Chapter 529: Asphodel (1/2)

Irritatingly hot…

This was Raven's first impressions upon arriving at Asphodel.

As soon as his vision returned to him, all he could see was endless expanse of roasted and cracked soil with occasional wisps of flames here and there. There's also wisps of smoke, a horrible stench of burnt things and a very oppressive aura of evil. All of which, on top of the high temperature around them.

The heat was irritating, Raven doesn't know how to accurately express it.

Although he had been through many places before that had high temperatures, nothing was as irritating as this. The heat felt like it was searing though his skin and was purposely causing him to sweat. It's all omnipresent so he just can't get rid of it. Additionally, it's aggressiveness is also top notch, it felt unforgiving and annoying, ultimately causing him to frown.

Needless to say, Raven didn't allow this heat to deter him. He had read enough records about the sect which somehow prepared him for this. He already guarded him mind and raised his vigilance. He knew that the irritation that he felt is the effect of a very powerful devil which is none other than the 'Sin of Wrath'.

During the explosive battle that occurred in this very land, the 'Sin of Wrath' cursed this land which permeated every fiber of this place. As the 'Sin of Wrath' the curse it left was befitting of it's name.

The 'Curse of Wrath' is precisely that searing and annoying irritation that anyone could feel here. The curse is very subtle that it's a bit hard to detect but it's definitely present. Additionally, nothing could be done against it either. It will persist as long as someone stays here and will constantly erode their patience until it runs out. Once it does and they succumb to their rage, the curse will reach is consummation and will start to corrupt their very soul, turning them into a deranged cultivator.

And if the curse completely eroded one's soul, then that person will turn into a Devil. This was an irreversible outcome.

This is why none of the Inner Disciples would stay long in this place. The Curse of Wrath is just that terrifying. Prevention is the best cure for this. So long as their 'Will' remains strong, the Curse of Wrath won't be able to erode their consciousness.

Raven adjusted to his surroundings pretty quick. The heat was still there but now that his vigilance is at an all-time high, it's not as irritating as before. It is still hot though, but thanks to the enhancement of Raven's physique, he could more or less ignore the heat - well, for now. He didn't dare to become arrogant and dismissive since their just at the Outskirts of Asphodel.

Seeing how fast Raven adopted, Kyrie nodded in satisfaction. She knew that Raven took every lesson she gave to him seriously since if he didn't, then he would've really struggle against the atmosphere of this place.

”I guess we need to arrive at the Core of Asphodel right?” Raven asked while remaining vigilant of his surroundings.

”Indeed, Young Lord. However, we're no in a hurry.” Kyrie mentioned.

Raven understood what she's trying to say. She didn't want him to recklessly charge forward in order to arrive as swiftly as possible to the core area. She wanted him to familiarize himself at this place for now and it would be better if he could also familiarize himself with the lurking devils here.

He didn't say anything about this since he understood what she wanted from him. And even if she didn't, he had no plans on hustling towards the Core Area anyway. Raven wanted some exercise as well, staying at the pocket dimension for a month was boring and dull. He wanted to get some action as well and measure just how strong he truly is compared to the Devils lurking around here.

”Okay, we'll go as planned. You'll only interfere when my life is in danger. As for the encounters, let me handle it.” Raven declared.

Kyrie nodded and said: ”As you wish, Young Lord.”

She then turned somewhat illusory and continued to tail Raven. Meanwhile, Raven didn't even need to look back in order to see what Kyrie had done. He instead started walking forward while keeping watch of his surroundings and analyzing it.

'It's pretty much how the books described it to be, only lacking the finer details.' Raven thought to himself. 'Aside from being hot and inhabitable while also crawling with Devils and evil aura, it also has no sky, but it does have some sort of a ceiling.'

Instead of dark clouds, gloom and doom, what's above him is some sort of a dome which is filled with charred stalagmites. Looking at them, it would seem that they will fall at any given moment, and with their size, ignoring them would be a fatal mistake.

If anything, Asphodel seems to follow the theme of a burning cave or a burning prison. Just it's atmosphere is enough to deal some serious harm to those who were caught unprepared.

*Hiss!*