Old Devil finished speaking, and Grace Carter sat steadily, saying no more. Yet in his heart he thought bitterly: Next time you come, just watch how Old Ancestor will persuade you to join us, to be at my command, never to be reborn for all eternity!

Chapter 004: Hair-thin Chain, Owen Grant

　　Eric Bennett walked out of that doorway, recalling Old Devil's words, but felt a bit puzzled: Right near the Soul-Climbing Chain? But if the treasure is inside Ruolu Prison, how could it have gone undiscovered?

　　As soon as this doubt arose, as if something was triggered, another fragment of memory unraveled in his mind, and Eric Bennett immediately understood.

　　The reason that stone stairway is called the "Soul-Climbing Chain" is because it is the only connection between the Abyss of the Departed and the ground of Ruolu Prison. When Henry Morgan descended, he was extremely cautious, because he knew that once he left the Soul-Climbing Chain, he would immediately sink into endless void, never to return.

　　Ruolu Prison was not built by the righteous path; it was only discovered by chance back then. The righteous sects went to great lengths to open this ancient ruin, and after looting all the treasures inside, they felt it would be a waste to abandon it, so they decided to use it as a prison.

　　In fact, this is also a method of the righteous path. Beneath Ruolu Prison lies an unimaginably vast void world, or rather, a place of spatial chaos and emptiness.

　　There is not only the Abyss of the Departed here, but also many other spaces. Even now, the righteous path can only confirm the existence of three abysses. Besides the Abyss of the Departed, there are two others, but what exists within those two is not something someone of Eric Bennett's level could know.

　　These memories perfectly fused with the current Eric Bennett, and his heart stirred—Old Devil probably wasn't deceiving him. Unable to persuade me, feeling his pride wounded, he insisted I come again next time, so he would have a chance to turn the tables.

　　What kind of person is Eric Bennett? Did Old Devil intend to hide anything from him? Thus, Eric Bennett guessed Old Devil's intentions.

　　He retraced his steps, rising from that jade well, as the ground where the seventy-two giant beast stone seals stood gradually dimmed. Eric Bennett used the remaining light to step onto the Soul-Climbing Chain.

　　If it were an ordinary person, they would surely be torn at this moment, hesitating, wondering: What if Old Devil is trying to harm me? Maybe it's not a treasure there, but a trap.

　　But Eric Bennett's Dao heart was resolute. Since he had made his judgment, he trusted his own insight. He strode onto the interlocking steps, counted three hundred and sixty stairs, without a trace of hesitation, raised his left hand, and reached into the void.

　　This grab, however, yielded nothing! Eric Bennett couldn't help but frown, groped around nearby a few more times, but still found nothing.

　　Could Old Devil really be toying with me?

　　This thought circled once in Eric Bennett's mind, but he dismissed it. There was no point in Old Devil doing this; if he truly wanted to harm him, this should have been a trap. If there was nothing here, making him pause for no reason, with no loss at all, it made no sense.

　　Eric Bennett waited a moment longer, once again raised his left hand, probed into the void, and was immediately disappointed—still nothing.

　　He withdrew his hand, but inadvertently felt something was off. Eric Bennett opened his palm and saw a faint golden chain, as thin as a hair, caught between his fingers.

　　To be able to forge a chain so fine—even Eric Bennett was greatly astonished.

　　This body had not cultivated, and all its senses were very dull, which was why he hadn't noticed at first that he had actually grabbed such an object.

　　He looked at the hair-thin chain in his hand—already so delicate, yet on every tiny iron link, there were still countless even finer runes carved. Some of these runes collided, sparks flying, producing a third rune; some devoured others, releasing countless tiny lights, transforming into an even more exquisite rune. A tiny chain, yet it seemed like a world of its own, possessing its own order and laws.

　　Such a chain was absolutely beyond the current level of the cultivation world to forge.

　　Eric Bennett secretly marveled, knowing he had found a treasure this time. Whatever was attached to this chain must be extraordinary—Old Devil had not deceived him!

　　He slowly drew back the chain, and something, guided by the chain, passed through one chaotic space after another, appearing before Eric Bennett.

　　It was a black box, utterly unremarkable, with no patterns or inscriptions on its surface. Eric Bennett held it in his hand, but could not sense any powerful energy within. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but looking at the hair-thin chain in his hand, glowing like a spirit snake, Eric Bennett was still full of anticipation for what might be inside the box.

　　The Abyss of the Departed was the safest place; until next month, absolutely no one would dare come down. Thus, Eric Bennett boldly opened the black box right there.

　　"Heaven's Mandate Divine Talisman!"

　　Eric Bennett was overjoyed. The Heaven's Mandate Divine Talisman was a mysterious talisman that even the current cultivation world could not understand. This kind of talisman was not crafted by talisman masters, but was born naturally. A cultivator could have many ordinary talismans, but in their lifetime could only cultivate a single Heaven's Mandate Divine Talisman.

　　Once you chose your Heaven's Mandate Divine Talisman, you could not change it. This was also why, after the drought demon blood incineration of Eric Bennett's previous life, he did not choose another Heaven's Mandate Divine Talisman.