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âThe Heartflame Trial tests the cultivatorâs very soul,â Shangguan Xian said with a faint smile. âIf youâre not confident, donât attempt it. Thereâs no turning back once you start.â
Xu Zimo looked over at Zhang Hengzhi. Among the three of them, Zhang Hengzhi was the weakest in strength.
âDonât worry,â Zhang Hengzhi replied with a grin. âI may not be the strongest, but I have a firm Dao Heart. I donât fear this so-called Heartflame.â
The so-called Heartflame was, in truth, a bridge, one suspended between two cliffs, stretching toward the mountain peak. Flames danced all along it, purple and ghostly, as if countless twisted faces writhed within the fire.
By the time the three arrived, others had already begun crossing. Some faces twisted in agony, their pain beyond description. A few were engulfed by the flames, reduced to nothing but ash. But some walked steadily, unaffected, striding straight across.
âOh, by the way,â Shangguan Xian said with a sly smile, glancing at Xu Zimo. âThereâs a piece of news you might find interesting.â
âWhat news?â Xu Zimo asked.
âThe City Lord of Stone Flame City has e to the Chaos Fire God Realm,â she replied.
At that, Xu Zimo understood. The man had e to avenge his son.
âAnd whatâs this so-called City Lordâs cultivation realm?â Xu Zimo asked.
âYou really want to know?â Shangguan Xian teased. âJoin our Divine Crow God Realm, and Iâll make sure the City Lord never troubles you again.â
Xu Zimo shook his head slightly and turned to Zhang Hengzhi.
âHeâs probably a Sovereign Lord,â Zhang Hengzhi answered. âThe lords of the cities beneath the Chaos Fire God Realm are all at least Grand Emperors. Stone Flame Cityâs lord is among the stronger ones.â
âThen thatâs no fun,â Xu Zimo said calmly. He had hoped to capture a Fire God Race Saint Sovereign for Blue Man to study.
...
The three stepped onto the fire bridge.
The moment Xu Zimo set foot on it, his vision changed, an endless purple sea of flames surged toward him, threatening to engulf his entire being.
Xu Zimoâs gaze turned sharp, demonic light flashing in his eyes. When he opened them again, the sea of fire vanished. But behind him, flames continued to burn, as though feeding on his very soul.
The Heartflame seemed to consume oneâs spirit like fuel, the more it burned, the fiercer it grew.
He glanced at his two panions. Both seemed to be facing the same illusion. Shangguan Xian recovered quickly, her eyes regaining clarity in an instant. Zhang Hengzhi took a bit longer, but eventually broke free as well.
âLetâs hurry across,â Zhang Hengzhi urged, his voice tense.
The intensity of the fire had far exceeded his expectations. His entire body ached as though it were being torn apart; his vision blurred from the pain.
As they moved, Xu Zimo asked casually, âWho holds power over the Chaos Fire God Realm now?â
âOf course, itâs the Fire Ancestor,â Zhang Hengzhi replied. âEven though the Chaos Fire Progenitor is no longer here, the new generation of the Fire God Race remains powerful. Among the Seven Fire Realms, our Chaos Fire God Realm ranks in the top three.â
âYouâve seen the Water Beasts, havenât you?â Xu Zimo asked.
Zhang Hengzhi shook his head, but Shangguan Xianâs expression darkened. âI went to the Departure Fire God Realm once. Itâs already been overrun by Water Beasts.â
Xu Zimo fell silent, lost in thought.
If the Water Beast disaster in Fire Bane City had been caused by the Blue Men, then what about the others? Were there more of them out there? And where had they e from?
He had no answers yet, only questions. He would have to wait until the Blue Man awoke to learn more.
As they continued along the bridge, a sharp whistling sound broke through the air.
Three figures approached at incredible speed, their blue robes fluttering behind them. As they neared, the three suddenly launched an ambush, three curved blades flashing toward Xu Zimo.
Clang, clang, clang!
Xu Zimo punched out, shattering all three blades.
The assassins didnât falter. Flames erupted from their bodies as they attacked from three different directions.
Xu Zimo frowned slightly. Their strength wasnât impressive, too weak to pose any real threat. Why send such people to kill him?
He lifted his right leg and kicked.
Boom! The entire void trembled, the air rupturing into a gaping rift. The three assassins were swallowed whole, their bodies vanishing into nothingness.
Just then, Shangguan Xian seemed to realize something.
âWatch out!â she shouted.
Even as her words fell, the bodies of the three assassins began to glow red. A terrifying heat built up within them, like a volcano about to erupt.
In the next instant, they exploded.
BOOM!
The blast was so powerful it shattered the bridge itself. Flames surged skyward, engulfing Xu Zimo pletely. His silhouette vanished in the inferno, leaving only fire raging through the void.
Shangguan Xian and Zhang Hengzhi had reacted fast enough to escape. Since the attackers had only targeted Xu Zimo, the two were unharmed.
âWhat just happened?â Zhang Hengzhi asked in shock.
âThey were Fire Wights,â Shangguan Xian said grimly. âItâs said that some factions secretly cultivate them. Theyâre like living bombs, deadly zealots who cultivate forbidden self-destruction arts. When their cultivation reaches its limit, their bodies canât contain the power and explode.â
Her expression darkened further. âThat technique was originally created by one of our Fire God Raceâs ancestors. He made a mistake in his cultivation, and this cursed art was the result. Later, certain forces began using it to breed Fire Wights in secret.â
âWho could have done this?â Zhang Hengzhi asked. âThis mustâve been a planned assassination.â
âI donât know,â Shangguan Xian said, shaking her head. âThat technique has long been forbidden. But the only one Xu Zimo has truly offended is Stone Flame City. They certainly have the power to cultivate Fire Wights⌠but without proof, we canât accuse anyone outright.â
Both of them stared intently into the molten depths below.
An incident like this, especially during a trial, was a direct provocation to the Chaos Fire God Realmâs authority. Surely the overseers wouldnât stay silent.
âZimo!â Shangguan Xian called out toward the molten sea.
Just then, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned quickly, only to find Xu Zimo standing right behind her, perfectly unharmed.
âZimo, youâre alright!â Shangguan Xian said with visible relief.
âA mere assassination like that wonât kill me,â he said, shaking his head. âLetâs go. We should reach the Chaos Fire God Realm first.â
He didnât say it aloud, but in his mind, Stone Flame City had already been marked for destruction. Some people, it seemed, were far too eager to meet their end.
The three reached the mountainâs summit, where a crimson vortex swirled above a platform. This was the entrance to the Chaos Fire God Realm.
Without hesitation, they stepped into it.
The world spun violently, and when they opened their eyes again, they found themselves in a different realm altogether.
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