“Actually, I think you may be in luck, boss.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. The Fighting Time Dead City is not far from here. In fact, I was trying to figure out how to get inside when Lady Brima put me in the Web Burrows.”

  Jake pulled a glass marble out of his inventory and rolled it around between his fingers. “I sense more of a story here.”

  “There is, but you said we would only share what is important, right?”

  “Right.”

  “It’s not important, at least for this conversation. But the Fighting Time Dead City would probably be perfect. There are many ancient and powerful places and treasures hidden inside.”

  “I sense a ‘but.’”

  “Yes. It is guarded, the entrance is. And there are dangerous demon beasts and ghosts that roam the city. It is an extremely dangerous place.”

  Jake thought about it for a moment. He didn’t really have any better leads. “Is it on the way to the Skull of Secrets sect?”

  “It is, but…” Slim fidgeted. “I kind of regret mentioning now it now. Jake, it is an extremely dangerous place. I know where the entrance is, but I have never actually seen the city. Higher level cultivators go there to study death and ghosts. For cultivators at our level, it would be a death sentence. We’ve worked together for years. I really should have known better than to say anything to you. I can see you’ve already made up your mind.”

  “Sorta, yeah,” Jake admitted. “I had a sure way to break through to a Reforged Body before, but I gave it up. Calculated risk. Now I need all the help I can get.”

  Slim sighed and stretched out. His thin, knobby legs stuck further out the bottoms of his old, ratty pants. That reminded Jake that he should probably get into his storage ring and change clothes. He decided that he would in the next couple hours. Slim said, “Jake, none of these plans are going to go anywhere. I don’t know what Lady Brima expects of us, but this entire journey is suicide.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We are two Body Refinement stage cultivators, by ourselves, in the wilderness. There is no road for days further. We got lucky coming here, but the luck is going to run out, boss.”

  Jake gave a sly grin. “What about flying?”

  Slim sighed again. “Cultivators need to be in the Foundation Pillars stage to use flying swords, or use a scripted device. Or one that runs on spirit stones. We’re doomed, boss. Even if we could fly, we would need to stay low in case there are any flying demon beasts out there.” He shook his head. “We’re doomed. Doomed.”

  “Don’t be so sure,” muttered Jake. He checked his inventory. The Clay Bat was still damaged, but almost healed. “Hmm.” Jake pulled the flying machine from the world of illusions out of his storage.

  “What the hell is that! How big is your storage!?”

  Jake ignored him and started testing the vehicle. When it lifted off the ground and seemed to work just fine, he grinned. “Alright, Slim. I think we have a ride.”

  Chapter 33

  Over the next few days of travel, Jake was still glad to be out of the Web Burrows, but his overall mood grew more somber.

  The Murim world was huge and dangerous as hell. This was made extremely obvious through a few close calls and just observing the world around them.

  Jake needed to get stronger. It was as much a fact of survival as much as going back to help his home world at this point.

  On the second day of flying, he’d had the presence of mind to pull up the Eternal Struggle Reward System.

  It read:

  Jacob Hessian Mazzariello

  Champion of The Morrigan

  Origin world dimension rank 2, name: Earth

  Current path to power: Cultivation (variation)

  Current path level or rank: Tenth rank Gold Body Refinement

  Renown points: 6

  He actually had more renown points now total than when he’d first come to the Murim world. This time, he was planning to dump them all into acquiring one item…maybe. He still hadn’t entirely made up his mind if he were being honest with himself.

  Jake had been thinking about what to gamble his points on for days afterwards, even when Fighting Time Dead City came into view.

  “That’s it,” said Slim, talking loudly to be heard over the wind of their passage.

  “That mountain?” asked Jake.

  “It’s inside.”

  Great. More underground shit, thought Jake. As they got closer, he realized it wasn’t a mountain, but most of an absolutely enormous hill. There was no obvious entry, or even any sign that anything was inside.

  Even from the sky, Jake was starting to get an unnerving, creepy feeling. The unsettling feeling grew the closer they got.

  “Where are we going?” he asked.

  “There is a secret entrance,” said Slim. “Trust me.”

  Jake realized he didn’t really have much of a choice at this point other than just calling off the entire thing, so he kept his mouth shut. Being the “Are we there yet!” kid along for the ride wasn’t the kind of cultivator adventure he wanted to have, after all.

  Slim led them through a magnificent waterfall. Jake slowed down as they passed through and marveled at the size and beauty of the falls. Nothing on Earth that he knew of compared to this. Not only was the size of the falls magnificent, the water color was beautiful and it carried natural energy with it, causing rainbows to flash randomly as the water frothed and spilled.

  “Don’t swallow any water,” Slim warned. “It’s full of death energy. Everything is full of death energy around here. It’s why there aren’t any demon beasts.”

  Jake nodded. A moment later, they were through the falls. The power of the water was truly intense, but Jake and Slim were both Gold level Body Refinement cultivators, and Jake’s stolen flying vehicle didn’t even wobble.

  Not swallowing any water was easy. Jake just didn’t breathe and blocked off all of the orifices in his head. It was easy to avoid swallowing any water. He used chi to dry his skin and clothing after he was past the falls. There was a natural, elbow shaped hallway that kept any of the water or mist of the waterfall from entering.

  Past the stone tunnel, Jake was hit with an overwhelming feeling of wonder. Even as the death energy in the air and the world around them felt heavy, oppressive, there was also great beauty.

  There was a large grotto inside, with ancient pagoda buildings. The rocky ceiling had an amazing effect that made it look like the real sky, so unless Jake focused on small details, it looked like he was outside. Light came from the incredible illusion from the ceiling and even from the walls. The effect was that they’d found some long forgotten temple, and maybe they had.

  The two of them stepped off of the flying machine without saying a word and Jake put it back into his storage ring. In the distance, at the other end of the cave stood an ancient stone arch that shimmered in the middle. Some sort of portal.

  Jake just had to take it all in. This was his first time in the Murim world that he’d actually experienced something grand, a place that was obviously ancient and profound. There was the feeling that great feet had trod this place in the distant past.

  Again, without saying a word, the two of them began walking across the lonely grotto. There were no sounds other than their footsteps. The entire area was eerily silent.

  A cloud began to pass across the perfect illusion of the sky on the ceiling above.

  Jake couldn't even imagine the number of inscriptions or their complexity in order to make such an effective and beautiful illusion. On top of that, they were all hidden so well that there was no sign of them, no glow. The effect was unspoiled.

  Suddenly, all of the lights in the grotto fell. And it was like nighttime. A moon hung in the sky.

  Suddenly, there was a flash of motion from one of the nearby caves. Jake didn’t even have time to react before a huge, magnificent woman was peering down at them, judging them.

  His back completely stiffened and he didn’t move, a prey response. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him that he was in danger.

  However, despite Jake’s supernatural senses still being incomplete and immature, he was pretty sure she didn’t mean them any harm. That was good, because the pressure she was giving off reminded him a lot of Lady Brima.

  And she could probably crush them with her bare hands even without using any techniques. However, one of the only good things about the Murim world where might made right and there were no real laws to speak of was that the higher level cultivators usually had better things to do than mess with lower level cultivators. They were too busy trying to get stronger themselves. Not only that, lower level cultivators very rarely had items that were of any value to older, more experienced cultivators. This was one of the many reasons why Jake needed to hide the level of gear that he had.

  The unfamiliar dragon lady stood much taller than a human, wearing a skin-bearing outfit that was much different than most of the other cultivators Jake had seen so far. Her body below the waist was also that of a huge, colorful snake. It was hard to tell what the signs of her reforged body were, if any.

  Relying too much on spotting Reforged Body cultivators by their eyes was something Jake had learned was not a good idea recently. He’d always thought that it would be a universal tell, but in the Web Burrows, Han Ten hadn’t been sure about Jake’s cultivation until the end.

  Or maybe Jake’s own strange eyes contributed to the confusion. He’d have to ask Slim later.

  His attention turned back to the powerful woman before him.

  He was reminded a little bit of the naga he’d killed on Earth. But comparing the large, magnificent beauty before him with those naga was like comparing a giant ocean tuna with a goldfish. They were not the same beyond maybe the basic shape. At all.

  “Who are you and why have you come here?” demanded the beautiful snake woman. Even in the muted light of the cavern, her flawless, jade-like skin glowed in a healthy way. She produced a long-stemmed cigarette out of nowhere, one just like the Lady Brima had. Jake started to wonder if all of the most powerful female cultivators in the Murim world just really liked long-stemmed cigarettes. It was a little weird.

  Slim was terrified and seemed to be waiting for Jake to lead the talking. It was curious that even though Slim was more familiar with the Murim world, he was definitely less comfortable talking to powerful cultivators. Slim was probably right to sit this one out. Despite the fact Jake could sense no malice from the large, beautiful snake woman, being too casual in front of the powerful was not smart. The reminder of the naga back on Earth weighed heavily too.

  “I am Jake, and my companion is called Slim.” He briefly thought about making up a lie about who they were and why they were here, but dismissed it. Powerful cultivators had a way of smelling out lies. Besides, he still didn’t know enough about the greater Murim world to be coming up with bullshit on the spot.

  He continued, “We were once prisoners in the Web Burrows, but Lady Brima has tasked us to join the Skull of Secrets sect. She gave us both a sigil to prove our affiliation.” Jake fished the necklace out of his shirt that he’d felt settle around his neck right before he got zapped out of the Web Burrows. It had a stylized image of a woman and a spider on it and was made of solid gold.

  The snake woman looked at the plaque in distaste. A long, forked tongue flicked out of her mouth about halfway to the plaque and she scoffed. “Yes, you are telling the truth. That is from that nasty old spider. That technically makes you Skull of Secret affiliates and they have the right to visit the Fighting Time Dead City.

  “However, I am here to prevent anyone below the Core Refinement stage from entering without protection from the miasma. The death energy is so strong in the Dead City that it can warp all but the strongest minds.

  “To be honest, I don't care that much. But it is my duty to monitor this area for the next ten years.”

  Jake was curious and frowned. “Why?” he asked.

  She took an irritated puff of her cigarette. “I am a member of the Murim Council of Elders. The Council has discovered that if too many people die in the Dead City, the ghosts can actually gain enough power to leave the confines of the city walls. It has only happened a few times in the last two thousand years. But every time it does, it's a huge calamity.”

  “Wonderful. That sounds encouraging,” muttered Slim.

  After being in the Web Burrows for a decade, the Murim Council of Elders was one of the things Jake had learned about. It was a group of some of the most powerful cultivators in the world and was the closest to rules or law enforcement that the Murim world had to offer. Knowing that this woman was part of the Council meant it was far less likely she might just get annoyed and vaporize them. Jake folded his arms and asked, “So it's not a big deal if a few people die, but you don't want too many people to die?”

  “Basically, yes,” she said.

  Slim raised his hand. “Do both of us not meet the requirements?”

  “No, you do not. And don't try to sneak past me. My senses are far too good for that. And the demonstration before was to show you how fast I can move. Please Don't test my patience.”

  Jake frowned he didn’t see this conversation going well, but it would help if he could establish at least some sort of baseline rapport. “Lady, how would you prefer I call you?”

  “Don’t call me ‘Lady.’ I am not like that horrible spider woman. You may call me Big Sister Yarissa.”

  “Okay, uh, Big Sis.” Jake took a gamble by referring to her more casually, but she didn’t react negatively and he just pressed ahead. He had a feeling he’d scored some good points, though. “What are the requirements to pass?”

  “All low-level cultivators must have a skill or charm that protects them from the thick death energy. Otherwise, they will not be able to resist dying. Even a short time in the energy can cause a poisoning effect that will result in death later.”

  “But the Council is most concerned about people that die inside the city, right?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “So I must judge that your protection is good enough that you will not simply succumb to the energy in the air. The council is willing to tolerate cultivators seeking fortune with low odds for survival, but not no odds of survival.”

  Jake had to admit to himself that the rules made a certain kind of sense. It was also ironic that if he’d still been a zombie, this place would have held no risk for him. He still suspected that his unique body would help him resist a lot of death energy, but Yarissa hadn’t said anything about it, so it probably wasn’t worth asking about.

  “What exactly do we need to resist the death energy, Big Sister Yarissa?” asked Slim.

  “There are too many possibilities to name. I will know that you are ready if I see it.”

  Jake eyed the gate in the distance. He wondered if he should take a chance with flash step but decided against it. He had no reason to doubt that this snake woman was telling the truth, especially since she hadn't made any aggressive moves yet.

  Plus, she could still easily kill them if she wanted to. Jake had zero illusions that if he pushed too far, that would be the likely result.

  Besides, turning into an undead or feeding ghosts after dying from death energy didn’t sound like a good time to him.

  He glanced over and winced. Slim’s emotional state probably wouldn’t be obvious to others, but Jake could read him like a book. His friend was in a terrible mood. Jake could understand. They had come all this way out here, only to basically be rebuffed by a vastly overqualified home monitor.

  Jake bowed stiffly. “Thank you for your patience, Big Sis.” He thought about trying to bribe her, but again, decided against it. If he had anything she actually wanted, there wouldn’t be anything to stop her from just taking it all. “With your leave, I would like to confer with my friend.”

  “Do as you will. This sacred place is open to all, but before you approach the portal, you must get my permission first.” She waved her cigarette for emphasis.

  Jake bowed again and dragged Slim over to one wall by the elbow. Then the two of them sat down facing each other.

  With a grimace, Jake idly rubbed his claws together. He knew there was likely a very easy and obvious solution to all of this, but he really didn't want to use it. All the points that he had for the Eternal Struggle Reward System were precious. And he still didn't know what he wanted to use them for. He definitely didn't want to use them just to get into the Dead City.

  Then again, this truly was his best lead on a place to attain a Reforged Body. He got up and tapped Slim on the shoulder. “Hey, actually, let's go in one of the temples and camp out and maybe think about all of this there.”

  “Think about what?” asked Slim.

  Jake shrugged. “Think about how we're going to be able to pass our honored sister's criteria to enter the Dead City.”

  Slim gave him a weird look and made a face like he’d just eaten a lemon, but he followed. When they were in the building, Jake said, “Okay, Slim. Here’s the deal. I have a…secret way to get an item that might let me pass Big Sister Yarissa’s standards, but I really don’t want to do it. It’s going to cost me something to get it.”

  “Okay, what about me?”

  Jake shook his head. “Sorry. If I do this, I’m only doing it for me. You don’t need to get into the Dead City anyway. I need it for my Reforged Body breakthrough.”

  Slim whispered harshly, “Boss, the hell I don’t! Do you know how many times I’ve been told I have eyes but can’t see Mount Tai? I am tired of being the lowest of the low in this world and looking like this. Money will solve most of my problems and there are many legends of incredibly treasures being hidden in the Fighting Time Dead City! It is even rumored that several powerful cultivators hid their worldly wealth their before death to prevent their families or sects getting ahold of it.”