hadn't properly enjoyed a feast.
After eating and drinking their fill, they returned once more to Fiend Castle.
This time, they were there to take on a mission.
Unlike the Fiend exam, now they could freely select tasks they deemed suitable.
They approached the task registrar and showed their newly issued Fiend badges.
"Infernal Realm, sirs. Are you looking for a mission heading to the Amethyst Mountains?"
"Yes. What rank missions are available?"
"Any is fine. We'd prefer the simplest—an escort mission."
Escorting missions were relatively easy, with little combat required—though the pay was lower. The staffer pulled out a thick mission book full of three-star missions.
"Currently, our Blackcloud City has 325,000 missions going toward the Amethyst Mountains. Of those, 11,093 are escort missions, all recorded here."
"So many?"
"Yes.
Our Ziyang Prefecture is close to the Amethyst Mountains,
so many divine beings post missions here—traveling between different places.
There are naturally many missions heading toward the Amethyst Mountains."
Sadius browsed for a while and found a group escort mission,
transporting goods to the Eight Families' outposts in the Amethyst Mountains.
These Eight Families were powerful clans who controlled the mining rights of the Amethyst Mountains.
Of course, they didn't forbid other divine beings from mining.
The amethysts were simply too abundant.
Even if the Eight Families joined forces, they could only mine a tiny fraction.
Besides, obtaining amethyst often came down to luck. So, they didn't restrict others.
They simply required anyone entering to buy a pass to freely enter and leave the Amethyst Mountains.
"We'll take this one."
Sadius chose a mission with a nearby departure date, so they wouldn't have to wait long.
"Gentlemen, may I ask where you're staying? I'll register it, and we'll notify you when it's time."
"Ah, we don't have a place yet."
"In that case, there's a hotel nearby. One year's lodging only costs 800 inkstones. If you need, I can help arrange it."
"Alright, thank you. Could you reserve two suites for us?"
The staffer's face lit up with a smile.
Two suites meant 1,600 inkstones.
Soon, under his guidance, the two arrived at a nearby hotel.
Then that same staffer appeared before Sadius and Dylin again.
"Gentlemen, your courtyard residences have been prepared."
Sadius finally understood—this man had two divine clones: one working in Fiend Castle to handle tasks, and another working here in the hotel.
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