Chapter 482

Chapter 482: Hot, Hot, Hot! So Hot!
Another day passed, and the Dao Debate Conference finally came to an end.

Yu Zhao lived up to everyone’s expectations. She held on until the very last moment and tied for first place with Lu Jiu Yuan, who had been trapped in the cage.

Su Qing Wan and Du Wu Xiang also both made it into the top ten, just as everyone had thought they would.

However, in order to fight for the spot of Third Place, the two of them went from allies to opponents and had a fierce battle.

In the end, Su Qing Wan relied on her soundwave attacks to win by a narrow margin and take third place.

When Yu Zhao walked out of the Four Void Realm, she was greeted by countless burning gazes and loud cheers.

She was a little surprised, and only learned from the whispers around her that everything she did inside the Four Void Realm had been under their watch.

She subconsciously looked over at Lu Jiu Yuan.

As expected, Lu Jiu Yuan, who had realized just how serious the problem was, had a very dark face. When he saw her looking his way, he even glared at her coldly.

Yu Zhao gave him a small smile, then walked to the front of the Lingyin Sect group and said to Senior Qun Fang: “I did not fail the task.”

Senior Qun Fang’s face, which was almost always strict, finally showed a rare gentle, loving smile as he said: “Good child, this time we really have you to thank.”

Elder Tie Shan held back his embarrassment and still forced out a muffled praise: “Yu Zhao, you did very well.”

Ancestor Sui Bian rolled his eyes at him and said: “Like that needed saying. Take a good look at whose disciple Yu Zhao is!”

After that, he no longer looked at Elder Tie Shan’s dark-red face and was all smiles, as bright as a spring breeze.

He added with a soft sigh: “You worked hard.”

Yu Zhao raised her brows at that.

[Why does Ancestor seem a little strange toward me? He even sounds softer than before.]

Before Yu Zhao could think more about it, the voice of the Qingxu Sect Leader rang out from the high platform.

The Qingxu Sect Leader announced: “The Dao Debate is now officially over. Disciples who entered the top ten this time, come up and receive the Array Tokens that will let you enter the Eye of Bi Fang.”

Ancestor Sui Bian smiled and said: “Go on, this is your moment of honor.”

Yu Zhao nodded. Under the gaze of the crowd, she slowly walked up onto the high platform and took from the Qingxu Sect Leader’s hand the Array Token that symbolized entry into the Eye of Bi Fang.

At this moment, Lu Jiu Yuan’s gloomy voice sounded by her ear.

He leaned closer and said: “Yu Zhao, I really did underestimate you.”

Yu Zhao replied calmly: “You flatter me.”

Lu Jiu Yuan’s eyes were cold as he muttered: “But outside, you are not my match.”

Yu Zhao only answered with a light: “Oh.”

That single, simple word left Lu Jiu Yuan so choked that he almost could not speak.

Yu Zhao knew very clearly that, right now, she really could not beat Lu Jiu Yuan. That was a fact she could not deny.

But the fact that Lu Jiu Yuan chose to bring it up at this moment only proved that her performance had already made him feel threatened.

To Yu Zhao, that was actually a kind of recognition, so of course she did not get angry.

Lu Jiu Yuan also realized that what he had just said was not very proper, so he shut his mouth in annoyance.

The Wending Gate Master spoke again in a deep voice: “Place your own Soul Marks on your Array Tokens. They will protect your souls and keep them from being eroded by the Otherworldly Flame.”

The Otherworldly Flame inside the Eye of Bi Fang was said to be the source fire seed of the Bi Fang Divine Bird itself, with terrifying power.

Souls that were even a bit weak would evaporate in an instant under the burning heat, even before they drew close.

Wearing an Array Token was something they absolutely could not skip.

The Array Token was not an ordinary Magical Artifact. It was forged from Bi Fang Beads that had already used up all their energy, then covered with Formation Array Arts that guarded the soul. Only inside the Eye of Bi Fang could it show its greatest effect.

Because of this, after the Wending Gate Master finished explaining, he especially stressed that the Array Tokens had to be returned afterward.

Everyone answered together in loud voices. Then, under the escort of the Wending Gate Master and the nine Sect Masters, Yu Zhao and the other nine top-ten disciples headed toward the entrance of the Eye of Bi Fang.

The entrance of the Eye of Bi Fang was at the top of the Divine Mountain. With their cultivation levels, they arrived at the stone cave on the mountaintop in just a few breaths.

The mouth of the cave formed a neat arc, and a faint red light flickered inside. From a distance, it looked like a newly risen red sun.

Standing outside the cave, they could already feel waves of scorching heat rushing toward them.

Just as Yu Zhao and the others were about to step into the cave, the Wending Gate Master spoke again, his tone heavy: “After you enter the Eye of Bi Fang, you will see a sea of fire with no end in sight. Above that sea of fire, there is a chain.

“Walk from the start of the chain to the very end, and you will see the Bi Fang Beads. During this process, the Bi Fang Divine Bird’s Otherworldly Flame will clear away your stray thoughts. This is what the world calls the Blessing of Bifang.”

He paused on purpose, waited until they had taken that in, then continued: “The chain above the fire sea is not a real thing. It is formed from the will of the Bi Fang Divine Bird.

“If your heart is clear and you are fully focused, the chain will be stable. If your mind is messy, the chain will sway, and it may even break.

“Once you fall into the sea of fire, even the Array Token will not be able to fully protect your souls. You must not be careless.”

For people like Lu Jiu Yuan and Su Qing Wan, who were born and raised in the Bi Fang Realm, none of this was surprising.

But Yu Zhao and Du Wu Xiang were both shocked.

Before this, they had not known that they would face danger inside the Eye of Bi Fang as well.

However, they had already reached the entrance. There was no way they would turn back now. They smoothed the strange looks off their faces and nodded seriously.

The Wending Gate Master waved his hand and said: “All right, there is not much time. Go on in.”

Lu Jiu Yuan’s figure shot out like lightning and disappeared into the cave mouth in the blink of an eye.

Yu Zhao took a deep breath and stepped into the cave as well.

The instant she entered the Eye of Bi Fang, Yu Zhao saw nothing but red before her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was standing on top of a tall stone pillar, and below her was a vast, endless sea of fire.

Even with the Array Token guarding her, she could still feel a soul-burning pain quietly attacking her body.

A sudden shout crashed into her ears: “Hot, hot, hot! So hot!”

Yu Zhao turned her head toward the voice.

On the pillar next to hers, a chubby man was hopping nonstop. Large drops of sweat rolled off him, turning into thin mist as soon as they fell. He kept sucking in cold air through his teeth.

Yu Zhao recognized him.

He was Bai Yuan, a disciple of Boundless Sea Cliff and the one who had taken seventh place in this Sect Dao Debate.

She swept her gaze around. Lu Jiu Yuan, Du Wu Xiang, and the others were each standing on their own stone pillar.

In front of everyone, a thin, long chain stretched across the fire sea.

One end of the chain was connected to their pillar, while the other end vanished into the far distance over the flames, so far away they could not see where it went.

Yu Zhao glanced at the fire sea, steadied her breathing, then firmly lifted her foot and stepped onto the chain.

The chain trembled so lightly it was almost impossible to notice, then quickly became steady again.

She took a second step.

The chain was still very stable.

Then she walked forward in quick steps. In no time at all, she had already left the others far behind.

Seeing this, the others felt a little more at ease and also stepped onto their chains one by one.

Lu Jiu Yuan’s steps were steady. Clearly he had great confidence in his own strength.

Du Wu Xiang, on the other hand, frowned a little, as if he were thinking about something. But soon he also lifted his foot and began to walk.

However, just when everyone thought the chains were stable and safe, a sudden change happened.

Bai Yuan had only just stepped on the chain. After two steps, the chain under his feet started to shake wildly.

His body swayed, and he almost lost his balance.

He tried to use his Spirit Power to steady himself, but as soon as the power surged inside him, the fire sea under him started boiling at once.

The chain shook more and more violently, as if it could break at any moment.

His face, which had been red from the heat, turned pale in an instant.