Meanwhile, the three Lords of Darkness continued tracking Austin and the fire source beast. While on
their quest, they discovered even more forks on the road.
In fact, there were actually tens of thousands of them!
At that moment, the Lords of Darkness were starting to become more and more confused. Surely, they
didn't know where the twists and turns would lead them to.
Baffled, the three Lords of Darkness looked left and right as they didn't know which path to take.
However, as they ventured farther, they maintained contact with each other using their special secret
techniques so that they would know where each of them was.
"This Fiery Eye is completely a giant and elaborate maze. I don't even know where I am now,"
one of the Lords of Darkness informed the other two.
"Same here. I'm just as lost you. I think I've been through a few thousand forks by now, and I still don't
know where I'm headed.
This is madness! It's frustrating! Each crossing I enter branches out to another.
Plus, my spiritual sense can't reach farther than these junctions. So, I don't know where these roads
will lead to.
We have crossed multiple junctions already, and yet, we still haven't found the whereabouts of the fire
source beast or Austin,"
one of the Lords of Darkness cut in.
"I'm in the same puzzle as you guys!
This Fiery Eye is making me completely muddled. This place is very disordered.
Strange, isn't it? How could there be such a peculiar place in the Absolute Space Sea? Even the three
of us can't figure things out here. What are we going to do?" the third Lord of Darkness asked his
companions.
Then, he furrowed his eyebrows and remarked, "Hmm... Something about this doesn't sit well with me."
He rubbed his chin in deep thought, skeptic of his surroundings.
"Hah! Perhaps, there are some secrets hidden around here somewhere!"
one of them proposed.
"Look, even if there was one, how are we going to find it? Think about it. Should we even continue
chasing after the fire source beast and Austin?"
another Lord of Darkness asked frustratingly.
"How are we even going to go after them when we can't even sense their auras now?
We don't even have a clue on what to do next.
As of now, we have no idea where Austin and the fire source beast are.
In addition, this maze is making me insane! We can't even figure a way out of this odd maze!"
the third Lord of Darkness sighed in dismay.
"What do you suggest, then? Should we continue searching for them here?
Or should we go out instead?"
one of them asked.
"We weren't prepared for this because we went after them in a hurry!
Either way, I think it's best to focus our minds and energy and think of a way on how we could get out of
here.
Then, we will explore the Fiery Eye once we are properly equipped.
I can tell that this place holds a lot of mystery. I think it has secrets that would definitely surprise us.
Therefore, we must be extra cautious if we come across this place again. For now, I suggest that we
retreat,"
one of the Lords of Darkness rationally offered the idea to his companions.
"Yes, I second the motion."
The other two nodded their heads in agreement.
Not long after, the three Lords of Darkness reached an understanding and left the Fiery Eye
immediately.
However, the path that led to the exit was also complicated―they still had a hard time tracking their
steps as they got out.
Fortunately, the Lords of Darkness were powerful. They had cultivated countless cultivation methods
and secret techniques from the darkness race.
All three of them were quick to think on their feet and remarkable in their own way.
Being the wise and cerebral lords that they were, they left marks for them to follow before they started
following their targets. With this, they could easily trace their path once they needed to get back.
Using very brilliant methods, they had created indelible marks on their path. These marks were
adhered to the ground really well, making them hard to erase.
After tracing their trodden path, they managed to leave the Fiery Eye and return to the Eight Fires
Valley.
"Look! The three Lords of Darkness have come out!"
At that moment, dozens of demon guards of darkness just outside the valley had immediately
reorganized their silhouettes. They were surprised to see the three Lords of Darkness coming out of
the Fiery Eye. At once, all of them approached their leaders and greeted them.
"My lords, were you able to get Austin and the fire source beast?"
one of the demon guards of darkness politely asked.
He, along with all the other members of the darkness race, firmly believed that they would succeed in
catching them once they acted on it.
However, to their surprise, one of the Lords of Darkness was enraged.
"What a fucking bunch of losers! Austin is just a level-five governing god. All you gods of chaos are
good for nothing! You have him outnumbered, and yet, he still managed to escape your grasp? What a
fucking waste!
What's the use of having you, huh?"
Returning empty-handed, the three Lords of Darkness were consumed by anger, so they vented it on
their subordinates.
As soon as they laid their eyes on the demon guards of darkness, they couldn't help but spill all their
negative emotions on them.
These demon guards of darkness immediately knew that the three Lords of Darkness were not able to
catch Austin and the fire source beast, so they all kept mum and let no voice escape their mouths.
"We should head back,"
one of the Lords of Darkness offered.
Without wasting time, the three Lords of Darkness left the Eight Fires Valley, followed by the demon
guards of darkness.
Meanwhile,
in the secret chamber in the depths of the Fiery Eye...
"What exactly is going on in this place?
You said that you had explored this place before. So, have you found anything?"
Austin asked inquisitively.
"Yes, that is true. I have indeed explored this place for a long time, and I have memorized where many
of the forks would lead to.
Despite that, I still don't know what this Fiery Eye is."
The fire source beast shook his head.
"Have you found out where the eight kinds of sacred fires in the Fiery Eye were born?"
Austin asked further.
"I've been looking for the exact location where the eight kinds of sacred fires originated from.
I have a feeling that if I find the position where the eight kinds of sacred fires were born, the secret of
the Fiery Eye will be revealed.
Every once in a while, I dedicate a portion of my time wandering and exploring around this place,
hoping to uncover its secrets,"
the fire source beast replied.
"Oh, really?"
Austin nodded, thinking deeply.
At that moment, he realized that the fire source beast had no idea about the origin of the Fiery Eye.
"I suspect that the Fiery Eye has something to do with the fire source beast race.
After all, it's highly likely that our origin and the story of our creation is closely related to its existence.
It's even possible that one of our top masters set up this Fiery Eye.
We, fire source beasts, are the oldest legendary beasts in the Absolute Space Sea.
Even so, our population is quite small.
Can you believe that in my entire life, I have only seen two fire source beasts? And that even includes
myself!
I don't even have any idea if I had any parents. I do not know anything about them or how I was born.
I've been looking for answers to these questions all these years,"
the fire source beast despondently told his story.
"I see."
Austin slowly nodded his head. He was a little surprised to hear his friend's sentiments.
As much as he tried to grasp the beast's story, he still found it too complicated to follow. After all, the
story was related to the secret of the birth of fire source beasts.
As it turned out, the fire source beast had no idea how he came to be.
All his life, he had been looking for the answer himself.
"I have come to a decision. I will stay in this Fiery Eye and continue to explore it for some time.
I have the determination and will to discover the secrets of the Fiery Eye.
Who knows? Maybe once I discover it, I can figure out the mystery that envelopes my being.
So, will you stay here with me, or are you going your own way?"
the fire source beast asked as he looked at Austin expectantly.
"There are still a lot of urgent things to attend to, so I will hide here for a while and then come out when
needed.
But don't worry. I will come back to see you in the future,"
Austin answered after giving it much thought.
He simply couldn't put a halt to his tasks at the moment, for he still had a lot on his plate. As much as
he wanted to help his newfound friend, he still had priorities to deal with.
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