"The challenge area of the outer abode of Thousand Lotus Cave Abode, the Fire and Water Dao!"
As soon as Ye Chen stepped into the "Path of Fire," he began to observe his surroundings.
Looking around, Ye Chen found himself in a vast corridor that was more than ten meters wide and tall, extending far into the distance.
The corridor was flickering with flames, a deep red color pervading the area, and the heat was intense. It felt as though he had entered a fiery cavern.
The five vortexes of True Qi within Ye Chen's Qi Sea vibrated, and a green True Qi immediately enveloped his body, forming a layer of Protective True Qi that slightly mitigated the scorching sensation.
Boom!
Just as Ye Chen had entered the corridor, a loud booming sound came from behind him. The entrance to the "Path of Fire" slammed shut, locking the way back completely.
"Ape said there are three challenges in the 'Fire and Water Dao,' but I wonder what those three are."
Ye Chen cautiously moved forward, continuously observing the corridor walls as he walked. His divine consciousness spread out, and he kept every change within a hundred meters around him under control.
After a short while, upon turning a corner, Ye Chen suddenly saw the path ahead blocked by a massive fire pattern.
This fire pattern, towering more than ten meters both in width and height, was immensely large, with countless lines and contours that emitted overwhelming brilliance. Standing beneath the huge pattern, Ye Chen felt even smaller than the lines themselves.
"Could this be the first test?"
"And how should I pass it?"
Ye Chen examined the giant Fire Rune Chart.
...
Outside the Fire and Water Dao.
As Ye Chen arrived at the Fire Rune Chart, the Three-Eyed Giant Ape and Jiang Yao, who were observing Ye Chen's test through the half-sky screen of the abode, became more spirited.
"Ye Chen has finally reached the first challenge spot—the 'Fire Rune Chart'!"
"The master of the abode set understanding Sword Intents as a condition for selecting an heir. Those who could comprehend Sword Intents were all individuals with outstanding talent. However, to be called a true powerhouse, talent alone is insufficient."
"These three tests of the outer abode are designed to evaluate these candidates' 'Combat Power,' 'Wit,' and 'Willpower,' in addition to their talent."
"And this first challenge, the 'Fire Rune Chart,' is a test of 'Combat Power'!"
"Now we'll see if Ye Chen has enough Combat Power to move on to the second stage of the outer abode!"
All three eyes of the Three-Eyed Giant Ape were fixed on Ye Chen through the half-sky screen of the abode.
Next to the Ape, Jiang Yao's clear eyes were also fixed on Ye Chen: "When I breached the 'Path of Water,' the first challenge was the 'Water Pattern Chart,' and I remember killing all 108 'Water Armored Warriors' to break through that challenge."
"In these three years, the nineteen who came here to face the challenge all breached the 'Path of Fire,' dealing with the Fire Armored Warriors inside the Fire Rune Chart. The most anyone has killed was eighty-three, and the least was forty-five. I wonder how many Ye Chen will be able to kill?"
Eyeing the Fire Armored Warriors charging at him, Ye Chen saw them as bunches of refined Heaven and Earth True Qi, and a sharp light burst forth from his eyes, "If that's the case, then I'll strive to kill all one hundred and eight Fire Armored Warriors!"
In an instant, the five great True Qi whirlpools within Ye Chen's body violently shook, and countless strands of cyan True Qi swept out, turning into a flurry of sharp arrows in the air that shot towards the remaining thirty-five Fire Armored Warriors.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Thwack!
The sky full of True Qi arrows flashed with a cross-shaped brilliance, instantly penetrating thirty-five cross-shaped holes in the foreheads of the thirty-five Fire Armored Warriors.
Subsequently, with continuous "boom, boom, boom, boom" sounds, the thirty-five Fire Armored Warriors left in the corridor exploded all at once in that instant—all were shot dead by Ye Chen! All turned into balls of fire, rushing towards Ye Chen.
Ye Chen's move was none other than the Cross Rapid-Kill Sword Skills controlled with Sword Intent!
With the Sword Intent enhancing the Cross Rapid-Kill Sword Skills, they were utterly unstoppable. These fifth-level True Qi Fire Armored Warriors had no chance of resisting!
After Ye Chen had instantly killed all thirty-six Fire Armored Warriors, the Three-Eyed Giant Ape nodded in approval.
"Reaching the fifth level of the True Qi Realm and comprehending the major achievement level of a mid-tier Yellow-ranked sword technique, along with Sword Intent, indeed, his combat power is not bad."
"However, if those are all the techniques he has, the next batch of Fire Armored Warriors will be troublesome."
Jiang Yao's face also tensed, "The next thirty-six Fire Armored Warriors will have their strength directly surge to the level of Ye Chen's power when he faced the previous batch. He must still have some techniques up his sleeve.
Besides, there's a third batch of Fire Armored Warriors that will be even more formidable. When they attack in a group, layer upon layer, many have fallen at the hands of these three batches of warriors."
"I wonder how many more techniques Ye Chen has."
The Three-Eyed Giant Ape and Jiang Yao began to worry about the battles ahead for Ye Chen.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen, having absorbed another thirty-five balls of fire True Qi, not only fully recovered the True Qi he had expended but also gained quite a bit more. His fighting spirit, like the firelight in the corridor, was blazing fiercely.
"Come on!"
"Bring on the next batch of Fire Armored Warriors!"
As his fighting spirit ignited, thirty-six fiery orbs burst forth from the Fire Rune Chart.
These fiery orbs, once they touched the ground, turned into thirty-six Fire Armored Warriors, just as before.
However, this time the aura emanating from the Fire Armored Warriors was much stronger than before. With the thirty-six moving in unison, even the air currents became subtly tumultuous.
These Fire Armored Warriors had reached the level of understanding Sword Intent!
No sooner had the Fire Armored Warriors landed than they charged at Ye Chen with swords ablaze, executing the same Cross Rapid-Kill Sword Skills that Ye Chen had used earlier.
These Fire Armored Warriors were capable of instantly comprehending the sword technique and Sword Intent that Ye Chen had previously used, which was nothing short of miraculous.
Indeed, the Fire Rune Chart that gave birth to these Fire Armored Warriors must be an inconceivably magical artifact!