Shen Li emerged from the Fire Domain’s teleportation array, the acrid scent of sulfur still clinging to him.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a smug smirk on his face. The Heart-Eroding Blade spun between his fingers, casting an eerie green glow.

“Master, your wisdom is truly unparalleled!” one of his subordinates gushed, rushing forward with a fawning grin. “The number of beast crystals we’ve gathered this time will surely…”

But his words died in his throat, and he froze as if struck by lightning.

Shen Li followed his gaze to the ranking screen hovering in the center of the plaza.

“This cannot be!” Shen Li’s pupils contracted sharply.

On the screen, Ye Qingxian’s name was at the very top, which was to be expected.

But seeing the name “Shen Xian” directly beneath hers felt like a sharp slap to his face.

And his own name? It was relegated to third place!

How was this possible? How could that worthless brat rank ahead of him?

“Th-there must be a mistake…” the subordinate stammered, cold sweat beading on his brow. He stole a nervous glance at his master’s livid face before hastily adding, “The array must be malfunctioning!”

But they both knew that was impossible.

Shen Li’s entire body trembled, his knuckles white from the force of his grip. Yet, he swiftly regained his composure.

“It does not matter,” he said, his voice deceptively calm.

After all, this was only the first stage. Though unexpected, it didn’t affect the bigger picture.

Within his sleeves, his knuckles clenched white before slowly uncurling. Shen Li narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Shen Xian in the distance.

When had this useless younger brother acquired such prowess?

His gaze lifted, an icy malice flickering within. “It seems I will have to take the next stage more seriously.”

Meanwhile, Shen Xian stood before the ranking screen, his eyes scanning the list with a barely perceptible smile tugging at his lips.

Tsk, Second Brother’s face must be a real sight to see.

“Congratulations,” he said lazily, turning to Ye Qingxian. “You took first place.”

A faint sparkle lit up Ye Qingxian’s beautiful eyes, and she felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

As expected, he had a trump card hidden up his sleeve.

To outsiders, she remained as aloof and composed as ever, merely offering a slight nod. “Mm.”

But to Shen Xian, that fleeting softness in her eyes spoke volumes.

“You did not perform poorly either,” she said, her voice still cool but discernibly softer than usual.

To secure second place among so many exceptional talents was no small feat.

She found herself curious, wondering just how he had managed it.

Shen Xian just chuckled and shrugged. “I can’t claim any special skills. These beast crystals… they were practically a gift.”

As he spoke, he cast a meaningful glance toward Shen Li in the distance, his eyes glinting with mockery.

Ye Qingxian followed his gaze to Shen Li, whose face was as black as ink. She understood immediately.

Just then, Shen Xiao hurried over, his expression grim. He leaned in and whispered urgently into Shen Li’s ear, “Master, Shen Cong… he is dead.”

News from the Metal Domain had already reached them.

Shen Li’s eyes grew even darker, his voice like ice. “What happened?”

Shen Xiao quickly recounted every detail from the Metal Domain, stressing that Shen Cong had been murdered, not killed by the trial’s natural dangers.

Furthermore, besides Shen Cong, several others had also perished in the Metal Domain.

All of them were Shen Li’s subordinates.

Hearing this, Shen Li snapped his head up, his gaze as sharp as a blade, locking onto the pair in the distance.

Within the entire ancestral land, only they would dare to strike at one of his people.

His right hand clenched tightly within his sleeve, his face contorted with ruthless malice.

At that exact moment, Shen Xian glanced over as well.

The two brothers locked eyes, and an invisible spark seemed to crackle in the air between them.

A chilling smile spread across Shen Li’s face as he mouthed, “You think this is over?”

Shen Xian simply raised a lazy eyebrow, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips, as if to say, “Bring it on.”

Averting his gaze, Shen Li turned to Shen Xiao beside him and murmured, “Keep an eye on that woman. If an opportunity presents itself in the next stage, kill her.”

He already sensed the threat she posed. With Shen Xiao’s strength at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was virtually invincible within this ancestral land.

Shen Li knew that Shen Xiao possessed not only his peak Foundation Establishment strength but also a hidden trump card that could temporarily elevate his power to the threshold of the Golden Core Realm.

Under those circumstances, even if that woman, Ye Qingxian, had received some fortuitous inheritance, she would stand no chance against Shen Xiao.

“Understood,” Shen Xiao replied, his gaze flashing with cruel ferocity as he looked toward Ye Qingxian.

The most beautiful woman in Azure Province?

Hmph! In my hands, she’ll be nothing more than an ant to be crushed!

…

With the conclusion of the first stage, the second began: the Eight Trigrams Mystic Realm.

Participants would be randomly teleported to one of the eight trigram regions within a massive formation.

Each trigram corresponded to a different trial.

The basic requirement for passing was to endure the trial within one’s assigned region for five days. However, those who could comprehend the essence of their trigram—even to the point of reversing and manipulating its rules—would be recognized by the formation and granted additional rewards.

Naturally, rankings would be determined by individual performance.

Fifteen minutes later, a massive Eight Trigrams diagram materialized before them.

The diagram rotated slowly, its intricate patterns glowing with a dazzling golden light that enveloped everyone.

In an instant, the world transformed.

The world before Shen Xian’s eyes warped and reformed. He found himself standing on a vast, scarlet plaza, a hundred zhang wide.

The ground was paved with dark red crystalline bricks, with molten, golden-red light flowing through the cracks like veins of lava.

Eight fire pillars engraved with intricate runes stood at the plaza’s edge, their raging flames intertwining high above to form a fiery net that painted the entire sky blood-red.

Heat waves distorted the air, and each breath felt like swallowing a scorching blade.

The ground suddenly trembled. The magma in the cracks surged violently as dozens of tongues of flame erupted from below, coalescing in mid-air to form fiery Vermilion Birds.

These divine birds of flame circled above the plaza, their wings scattering sparks that sizzled on the skin, leaving charred marks upon contact.

In the center of the plaza, a massive Li trigram gradually emerged. With each pulse of its light, the surrounding temperature soared even higher.

Li, the trigram of fire. This trial tested one’s resistance to heavenly fire, both internal and external. Not only would their bodies face the assault of the flames, but their very spirits would suffer its erosive power.

Dozens of other cultivators materialized on the plaza, their expressions grim as they took in their surroundings.

“Third Young Master. What a coincidence we meet here.”

Just then, a scornful voice cut through the oppressive heat from behind Shen Xian.

There stood Shen Xiao, hands clasped behind his back, exuding an aura of chilling cold that was utterly incongruous with the scorching environment.

With each step he took, the magma beneath his feet instantly froze, turning into blackened charcoal. A path of frost spread from his feet, forcibly carving a trail of ice through the sea of fire.

This expert at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm seemed utterly at ease in this domain of fire.

Shen Xiao wore a sinister grin, his murderous intent naked in his eyes.

Who would have thought he would end up in the same trial as this worthless brat?

If not for the rule prohibiting combat within the Eight Trigrams Mystic Realm, he would have already struck this waste down.

After all, who would know what happened inside?

But… he had other ways to eliminate this worthless brat.

In this second stage, the higher one’s cultivation, the greater the external pressure one endured.

This brat was only at the second level of Qi Refinement. He’d been lucky so far, but that was about to end.

The trial had two parts: the Li fire that refined the body and the Ye fire that refined the soul. Even if this brat miraculously survived the physical torment, when it came to the soul refinement, Shen Xiao had countless ways to ensure his spirit was shattered beyond repair.

This was a merit he was determined to claim for himself.