As Li Taixing stood at the edge of the Fire test, he peered at the sea of rolling magma before him. Across the vast, fiery expanse, a small island floated serenely in the center. Atop the island, a flame in the shape of a lotus flower swayed gently, its ethereal glow illuminating the area.
"What is that?" Li Taixing muttered.
[Ding! A treasure has been detected: Baiye Lotus Fire.]
Li Taixing's eyes widened in excitement. "Wow, good stuff!"
[Ding! How to obtain: The host must swim through the magma to gain its recognition.]
Li Taixing blinked in disbelief. "What the hell?"
[The Baiye Lotus Fire only acknowledges a master who can prove their strength by swimming through the magma.]
He shook his head, baffled. "Can't I just teleport?"
[No. Any attempt to teleport will provoke an attack from the fire.]
Li Taixing let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness for the Hunyuan Pearl."
With a confident grin, he jumped into the magma, feeling its intense heat envelop him. But, thanks to the Hunyuan Pearl, he swam through it as if it were nothing more than a warm pool. Before long, he reached the small island and stood before the majestic Baiye Lotus Fire.
Meanwhile, far behind, the old man had managed to crawl out from the previous test, limping and bruised. When he arrived at the Fire test and saw Li Taixing standing so close to the Lotus Fire, he was stunned.
"This... this boy is insane!" The old man grinned maliciously. "He dares to approach the Lotus Fire? He's as good as dead. After all these years, even I couldn't tame it!"
The old man cackled, confident that Li Taixing would meet a fiery end. "There's no way that boy can control such a wild flame!"
Oblivious to the old man's thoughts, Li Taixing stared intently at the Baiye Lotus Fire. "I'm your new master," he declared, his voice steady with determination.
The flame flickered, as if considering his words. It had gained a certain level of sentience over the years, and it assessed the young man before it. After a few moments, the Lotus Fire seemed to understand that Li Taixing wasn't just another foolish cultivator.
"If you accept me as your master, I promise you won't regret it. I'm the best alchemist you'll ever find!" Li Taixing boasted, pointing a thumb toward himself.
From his hiding spot, the old man couldn't help but laugh. "The best alchemist? Hah! The Baiye Lotus Fire won't be impressed by empty words, boy!"
But to his astonishment, the Baiye Lotus Fire slowly began to flicker in a soft glow, accepting Li Taixing's offer. With a swift motion, Li Taixing sealed the flame away, the rare treasure now under his control.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Baiye Lotus Fire, triggering a tens of billions multiplier effect. Congratulations to the host for acquiring the Eternal Lotus Fire!]
Li Taixing could barely contain his joy when the system chimed again.
[Ding! System modules have been updated. Congratulations to the host for unlocking the equipment slot!]
[Ding! Eternal Lotus Fire has been equipped in the equipment slot.]
[Ding! Hunyuan Pearl has been equipped in the equipment slot.]
[Ding! Transformation Mask has been equipped in the equipment slot.]
[Reminder: Items in the equipment slot are always active and cannot be dropped or stolen. They will automatically take effect without requiring manual activation.]
Li Taixing was over the moon. "This is awesome!" he shouted, basking in his newfound power.
But as Li Taixing celebrated, the old man stood frozen in disbelief. He had been waiting for the Baiye Lotus Fire to consume the boy, but instead, it had accepted him.
"He... he succeeded?!" The old man's face contorted with rage and confusion. "That fire was supposed to destroy him!"
Li Taixing, now fully prepared, moved toward the next challenge without looking back. The old man, however, was still stuck, unable to chase after him as the effects of the poison hadn't fully worn off.
"Damn it!" The old man cursed his paralyzed body. "How can this be happening?"
---
The Water test loomed ahead, and as Li Taixing stepped into the area, a massive river appeared before him. The water seemed ordinary at first, but soon it began to rise rapidly, threatening to flood the entire space.
[Warning: Heavy water detected. Swimming here is impossible. The more you struggle, the faster you will sink. Most drown within minutes.]
Li Taixing surveyed the scene calmly. With the Hunyuan Pearl equipped and the Eternal Lotus Fire coursing through him, he felt confident.
The water soon surged past his feet, rising higher and higher until it completely submerged him. But instead of struggling, Li Taixing began to swim effortlessly to the other side, his body protected from the immense pressure.
Far behind, the old man had finally recovered from his poisoning. He smirked wickedly. "This time, you're done for, boy. There's no surviving the water test."
The old man was confident that the heavy water's immense pressure would crush Li Taixing before he could reach the next level. But after a few minutes, he noticed something strange. The water began to recede.
"Wait, why is the water retreating?" The old man's expression turned sour. He immediately looked toward the river and saw that the passage to the next level had been opened.
"No... there's no way! Did he really make it through again?"
The old man's eyes twitched. "Is this kid a devil? How is he still alive?"
He contemplated going through the water test himself to see if the mechanism had failed. But when he thought about the risks, he hesitated, unwilling to meet the same fate.
---
Meanwhile, Li Taixing confidently stepped into the final test—the Gold test. He had successfully conquered four of the Five Elements tests. But unknown to him, the old man, now seething with fury, was ready to intervene directly.
"This time, boy, you won't escape," the old man muttered darkly, his murderous intent clear. His gaze locked on Li Taixing as he entered the Gold test.
Whatever happened next, he wouldn't let Li Taixing leave the secret realm alive.