"No, allow me to attempt it."
Yun Che didn't cower when faced against Feng Baichuan's words. He spoke with a serious tone: "I know very well of my own strength. But I indeed, do have the qualifications to attempt this trial."
Yun Che lifted his palm and spread his fingers apart. The profound energy flowed, and a huge ball of orange colored flames suddenly flared from his entire palm. This ball of flame greatly shocked Feng Baichuan, and he asked in astonishment: "You actually possess fire attribute profound arts?"
"That's right. Moreover, it is a very high ranked fire attribute profound art." Yun Che nodded. However, his greatest trump card for challenging the Phoenix's trial, was his overpowered constitution that was invulnerable to any sort of fire. Naturally, it was impossible for him to say such a thing; even if he said so, Feng Baichuan definitely would not have believed him anyway: "Since it's the Phoenix's trial, then it must be mainly a trail of fire. I possess thorough knowledge of fire attributed profound arts, and have a certain extent of resistance toward fire profound energies. Perhaps, it is even possible for me to easily pass the trial."
Feng Baichuan still shook his head, and said: "The Phoenix trial is indeed mainly based on the energy of fire, but you are underestimating it too much. How could an ordinary person's fire energy rival that of the divine phoenix beast's holy flames. Ten years ago, I had also attempted the Phoenix trial before. However, just by taking a few steps in the trial grounds at the start of the trial, the agony from the lava's heat was already enough to make me wish that I was dead. I chose to give up after just a few breaths of time. Even if you have fire attribute profound arts and possess knowledge, control, and resistance of the fire profound energy to a certain extent, phoenix flames are still far more terrifying than what you can imagine. The first ancestor who passed the Phoenix trial also possessed fire attribute profound arts, and had barely passed it with a cultivation of the Spirit Profound Realm. As for the ancestors who passed after, it was because they already possessed the phoenix bloodline in their body and had very strong resistance in it; furthermore, none had strength below the Spirit Profound Realm. With your current profound strength, it is fundamentally impossible."
Yun Che calmly spoke: "Since Clan Leader Feng had also attempted the Phoenix trial before, then you clearly understand that if one feel he cannot endure in the trial's process, one could choose to forfeit. Then, unless it is meaningless persistence, there are absolutely no dangers to one's life if one chooses to back out when unable to endure. All of those clansmen who died within the trial, probably wanted to forcefully pass through and hence, stayed in there forever. But I won't do the same; I cherish my own life very much, and will immediately forfeit once I feel that it's impossible. Like this, there aren't any dangers to be considered. Since there are no dangers, no matter success or failure, there shouldn't be any harm in attempting, yes?"
Yun Che glanced at the outside and continued: "If by any chance I succeed, I can at least somewhat increase my profound strength and bring a little more hope in dealing with the villainous thieves outside."
Feng Baichuan knitted his brows, and lowly sighed: "You are a youngster after all, it is impossible to not be curious after hearing about the trial that a divine phoenix beast had left. When you spoke with me earlier, you had at least glanced three times over at that seal formation. Since you really want to attempt that trial this much… Then so be it, I'll open the trial's gate for you. But before that, it would be best for you to treat your injuries first. Also, during the trial, you absolutely have to forfeit right away the moment you feel that it's too unbearable… Otherwise, even though the illusory realm is illusory, the flames are truly the phoenix's flames; you will really die if you try to forcefully endure it."
"Okay!" Yun Che joyfully nodded.
With Yun Che's medical skills and the entire treasury's medicinal materials together, the injuries on his body were simply not a problem. The next day, the wound on his shoulder already had fully mended and there was no pain when making large movements either; only an bowl-sized scar was left. If he wished for it, this scar could also completely disappear within half a month.
A day had passed and the Black Demon Mercenary Group's members who as expected, kept guard outside continuously clamored about. The emotions of the phoenix clansmen had finally calmed down; however, it could only be temporary. While holding onto the food and water Feng Baichuan distributed to them, they didn't dare to think about tomorrow in the midst of their worrying.
And now, Feng Baichuan had already brought Yun Che and Lan Xueruo before the trial ground's seal formation as they stood there.
"Junior Brother Yun, you really wish to attempt it no matter what? Even though it's a trial, great danger could still be hidden inside. You only have a strength of the Nascent Profound Realm's first rank, if… if…" Lan Xueruo pulled Yun Che's arm and kept on persuading him.
"Relax, Senior Sister also knows that I have fire attribute profound arts, I won't easily be troubled inside a trial of fire." Yun Che said while comforted.
"But…" Lan Xueruo wanted to say more, but seeing Yun Che's gaze which was as tranquil as water, she knew that no matter how much she persuaded, he still wouldn't change his mind. She could only faintly sigh: "Then you'll have to be careful no matter what."
"Are you ready?" Feng Baichuan questioned as he stood in front of the seal formation.
"I'll have to bother Clan Leader Feng to open the seal for me." Yun Che nodded.
Feng Baichuan slowly nodded, and reminded again: "If you feel that you can no longer endure, you must come out right away. Please do not try to be brave."
As he finished speaking, he bit open his finger, and dripped a drop of blood onto the seal formation. Instantaneously, a red light flashed through the seal formation, then vanished while spinning quickly. In front of them, a dark red colored bizarre entrance appeared. As if it was a terrifying bottomless abyss, it was pitch black inside the entrance and no signs of existence could be seen.
"Since the ancestor discovered this trial ground, no one other than clansmen had ever entered before; you are seriously the first one. This trial ground can only be opened once a month, and no matter success or failure, one cannot enter for a second time in their entire life. Think about whether you want to enter or not again."
Yun Che nodded, threw Lan Xueruo a comforting look, and then stepped into the trial ground's entrance without hesitation.
The moment he stepped inside the entrance, the scene before him suddenly distorted. Right after, he felt the sky and ground spin, as if his body was sent flying by a storm. He unconsciously closed his eyes. Only after a long time, did that weightless feeling finally disappear slowly. When he opened his eyes, he only saw a pitch black darkness.
Where… is this?
Why is there only darkness? There's nothing here at all… The phoenix's test, weren't seas of fire or lava supposed to appear?
Right as questions emerged inside his mind, two lines of narrow golden light suddenly appeared in the pitch black darkness before him. Immediately after, the two narrow lines of golden luminance slowly opened like a pair of slightly narrowed eyes… No! That exactly was a pair of eyes! A pair of incomparably gigantic golden eyes that was embedded inside the pitch black space.
The eyes of the Phoenix!!
"Greetings, human. Welcome to the trial grounds. You are the first challenger without the phoenix bloodline in these past thousand years."
A dignified voice resounded within his mind; from the timbre of the voice, it was clearly a female voice. Yun Che looked at this pair of golden eyes, and probed: "You are… the spirit of the phoenix?"
"That is correct. I am an immortal soul left here by the phoenix, yet I am also an existence independent of the phoenix. I preserve this trial ground and receive all challengers. Spirit of the Phoenix, is the most fitting title for me."
"Why would the phoenix leave a trial ground here?" Yun Che offhandedly spoke out the question inside his heart.
Yun Che had asked offhandedly, and never expected the Spirit of the Phoenix to answer him. What was out of his expectations, was that the Spirit of the Phoenix actually very generously, answered him: "Long ago, the three major fire attribute divine beasts: the Phoenix, Golden Crow, and the Vermilion Bird fought for the Flame Progenitor position in the Divine Realm. The fierce battle lasted thirty-six days, and ended in the defeat and injury of all three. The Phoenix fell down to this Profound Sky Continent after being gravely wounded, and completely recovered after thirteen years in the Profound Sky Continent. In these thirteen years, the phoenix deeply felt that even though the Profound Sky Continent's humans were weak in strength, their hearts and nature were pure; thus it left two trial grounds in order to leave some opportunities for the humans of this continent."
"So that's how it was."
"However, the phoenix had left this message: If the humans of the Profound Sky Continent uses this Phoenix power to harm the world, all of their strength will be taken away and their bloodline would be given punishment! What was very unfortunate, was that a person of one of the bloodlines committed a grave sin while using the phoenix's power; the power of the phoenix had been permanently stripped and their bloodline was cursed. After that, no one else had passed this trial. As the first person without the phoenix bloodline in these thousand years, I hope that you can break this thousand years of silence… Then, are you ready?"
"Yes, I can start anytime." Yun Che took in a long breath, his entire face held a calm expression. In terms of his profound strength only, entering this kind of trial could be considered as presumptuous. However, he obtained a body that was immune to any kind of fire after swallowing the Fire Seed of the Evil God. Relying on this kind of heaven opposing cheat, it wasn't as if he didn't have any confidence at all faced against this fire divine beast's trial.
"Very good, the trial has three stages in total, respectively: First stage: Purgatory Flame Demon; second stage: Arrows of the Phoenix; third stage: Corruption of the Heart's Flame. If you wish to forfeit during the trial, you may shout out at anytime and I'll immediately let you leave the trial grounds. You may die if you forcibly endure the trial… I wish you success."
Just as the Spirit of the Phoenix's voice faded, the pair of golden eyes slowly disappeared inside the world of pitch black darkness.
Yet the world before Yun Che's eyes spun once again. Moments later, the darkness entirely disappeared, and the world around him impressively transformed into a field of deep red.
The scene before his eyes stunned him for a long time.
The ground under his feet appeared to be a deep red color; as if it was paved by terrifying red-hot steel. The ground was uneven; disorderly boulders were scattered around and mountains of varying heights were layered one after another. Even the mountain's surface was crimson, as if it could spew out flames which could reach the heavens at any time. Looking upwards, the sky was also a field of deep red.
Stalks of ember were distributed across every direction on the fire-red colored ground. Some of the embers were only a few inches tall, while some had even shot up for over ten meters in height. On both sides, pools after pools of red-colored lava bubbled like boiling water… Drawing out an incomparably terrifying scene of a lava purgatory.
Unquestionably, the wind here was scorching hot as the air's temperature reached a terrifying height. It was no wonder that Feng Baichuan declared forfeit after only enduring for several breaths of time. Just with the temperature here alone, let alone an profound practitioner of the Elementary Profound Realm, even if a profound practitioner of the True Profound Realm exhausted all his strength, he would only be able to barely endure.
But the temperature here to Yun Che could only be described with one word:
Comfortable!
Comfortable to the extent that it was the same as leisurely soaking inside warm water.