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--- Chapter 225 ---
Baek Ain waited for Chu Ming and others to finish harvesting materials off the young Thunderfire Dragonhawk and Silver Dragon-Wolf's corpses.
Meat, bones, blood, they harvested everything. Even the feathers and furs of the Genesis Beasts could become formidable artifacts.
After fifteen minutes, Chu Ming and his comrades completely harvested the raw materials and handed them to Baek Ain.
Baek Ain nodded, "Good job."
"Here, you guys can have some raw materials as well." He put some into another spatial ring and threw it to Chu Ming.
Chu Ming caught the spatial ring and was shocked to find some Silver Wolf-Dragon's raw materials inside.
"This..." He gazed at Baek Ain admiringly.
"The Thunderfire Dragonhawk was your target in the first place. I'm just having fun with it." Baek Ain responded with a smile. "The Silver Wolf-Dragon's thingy is extra for your good job."
"I can see that you guys' butchering and harvesting skills are high."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Chu Ming bowed while shouting gratefully.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Chu Ming's comrades followed afterward.
Baek Ain waved his hand, "I only reward you for your efforts."
"Not to mention, I could learn new things thanks to Chu Ming's Genesis Rune Boundary."
"Let's enter the Fire Roc Saint's Royal Tomb."
"Yes!"
They entered the cave and were 'instantly' greeted with overwhelmingly hot temperatures.
Baek Ain was okay because he got the power of Three-Legged Golden Crow, but Chu Ming and others aren't so much.
They are sweating profusely, soaking their clothes in the first five minutes.
Baek Ain thought of something and dragged the Wandering Stranger's Brush, starting to stroke a new Genesis Rune.
He picked some purple jade pieces and inscribed Fire Resistance Runes on them. Although this Genesis Rune is several times weaker than Heavenly Blade Killing Formation, it could repel heat.
"Take these." Baek Ain handed the runes to Chu Ming and others.
"Woah, I don't feel any searing heat anymore." One of them said.
"Thank god, the heat is killing me."
"It might be bearable, but I can't imagine staying here for more than three hours."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"We are really indebted to you."
"It's nothing." Baek Ain replied casually. After all, Fire Resistance Runes are only A-grade in terms of quality.
As Baek Ain and others walked deeper into the cave, they spotted fire crystals on the cave wall. Chu Ming and others didn't think much of the fire crystals, but Baek Ain reacted differently.
Baek Ain's mouth twitched, 'I should have expected this, but these fire crystals are Fire God's Crystals. The highest quality at that.'
'Chu Ming and others probably only thought these crystals were ordinary energy crystals and didn't sense the overwhelming Fire Energy contained within them.'
'No wonder this cave is so goddamn hot.'
Baek Ain willed Gnome to come out, and the Earthly Fire Spirit appeared as a cute, fiery creature with a raincoat. He pointed at the Fire God's Crystals and told Gnome to loot them.
'Understand, Master.' Gnome said with an adorable voice.
Baek Ain smiled because Gnome had developed enough spirituality to talk with him. Soon enough, Gnome could rival True Golden Crow's Divine Flame.
They arrived before a massive gate made of red-colored steel, and Chu Ming explained, "Your Highness, only those from Blaze Roc Royal Family and Blazed Roc Palace could enter this gate."
"However, you're the Fire Roc Saint's destiny disciple, so your crown will be the qualification."
"Maybe you should try to put your Genesis Qi into the crown?" Someone said randomly.
Baek Ain shrugged, "Worth a try."
He infused his Genesis Qi into the Fire Emperor's Crown, and the halo above it widened by a few inches. Heatwave was 'gently' released by the crown and hit the red-colored gate.
Clank!
The red-colored gate opened slowly, revealing two pathways.
"Uh..." Chu Ming and others were baffled.
"What path should we take?"
Baek Ain used Ashen God's Eyes, which could see through any illusion and trickery, and discovered that both paths are equally dangerous.
It is just a matter of courage.
"So, it's a trial?" Baek Ain rubbed his chin.
Chu Ming approached Baek Ain, "Your Highness..."
"Let's take the left path." Baek Ain answered confidently before Chu Ming could finish his words.
"Okay..." They could only follow Baek Ain to the left path.
After walking for five more minutes, they were 'actually' greeted by another red-colored gate.
Baek Ain activated Fire Emperor's Crown again, and the gate opened, revealing four identical paths.
Baek Ain used his Ashen God's Eyes and frowned this time. The four paths led to different trial sites, but each is equally hard for Divine Dwelling Realm Expert.
Well, a normal Divine-Dwelling Realm Expert, that is.
Baek Ain was nowhere near normal.
He literally killed Rank 7 Genesis Beast, which is equal to Nascent Origin Realm Expert, a few moments ago despite being an entry-level Divine Dwelling Realm.
"The first path led to a pit of dangerous Genesis Beasts."
"The second path led to a fiery domain full of traps."
"The third path led to a field with over a thousand Bronze Puppets, each having the strength of Heavenly Sun Realm."
"And lastly, the fourth path. It led to an altar with a sealed Saint Race Expert that Fire Roc Saint captured before his death..."
Chu Ming and his comrades shivered when learning the things they had to face from each path. A rumor said that Fire Roc Saint is quite a crazy expert, and now they knew where he got such a label.
Unknown to them, Baek Ain planned to tackle every path with his Shadow Fire Envoys, a niche skill that allowed Baek Ain to create fiery shadow subordinates near his power level.
He did this because every path gave different rewards.
"I will take the third path. What do you guys think?" Baek Ain glanced at Chu Ming and others.
Chu Ming put on a wry expression, "Your Highness, may I know why you chose this dangerous path?"
Baek Ain smiled and answered, "You're wrong, Chu Ming. In fact, the third path is the safest path out of the four paths."
"Unlike Genesis Beasts, Unknown Traps, or the sealed Saint Race Expert, Bronze Puppets are easier to handle because they don't have a mind of their own and move based on programmed order."
"Unless you wanted to traverse on a fiery land filled with a trap, bronze puppets are way safer..."
Jing Nuyan nervously rubbed her hand, "But each puppet is Heavenly Sun Realm Expert. You said it earlier..."
"Yes, I did. Don't worry. We can handle it." Baek Ain winked at Jing Nuyan.
Jing Nuyan blushed, "U-Understood."
As they threaded into the third path, Baek Ain activated Fire Shadow Envoys, and his subordinates entered the other paths.
Then, a chain of notifications started echoing in his mind.
Baek Ain and others arrived at the third path's test and saw a stone field filled with bronze statues. Each wears ancient armor and wields different kinds of weapons.
They stepped back into the hallway and prepared some plans.
"There are too many of them, Your Highness."
"We can't handle them with just us."
Baek Ain nodded in understanding, "You're right. I have limited stamina, and most of you guys' cultivation is only the initial Heavenly Sun Realm."
"It seems I really underestimated the trials."
"Well, I have many ways to defeat those bronze puppets."
"Let me make some pills first."
"Your Highness, y-you're also an alchemist?" Chu Ming and others were dumbfounded.
Baek Ain tilted his head in confusion, "Is there something wrong with me being an alchemist?"
"N-No, it's just that you're already a genius in cultivation, and Genesis Rune..." Chu Ming responded slowly.
"We didn't expect you to have another skill like this."
Baek Ain sighed, "My skill is only so-so."
"I'm only able to make some weak skills."
Even though Baek Ain said that humbly, he pulled several ingredients and burned them up with True Golden Crow's Divine Flame skillfully.
Chu Ming and others watched as the raw medicinal essence became liquid under the extreme heat and separated into three globs before turning into pills.
'What do you mean weak pills? That is clearly a Grade 6 Pill!' They thought of Baek Ain's earlier statement.
Baek Ain looked at the pills and nodded, "Good enough, I guess."
"I created three pills."
"The first pill is the Genesis Qi Enhancing Pill, which increases your cultivation by one or two stages depending on your foundation."
"The second pill is Dragon-Elephant Body Armor Pill, which increases your physical strength and resistance into that of dragons and ancient elephants."
"Oh, it also enhanced your stamina."
"The third pill is Blade Force Pill. This pill is made by refining medicinal ingredients with my Blade Intent, granting a temporary pseudo-blade aura around your body."
"With it, you can damage a bronze puppet easily."
Baek Ain clapped and grinned, "Prepare yourself. We are going all-out in this fight!"