Ten li west of Wan Jun Peak, a mountaintop stood.

You Shengnan led Bai Yuan up a mountain path. The higher they climbed, the hotter it became, and the surrounding trees grew withered and yellow.

When the two reached the summit, a fiery red glow illuminated their faces, and the scorching heat made their breathing rapid.

This place was a volcano!

Indeed, this was the Holy Fire Pit, one of the two sacred cultivation grounds of the Divine Mansion Sect, open only to Inner Sect Disciples.

Legend had it that this was not a natural volcano, but was formed when the Founding Ancestor drew a meteor from outer space to smash into the mountaintop.

Of course, Bai Yuan didn’t believe a word of it.

’Does he really think he’s some Great Mage?’

He guessed it was more likely that a meteorite had struck a dormant volcano here, reawakening the lava.

Disciples of later generations embellished the story until it became the tale of the Founding Ancestor summoning a star. Legends like this were all too common in the Divine Mansion Sect. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Even the current Sect Leader, Murong Tian, was the subject of many such fantastic rumors.

Of course, the people of Huanglong Prefecture ate it all up. The stories circulating among the common folk grew more and more outrageous, and many even regarded Murong Tian as a god.

"Junior Brother Bai, this is the Holy Fire Pit."

You Shengnan said, pointing at the great pit of churning lava.

Around the pit, many Divine Mansion Sect disciples sat cross-legged, their eyes closed as they resisted the waves of heat rolling off the lava.

These disciples were using the high temperature to temper their bodies.

An ordinary volcano wouldn’t have such an effect. However, the meteor that fell into the Holy Fire Pit long ago seemed to contain a certain miraculous substance. This substance could strengthen a Martial Artist’s physique, and the high temperature allowed them to absorb it more effectively.

Thus, the Holy Fire Pit naturally became a sacred training ground for the Divine Mansion Sect.

"Junior Brother Bai, since this is your first time training at the Holy Fire Pit, it’s best not to go too deep. Just train on the outer edges. Otherwise, you could be harmed by the fire poison."

You Shengnan warned him earnestly.

Many disciples, in their eagerness for quick results, had ventured too deep into the Holy Fire Pit. Unable to resist the fire poison, it invaded their organs, leaving them with hidden injuries. Some had even died suddenly.

Bai Yuan nodded.

You Shengnan wasn’t worried that Bai Yuan would do anything foolish. Her master’s new junior disciple was mature for his age, even more level-headed than the scions of the great families. He didn’t need any extra worrying over.

She explained a few more details about training in the Holy Fire Pit to Bai Yuan, then leaped down to a platform on the pit’s rock wall and sat cross-legged to meditate.

The walls of the Holy Fire Pit were uneven, dotted with many protruding platforms. This was where the disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect trained.

They could be roughly divided into seven levels based on height.

The closer a platform was to the lava, the higher the temperature, and correspondingly, the better the training effect.

However, even You Shengnan only dared to cultivate on the first level. The deeper levels were attempted only by True Disciples and Elders.

The Holy Fire Pit was enormous, with the entire mountaintop occupied by a pool of lava.

Bai Yuan walked along the edge of the Holy Fire Pit to a less crowded spot, then leaped down.

An ordinary person’s legs would tremble just from a single glance, let alone from jumping into the pit.

But for a Martial Artist like Bai Yuan, it was second nature.

Bai Yuan was seen hanging from the cliff wall like an ape, his body as light as a swallow’s.

First level... Second level...

As he descended, the surrounding temperature climbed higher and higher, far more intense than any sauna from his previous life.

A crystalline film, almost invisible to the naked eye, appeared on the surface of Bai Yuan’s skin.

This was the power of the Tiger-Crane Form!

The applications of this power were endless. His current heat resistance was almost equivalent to that of a Junior Grandmaster, which was why Bai Yuan could continue to approach the boiling lava.

If anyone had seen this, they would have assumed it was a Peak Master from the Thirteen Peaks visiting the Holy Fire Pit, never imagining it was an Inner Sect Disciple.

An incense stick’s time later, he stood steadily on a platform on the sixth level.

This was the limit of what he could currently reach.

The seventh level was practically equivalent to bathing in lava. He couldn’t imagine what realm of strength one would need to reach that final level.

’But the sixth level is already enough...’

Bai Yuan didn’t sit cross-legged to train like You Shengnan and the other Inner Sect Disciples. Instead, he walked along the cliff wall.

Finally, he stopped at the mouth of a cave.

’Finally found it...’ Bai Yuan’s eyes lit up as he stared at the cave entrance.

The cave was located right on the rock wall of the Holy Fire Pit. Its entrance was narrow, only allowing one person to enter at a time.

Bai Yuan bent down and walked into the rock cave.

The temperature inside the cave was even higher than outside. Even his power could barely resist it. In just a few moments, Bai Yuan’s clothes were soaked with sweat.

The cave was not large. After walking for about a hundred feet, he reached the end.

And there, at the end of the cave, several ferocious beetles crawled on the rock wall. They were fiery red all over, with a faint golden sheen.

Seeing the beetles, Bai Yuan felt the joy of reuniting with an old friend—an old friend he couldn’t wait to cut down.

That’s right. He hadn’t come to the Holy Fire Pit to train, but specifically for these beetles.

This insect was called the Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetle, a unique creature that grew in the Holy Fire Pit.

This cave wasn’t natural either; it had been dug out by these very Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetles.

Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetles only existed in the area below the sixth level of the Holy Fire Pit. Therefore, not even the Elders of the Divine Mansion Sect necessarily knew about them.

Bai Yuan was a Demon Hunter, and what’s more, he had a talent for seeking out demons, which was how he had found this place so easily.

Yes, the Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetles before him were demon insects!

In his past life, Bai Yuan had farmed his fair share of them.

The sleeping Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetles seemed to sense Bai Yuan’s presence. The fiery red carapaces on their backs suddenly spread open, and they took flight, lunging straight for his face.

Bai Yuan was just as fast.

The Blood Tiger Scimitar was already in his hand.

CLANG!

The crisp sound of metal colliding rang out.

The Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetle actually took a direct hit from Bai Yuan’s saber and didn’t die. It just wobbled slightly in the air before stabilizing itself.

Bai Yuan switched to a two-handed grip on his saber and took a deep breath.

"Very good."

The power of the Tiger-Crane Form surged madly through his body. It had been a long time since he had used his full strength.

He struck again.

This strike, enhanced by the Tiger-Crane Form, was several times more powerful than the last. The blade even let out a low, whistling sonic boom!

CLANG!

Another crisp clang rang out, and the Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetle, previously as hard as iron, was cleaved in two by Bai Yuan!

Sensing the death of their comrade, the other Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetles flew into a rage, lunging and biting at Bai Yuan’s vital spots all at once.

Having lived in the Holy Fire Pit for so long, these Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetles carried a terrifying fire poison. Even a Blood Refining Martial Master would be poisoned to death in an instant if bitten.

The cave was extremely small, leaving Bai Yuan almost no room to dodge or maneuver.

Suddenly, a tiger’s roar echoed within the cave!

This was the Tiger’s Baleful Aura, a skill from mastering the Blood Tiger Saber technique.

Though the Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetles had gained sentience, their intelligence was low. How could they possibly withstand such a spiritual attack?

Their wings froze in an instant, and they all fell to the ground.

The Blood Tiger Scimitar reaped its harvest at the perfect moment.

In a flash, Bai Yuan had slain all four Fire Armor Rhinoceros Beetles.

Enhancement Points +413