Land of Lava

The Golden Armor General frowned slightly as he heard the murmurs of conversation among the crowd. "Silence," he commanded.

As the word "silence" echoed, an imposing aura surged from his body, sweeping across the entire area. In that moment, everyone felt as if they were being stared down by a prehistoric beast, and their hearts tightened in response.

In mere moments, the entire place fell into complete silence.

The Golden Armor General spoke in a calm tone, "The Jade Dragon Secret Realm was recently damaged by an unexpected event, and much of its power has been lost. This will be the final time the realm opens, and it will remain accessible for approximately three days. After that, the Jade Dragon Secret Realm will cease to exist. Keep this in mind."

"Thank you for the reminder, General," the crowd responded respectfully.

The Golden Armor General nodded to the crowd, then clasped his hands together. A tremendous aura erupted from his body as he shouted, "Open!"

At his command, the winds howled, and the skies darkened. A translucent, eggshell-like membrane appeared over the green mountain.

The crowd gazed at the membrane, noticing countless cracks spreading across its surface, all radiating from the mountain's peak. It looked as if someone had lightly tapped an egg on a table, leaving behind a web of fractures.

The next moment, the Golden Armor General abruptly spread his hands apart, and a massive tear, dozens of meters long, appeared at the base of the mountain. The tear revealed a pitch-black void, resembling a black hole or a yawning abyss that devoured all light. It was impossible to see what lay inside.

"The Jade Dragon Secret Realm is open. Enter quickly," the Golden Armor General's voice resounded in everyone's ears.

The disciples from the ten great sects and the four great families at the front of the crowd stepped forward, one after another, and disappeared into the tear.

Seeing this, Li Qianren turned to Gu Qingfeng and Li Xiaocui and said, "Gu Qingfeng, although your talent is remarkable, your experience in the Dao of Alchemy is still limited. Li Xiaocui comes from a family of alchemists and has extensive experience. The two of you must work together to have any chance of obtaining the inheritance."

"Yeah, yeah, got it," Gu Qingfeng replied dismissively.

Li Xiaocui, on the other hand, nodded coldly without saying a word.

"Alright, go ahead. I'll wait here for your return," Li Qianren said.

Gu Qingfeng and Li Xiaocui then followed the bustling crowd, slowly making their way toward the tear.

It was strange, really. The Ageless Pill wasn't something that would go to whoever entered first, yet the crowd was pushing and shoving as if their lives depended on it.

It was like lining up to board a high-speed train. Whether you were first or last, you'd still get on the train. What was the point of cutting in line?

When had anyone ever seen the gates close mid-line, with people being told they couldn't enter? If the gates were opened early, it meant there was plenty of time for everyone to get through.

Li Xiaocui understood this logic, and neither she nor Gu Qingfeng was in a hurry. They simply stayed at the back of the line, inching forward slowly.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Gu Qingfeng and Li Xiaocui finally reached the tear.

Facing the massive, dark void, neither of them showed the slightest fear. They stepped inside without hesitation.

The moment they entered, Gu Qingfeng could clearly feel the shift in space. After all, he possessed his own personal pocket dimension, and this sensation was similar to entering it. He even felt that, if he exerted himself, he could disrupt the spatial transition.

However, Gu Qingfeng refrained from doing so. Ever since he had nearly shattered the Jade Dragon Secret Realm with a single misstep, he had become acutely aware of its fragility. A careless move could destroy it, and with it, the Ageless Pill and the divine refining method. Thus, he had to be extremely cautious.

Like the others who had entered the secret realm, they were also cautious—but while they were wary of the dangers within the realm, Gu Qingfeng was careful not to accidentally destroy it with his strength.

Moments later, the spatial transition completed, and the darkness faded away, replaced by a fiery red landscape.

The entire world seemed to be ablaze, as if the heavens and earth were on fire.

And indeed, they were.

This was a land of molten lava!

Dark red magma covered the ground, stretching as far as the eye could see, like an endless ocean. The sky above was also dyed red by the intense heat.

In the distance, waves of molten lava surged and churned violently, resembling a raging sea of fire.

At the center of this molten sea stood a towering volcano, its peak piercing the clouds. From its summit, dark red magma erupted, spewing forth with billowing black smoke. The deafening roar of the eruption echoed across the land, accompanied by glowing rocks hurled into the sky, only to come crashing down like fiery meteors, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

The heat was overwhelming, an endless wave of scorching air that assaulted everyone present. The only safe ground was the small patch of land beneath their feet, the sole area untouched by the molten sea.

At that moment, a majestic voice echoed through the heavens and earth.

"This is the first trial, testing your control over fire. Only those with sufficient talent in fire manipulation can cross the sea of lava, climb the volcano, and proceed to the next stage. Additionally, be warned: this area has a flight-restriction array. Flying is prohibited. To reach the volcano, you must traverse the sea of lava on foot."

After delivering its message, the voice faded away, as if it had never existed.

Li Xiaocui, standing beside Gu Qingfeng, explained in a calm tone, "That was the guardian spirit of the Jade Dragon Secret Realm. It oversees the trials within the realm."

Gu Qingfeng nodded in understanding, then turned to Li Xiaocui and said, "You must have heard about my talent in fire manipulation from Old Li, right? So, do you need me to carry you across?"

Li Xiaocui gave him a cold look and said nothing, instead stepping directly into the sea of lava.

"Ha, quite the attitude. I was just trying to be polite, you know, respecting the elderly and caring for the young—it's a traditional virtue. Don't think I actually want to carry you. I'd probably just end up with a sore back," Gu Qingfeng muttered under his breath.

After a bit of grumbling, Gu Qingfeng didn't rush to follow. Instead, he took a moment to observe the other participants.

The disciples from the prestigious sects and noble families had already entered the lava. Since the Jade Dragon Secret Realm had opened many times before, they were well aware of what each trial entailed and had come prepared.

Some pulled out fire-resistant talismans, others wielded fire-attribute spiritual weapons or wore protective robes, and some even swallowed fire-aligned pills. Their methods were varied but effective.

Each major faction had sent multiple participants—usually five or six, sometimes even a dozen. Among them, only one was the core disciple, while the others were there solely to assist in securing the Ageless Pill.

These core disciples were all prodigies who had cultivated fire-attribute techniques to the peak of the Internal Qi Realm. They had deliberately suppressed their cultivation, refusing to advance to the True Qi Realm, and had painstakingly honed their souls—all for this very moment.

In essence, these individuals had been specifically groomed by their respective factions for the Jade Dragon Secret Realm.

True to their reputation as prodigies, these core disciples needed no external aids. Relying solely on their own strength, they charged through the sea of lava with remarkable speed, quickly leaving the rest of the participants far behind.

The top fifty spots were dominated by the disciples of noble families and prestigious sects. Only a handful of lesser-known sects or lone cultivators could be seen beyond the fiftieth rank, with the rest still being from the major factions.

And currently leading the pack was the most arrogant prodigy from the Spirit Herb Mountain, a sect renowned for its alchemy. For him, fire manipulation was as natural as breathing.