Long Chen had already done everything he could during his previous search for Heavenly River Pills at the Burning Heavens Mountain Range to uncover the secret held within its depths, but to no avail. Now, under everyone’s expectant gazes, the Ninth Prince was finally going to open the portal to the Burning Heaven Secret Realm.
“The Burning Heaven Secret Realm is a Miniverse, and its entrance is located in the Burning Heaven Mountain Range. A powerful force is required to blast the entrance open, so everyone should stand back,” Lin Cangtian said with a cold voice.
Everyone stepped back, directly leaving the Burning Heaven Mountain Range altogether. Long Chen was with the group. He initially thought the Ninth Prince was going to do it himself, but the only person who stayed behind was actually the black-clothed old man who had followed him. This showed that the black-clothed old man was also a master at a high cultivation level, at least at the Heavenly River Realm.
After everyone was a distance away, their eyes were fixed on the old man. Although there was a huge distance between them, Long Chen could still feel powerful energy ripples coming from the old man’s body. Long Chen was convinced that if he approached the ripple, he would be flattened by its force.
Suddenly, a black light appeared in his fist. It flickered lightly in the beginning, but when he moved, it suddenly erupted into a gigantic image of a fist and blasted into the ground at lightning speed.
Rumble, rumble!
The ground shook violently. The earth and mountains shook and boulders rolled everywhere. Long Chen and the others almost fell. In front, a huge mass of soil had been blasted into the air and instantly blocked their field of vision, swallowing the old man. However, his fist attack was still causing the surface of the ground to shake.
“He made the ground shake with just one punch!” Long Chen and Mo Xiaolang looked at each other, shaken. From that move, Long Chen truly appreciated the strength of the Biyang Imperial Capital.
“Xiaolang, what do you think that old man’s cultivation level is?” whispered Long Chen.
“I’m guessing at least the Fourth River Stage,” said Mo Xiaolang weakly.
It was clear that taking revenge against the most powerful faction in the Biyang Imperial Capital, the royal family, would be extremely difficult.
The dust settled, and the black-clothed elder appeared in front of Lin Cangtian with a bow. “Your Highness, the portal to the Burning Heaven Secret Realm has been opened.”
“Well done.” Lin Cangtian nodded and turned to look at the heads of the three factions, as well as the twenty-three teenagers who were about to enter, with a smile. “The time has come, and I will not waste time talking nonsense! Treat this battle as a training opportunity, and the rules are … There are no rules! Kill all you want! This is a battle of both wit and courage! I will only look at the final result, which is the person who receives the Burning Heaven Emperor’s inheritance!”
“Understood!”
Under Lin Cangtian’s lead, they all entered the Burning Heaven Mountain Range once more and headed to the spot where the black-clothed elder had punched. To their shock, there was a two-meter wide spiral in the ground. It looked like black water, though there were red flames burning on the surface.
No one could have imagined that the entrance would look like this.
“The three factions shall enter the Burning Heaven Secret Realm in three batches, and the realm will deliver you all to different places. Then the entrance will close. You have ten days in total. After that, I will open this entrance again and you all will sense the exit. If no one gets the inheritance in ten days, then unfortunately, no one will be recruited as an Immortal Guard. As for the right to rule, I will think of another way to decide it.”
Long Chen privately memorized his words.
The first batch to enter was the Dawn Trading Alliance participants, also the smallest batch. Under the watch of the alliance chairman, Li Ziling and the others leaped into the flaming whirlpool. Li Ziling had not looked at Long Chen once from beginning to the end, though her expression remained cold.
The second batch was naturally the people of the Beast Soul Palace. The eight disciples were Beast Warriors, but other than Yan Danqing, the cultivation levels of the others were average. Including Yan Danqing, there were only four people at the Human Core Realm. However, due to their beast souls, they had violent auras, making it clear that they were strong in combat.
The Lingwu family had the most participants and were the last to enter. The ten of them were divided into two groups. Long Chen and Mo Xiaolang stood together, while the others also stood together with no intentions of operating with the duo.
“Long Chen, Mo Xiaolang. Don’t forget what you need to do there. After entering the Burning Heaven Secret Realm, you must cooperate with Tianchen and the others!” reminded the Azure Dragon Patriarch coldly before they entered.
“I’m willing, but your grandsons hate us,” Long Chen mused.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ve already talked to them. Work together and look out for each other,” said the Azure Dragon Patriarch.
Long Chen could choose to believe him, but when he glanced at Dongfang Tianchen, Beitang Mo, and the rest, they all looked at him coldly. Long Chen smirked to himself and did not say anything else. He and Mo Xiaolang entered the whirlpool. Under the elders’ encouragement, Dongfang Tianchen and the rest also jumped into the Burning Heaven Secret Realm.
Once the youths had all entered the Burning Heaven Secret Realm, the place was much emptier than before. Lin Cangtian wrung his hands and said, “You may all return. In ten days’ time, we shall witness a miracle.”
Then he called his Category Nine Piercing Wind Dragon Falcon and lifted off into the skies.
On the Dragon Falcon, the black-clothed old man sitting next to Lin Cangtian said, “Your Highness, is this all not too grand for what we need? The Imperial Capital has never lacked Immortal Guards, so recruiting guards from a small place like this is just meant to increase the local youths’ motivation to cultivate. There’s no need for you to personally attend the selection, right?”
“You don’t understand. The Imperial Capital has been chaotic recently, so it’s a good thing for me to get some rest here and avoid the chaos for a while. Then again, although the Burning Heaven Secret Realm is a small ancient ruin, there is something I’m interested in inside. I’m resting here, and they’re helping me get it out. Isn’t this amazing?” Lin Cangtian smiled.
“What is it?”
“During a training session, I found a map that marked this Burning Heaven Secret Realm. The map stated that this place contains the inheritance left behind by a cultivator called the Burning Heaven Emperor from the Middle Ages. However, I estimate that the guy was only at most a Category Seven or Eight Earth-tier, yet he dared call himself an emperor. How laughable. But, he did possess something remarkable.”
Lin Cangtian paused before he continued, “The map states that the Burning Heaven Emperor’s inheritance includes a gigantic sum of Heavenly River Pills and an intermediate Earth-tier defensive combat technique called the Nine Spinning Fire Shield.”
“Those two things aren’t enough to make you interested enough to come to Yuanling City, are they? I wonder, what is the remarkable thing you spoke of?” asked the black-clothed elder.
“It’s an advanced Earth-tier combat technique, considered a divine technique called Divine Fire Clones. Cultivating this technique allows the user to condense his Qi outside his body to create a fire clone, whose combat abilities depend on the cultivator’s strength. The stronger the cultivator, the more clones produced and the stronger they are. If I get the Divine Fire Clones technique, my strength will improve greatly,” said Lin Cangtian with reverence.
“If that is the case, why don’t you enter the Burning Heaven Secret Realm yourself? You would have better assurance,” questioned the black-clothed elder.
“I want to, but the Burning Heaven Emperor was probably a master who came from a small place like Yuanling City, and he left the inheritance possibly to nurture the younger generation. When he planned the tomb, he placed a seal from the Middle Ages. I am at the Heavenly River Realm right now, and the tomb would definitely break down if I entered, ruining my plans.”
“I see. In that case, you don’t even need to break a sweat for it. This is a smart plan, Your Highness.” The black-clothed elder was genuinely pleased with his master.
He had been puzzled over this event for a long time, and now Lin Cangtian had answered his doubts.
“Old Yan, have you noticed something?” Lin Cangtian suddenly asked.
“What is it?” The old man froze.
“I lack a close confidante. A true confidante who would risk his life for me,” he said mildly.
“Your Highness, I am willing to walk through fire for you. Am I not considered a confidante?” asked the old man in a panic.
“I don’t mean that. You are my right hand, and you are extremely capable. I’m referring to someone my age. There are so many young talents working alongside Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother, and all of them are stronger than me,” he remarked.
“That’s true. Your Highness, you are still young and inexperienced. You only started to grow stronger in recent times, unlike the other two princes, who have deep roots in the Imperial Capital. That’s how they developed huge factions,” said the old man.
“Old Yan, you must have read Long Chen’s details. In just half a year, he grew from having no cultivation to entering the Heavenly Core Realm. That guy must be an extraordinary prodigy that shines brightly when he needs to.” The corner of his lips curled upwards.
“Long Chen?” The elder froze and said, “Is that why you forgave him, Your Highness?”
He was talking about Jin Luan’s death.
“Old Yan, you underestimate me. Jin Luan is such a minor character; is it really necessary for me to avenge him? As for Long Chen, we’ll have to see how he performs in the Burning Heaven Secret Realm. If he can get the inheritance, I don’t mind giving him a boost!”
As Lin Cangtian spoke, he turned to look in the direction of the Burning Heaven Secret Realm. Far away, several Savage Wind Pengs flew, keeping their distance from the Piercing Wind Dragon Falcon.
“I’ll also give him a one-way ticket, haha!” Lin Cangtian added.