At that moment, two red-robed elders flew through the air and landed at the judges’ seats beside the arena, taking their places.
“In previous Heavenly Fire Trials, only Elder Jun presided. Why is Elder Li Fuxiao here as well?”
“Indeed, having two elders present is quite rare in the history of the Heavenly Fire Trial!”
“Usually, other elders attend because they’re interested in a specific contestant. I wonder which contestant Elder Li Fuxiao is here for.”
“Probably for one of the two Transcendent Realm contestants.”
…
The arrival of the two elders pushed the atmosphere at the scene to a climax.
Everyone was discussing why Elder Li Fuxiao had come.
The Heavenly Fire Trial, held every two thousand years, was a major event in the Heavenly Fire Temple, but not a top-tier one, so having one elder preside was already significant.
Lin Yun didn’t think much of it. He didn’t know Elder Li.
Although Elder Li had observed for a long time outside the Heart-Locking Tower, he had already left by the time Lin Yun emerged, so the two had never met face-to-face.
At the judges’ seats.
After the two elders settled in, Elder Jun asked curiously, “Old Li, where’s this Lin Yun you mentioned? For you to come personally for him, I’m curious to see what he looks like.”
“You’ll see him soon enough. I believe he’ll put on an impressive performance,” Elder Li Fuxiao said slowly.
Elder Li had come specifically to watch Lin Yun!
After all, Lin Yun had stayed on the fifth floor of the Heart-Locking Tower for so long!
However, divine consciousness had long since declined, and that alone wasn’t enough to make Lin Yun a standout in the Heavenly Fire Temple. Elder Li wanted to see what other abilities this young man, who had endured so long at the border, possessed.
“Haha, Old Li, don’t be too confident. What if he doesn’t achieve anything remarkable?” Elder Jun said with a laugh.
“It’s about time. Hurry up and announce the start,” Elder Li said.
Upon hearing this, Elder Jun stood up.
“Silence!”
As Elder Jun’s voice rang out, the previously lively scene fell silent instantly.
“The Heavenly Fire Trial is held every two thousand years and lasts three hours. I believe you’re all familiar with the rules. There are ten stone platforms. Those who claim and hold one of the three tallest platforms until the end will earn a spot for Heavenly Fire Tempering. Those who claim and hold one of the other seven platforms will receive a reward,” Elder Jun’s booming voice echoed across the field.
He continued, “One more thing. In the arena, life and death are not held accountable. Killing an opponent is not against the rules, so once the trial begins, you must be extra cautious. Of course, if you’re outmatched, you can surrender to protect yourself.”
Lin Yun was somewhat surprised to hear this. Killing other contestants in the arena was allowed? That was ruthless!
But for Lin Yun, the more ruthless the competition, the more interesting it was.
“Now, all contestants enter the arena. Entering means the trial begins. Those who don’t enter within one minute will be considered to have forfeited,” Elder Jun announced.
At his words, the contestants waiting around the arena leaped toward the massive arena like dumplings dropped into a pot.
Lin Yun immediately stomped his foot and rushed toward the arena.
“Lin Yun, go for it!” Mu Ji shouted at his back.
“Lin Yun should put on a good show,” Mo Bai said.
“Good show? I have confidence he’ll secure a Heavenly Fire Tempering spot,” Mu Ji said.
“It won’t be easy to get into the top three this time, with two Transcendent Realm contestants,” Old Black sighed.
…
Inside the open-air arena.
The arena was vast, capable of holding tens of thousands without feeling crowded.
After landing in the arena, Lin Yun glanced around. There were nearly a thousand contestants, all trying to land in different spots, keeping some distance from each other.
Lin Yun looked toward the centre of the arena, where ten stone platforms stood.
The contestants who entered landed at the edges of the arena. They would first need to rush to the centre and climb the platforms, during which fights could break out.
Climbing a platform didn’t guarantee victory; one would still face challenges from others.
Only those still standing on the platforms when the Heavenly Fire Trial ended would be considered victorious.
The trial lasted three hours, so Lin Yun wasn’t in a hurry to claim a platform. Doing so now would mean facing numerous challenges from other contestants.
Lin Yun decided to observe first.
After all contestants entered the arena, most didn’t rush to claim the platforms.
Everyone knew that seizing a platform now would lead to numerous fights, and even those with strong abilities might exhaust themselves and fail to last until the end.
However, most people began moving closer to the platforms.
Some fights had already broken out in the arena, mostly between contestants with grudges, taking the opportunity to settle scores.
But these were only sporadic skirmishes; large-scale battles hadn’t yet erupted.
Lin Yun also slowly moved toward the centre.
As long as Lin Yun didn’t rush to claim a platform, few would notice him, and hardly anyone would target an unknown like him.
After walking a short distance, a booming voice rang out, “Lin Yun, your grandpa’s here for you!”
Shu Chi charged toward Lin Yun.
“Coming to die so eagerly,” Lin Yun sneered as he saw Shu Chi approaching.
As mentioned, before Lin Yun went for a platform, few would bother him, except for Shu Chi.
His arrival was entirely within Lin Yun’s expectations.
In an instant, Shu Chi landed in front of Lin Yun, blocking his path.
“Lin Yun, you’re so arrogant! Outside, I couldn’t touch you, but now, I can openly attack you, even kill you. Let’s see what you can do!” Shu Chi said with a menacing grin.
Lin Yun’s lips curved slightly, “You’re right. Outside, I couldn’t touch you. Now, it’s the perfect chance to deal with you! You framed Old Black back then, and now I can settle the score for him!”
