Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

211: Chapter 211: First Trial of the Forging Path and Strange Famine in the Star CoreThe Tiangong Sect’s Blazing Flying Boat moved at incredible speeds, cutting through the dense Fire Fiend fog like a giant crimson fish swimming through a sea of scorching air. Formations engraved on the hull emitted streaks of flowing light, isolating most of the external heat and baleful energy, yet a suffocating heat and oppression could still be felt inside the cabin.

The interior of the flying boat was vast, with hundreds of Cultivators crowded inside, yet no one spoke. Only heavy breathing and the occasional clink of colliding Magical Artifacts could be heard. The air was thick with a complex mix of tension, greed, and fear; every face was taut, and eyes darted around, both wary of potential danger and sizing up potential ’prey’.

Nangong Xuan and his two companions chose a corner near the cabin wall to close their eyes and regulate their breathing, appearing indifferent to the undercurrents of the outside world. Within Nangong Xuan’s body, the four keys rotated slowly, constantly adapting to and converting the wisps of Fire Baleful Qi that seeped through the boat’s Formations. He kept the dark red crystal close to his body, its pure fire element being slowly and continuously absorbed by the chaos star core, which in turn provided pure energy to nourish him.

Su Muxue was enveloped in a faint lunar glow that also covered Zi Linger beside her, isolating them from the parching heat and shielding them from malicious, prying eyes. Zi Linger held her palms slightly curved, as several fire-resistant Redthorn Grass seeds she had collected outside Red Rock City circled silently at her fingertips, glowing with a faint light of life.

After flying for about half a day, the flying boat suddenly jolted, and its speed decreased sharply.

The voice of that cold Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivator rang out inside the cabin, broadcast to every corner via an amplification Formation: ”The Forging Fire Path has been reached! All trial-takers, prepare to disembark! Remember, return to this assembly point with fire smelting stones within ten days; we will not wait for laggards! Now, get out!”

Before his voice had even faded, the bottom of the flying boat swung wide open! An indescribable wave of scorching heat, mixed with the pungent stench of sulfur and molten metal, slammed into the cabin like a physical force!

”Ah!” ”It’s so hot!” ”Quickly, use your techniques to resist!”

Exclamations erupted everywhere as many ill-prepared Cultivators were instantly thrown into a turmoil of blood and Qi by the sudden heat wave, their skin burning with pain.

”Go!” Nangong Xuan barked. His Nirvana Sword Intent circulated slightly around him, easily annihilating the oncoming heat wave and turning it into nothingness. He was the first to transform into a streak of light, rushing out of the opening at the bottom of the boat. Su Muxue and Zi Linger followed closely behind, lunar light and green brilliance flashing as they landed steadily below.

The moment they set foot on the ground, despite being prepared, the three still felt a staggering heat rising from beneath their feet, as if they were standing on a red-hot iron plate. Looking around, everything was crimson!

They were currently on the edge of a massive basin surrounded by a ring of mountains. The ground was dark red solidified lava, with fissures occasionally spewing flames several meters high and toxic smoke. In the distance, massive, scar-like Fire Fiend rifts spanned the land, constantly erupting with violent, dark red energy that distorted the very air. Further away, the ruins of some broken ancient buildings could be faintly seen, half-buried in lava and ash, speaking of the former glory and current deathly silence of this place.

The sky was a permanent, unchanging crimson, with thick clouds of Fire Fiend Qi hanging low as if they might drip molten fire rain at any moment. The Fire Spiritual Qi permeating the air was so dense it was almost suffocating, but its nature was incredibly violent; absorbing and refining it directly would easily lead to Qi Deviation or even the erosion of one’s Divine Sense by the baleful energy.

This was the Forging Fire Path, the outer barrier of the Heart of Molten Fire, and the Tiangong Sect’s brutal trial ground!

Thud, thud, thud! Hundreds of figures dropped from the flying boat like dumplings into a pot. Many with weaker cultivation were unstable upon landing, some even needing to stumble a few steps to dissipate the impact, looking quite disheveled.

The Blazing Flying Boat did not linger. Once everyone had landed, the bottom hatch closed, and with a hum, it transformed into a crimson rainbow and swiftly sped away, disappearing into the horizon with cold, efficient detachment.

As soon as the flying boat left, the atmosphere on the scene instantly became even more eerie and tense.

The hundreds of Cultivators quickly scattered, maintaining a wary distance from one another. Some acquaintances began to group up, while more solo travelers had flickering eyes, searching for isolated targets or opportunities. The trial had begun, and the source of ’fire smelting stones,’ besides the dangerous Fire Fiend rifts, sometimes came from... other trial-takers.

”Let’s leave this place first and find a temporary foothold to observe the environment,” Nangong Xuan said coldly, his Divine Sense sweeping over the malicious gazes around them. He did not want to get bogged down in pointless slaughter right at the start.

The three chose a direction and used their movement techniques to quickly distance themselves from the landing area. Their speed was immense and their auras were steady, causing some Cultivators who had been harboring ill intentions to feel apprehensive; after a moment of hesitation, they ultimately gave up and turned to look for weaker targets.

Soon, the sounds of intense fighting, screams, and the roar of Spells drifted from behind them. The scent of blood began to mingle with the scorching air, adding more brutal colors to this lava Hell.

Nangong Xuan and his companions turned a deaf ear to this. After running at full tilt for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, they found a relatively hidden natural rocky hollow formed by several large, charred black boulders.

”The Fire Baleful Qi here is denser and more violent than at the perimeter,” Su Muxue frowned slightly; she could feel her Taiyin Star Power being consumed at an accelerated rate.

”fire smelting stones usually grow near Fire Fiend rifts; we must get close to those areas.” Nangong Xuan spread out the Jade Slip containing the information, sinking his Divine Sense into it to cross-reference with the surrounding terrain. ”According to the map, three miles to the northeast, there is a Fire Fiend rift labeled ’Bing Seven.’ Its energy eruptions are relatively regular, and the danger level is medium. It can serve as our first investigation point.”

Just then, Zi Linger suddenly let out a soft ”Eh?” and crouched down, her fingers lightly touching the dark red ground beneath her feet. A wisp of faint emerald light seeped from her fingertips into the earth.

”What is it, Linger?” Su Muxue asked.

”This land... although it is heavily eroded by Fire Fiend energy, deep down... there seems to be a trace of extremely faint vitality remaining. It’s very ancient, very tenacious...” Zi Linger closed her eyes to sense it, her brow furrowed. ”Moreover, I feel... fragments of sadness and anger coming from deep within the earth...”

A Wood Spirit’s Perception of the emotions of the earth and living beings far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Nangong Xuan’s heart stirred. ”It might be related to the ancient upheavals of this land. Sense it carefully; if there is danger, withdraw immediately.”

A moment later, Zi Linger opened her eyes and shook her head. ”The sensation is very blurred, masked by the powerful Fire Fiend force. But those emotions... they are very unpleasant.”

”Focus on the trial at hand first,” Nangong Xuan said in a low voice. ”Let’s go to the Bing Seven rift.”

The three set off again, cautiously sneaking toward the northeast. The closer they got to the target area, the more violent the Fire Baleful Qi became and the higher the temperature rose; they even needed to continuously circulate their spiritual power for protection to resist it. The ground became even more rugged and difficult to traverse, with lava-formed spikes and cracks visible everywhere.

Soon, they heard a massive roar like a howling storm. On the horizon ahead, a dark red rift a hundred feet long and several feet wide appeared before their eyes, looking like a hideous wound on the earth. Dense, slurry-like Fire Baleful Qi erupted from the rift like a waterfall, surging dozens of feet into the sky before falling back down like lava rain, turning the surrounding area into a deathly wasteland.

That was the ’Bing Seven’ Fire Fiend rift!

The rocks at the edge of the rift had been scorched for so long that they had turned to glass, shimmering with a dull luster. Within the erupting torrent of Fire Fiend energy, some dark red, irregular crystals could be faintly seen tumbling and floating with the air currents—those were the ’fire smelting stones’!

But to collect these Ores, one had to brave the terrifying Fire Fiend torrent and the falling lava rain to get close to the rift’s edge! The difficulty and danger involved could well be imagined.

At this moment, several groups of Cultivators were already attempting it near the rift. They each used their own methods: some sacrificed defensive Magical Artifacts to tank the hits, some tried to find patterns in the eruptions to rush in during the intervals, and others attacked from a distance, trying to knock the Ores out of the torrent, but with little effect.

Screams rang out from time to time. One Cultivator’s defensive Magical Artifact was worn away by the continuous Fire Fiend torrent; he was instantly ignited, turning into a human torch before falling into the rift, leaving no bones behind. Another Cultivator managed to avoid the main torrent but was hit by a piece of falling lava rain; his Protective Aura shattered, and half his body was melted away!

This place was simply an efficient meat grinder!

Nangong Xuan and his companions hid behind a giant boulder in the distance, observing the situation.

”What a terrifying energy eruption...” Su Muxue’s expression was grave. Even she could not guarantee she could resist the impact of that main torrent for long.

”The number of fire smelting stones is quite high, but collecting them is extremely difficult.” Nangong Xuan’s gaze was sharp as he looked for patterns and weaknesses. ”The main torrent’s eruption has a brief weakening period roughly every thirty breaths, lasting less than three breaths. The falling fire rain also has a traceable trajectory.”

He looked at the two women. ”Mu Xue, use your lunar glow to protect the three of us, focusing on defending against the fire rain falling from above. Linger, try to communicate with the scorched rocks at the edge of the rift to see if you can create a bit of a foothold or leverage. I will be responsible for resisting the main torrent and collecting the Ores.”

With their roles clearly defined, the two women nodded.

Waiting for the moment the main torrent’s eruption subsided, the three moved simultaneously!

Lunar light suddenly appeared as a cold protective barrier enveloped the three, precisely deflecting several pieces of falling lava. Zi Linger pressed her hands to the ground, and as emerald light surged into the earth, several charred rocks at the edge of the rift ahead shifted slightly, instantly becoming somewhat flatter.

Meanwhile, Nangong Xuan pointed his fingers like a sword. Nirvana Sword Intent condensed at his fingertips, transforming into an incredibly refined gray-white sword light. He didn’t strike at the torrent itself, but rather at the Core energy nodes of the surging Fire Fiend force!

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

Like boiling water poured on snow, the moment the violent Fire Fiend torrent came into contact with the Nirvana Sword Intent, its Core structure was briefly annihilated and decomposed, creating a short-lived gap large enough for one person to pass through!

Nangong Xuan moved like lightning, passing through the gap. With a large sweep of his hand, his Nirvana Sword Essence transformed into an invisible hand, instantly snatching seven or eight fire smelting stones of various sizes that were attached to the rock wall at the edge of the rift!

The entire process happened in the blink of an eye!

By the time the main torrent became turbulent again, Nangong Xuan had already retreated like a flash with the Ores. The lunar light barrier once again tanked several waves of splashing Fire Fiend impacts, rippling violently, but it ultimately held.

A perfect cooperation!

Looking at the dark red Ores in Nangong Xuan’s hand, which were still emitting high heat and contained pure Fire Fiend energy, Su Muxue and Zi Linger both breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing joy.

However, the moment Nangong Xuan put the fire smelting stones into his storage artifact, the chaos star core in his chest suddenly sent out an unprecedented, extremely intense, and clear sensation of ’hunger’!

This hunger was not directed at the surrounding Fire Baleful Qi, but directly at the fire smelting stones he had just put away!