Celestial Refining Divine Scripture

"Duan Tianyang, who was at the Middle Stage of True Immortal when he entered, became a personal disciple of a Golden Immortal. In three months, he might break through to the Late Stage of True Immortal."

"And the remaining Three Tigers should all have some strength as well."

"But they’re not much of a threat!"

Xu Yang shook his head slightly.

Late Stage of True Immortal?

Now that he’d stepped into the Hundred Refinement Realm, his immortal essence wasn’t much weaker than someone at the Late Stage of True Immortal.

As for Yang Xiao, his strength was even more unimpressive.

Do favors?

If you want to be a seed disciple, do I just have to give it to you?

If things really worked that way, the experts of Black Fire Immortal Mountain would lose all their dignity.

Do you really think Black Fire Immortal Mountain belongs to your Yang Family?

"Letting them think I’ve run away might actually be a good thing—saves me some trouble."

Xu Yang wiped away distracting thoughts and set off again.

A short while later, the Fire Demon Cave appeared before his eyes.

Beneath the towering cliff was a huge cavern, its surface shrouded in a layer of crimson fire miasma that was almost black. It writhed from time to time, as if some monster in the flames was stirring, sending chills down the spine.

On both sides, ancient towering trees cast dense shadows.

To one side of the cave stood a crystal-clear scarlet pillar of fire.

Xu Yang saw several inner sect disciples gathered before the cave, observing intently, and he slowly walked over, his eyes going straight to the fire pillar.

"Look, Ye Qingchen already broke Yang Yuan’s previous record and is ranked second on the third tier."

"Yang Yuan made it onto the Immortal Pride List and is even stronger now, but he hasn’t come to the Fire Demon Cave in a long time. Otherwise, his spot wouldn’t have been so easy to take."

"Heh, Ye Qingchen must’ve been spurred on by Yang Yuan, trying to break the third stage record. But that’s not so easy to do—years ago, a real freak set that record."

"I reckon second place is as far as he’ll go. That’s already impressive."

...

Listening to their discussion, Xu Yang curiously looked at the fire pillar.

He saw it was clearly divided into five areas.

Each area listed five rankings, from lowest to highest.

First Trial, First Place: Wu Yong.

Second Place: Lei Fangyang.

...

Second Trial, First Place: Ye Qingchen.

Second Place: Yang Yuan.

Third Place: Xia Chen.

...

Third Trial, First Place: Zhao Beilin.

Second Place: Ye Qingchen.

Third Place: Yang Yuan.

...

"Huh? How did an outer sect disciple get in here?"

A young man next to him turned and was momentarily stunned when he saw Xu Yang.

To be honest, the cultivation of First-Grade Immortal Soldier was so glaringly obvious.

Xu Yang chuckled, "Greetings, Senior Brother. I’m a new inner sect disciple this year."

New inner sect then.

First-Grade Immortal Soldier—not that surprising after all.

"Senior Brother, how are the rankings up there determined?" Xu Yang pointed at the fire pillar, curious.

The young man said flatly, "By cultivation and time. For example, the third trial corresponds to Late Stage of True Immortal. If two people have similar cultivation, then it’s ranked by how long they last; if one is at the Middle Stage and one at the Late Stage, then the Late Stager has to last several times longer to win."

"Why, you want to give the Fire Demon Cave a try?"

"To be honest, Senior Brother," Xu Yang nodded slightly.

"Being able to become an inner sect disciple with just the strength of a First-Grade Immortal Soldier means you have some ability, but it’s been almost three months and you still haven’t broken through to True Immortal. Your cultivation is too weak—even the first trial requires the Early Stage of True Immortal."

"I suggest you give up."

The young man shook his head, a trace of pity in his eyes.

After three months in the sect, with the Black Fire Immortal Mountain’s inner sect resources and cultivation environment, that’s prime time for quick advancement.

And yet as a First-Grade Immortal Soldier—in his view, pretty much hopeless with little potential left.

"Senior Brother, the Ye Qingchen and Zhao Beilin on here are...?"

"Ye Qingchen is a seed disciple—used to often compete with Yang Yuan, with victories and defeats each. This time he must have been provoked."

"As for Zhao Beilin, he was from several years back and has joined Jiu Yue Huan Tian Supreme Sect. Back then, he was a real freak. Both his third and fourth trial records are yet to be broken."

So he was a seed disciple... Xu Yang raised his brows, then swept his gaze toward the Fire Demon Cave and strode straight toward it.

"Heh, this kid really isn’t afraid of dying."

Seeing this, the young man was instantly shocked.

"This guy’s going to attempt the Fire Demon Cave? With just First-Grade Immortal Soldier strength, isn’t that just suicide?"

"Old Wang already warned him. If he wants to die, no one can stop him. If your strength isn’t enough, the Fire Fiend inside could leave you with lasting injuries."

"It’s almost three months and he hasn’t broken through to True Immortal yet—must be here seeking a desperate breakthrough."

"I don’t like his chances."

...

Xu Yang ignored the commotion behind him. Approaching the cave, he clearly felt an intense wave of Fire Fiend rushing toward him, making him involuntarily restless.

The Fire Fiend was born from countless immortal flames, blazing and violent—the filth bred within immortal fire.

It corrodes the Primordial Spirit and the physical body alike.

The Fire Demon Cave had gathered all the Fire Fiend spawned from the Black Fire Immortal Mountain’s many immortal flames. To some extent, it was one of the greatest threats among all the Evil Qi.

The next moment, Xu Yang stepped inside.

Buzz!

His figure seemed to pass through a searing, scalding membrane, instantly stepping into a vast ocean of crimson-black fire miasma.

Fire Fiend surged in from every direction, threatening to corrode him.

At the same time, a cluster of information appeared out of nowhere.

"Cultivation: First-Grade Immortal Soldier. Identity: Inner Sect Disciple, Xu Yang!"

Xu Yang had presented the token of an inner sect disciple, not a Dan Feng seed disciple.

"Endure for half an hour and you’ll be rewarded with one foot of first-tier low-grade immortal jade; one hour, ranked fifth in the first trial, two feet of first-tier low-grade immortal jade; one and a half hours..."

Xu Yang’s eyes flashed. This Fire Demon Cave was thorough—it first scanned your cultivation and status, then determined rewards and benchmarks based on that tier.

All you had to do was resist the Fire Fiend according to your goal.

He only needed to endure three hours to break the current first trial record.

But since the first trial was meant for Early Stage of True Immortal, the immortal jade was plentiful but not so meaningful to him.

Without hesitation, Xu Yang moved quickly forward and stepped right into the second trial area.

The record holders for the second trial were Ye Qingchen at first, Yang Yuan at second.

Two seed disciples.

If he broke that record, it would definitely cause a stir.

Xu Yang thought about hiding his identity, but unfortunately, there was no way to do so here.

With the newcomer’s competition about to start, he didn’t care anyway.

"Last two hours, and I’ll break Yang Yuan’s record—five feet of first-tier mid-grade immortal jade, which is just about the same as the piece Second Senior Brother gave me."

"Three hours, and I’ll shatter Ye Qingchen’s record—nine feet of first-tier mid-grade immortal jade!"

This timing was set according to the strength of first-grade immortal soldier.

Compared to a Middle Stage of True Immortal, what he’d have to endure here would be unimaginably intense.

If someone at Middle Stage of True Immortal came to the second trial, surpassing the first and second records would take far more than just these few hours.

"The second trial isn’t much of a problem."

Feeling the dense Fire Fiend all around, Xu Yang’s mind remained as calm as still water and his Primordial Spirit steady.

Never mind three hours—add another three, and he’d still be fine.

"Let’s break the second trial’s record first."

Xu Yang grinned, then sat cross-legged in the fire miasma of the second trial.