Although it was a flame, it had a cold and piercing sensation, and the surrounding temperature dropped so quickly that even the air condensed into ice.
Su Shi raised his palm.
The flames fell onto his palm and surged like flowing water, as if showing affection for him.
Blue Sky Heavenly Fire.
A top-tier fire and the fire that pill refiners dreamed of!
Devouring impurities and purifying the origin.
With this fire, the chances of refining a Heavenly Spirit Pill were greatly increased!
Not only that, it can also extinguish itself and remove impurities from spiritual energy, which is extremely beneficial to the breakthrough of cultivation!
People’s eyes looked envious.
This inheritance is truly extraordinary!
Right after entering the stone monument, he was blessed with fortune.
Now, in the first stage, he had a treasure like Heavenly Fire!
How terrifying would the next opportunity be?
Ye Xiao’s eyes turned red and his fists were clenched tightly, his nails clenched into his palms and seeping out traces of blood.
“That Heavenly Fire should be mine!”
“Su Shi, you deserve to die!”
It had always been him who had snatched away others’ opportunities, but now he has been snatched away by this demon!!!
If fire and this were given to him, promotion to a ninth-grade pill refiner was imminent!
“Why didn’t Zhan Qingchen and Chen Qingluan make a move just now?”
“It seems that they want to maintain their power and don’t want to clash with this demon too quickly.”
“What Heavenly Prides of Righteous path, it’s all nonsense!”
Ye Xiao’s eyes were grim and cold, clearly holding a grudge.
In his eyes, anyone who did not help him was a villain!
Although he was not currently comparable to them, he would definitely not let them go if he gained strength!
As Su Shi watched, the corners of his mouth curled up in a cold smile.
“It’s not easy being a tool for the first time, is it?”
“You yourself should know best, when the role of a tool is drained, its existence is no longer needed.”
Buzz~
A rumbling sound rang through the air:
[Enter the next stage.]
A light flashed, and those who were eliminated looked resigned as their forms slowly disappeared into the air.
They were instantly taken out of the secret realm.
There were as many cultivators as those who entered Medicinal Mountain, but after two rounds passed, there were only twenty left today.
The air fluctuated like water and the surroundings changed once again.
Su Shi opened his eyes.
He saw that everyone around him had disappeared, and in front of him was an elaborately landscaped garden, as if it was a royal back garden.
Under his feet was a circular path that split into several ramifications in front of him.
The sound of rumbling thunder resounded.
[There are portals in all directions, when you want to return, there is no way out]
[Those who enter the center can enter the next stage]
Su Shi cupped his chin, “Well …… it really is a labyrinth.”
“Su Shi?”
A familiar voice sounded from behind him.
Turning back to look, he only saw the young girl in green standing not far behind him.
Su Shi smiled and said, “Imperial Censor Chen? It seems that fate has brought us together.”
“Is that so?”
Chen Qingluan’s eyes fluttered.
Everyone’s positions were randomly scattered, but the two of them managed to appear in the same place.
It seemed like it really was fated.
“Thank you very much when at the stone monument before…”
Chen Qingluan said in a low voice.
When they had first arrived at the stone monument, she and Zhan Qingchen had been surrounded by a group of people from the Demonic path.
The two of them were so powerful that despite the huge difference in their numbers, the people from the Demonic path were hesitant to make a move.
But if Su Shi was added to the group, the situation would be completely different.
Even if they could survive, they would definitely be severely injured and drop out of this test, completely losing their inheritance.
However, Su Shi chose to kill Demon Monk Shi Yun with a single slash.
The alliance was instantly broken.
“Actually, that Demon Monk is right, without me and Qingchen, your two formidable rivals will be reduced so your chances of gaining an opportunity are greatly increased.”
Chen Qingluan shook hee head, “However you prefer this way, there will be suspicion of you colluding with the Righteous path, you know?”
Su Shi laughed, “Even Imperial Censor Chen is not afraid, what am I, a demon from Demon Sect, afraid of? Besides, in my heart, some people are far more important than opportunities.”
Chen Qingluan’s heart skipped a beat!
There were some people who were more important than opportunities?
Who is the person he is talking about?
It can’t be Qingchen, can it …… Could it be that the person who is important to him is me?
Chen Qingluan was confused and stammered, “Nonsense, who, who has colluded with you?”
This seducer!
Su Shi didn’t think much of it.
Looking at the complex surroundings, he frowned and said, “According to the clues of the thunder sound, this should be a huge labyrinth formation. Imperial Censor Chen, do you know anything about formations?”
The stone tablet tests aptitude, while the alchemy exam tests control.
And this labyrinth formation, the test should be about insight.
Chen Qingluan calmed his mind and nodded, “I’ve dabbled, but I’m not really proficient.”
“That’s enough.”
Su Shi took a branch and sketched on the ground, “There are portals on all sides, and when you want to go back in a hurry, there is no way out, this is definitely a hint of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.”
The eight gates are divided into:
Xiu Men (休門 / Door of Rest)
Sheng Men (生門 / Door of Life)
Shang Men (傷門 / Door of Injury)
Tu Men (杜門 / Door of Fabrication)
Jing Men (景門 / Door of Scenery)
Si Men (死門 / Door of Death)
Jing Men (驚門 / Door of Fright)
Kai Men (開門 / Open Door)
Entering the [Door of Life], [Door of Scenery], [Open Door] is fortunate; entering the [Door of Injury], [Door of Fright] and [Door of Rest] is wretched; entering the [Door of Fabrication] and [Door of Death] is death.
Chen Qingluan nodded and said, “So we just need to find the [Door of Life]?”
Su Shi shook his head, “It’s not that simple, remember the second sentence that the voice of thunder said?”
Chen Qingluan thought for a moment and said, “We have to walk to the center?”
“That’s right, there is no way out when you want to go back.”
“We won’t walk out of the formation, we will move in the opposite direction, so what we are looking for is ……”
“Door of Death.”
Su Shi circled the [Door of Death] location.
This level was not explained in detail in the book, and the specifics were simply skipped.
Based on his privilege as a “Son of Dao”, Ye Xiao passed the exam in an almost underhanded manner.
Su Shi could only rely on his own analysis.
“Makes sense.”
Chen Qingluan looked up into the air, green aura flickering in her eyes.
It was forbidden to fly in this labyrinthine formation, so it was impossible to get a full view, but it was possible to tell where it was by looking into the air.
“Five hundred steps south and three hundred steps west…… I found it!”
“Let’s go.”
The two walked forward along the path.
The closer they approached the [Door of Death], the more they could feel the dense aura of death, and low growls could be heard faintly from the dark rooms around them.
It seemed that a predatory beast was lurking.
It sent a chill down the back.
After walking for quite a while, the two stopped in their tracks.
They had reached the place where the gate of death was.
But in front of them was a high wall, completely blocking the way.
The ground trembled as the murderous aura boiled, and the hiss of countless beasts charged behind them.
“Looks like I guessed wrong.”
“There is not only one Eight Gates Golden Locks Formation here, but countless formations surrounding it, while the center is completely isolated!”
“The [Door of Life] path is inaccessible!”
Chen Qingluan’s expression was cold.
She drew his long sword and prepared for battle.
Su Shi glanced at the dry well in the garden next to him and shook his head, “Who said center, meaning formation center?”
“Hm?”
Chen Qingluan froze.
Su Shi smiled and said, “Although the ground is flat, but it’s actually a little curved; there’s a super huge ball under our feet.”
“The center that the sound of thunder refers to is actually the center of the earth!”
He pulled the dumbfounded Chen Qingluan and took large steps towards the dry well.
Then they jumped in!
The “Eight Gates Golden Locks Formation” is a fictional military formation invented by Luo Guanzhong in the novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”. It uses an intricate system of shielded walls and formations of soilders to trap and isolate enemy troops. In reality, formations as complex as this were never used in Ancient China as not only were they far too complex to deploy on short notice but also would not be effective due to their own troops being divided into smaller and therefore more easily defeated units.