Heavenly Thunders blanketed the skies above Huangquan Road, while the Skyfire Magma River flowed beneath, endless flames rising to the heavens, accompanied by thunderclaps, searing Heavenly Fire, and dense, hot, red clouds formed from the extreme heat above the river.

That narrow path, merely about one meter wide, bridging the banks of the Skyfire Magma River, stood isolated and alone.

"Heavenly Fire, not even a Heavenly Immortal would dare to touch it lightly," Qin Yu felt intimidated within.

The flames varied in color from low to high, Qin Yu’s True Star Fire was a deep green, bordering on purple. Heavenly Fire was purple, its power so great that even the flesh of a Heavenly Immortal couldn’t withstand it easily.

Thunder boomed, each strike of the azure thunder surpassing the power of the last and most terrifying Heavenly Thunder that Qin Yu had faced during his Sixty-nine Heavenly Tribulations. Qin Yu believed that just one strike would end his life.

"Immortal Emperor Ni Yang actually set up such a grand spectacle, could he truly take pleasure in slaughter?" Qin Yu’s heart was filled with rage, "Heavenly Fire, if swept over by it, my cultivation level and body would surely be reduced to ashes, not to mention the Heavenly Thunder, which is visibly more terrifying than that last strike of my Sixty-nine Heavenly Tribulations..."

Qin Yu hardly knew what to say anymore.

Qin Yu still remembered what Immortal Emperor Ni Yang had said, that Taoyuan was very safe, but once inside, one could not leave except by waiting for Ascension.

"To live my whole life in Taoyuan, to overcome the Ninety-nine Tribulations and then ascend to the Immortal Realm? Is that possible?" Though Qin Yu feared the threat of Huangquan Road, when he thought of his family and brothers, his father King Qin De, his two elder brothers, as well as the relentlessly hardworking Little Black, the carefree Hou Fei, and... that faint image deep in his heart.

Could he really abandon them?

"Huangquan Road," Qin Yu’s gaze turned stern, suddenly scoffing at himself, "Perhaps among those who attempt to cross this road, I rank the lowest in terms of cultivation. My only possession of note is the Meteor Tear."

Thereupon, Qin Yu walked past the Stele of Huangquan Road and sat down cross-legged beside the riverbank, ready to begin his crossing.

...

"Heavenly Fire, the azure Heavenly Thunder that only appears during the Ninety-nine Tribulations..." Lady Yan Ji also felt bitterness in her heart.

Even when her powers were unharmed and as primal as before, she would not dare to contend with the Heavenly Fire and azure Heavenly Thunder unreservedly, after all, a Fourth Tribulation Independent Demon was equivalent to a First Level Heavenly Demon, and could only withstand one or two attacks from Heavenly Fire, and only a few from this Heavenly Thunder.

However, at this moment, Lady Yan Ji was severely injured from a fight with Elder Qian Xu, falling victim to a sudden combined strike from the formations of True Master Shui Rou and True Master Yue Yan, and even her physical body had been almost entirely destroyed. At her most critically wounded, she had deployed the "Heavenly Demon Blood Cloud," only to be ambushed by three Late Tribulation Crossing Azure Dragons.

"An object more precious than Qingyu Immortal Mansion by more than tenfold," a sharp glint passed through Lady Yan Ji’s eyes, "No matter what, this is my only chance to reach the upper echelons of Independent Demons. I seek fortune amidst danger, and if I die as a lowly Independent Demon, then so be it."

Lady Yan Ji glanced towards the direction of Taoyuan and sneered, "Even staying in Taoyuan, each Independent Immortal Tribulation grows stronger, making me wonder if I can survive all of them alone and ascend. Rather than wasting my time here, I might as well fight for that one chance to turn my fate around."

She resolved to risk it all!

Lady Yan Ji immediately sat down cross-legged, beginning to ingest Pill to recover her strength; her injuries were so severe that every little bit she regained might significantly enhance her chances of survival.

...

Yan Mo watched the rising purple Heavenly Fire and the strikes of azure thunder, his pupils unconsciously contracting.

Life, death?

In the Primordial Wilderness, he had fought countless times, hovering between life and death. He certainly didn’t fear life and death—if he feared life and death, why would he disobey the orders of the Dragon Clan’s upper echelons to live a backed life and instead betray the Dragon Clan to enter the Primordial Wilderness for life-and-death battles?

"Opportunity!"

Yan Mo’s eyes flashed coldly, and without any hesitation, he walked past the Huangquan Road stele and then firmly sat down cross-legged next to the safe riverbank, quietly waiting for the moment to venture into Huangquan Road to arrive.

******

Facing all this, everyone had their own choices, especially after witnessing the terrifying aspects of Huangquan Road, facing life-and-death decisions. Some chose to step onto Huangquan Road, while others chose to live a peaceful life in Taoyuan.

For example, the three experts of the Dragon Clan at the Late Tribulation Crossing Stage.

Ascension was the only opportunity to leave Taoyuan, and the three Dragon Clan experts from Yan Lanshan were all at the Late Tribulation Crossing Stage, just one step away from the Great Success Stage of ascension. Thus, they didn’t want to make fearless sacrifices; they just needed to stay in Taoyuan for a while until they could ascend upon reaching the Great Success Stage.

...

"An hour has passed, congratulations to those who chose Huangquan Road, haha..." the voice of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang echoed between heaven and earth.

Everyone who chose to enter Huangquan Road opened their eyes, and at this moment, the narrow path that connected Huangquan Road and Taoyuan had vanished. Behind them was only endless thick mist, and they could no longer even regret their choice.

"Congratulations?" Lady Yan Ji sneered.

"This Immortal Emperor Ni Yang’s character really can’t be judged by common sense." Qin Yu gave a helpless smile. From the time he entered the Nine Sword Immortal Mansion until now, everyone knew of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang’s ’slyness’. Choosing Huangquan Road and still offering congratulations, there was a full flavor of mockery and ridicule.

"Just now, I said that among ten who enter Huanguan Road, only one could survive, but actually... that’s not absolute." Immortal Emperor Ni Yang spoke calmly this time, "That’s just the rough probability after all, it’s possible a few more of you could survive."

"Of course, it’s also possible that everyone could die," Immortal Emperor Ni Yang said casually, unconcerned in his tone.

Everyone’s heart shook.

"Everyone dies?" Qin Yu’s eyes flashed sharply, "This Immortal Emperor Ni Yang is playing us."

Although the Huangquan Road seemed extremely dangerous and most likely lethal, Immortal Emperor Ni Yang initially said that roughly one in ten could survive. Also, everyone thought that at least Immortal Emperor Ni Yang would need one person to survive to obtain the treasure. Thus, everyone was clinging to that hope.

But now, Immortal Emperor Ni Yang said that there might be no hope at all.

"If all of you die, no one will obtain the true treasures of the Nine Sword Immortal Mansion, and my nine Jade Swords will fly out of the mansion again, scattered far and wide. They will wait for others to enter the mansion and obtain my treasures." Immortal Emperor Ni Yang said this, yet there was a trace of a smile in his voice.

But Qin Yu, Lady Yan Ji, Yan Mo, Elder Qian Xu, Huo Can... no one laughed, their hearts instead turned cold.

Stepping onto Huangquan Road might just lead to the road where everyone dies.

"The narrow pass has already disappeared, regret is useless now, haha...as they say, ’Once on Huangquan Road, life and death are controlled by heaven.’ Young ones, fend for yourselves!" Immortal Emperor Ni Yang laughed proudly, seeming very pleased with himself for having mocked everyone.

Qin Yu, Lady Yan Ji, Elder Qian Xu, and others all had grim expressions on their faces.

Everyone was at the riverbank, none dared to step onto Huangquan Road. After all, the Heavenly Fire and Heavenly Thunder were too densely packed.

"Once on Huangquan Road, life and death are controlled by heaven." Qin Yu shook his head, then stepped onto Huangquan Road, "There’s no turning back now!"

However, just as Qin Yu set foot on Huangquan Road—

Qin Yu felt as though a great mountain was pressing down on him, the gravity so intense that even his sturdy body instantly knelt on the ground, his bones crackling loudly, his hands immediately supporting himself on the ground, veins bulging on his forehead.

"So heavy!" Qin Yu didn’t dare to breathe at the moment, fearing that if he breathed, his strength would lessen and he would be completely flattened.

"That statement, Immortal Emperor Ni Yang didn’t lie to us about that," Qin Yu recalled the words of the Immortal Emperor Ni Yang—"Young ones, don’t think you can rely on speed to cross over, once you step onto Huangquan Road you will find your bodies as if weighted down by a great mountain, making it extremely difficult to move. Don’t think your powers are too strong, the stronger your powers, the greater the gravity. Everyone, whether you are in the Golden Core Stage or a Twelve Tribulations Independent Immortal, will move slowly across this bridge like a tortoise."

"Moving slowly like a tortoise? At this moment, I truly want to move like a tortoise," Qin Yu thought grimly, and yet, the golden star power within him permeated throughout his body, and with great difficulty, Qin Yu managed to stand up.

One step, two steps!

The speed was extremely slow, sweat began to seep out from all over Qin Yu’s body, not just because of the immense gravity but also because of the high temperatures in this place. Below was a river formed of Skyfire Magma, and occasionally, the Skyfire surged upwards.

"Whoosh!" A purple flame rushed past in front of Qin Yu, its intense energy making his entire body feel as if it was melting.

"Heavenly Fire, such powerful Heavenly Fire? This is too much, Immortal Emperor Ni Yang wasn’t completely fair. I estimate that my powers couldn’t even defend against one Heavenly Fire, a single flame could annihilate me completely," Qin Yu felt a rush of anger.

But still, he moved slowly like a tortoise.

Luckily the Heavenly Fire surged not too swiftly, giving Qin Yu time to react, but while the Heavenly Fire wasn’t fast, his own movement was even slower. Even when he noticed the Heavenly Fire surging towards him, he needed enough speed to dodge it.

"Boom!"

A Heavenly Thunder struck right in front of Qin Yu, missing him by a mere trifle, causing Qin Yu to feel a chill run down his spine in an instant. However, that cold sweat was instantly evaporated by the terrifying temperature of the air above Huangquan Road.

This Heavenly Thunder reminded Qin Yu, not only was the Heavenly Fire terrifying, but the Heavenly Thunder could also easily kill him.

This Skyfire Magma River was not too wide, less than a hundred meters, meaning that the Huangquan Road spanning across both shores of the river also measured less than a hundred meters. It may sound short, but in reality, it appeared both narrow and long.

Especially for Qin Yu and others who could only move like tortoises, this less than hundred meters was exceedingly long.

"That is Huo Can." While Qin Yu was focusing on the surrounding Heavenly Fire and Thunder, struggling to make his slow progress, he suddenly caught a glimpse through the corner of his eye of a similarly obscure Huangquan Road in the distance. This Skyfire Magma River, because it was so hot, had a dense red cloud fog above it.

The red cloud hovered over the river, at the same height as Huangquan Road. At this moment, as the red cloud floated, through the sparse parts of the cloud, Qin Yu saw that there was another similar Huangquan Road in the distance, and Huo Can was on that road.

Even though Huo Can’s powers were much higher than Qin Yu’s, he still moved slowly, just like a tortoise.

"Ah!" Qin Yu’s face changed as he suddenly saw three streams of Heavenly Fire shooting into the sky, all aiming directly at Huo Can’s location. Although Huo Can noticed these three streams of Heavenly Fire, and they weren’t moving very fast, he could only move as slowly as a tortoise at that moment.

The three streams of Heavenly Fire converged from the front and back, leaving Huo Can with no escape; a step forward was death, and so was a step backwards.

Only the sound of an angry and reluctant roar was heard.

The Heavenly Fire burned on Huo Can’s body, and in just a moment, Huo Can, who had always wanted to avenge his big brother, was completely incinerated by the fire on Huangquan Road, turning into flying ash.

"Huo Can is dead," trembled Qin Yu’s heart.

In terms of strength, Huo Can was far stronger than himself. However, even Huo Can couldn’t avoid the Heavenly Fire, especially when the three streams charged at him. The gravity pressing down on him was too great, almost immobilizing him.

Just like that... helplessly, unwillingly, he watched himself being burned to death.

As Qin Yu was shocked by Huo Can’s death and noted the moment of his demise, a deadly crisis had already enveloped him.

Two streams of Heavenly Fire, almost parallel, burst forth from the magma, shooting diagonally into the sky. They targeted Qin Yu’s back such that whether he took a step forward or backward, he would be struck by the Heavenly Fire.

"Huo Can is dead, be careful, very careful," the string in Qin Yu’s mind snapped even tighter.

Be careful.

He must be careful, whether it was Thunder striking down or Heavenly Fire attacking, he had to watch out and grasp at any sliver of hope. At that moment, as the Heavenly Fire shot diagonally into the sky, Qin Yu’s tortoise-speed made it impossible to dodge in time.

Suddenly—

The sound of wind picked up, Qin Yu’s face changed, and almost reflexively, he ceased resisting the dreadful gravity. Suddenly the overwhelming gravity flattened him. This dropdown was shockingly fast, as if a giant hammer had smashed down on him.

"Phew!"

The two streams of Heavenly Fire flew just three to four inches over Qin Yu’s body. Qin Yu’s eyes widened as he watched the Heavenly Fire that nearly took his life; cold sweat seeped from his nose, but was instantly evaporated by the intense heat.

Having narrowly escaped death, luckily Qin Yu reacted quickly last time. The terrible gravity, although it restricted his movements, had saved him at that critical moment because once he stopped resisting, being flattened down was also shockingly fast.

"To this point, I have only moved seven or eight meters," Qin Yu, lying on Huangquan Road, struggled to lift his head against the terrifying gravity and looked forward, but the road ahead always seemed so distant. Just as Qin Yu gritted his teeth to once again muster the inner strength to stand up—

From the corner of his eye, Qin Yu saw a Heavenly Thunder falling towards him from the sky at a terrifying speed!

While standing, he could drop down with lightning speed due to the terrifying gravity, but once down, could he still dodge with lightning speed?

(Today’s first Chapter ends here, second Chapter to follow!)

(To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM for more Chapters. Support the author, support genuine reading!)