Chapter 67: Fire Demon Mountain Range
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Chapter 67: Fire Demon Mountain Range
A note regarding the previous chapter: Yu Ningsheng wrote a poem titled Hate That You Are Not Like the Moon Over the River Tower to Ning Xiaochuan, which some found unclear. The meaning is: I hate that you are not like the moon hanging high over the river tower, which accompanies people no matter where they wander, north, south, east, or west, never parting. I hate that you are like the moon hanging high over the river tower—just as it becomes full, it wanes again, and who knows how long it will take before it becomes whole once more.
……
Ning Xiaochuan tucked the letter away and sat cross-legged on one of the stone beds, beginning to cultivate Profound Qi.
Work hard in cultivation!
Strive to grow stronger!
Setting aside all distractions, Ning Xiaochuan focused on his training. Only by increasing his strength could he control his own destiny—and the destinies of others.
The stone room housed thirty young martial artists in total. The others soon filed in as well, each immediately beginning their own cultivation without exchanging a single word.
With so many people around, Ning Xiaochuan refrained from using the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood Box for cultivation. Such a treasure, if revealed, would inevitably invite envy. Though his cultivation level was high, he might not withstand a coordinated attack from several individuals.
Thus, Ning Xiaochuan could only cultivate Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.
He had already reached the third layer of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, allowing him to absorb Profound Qi at four times the normal rate. For his current level, this speed was neither slow nor particularly fast.
"Refining Earth Martial Essence allows absorption at fifty times the normal rate, which would quickly elevate me to the fourth level of the Divine Body. Once I reach that stage, the Earth Martial Essence within the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood Box will be exhausted, and I’ll have to rely solely on myself."
"It seems I must advance Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to the fourth layer before the Earth Martial Essence in the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood Box is fully absorbed. By then, even without Earth Martial Essence, my absorption speed will reach eight times the normal rate."
From now on, Ning Xiaochuan decided to cultivate Heaven and Earth Profound Qi only when others were present, reserving the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood Box for solitary training.
That night, though the increase in Profound Qi within his body was minimal, his comprehension of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi advanced significantly, bringing him close to grasping the mysteries of the fourth layer.
"Everyone, assemble outside the stone room!"
A voice rang in the ears of all the young martial artists.
Whether they were cultivating or sleeping, all were startled awake. They hurriedly rose from their stone beds and stepped outside.
Ning Xiaochuan was among the first to exit the stone room, his gaze fixed on a massive mystic beast in the distance.
The creature resembled a peacock, its feathers a shimmering blue with flames dancing across them. Its body was as large as a small hill, and when its wings spread, they spanned nearly 100 meters—like a monstrous beast!
This was a fourth-grade mystic beast, the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow, capable of flying 10,000 kilometers in a single day.
"Second-Year Student of the Emperor's Martial Palace, Jin Quexi, has been dispatched to escort examinees numbered 400 to 600. Board the back of the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow, and I will take you to this year’s assessment site. The details of the assessment will be explained along the way."
Jin Quexi was a beautiful woman with waist-length hair, appearing very young, likely in her early twenties. Her figure was graceful and alluring, yet no one dared to glance at her for too long.
She was a second-term student of the Emperor's Martial Palace, having entered five years prior. Even back then, she had been stronger than the vast majority present. After five years of cultivation within the Emperor's Martial Palace, her current strength was unfathomable.
Someone of her caliber was not to be trifled with by these inexperienced young martial artists.
"Just this single fourth-grade mystic beast alone could probably kill all two hundred examinees present!"
Ning Xiaochuan's cultivation level was considered upper-tier among the examinees, yet he could only obediently leap onto the back of the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow, choosing to sit near its tail.
Once all two hundred examinees had boarded the spirit sparrow's back, it spread its wings and took flight, soaring past the Heavenly Gate and soon leaving the Imperial City behind as it headed north.
The other examinees were also being escorted—some riding on the backs of Great Wind mystic beasts, others on centipede mystic beasts, and some on white cranes—all led by second-term students toward the unknown assessment site.
It was a spectacular sight, with hundreds of mystic beasts filling the sky. The weakest among them were third-grade mystic beasts, while the strongest reached fifth-grade.
Standing atop the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow's head, Jin Quexi, tall and slender, gazed at the two hundred young martial artists seated on its back and said, "Your batch is truly unlucky to encounter such a brutal assessment. This time, your destination is the Fire Demon Mountain Range."
"What? The Fire Demon Mountain Range?"
"That’s a primordial ancient mountain range, incredibly perilous! No wonder they said the mortality rate for this assessment is as high as sixty percent. So that’s where we’re headed."
A fourteen-year-old girl, her face pale with fear, pleaded, "Can I withdraw now? I don’t want to go. I won’t participate in the assessment."
Jin Quexi fixed her with a stare. "You can. Just jump off here, and you won’t have to take part."
The girl glanced at the ground below and immediately shrank back in terror.
No one dared mention withdrawing again.
Once you set foot on the path to the assessment, there was no turning back.
A shadow loomed over everyone’s hearts, and many even felt despair.
Though Ning Xiaochuan appeared calm on the surface, he couldn’t help but inhale sharply. He had naturally heard of the Fire Demon Mountain Range—it was practically a forbidden zone for humans.
The Border Desolate Mountains, merely the outskirts of the Fire Demon Mountain Range, were less than one-tenth as dangerous. Yet, during a three-month training expedition there, eleven young disciples of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House had died, with two others suffering incurable injuries.
Jin Quexi continued, "The Fire Demon Mountain Range is home to Black Firewood, where the soil burns perpetually, never extinguishing for millennia. At the roots of every Black Firewood tree grows a Black Firewood Pearl. Obtaining just one will count as passing the assessment, granting you the qualification to become a student of the Emperor's Martial Palace in the next term."
"Just one Black Firewood Pearl to pass? That sounds fairly simple!" someone exclaimed in delight.
Jin Quexi sneered and said, "The duration is one month. That means even if you're lucky enough to dig up a Black Firewood Pearl, you still have to survive in the Fire Demon Mountain Range for an entire month."
This time, even Ning Xiaochuan couldn't help but gasp. A place as treacherous as Fire Demon Mountain was deadly enough for a single day, let alone an entire month.
Was the Mortality Rate really only sixty percent?
Ning Xiaochuan felt it would be closer to ninety!
Jin Quexi continued, "After a month, the survivors will gather at a designated location, where someone will escort you back. Your ranking in this assessment will be determined by the number of Black Firewood Pearls you collect. The top ten will receive generous rewards from the academy. So... good luck staying alive!"
The Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow flew at an incredible speed, reaching the outskirts of the Fire Demon Mountain Range in just half a day.
From atop the spirit sparrow, they looked down to see black smoke rising from the ground, with flames burning perpetually across the mountains, filling the air with thick, dark fumes.
"Crack!"
Within the dark smoke, bolts of lightning streaked through, unleashing devastating force that flattened an entire hillside.
This was the Fire Demon Mountain Range—a primordial ancient mountain spanning thousands of kilometers, the most infamous demonic land in the Yulan Empire!
"One last reminder," Jin Quexi added. "The Fire Demon Mountain Range is perpetually scorched by Earth Fire. Many mystic beasts lay their eggs in the most intensely burning areas, burying them in the soil so the flames can incubate their young."
"If you encounter a place with unusually dense flames, you might want to take the risk and explore it. If you're lucky enough to find an egg left behind by a powerful mystic beast, you’ll hit the jackpot—maybe even tame a formidable Battle Pet. Who knows? You might even stumble upon a legendary Dragon Egg!"
This was perhaps the only good news they had heard so far.
The Fire Demon Mountain Range was home to many powerful mystic beasts. Legends even spoke of Seventh-Level Mystic Beasts capable of taking human form.
Though this assessment was perilous beyond measure, it also held immense opportunity. Obtaining even a Fourth-Level Mystic Beast’s egg would make the risk worthwhile.
After flying about 300 kilometers into the Fire Demon Mountain Range, the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow began descending. Starting from the five-hundredth participant, Jin Quexi began kicking the young warriors off the spirit sparrow’s back, sending them plummeting into the wild mountains below.
Number Five Hundred!
Number Five Hundred and One!
Number Five Hundred and Two!
...
Each warrior landed several kilometers apart, scattered across different locations. Some had terrible luck—before they even hit the ground, they were devoured by mystic beasts lurking in the mountains, their agonized screams echoing through the air.
When it was Ning Xiaochuan’s turn— "No need. I'll do it myself." He leaped off the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow without hesitation.
"Boom!"
Wrapped in Martial Arts Profound Qi, Ning Xiaochuan crashed down from a height of 30 meters, blasting a massive crater into the ground and sending flames scattering in all directions.
The pitch-black soil smoldered with flickering fires, emitting a pungent, acrid stench.
The ground temperature was extremely high. If an ordinary person were to walk here, their feet would surely be roasted. Only the physique of a martial artist could withstand traversing this land ablaze with flames.
All around were thick shrubs, with massive trees so wide it would take five people to encircle them. The trees were entwined with pitch-black vines, and both the vines and the trees were covered in flowing flames, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.
"The plants here have adapted to the environment. Even Earth Fire can't reduce them to ashes."
Boom!
A vine as thick as a bowl suddenly "came to life" from the tree, striking Ning Xiaochuan squarely in the chest.
Ning Xiaochuan's expression changed abruptly. He swiftly condensed his Profound Qi into a Profound Qi Shield, but even that couldn't withstand the immense force of the vine. His body was sent flying, crashing into a towering ancient tree.
Hiss! Hiss!
The "vine" slithered toward him at terrifying speed, opening its gaping maw to reveal razor-sharp fangs.
Only then did Ning Xiaochuan realize—this was no ordinary vine!
It was a third-grade mystic beast, the Vinewood Snake, as thick as a bowl and over 20 meters long. Earlier, coiled around the tree, it had perfectly disguised itself as a mere vine!
A note regarding the previous chapter: Yu Ningsheng wrote a poem titled Hate That You Are Not Like the Moon Over the River Tower to Ning Xiaochuan, which some found unclear. The meaning is: I hate that you are not like the moon hanging high over the river tower, which accompanies people no matter where they wander, north, south, east, or west, never parting. I hate that you are like the moon hanging high over the river tower—just as it becomes full, it wanes again, and who knows how long it will take before it becomes whole once more.
……
Ning Xiaochuan tucked the letter away and sat cross-legged on one of the stone beds, beginning to cultivate Profound Qi.
Work hard in cultivation!
Strive to grow stronger!
Setting aside all distractions, Ning Xiaochuan focused on his training. Only by increasing his strength could he control his own destiny—and the destinies of others.
The stone room housed thirty young martial artists in total. The others soon filed in as well, each immediately beginning their own cultivation without exchanging a single word.
With so many people around, Ning Xiaochuan refrained from using the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood Box for cultivation. Such a treasure, if revealed, would inevitably invite envy. Though his cultivation level was high, he might not withstand a coordinated attack from several individuals.
Thus, Ning Xiaochuan could only cultivate Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.
He had already reached the third layer of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, allowing him to absorb Profound Qi at four times the normal rate. For his current level, this speed was neither slow nor particularly fast.
"Refining Earth Martial Essence allows absorption at fifty times the normal rate, which would quickly elevate me to the fourth level of the Divine Body. Once I reach that stage, the Earth Martial Essence within the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood Box will be exhausted, and I’ll have to rely solely on myself."
"It seems I must advance Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to the fourth layer before the Earth Martial Essence in the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood Box is fully absorbed. By then, even without Earth Martial Essence, my absorption speed will reach eight times the normal rate."
From now on, Ning Xiaochuan decided to cultivate Heaven and Earth Profound Qi only when others were present, reserving the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood Box for solitary training.
That night, though the increase in Profound Qi within his body was minimal, his comprehension of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi advanced significantly, bringing him close to grasping the mysteries of the fourth layer.
"Everyone, assemble outside the stone room!"
A voice rang in the ears of all the young martial artists.
Whether they were cultivating or sleeping, all were startled awake. They hurriedly rose from their stone beds and stepped outside.
Ning Xiaochuan was among the first to exit the stone room, his gaze fixed on a massive mystic beast in the distance.
The creature resembled a peacock, its feathers a shimmering blue with flames dancing across them. Its body was as large as a small hill, and when its wings spread, they spanned nearly 100 meters—like a monstrous beast!
This was a fourth-grade mystic beast, the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow, capable of flying 10,000 kilometers in a single day.
"Second-Year Student of the Emperor's Martial Palace, Jin Quexi, has been dispatched to escort examinees numbered 400 to 600. Board the back of the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow, and I will take you to this year’s assessment site. The details of the assessment will be explained along the way."
Jin Quexi was a beautiful woman with waist-length hair, appearing very young, likely in her early twenties. Her figure was graceful and alluring, yet no one dared to glance at her for too long.
She was a second-term student of the Emperor's Martial Palace, having entered five years prior. Even back then, she had been stronger than the vast majority present. After five years of cultivation within the Emperor's Martial Palace, her current strength was unfathomable.
Someone of her caliber was not to be trifled with by these inexperienced young martial artists.
"Just this single fourth-grade mystic beast alone could probably kill all two hundred examinees present!"
Ning Xiaochuan's cultivation level was considered upper-tier among the examinees, yet he could only obediently leap onto the back of the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow, choosing to sit near its tail.
Once all two hundred examinees had boarded the spirit sparrow's back, it spread its wings and took flight, soaring past the Heavenly Gate and soon leaving the Imperial City behind as it headed north.
The other examinees were also being escorted—some riding on the backs of Great Wind mystic beasts, others on centipede mystic beasts, and some on white cranes—all led by second-term students toward the unknown assessment site.
It was a spectacular sight, with hundreds of mystic beasts filling the sky. The weakest among them were third-grade mystic beasts, while the strongest reached fifth-grade.
Standing atop the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow's head, Jin Quexi, tall and slender, gazed at the two hundred young martial artists seated on its back and said, "Your batch is truly unlucky to encounter such a brutal assessment. This time, your destination is the Fire Demon Mountain Range."
"What? The Fire Demon Mountain Range?"
"That’s a primordial ancient mountain range, incredibly perilous! No wonder they said the mortality rate for this assessment is as high as sixty percent. So that’s where we’re headed."
A fourteen-year-old girl, her face pale with fear, pleaded, "Can I withdraw now? I don’t want to go. I won’t participate in the assessment."
Jin Quexi fixed her with a stare. "You can. Just jump off here, and you won’t have to take part."
The girl glanced at the ground below and immediately shrank back in terror.
No one dared mention withdrawing again.
Once you set foot on the path to the assessment, there was no turning back.
A shadow loomed over everyone’s hearts, and many even felt despair.
Though Ning Xiaochuan appeared calm on the surface, he couldn’t help but inhale sharply. He had naturally heard of the Fire Demon Mountain Range—it was practically a forbidden zone for humans.
The Border Desolate Mountains, merely the outskirts of the Fire Demon Mountain Range, were less than one-tenth as dangerous. Yet, during a three-month training expedition there, eleven young disciples of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House had died, with two others suffering incurable injuries.
Jin Quexi continued, "The Fire Demon Mountain Range is home to Black Firewood, where the soil burns perpetually, never extinguishing for millennia. At the roots of every Black Firewood tree grows a Black Firewood Pearl. Obtaining just one will count as passing the assessment, granting you the qualification to become a student of the Emperor's Martial Palace in the next term."
"Just one Black Firewood Pearl to pass? That sounds fairly simple!" someone exclaimed in delight.
Jin Quexi sneered and said, "The duration is one month. That means even if you're lucky enough to dig up a Black Firewood Pearl, you still have to survive in the Fire Demon Mountain Range for an entire month."
This time, even Ning Xiaochuan couldn't help but gasp. A place as treacherous as Fire Demon Mountain was deadly enough for a single day, let alone an entire month.
Was the Mortality Rate really only sixty percent?
Ning Xiaochuan felt it would be closer to ninety!
Jin Quexi continued, "After a month, the survivors will gather at a designated location, where someone will escort you back. Your ranking in this assessment will be determined by the number of Black Firewood Pearls you collect. The top ten will receive generous rewards from the academy. So... good luck staying alive!"
The Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow flew at an incredible speed, reaching the outskirts of the Fire Demon Mountain Range in just half a day.
From atop the spirit sparrow, they looked down to see black smoke rising from the ground, with flames burning perpetually across the mountains, filling the air with thick, dark fumes.
"Crack!"
Within the dark smoke, bolts of lightning streaked through, unleashing devastating force that flattened an entire hillside.
This was the Fire Demon Mountain Range—a primordial ancient mountain spanning thousands of kilometers, the most infamous demonic land in the Yulan Empire!
"One last reminder," Jin Quexi added. "The Fire Demon Mountain Range is perpetually scorched by Earth Fire. Many mystic beasts lay their eggs in the most intensely burning areas, burying them in the soil so the flames can incubate their young."
"If you encounter a place with unusually dense flames, you might want to take the risk and explore it. If you're lucky enough to find an egg left behind by a powerful mystic beast, you’ll hit the jackpot—maybe even tame a formidable Battle Pet. Who knows? You might even stumble upon a legendary Dragon Egg!"
This was perhaps the only good news they had heard so far.
The Fire Demon Mountain Range was home to many powerful mystic beasts. Legends even spoke of Seventh-Level Mystic Beasts capable of taking human form.
Though this assessment was perilous beyond measure, it also held immense opportunity. Obtaining even a Fourth-Level Mystic Beast’s egg would make the risk worthwhile.
After flying about 300 kilometers into the Fire Demon Mountain Range, the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow began descending. Starting from the five-hundredth participant, Jin Quexi began kicking the young warriors off the spirit sparrow’s back, sending them plummeting into the wild mountains below.
Number Five Hundred!
Number Five Hundred and One!
Number Five Hundred and Two!
...
Each warrior landed several kilometers apart, scattered across different locations. Some had terrible luck—before they even hit the ground, they were devoured by mystic beasts lurking in the mountains, their agonized screams echoing through the air.
When it was Ning Xiaochuan’s turn— "No need. I'll do it myself." He leaped off the Blue Wind Spirit Sparrow without hesitation.
"Boom!"
Wrapped in Martial Arts Profound Qi, Ning Xiaochuan crashed down from a height of 30 meters, blasting a massive crater into the ground and sending flames scattering in all directions.
The pitch-black soil smoldered with flickering fires, emitting a pungent, acrid stench.
The ground temperature was extremely high. If an ordinary person were to walk here, their feet would surely be roasted. Only the physique of a martial artist could withstand traversing this land ablaze with flames.
All around were thick shrubs, with massive trees so wide it would take five people to encircle them. The trees were entwined with pitch-black vines, and both the vines and the trees were covered in flowing flames, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.
"The plants here have adapted to the environment. Even Earth Fire can't reduce them to ashes."
Boom!
A vine as thick as a bowl suddenly "came to life" from the tree, striking Ning Xiaochuan squarely in the chest.
Ning Xiaochuan's expression changed abruptly. He swiftly condensed his Profound Qi into a Profound Qi Shield, but even that couldn't withstand the immense force of the vine. His body was sent flying, crashing into a towering ancient tree.
Hiss! Hiss!
The "vine" slithered toward him at terrifying speed, opening its gaping maw to reveal razor-sharp fangs.
Only then did Ning Xiaochuan realize—this was no ordinary vine!
It was a third-grade mystic beast, the Vinewood Snake, as thick as a bowl and over 20 meters long. Earlier, coiled around the tree, it had perfectly disguised itself as a mere vine!
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