MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 1243: The Sleeping Hollow

“It seems you would have to be careful from now on,” The Punisher stated as he stood with a calm expression.

“Because of The Vanishing Reapers?” Anthony asked.

The Punisher remained silent at Anthony’s question, as though he had just remembered the ridiculous feats Anthony had displayed. Did someone that ridiculous really have to be careful? But still, he spoke.

“Yes, because of them. While they are just a bunch of killers, at the end of the day, we are all killers. And what makes them concerning is that… they have a hundred percent success rate. Every kill, mission, or whatever they’ve accepted, they have completed,” The Punisher replied with a sigh. “They are powerful enough to kill Eternal Apex cultivators, and yes, they’ve accomplished this twice,” the man explained.

Anthony’s eyes narrowed as he couldn’t help but wonder just how powerful this group was to kill an Eternal Apex not once but twice. Such an achievement alone was enough to shake the entire Upper Galaxy, for Eternal Apex cultivators were existences that stood at the very summit of power, making their deaths almost inconceivable.

“Basically, they would do anything if you paid the right price, as nothing is above them. And to them, a billion Origin Essence Stones is enough for your head. Meaning from the moment you step out this door, your life is already in danger,” The Punisher continued. “So be ready for anything and everything. Also, one of the reasons they have a hundred percent success rate is that they don’t accept all missions. If they are going to suffer losses greater than the price they were paid, then they reject it.” He added.

“Suffer?” Anthony asked, curious.

“Like backlash from powerful backers, for example. If a random disciple of the Null Sect dies in their hands, neither we nor the Sect Master would make a fuss. But if you die, it means the Sect Master would have to make a move, and we would also make a move too,” The Punisher explained.

“The six of us making a move isn’t worth one billion Origin Essence Stones, which means those Lords purposely hid this information from The Vanishing Reapers, because if The Vanishing Reapers knew that information, they would demand far more, and if the Lords couldn’t pay, they would simply reject the mission,” he finished, his tone calm as he spoke without any hint of worry.

Anthony nodded and didn’t say another word. He knew it was obvious that many members of The Vanishing Reapers would have been captured or investigated in the past, but it seemed their entire organization and identities were concealed to an absurd degree, leaving behind almost no traces for anyone to follow.

But to kill two Eternal Apex cultivators, surely it meant their leader was anything but ordinary.

“I understand,” Anthony replied with a smile, already looking forward to The Vanishing Reapers making a move on his life.

‘I just ascended, but people are already after me,’ Anthony mused to himself.

“Now, back to our own matters. You will be joining the Above Disciples,” The Punisher continued. “But you might not be able to meet the others, as they are all in seclusion right now,” he explained. “You will be given the same resources as the Above Disciples and will also be required to go on a certain number of missions for the Null Sect. After all, nothing in life is free.”

Anthony nodded, already expecting things to move in this direction.

“Your servant, Jarod, will fill you in on a lot of things, but this is the basic information we will be telling you for now, as I’m simply too lazy to explain everything,” The Punisher continued, his eyes turning toward The Sect Master, who remained seated upon his throne-like seat.

“There is an Underground Tomb. It’s called the Sleeping Hollow. It’s said that The Lover Of Death died and was buried there a couple of years ago, and his tomb resurfaces every couple of thousand years. Many have died within it, while some have returned with a portion of The Lover Of Death’s fortune,” The Sword Ruler began to explain. “But it’s said that an ultimate reward, The Lover Of Death’s greatest treasure, lies somewhere within the tomb,” he stated.

“Let me guess, you are sending me to the Underground Tomb,” Anthony spoke, his tone calm.

“No,” The Sword Ruler replied. “Not just you, but all of the Above Disciples are going. It’s the reason every single one of them is currently in seclusion. As outrageous as the rewards are, so too is the death rate, and the only way to survive is through your own power and strength,” he stated in an almost indifferent tone, as though he didn’t care if every one of the Above Disciples died in there.

“Shouldn’t the success rate increase and the death rate decrease through the information acquired from those who came out of the tomb alive?” Anthony asked, as that seemed like the most obvious thing to do.

The Deceiver Of Laws shook his head as he spoke. “We’ve tried that, but everyone who comes out of that tomb forgets everything that happened within it. The only things they retain knowledge of are the treasures they brought out with them and the people from the outside world whom they fought or killed. As for anything else, you won’t remember it. You won’t even remember something as random as kicking a pebble on the ground,” he stated calmly, his expression remaining completely unchanged.

‘A Lover Of Death who manipulates memories,’ Anthony thought to himself.

Which sort of made sense, as the dead had no memories or recollection of anything. They were simply just that… dead.

“Although this is obvious, I will still say it. Don’t expect only Humans. Expect various races from numerous clans, and expect Humans from other Sects and powerful families as well. So trust no one,” The Decipherer Of The Heavens added, his eyes fixed on Anthony, emphasizing every word with unmistakable seriousness.

“What’s the date for this tomb raiding?” Anthony asked.

“Next week,” The Slumbering Storm replied. “And in the meantime, do well not to increase your cultivation rank too much, as the Underground Tomb doesn’t accept anyone who has reached the Foundation Empyrean Rank. That gives us reason to believe the place, or perhaps its core region, possesses some form of restriction, poison,” she said, her tone calm and instructive.

Although Anthony didn’t say it out loud, he could sense the expectation within the Core Elders’ eyes. Because of the absurd feats he had displayed, they had placed tremendous hopes upon him to recover whatever ultimate reward The Lover Of Death had carried into his tomb. Even The Sect Master, despite maintaining his usual composed expression, seemed quietly interested in seeing whether Anthony could accomplish what geniuses throughout history had failed to achieve.