Chapter 29: Azure Profound Star Sect's Past
Wu Yang, Wu Feng, and six other cultivators stepped into the portal that led to the Fire Element Trial.
There were eight who chose this challenge, while the other nine cultivators had opted for the White Tiger Divine Beast Trial.
Soon, they felt a surge of heat and light as they were teleported to a different location. They opened their eyes and found themselves inside separate caves. The caves were dark and narrow, with walls of rough stone and veins of glowing magma.
They could feel the intense temperature and pressure of the Fire Qi around them. They tried to move, but they realized they were bound by invisible chains that prevented them from escaping.
They each heard a cold and stern voice, devoid of any warmth or joy. "Greetings, juniors. My name is Lie Yan, and my Daoist title is Emperor Crimson Sun. I was one of the eighty-one Inner Elders of the Azure Profound Star Sect."
"The Azure Profound Star Sect was once the glory and pride of the Blue Sky Mortal Realm in the Ancient Era. In the Ancient Era, there were heroes and legends as numerous as there are stars on the starry sky."
"But our sect met its doom when we incurred the wrath of the Heavenly Court of the Immortal Realm."
"When the Immortals descended, they showed no mercy to the Azure Profound Star Sect. They split the Eastern Continent into two and shattered the Celestial Sword Peak Mountain Range on the Central Continent, where our sect was based. Millions of our sect disciples perished under their blades!" Lie Yan's voice trembled with grief and rage.
"They called themselves 'justice'! But I, Emperor Crimson Sun, will never accept their verdict! Our Azure Profound Star Sect was always righteous and noble, defending the weak and resisting the evil."
"Why?! Why did they have to wipe us out completely, leaving nothing but blood and ashes?!" Lie Yan's voice roared with fury.
Lie Yan then calmed down a bit and continued, "Me and my seniors were able to create this Secret Realm, in hopes that our legacy can be passed down to worthy successors. The ones who will also gain the special inheritances will learn the location of the main inheritance of the Azure Profound Star Sect, where our sect's treasures and secrets are hidden."
Lie Yan continued to explain the structure of his sect. "Our sect had two branches: the Divine Beasts Branch and the Five Elements Branch. They were located in different continents and had different specializations."
"The Divine Beasts Branch was based in the Celestial Sword Peak Mountain Range on the Central Continent. It had four Pavilions, each named after one of the Divine Beasts: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. Each Pavilion was led by a Supreme Sage who had mastered the power of a Divine Beast."
"The Five Elements Branch was near the Spirit Spring Lake on the Eastern Continent. It had five Pavilions, each corresponding to one of the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Each Pavilion was also led by a Supreme Sage who had cultivated the essence of the Element."
Wu Yang was stunned by Lie Yan's words.
He had learned from Wu Li that the Eastern Continent was much larger and more prosperous than the Jiaolong Continent.
And now he learned that there was another continent that was equally or even more advanced than the Eastern Continent. He felt a surge of awe and curiosity.
He also felt a pang of insignificance. He realized how small and weak he was in this vast and mysterious world of Xianxia. He sighed inwardly, "The Blue Sky Mortal Realm is indeed too big!"
Lie Yan said with a sigh, "Now that you know a bit of the history of the Azure Profound Star Sect, let me explain the Fire Element Trial that awaits you."
"The Fire Element Trial consists of three tests. You need to complete them as fast as possible, since you guys are competing among yourselves."
"The first test is to sneak through a cave full of invisible Fire Spirits that can detect your body heat. You have to use your stealth skills and fire control to evade or defeat them."
"The second test is to answer a riddle that is engraved on a stone tablet at the end of the cave. You have to use your wisdom and understanding of the Dao to solve the riddle and activate the tablet, which will create a portal to the next test."
"The third and final test is a test of combat prowess."
"Only by passing all three tests, will one be able to obtain the inheritance of the Fire Element Pavilion."
"Now, before you begin the first test, let me give you one word of caution: don't make too much noise while fighting, or else you will attract hundreds of Fire Spirits to your location, and you will be incinerated, regardless of how high your fire resistance is!"
Wu Yang and the others felt a chill down their spines when they imagined that.
"Alright, now that you know what to do, I'll start the Fire Element Trial!"
As Lie Yan finished speaking, his voice faded away, and the cultivators were left on their own.
Wu Yang was alone in his cave, and he felt a surge of frustration and curiosity. He had just learned that there was a whole other world beyond the Blue Sky Mortal Realm, a world of heroes and legends, of Immortals and Divine Beasts. He had so many questions that he wanted to ask Lie Yan, but he knew he had no time.
"Why did the Heavenly Court want to wipe out the Azure Profound Star Sect? Are Supreme Sages another name for Mortal Extremity Realm experts at the perfection stage? How big is the Blue Sky Mortal Realm?" Wu Yang wondered.
He sighed and tried to calm his restless Dao Heart. He reminded himself that he had a System that allowed him to reincarnate countless times, and that he would eventually explore and conquer this vast and mysterious world. He shouldn't be too eager or anxious.
"Why does it matter? After a few reincarnations, I'll probably become an Immortal myself if I can't achieve it in this life!" Wu Yang scoffed and tried to focus on passing the first test.
He circulated the Formless Fire Qi in his body and tried to conceal his aura from the Fire Spirits. The Formless Fire Qi was a unique type of Fire Qi that had no fixed shape or color, but could adapt to his will and imagination.
He walked cautiously through the dark cave, avoiding the glowing veins of magma on the walls. He could sense that there were many Fire Spirits lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to attack.
After a few minutes of walking, he felt a sudden burst of heat behind him. He turned around and saw a Fire Spirit leaping towards him. It was a ball of red flames with two eyes and a mouth, but no other features. It looked like a living fireball.
"How did it find me?! The Formless Fire Qi should have masked my presence!" Wu Yang cursed.
He had no time to dodge or counterattack. The Fire Spirit slammed into him, scorching his skin and clothes. It also exploded on impact, sending sparks and flames everywhere. It died instantly, but it left a mark on Wu Yang.
Wu Yang felt a burning sensation on his body and face. He also felt a trace of Heat Qi invading his body. He quickly tried to expel the Heat Qi.
"These Fire Spirits are really ruthless. They don't care about their own lives, they only want to harm their targets. This will be difficult," Wu Yang muttered. He checked his wounds and saw that they were not too serious, but they would slow him down.
Wu Yang sat down and recuperated for a while, since the attack from the previous Fire Spirit left a trace of Heat Qi that will make him a target for the other Fire Spirits.
Wu Yang knew that he had to hide his presence and his body heat to pass through the cave. But he also knew that it was impossible for him to do that perfectly.
He couldn't use his Extreme Sun Sutra, because it was too aggressive and domineering. It was a cultivation method that only cared about achieving results, regardless of how crude or simple it was. It was not suitable for this situation.
He also couldn't fight against the Fire Spirits, because they were too many and too strong. They all had the power of a middle stage Core Formation cultivator, and they could attack him with fire and explosions.
He also couldn't walk casually and ignore the Heat Qi on his body, because it would attract their attention as well.
Wu Yang sighed. The problem was not how to pass through the cave. That was easy.
The problem was how to pass through the cave quickly. He couldn't run, he couldn't fight, and he couldn't walk cautiously.
He had to find another way.
Wu Yang suddenly remembered something and his eyes lit up.
"I studied a lot of Dao Marks in the past. Dao Marks are more profound and mysterious than ordinary techniques, but they also teach me a lot about the different Daos. Wu Li gave me a lot of Dao Marks to study previously."
Wu Yang recalled one of them: the Serene River Dao Mark. It was a very deep and subtle Dao Mark that used the Water Dao to amplify techniques. He wondered if he could use the Water Dao to mask his body temperature.
"It's easy for me to hide my body temperature from ordinary Core Formation cultivators, but these Fire Spirits have very keen senses. I noticed that even if I do my best, they can still detect me if I walk for a few minutes."
Meanwhile, inside Wu Feng's cave...
While Wu Yang was struggling with the Fire Spirits in his cave, Wu Feng was having a different experience in his.
He had heard Lie Yan's words and felt a wave of nostalgia and pride. He remembered his glorious past in the Ancient Era, when he was a peerless expert who had shaken the heavens and the earth.
"Back then, I was also a mighty figure in the Ancient Era… I can't believe that for me only a few thousand years have passed, but in the Blue Sky Mortal Realm, more than a million years have gone by." He sighed with mixed emotions.
"If Sages heard my name, would they not tremble in front of me, Devil Sovereign Ye Sha?" He thought arrogantly. He looked down on these Sages who were nothing compared to him. He was confident that he could defeat any of them with ease.
Ye Sha shook his head and thought excitedly. "Enough reminiscing. Let's pass this Fire Element Trial. My Netherworld Soul Refining Technique will advance to the fourth layer after I get the inheritance of the Fire Element Pavilion. If I'm lucky, I might even reach the fifth layer. Then I will be unstoppable!"
He moved extremely quickly through the cave. He didn't bother to hide his presence or his body heat. He didn't fear the Fire Spirits at all. He covered a distance that took Wu Yang several minutes in just a few breaths.
He sensed a few Fire Spirits rushing towards him from different directions. They were balls of red flames with eyes and mouths, but no other features. They looked like living fireballs.
They jumped on him, trying to burn him and explode on him. They tore his clothes and left scorch marks on his skin. They also left traces of Heat Qi on his body, which would make him more attractive to other Fire Spirits.
Ye Sha didn't flinch or frown. He was not hurt or afraid by the Fire Spirits' attacks. He was just annoyed by their interference.
He smiled wickedly and thought, "These Fire Spirits are able to improve my cultivation. I reckon that if I absorb more, I will increase my cultivation to the late stage Core Formation Realm." He thought with interest.
He realized that these Fire Spirits were not enemies, but resources. They could provide him with Fire Qi and Soul Essence that he could use to refine his own.
Ye Sha refused to dispel the Heat Qi from his body. Not only did he refuse to dispel it, he tried to absorb it and make it his own.
He used his Netherworld Soul Refining Technique to draw in the Heat Qi and the souls of the Fire Spirits into his body. He felt a surge of warmth and power as he did so.
"Hmph! The Netherworld Soul Refining Technique is the ultimate cultivation method in the world. How can any of the techniques in the Blue Sky Mortal Realm compare to it?"
"Black Grade techniques? Pfft, those are filth that even maggots would spit out."
"Earth Grade techniques? Pah, those are as plain and worthless as dust in the air."
"Heaven Grade techniques? Meh, those are as bland as water in the river."
"The Netherworld Soul Refining Technique is a legendary Immortal Grade technique! In the Blue Sky Mortal Realm, who else can boast of having such a badass technique?!" Ye Sha thought smugly.
"Come on, come on! You pathetic Fire Spirits think you can touch this Lord?" Ye Sha shouted cockily as the Fire Spirits were rushing towards him quickly.
Rumble...
Rumble...
Hundreds of Fire Spirits were rushing towards Ye Sha, but he stood there confidently and smirked. "Come on, come on! Don't be shy! Come and give your grandpa a hug! I need you guys to boost my cultivation level!"
Ten Fire Spirits jumped on Ye Sha's body and he didn't flinch, still smirking.
Twenty more jumped on him, and his body and face were covered with burn marks.
Ye Sha laughed crazily as he activated his Netherworld Soul Refining Technique to its full power. "Haha! This is awesome! This is the best feeling ever!"
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the hundreds of Fire Spirits were all dead.
Ye Sha was sitting cross-legged, surrounded by a sea of flames. He greedily absorbed the Heat Qi that filled the air, feeling his cultivation soar.
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