179: Secret Realm Road

The moment he charged into the crimson light curtain, Chen Linsheng felt as if he had fallen into a furnace.

A needle-like stinging pain radiated from the surface of his skin, caused by the invasion of fire-attribute Origin Qi that was purer and more overbearing than that at the foot of Chiyan Mountain. But just as the stinging on his skin intensified, the cyclones within his five viscera suddenly accelerated their rotation, especially the Heart Fire Qi Vortex, which, like a greedy infant encountering breast milk, actually took the initiative to absorb the violent fire-attribute essence Qi from the surroundings.

The Five Viscera Absorbing Essence Art operated on its own, rapidly transforming and harmonizing the searing Origin Qi that had invaded his body; that stinging sensation soon turned into a warm, nourishing current that sustained his entire body. The faintly visible Golden Garment Qi membrane on his skin also lit up with a slight pale-golden luster, isolating him from most of the external high temperatures.

Chen Linsheng stabilized his form and stood on solid ground—beneath his feet was dark red, warm, and hard rock.

He lifted his gaze.

Before his eyes was a bizarre world that defied description.

The sky was an eternal dark red, with no sun, moon, or stars, only flowing fire clouds slowly rolling across the vault.

From time to time, crimson thunder exploded within the cloud layers, illuminating the land below.

And in mid-air, dozens of burning rocks of various sizes floated quietly; the smallest were like millstones, while the largest were comparable to houses, their surfaces flowing with lava-like patterns and emitting a steady crimson light, acting like the "stars" of this Secret Realm to provide the primary illumination.

The land was not flat but rather a rolling volcanic landscape.

In the distance, three towering peaks stood in a triangular formation, occupying the center of his vision.

The left peak was the steepest and most perilous, its body a dull iron-gray and covered in crisscrossing cracks that leaked an orange-red glimmer, as if lava were slowly flowing deep within the mountain. The mountain path wound upward, where blurry, humanoid dark red figures could be faintly seen trudging along; every step they took caused the surrounding air to distort slightly.

That was the sign of an area with gravity anomalies. This was the Bone Forging Road.

The middle peak was relatively gentle, its body possessing a strange translucent quality as if composed of some kind of crimson crystal. At the mountainside, a crystal bridge a hundred zhang long and only three feet wide spanned two cliffs; the bridge was shrouded in mist, with light and shadow shifting within the vapor, where twisted phantoms of humans and beasts could be vaguely seen struggling, roaring, and weeping, exuding an eerie aura that struck directly at the Soul.

This was the Heart Refining Bridge.

The right peak was the most "lively."

The mountain was as crimson as blood, and on the paths and platforms, figures could be seen everywhere in fierce combat. The glint of blades and shadows of swords flashed, screams and angry roars were incessant, and blood splashed onto the mountain rocks only to be rapidly evaporated by the high temperature, leaving behind dark brown stains.

At the summit, a wide circular stone platform was clearly visible, where two figures were currently locked in a life-and-death struggle, each collision erupting with powerful shockwaves of Qi.

This was the Contention Platform.

Between these three peaks, across the broader lands of the Secret Realm, were scattered large and small Magma Rivers, bubbling Sulfur Pools, "forests" composed of crimson crystal clusters, and some ruins of what appeared to be ancient buildings. In these places, the figures of Martial Artists could be seen from time to time—some were fighting "guards" composed entirely of dark red rock with leaping flames in their eyes; some were cautiously exploring the ruins; and others... were ambushing and killing one another.

The air was filled with a scent that mixed sulfur and blood; the concentration of Origin Qi was extremely high but also incredibly violent, requiring great caution when absorbing it, otherwise it could easily trigger a disturbance in one's blood and Qi.

Chen Linsheng took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his heart, and fully spread out his perception of Tracking Perfection.

Information in the wind flooded in like a tide: three miles to the left, there was the sound of intense fighting, with at least five people besieging a two-person-tall Flame Stone Statue Guard; in a crystal grove to the front-right, someone was holding their breath in hiding, clearly setting an ambush; on the distant Heart Refining Bridge, a Martial Artist suddenly clutched his head in agony and fell from the bridge into the churning Magma River below, without even making a splash... Just then—

"Buzz!"

The fire clouds in the sky surged violently, and all the floating burning rocks shook in unison, their light flaring brilliantly!

A massive, blurry phantom slowly took shape within the clouds. The phantom was humanoid yet not human, clad in a long robe of flames with an indiscernible face, save for a pair of crimson eyes seemingly made of lava that looked down upon the earth.

An ancient, majestic, and completely emotionless voice resounded through the entire Secret Realm, echoing directly in everyone's minds:

"Those who enter the Fentian Secret Realm, hear my rules."

"First: Scattered within the Secret Realm are three hundred and sixty-five fire source crystals. They can be obtained by slaying Secret Realm guards, exploring ruins, or completing specific trials."

"Second: The three central peaks of the Secret Realm—the Bone Forging Road, the Heart Refining Bridge, and the Contention Platform. Any who reach the summit of any one peak shall gain the qualification to enter the final Inheritance Hall. There is no limit to the number of people who may reach the summit."

"Third: The number of fire source crystals will determine the magnitude of one's advantage within the Inheritance Hall. The top three with the most crystals shall receive extra guidance."

"Fourth: The Secret Realm shall be open for a period of thirty days. Once the time limit is reached, those who have not reached a summit shall remain here forever, turning to ashes."

As the voice fell, the phantom slowly dissipated.

From within the clouds, three hundred and sixty-five crimson points of light shot out like meteors in all directions, landing in various parts of the Secret Realm and marking the areas where fire source crystals might exist.

The entire Secret Realm fell into a brief moment of silence.

Immediately following that, even more frenzied slaughter and contention erupted!

Chen Linsheng's gaze was solemn as he quickly organized his thoughts.

"Thirty days... I only need to reach the top of one of the three peaks to qualify, but the more fire source crystals I have, the greater the advantage in the Inheritance Hall. This means the safest strategy is to collect as many fire source crystals as possible in the early stage and then choose a peak to climb in the final phase."

"The Bone Forging Road tests the Physical Body, which fits with my Golden Robe Skill and Five Viscera Absorbing Essence Art; the Heart Refining Bridge tests the will, and with my Hunyuan True Body to guard my heart and the Five Viscera Absorbing Essence Art to expel evil and uphold righteousness, I should have nothing to fear; the Contention Platform is the most dangerous, where the fighting is most direct..."

He pondered for a moment and already had a decision in his heart.

The Physical Body was his strongest suit, and his will had also been tested by the Drill Ground massacre and the hardships of the frontier. Rather than engaging in life-and-death struggles with numerous desperate people on the Contention Platform, it would be better to take the Bone Forging Road or the Heart Refining Bridge first to secure his qualification. As for the fire source crystals, he could look for opportunities to collect them along the way.

But for now, he needed to obtain his first fire source crystal to verify its effects and understand the strength of the Secret Realm guards.

Chen Linsheng's gaze swept around and locked onto a spot two miles to the front-left—there was a small crystal grove, within which a low Stone Altar could be vaguely seen, with a fist-sized crystal emitting a soft red light floating upon it. Beside the altar crouched three guards composed entirely of dark red rock, shaped like hounds with orange-yellow flames leaping in their eyes.

"I'll start here."

With a movement of his body, he became like a blue-gray shadow, staying close to the scorching ground as he silently glided toward the crystal grove.