“Ms. Bennett has, for hundreds of years, tirelessly suppressed this disaster day and night. Such cultivation truly makes me feel ashamed! Why would Eric Bennett begrudge this treasure? Besides, this treasure was ownerless to begin with—using it for this matter is only natural. Eric Bennett, go and investigate; if the underwater immortal mansion is opened, you must retrieve this treasure.” Eric Bennett continued, “At that time, please allow me to lend you a hand, so that together we may resolve this calamity.”

“Mr. Bennett’s intention and resolve are truly a blessing for all!” Upon hearing this, Ms. Bennett laughed heartily. “The power of the underground earth fire is immense. I was worried that my meager magical strength, even with the aid of a magical treasure, might not be enough to fully mend this fissure. Now that you are willing to help, I am at ease.”

“Ms. Bennett, you are being too formal. This is simply our duty—why not say it directly, instead of beating around the bush?” Eric Bennett sat down and complained, “Do you think Eric Bennett is someone who only cares for his own interests?”

“Haha, it’s my fault, my fault.” Ms. Bennett felt delighted and replied repeatedly. While in meditation, he had actually foreseen the future development of the immortal path. In the next thousand years, Eric Bennett would be a pivotal figure influencing the course of events. However, this person’s actions could not be judged by common logic. Judging from the glimpses he had seen, Eric Bennett did not seem like someone motivated by compassion. He might not be willing to participate in something so draining, which is why he hadn’t spoken directly.

As for this perilous task of opposing nature with human effort, someone like Eric Bennett would surely understand. Now, seeing him take on the responsibility without hesitation after learning of the matter, it was clear that his previous worries were unfounded. After all, how could someone with such a foundation be a selfish person?

“The fissure of the underground yin fire can only be mended with the treasure of the Nine Earth Magnetic Lights. Otherwise, even a heavenly immortal may not succeed. Among the nine greatest treasures atop the underwater immortal mansion, one is specifically for controlling the Nine Earth Magnetic Lights. The immortals named it: ‘Nine Earth Magnetic Light Ruler.’ This is the key treasure.” Now that his concerns were resolved, Ms. Bennett spoke freely. “However, after this matter, this precious treasure will likely be ruined.”

“To use it for such a cause, even if the treasure is destroyed, it is not a loss!” Eric Bennett said.

“Exactly.” Ms. Bennett replied, “Mr. Bennett’s thought will benefit countless beings. If we succeed, the merit will be immeasurable. Just this one act could save millions, equivalent to three hundred thousand heavenly immortals’ worth of merit and more.”

“I don’t care much for that. We act according to our nature, not for heavenly immortal rank or reward.” Eric Bennett was unconcerned about this point.

Hearing this, Ms. Bennett understood Eric Bennett’s character. He now knew why, in the glimpses of the future, he saw Eric Bennett acting so uninhibitedly. This person was truly unrestrained, acting not according to others’ rules or laws. Perhaps this was the beginning of change.

With a silent sigh, Ms. Bennett said, “Then, let me familiarize you with the procedures of the formation to be held in three days, so we can coordinate well.”

Although Ms. Bennett’s magic was profound, to someone like Eric Bennett, who was close to perfection, there was not much mystery. He simply hadn’t seen it before and thus didn’t know how to use it. Now, with Ms. Bennett’s explanation and a bit of thought, he understood the general idea. Of course, the subtle and profound aspects would require actual cultivation to master, but since Eric Bennett only needed to cooperate, understanding the principles was enough.

This didn’t take long. Since Ms. Bennett could not leave the main hall, Eric Bennett left to take a walk. Observing the people and arrangements on the immortal island along the way, he realized that although Ms. Bennett was the sect leader, after centuries of suppressing the earth fire, all other matters were handled by Ms. Bennett’s chief disciple, Ethan Clark. In fact, Ethan Clark had long since taken charge of the entire immortal island.

Although Ethan Clark was polite, there was still a trace of distance in his demeanor. Eric Bennett didn’t mind; someone like him posed no threat to Eric Bennett, so to Eric Bennett, he was simply an insignificant figure.

After walking a few steps, finding nothing particularly interesting and being unfamiliar with the island, he didn’t want to accidentally wander into an area Ethan Clark considered forbidden and cause trouble. Though he wasn’t afraid, it would embarrass Ms. Bennett and seem like bullying a junior. So he stopped, summoned a young attendant, and asked to be led to his guest quarters. The attendant immediately took him there.

There were still three days before the opening of the underwater immortal mansion, and his own disciple was busy refining the Purple Palace Heavenly Dew. So, Eric Bennett decided to enter meditation for three days, setting a mental timer before doing so.

However, being in a foreign place, even though Ms. Bennett’s domain was very safe, Eric Bennett still set up a Taiqing restriction around himself for protection. When he left the Purple Gorge Cave Mansion, he had brought several magical treasures, including a set modeled after the Purple Luo Heavenly Canopy. Although it couldn’t compare to the true eighty-one-layer Purple Luo Heavenly Canopy, it was still highly defensive. While it couldn’t withstand a true invasion, it could buy enough time for him to awaken from meditation.

As soon as he sat down and adjusted his breathing, he naturally entered a deep inner state. During these three days, he did not intend to practice anything special, but simply wanted to regulate all his magical power, from coarse to fine, from outer to inner, in a thorough cycle.