Chapter 291: Core Magma

The moment it was confirmed, the entire square erupted in excitement. Rod and Zi Yang, the two most popular candidates, entering was already acceptable, but now even members of the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan had made it in?
Sognar of the Dragon Clan was somewhat understandable—he was an ancient monster that had existed for a thousand years, and his formidable strength was expected. After all, living for so long, it would be unreasonable if he weren’t strong.
The most surprising one was Lucy, the young lady from the Black Phoenix Clan, the one who was treated like a treasure. How could she also make it in? She was only in her teens! But how could she possess such great strength?
When the Black Phoenix Clan submitted her name, many thought it was just a joke, believing they didn’t place much hope in the Netherworld and that giving this “Golden Flower of Darkness” a spot was merely out of excessive indulgence. No one could have imagined such an outcome!
At that moment, it was inevitable for everyone to associate Lucy with that monster from the Darkness Source—both were twisted, both were young and talented, and both had entered the core of the Netherworld. Could Lucy become the next monster? Instantly, everyone’s gaze toward the members of the Black Phoenix Clan became complicated.
Yet, all the members of the Black Phoenix Clan wore bright smiles. Their lady had never disappointed them, and her achievement was entirely expected.
None of those who emerged from the Netherhell Fire were weak; each was a powerful figure capable of shaping the fate of the Darkness Source. Especially their lady—her perfect integration meant her future was boundless. She had even been designated as the next clan leader, the first female one ever. Yet, no one objected. For the first time, the entire Black Phoenix Clan united in their support for her—a truly remarkable sight.
Of course, while the Black Phoenix Clan was excited, others were not so happy. Those with stern expressions included the war advocates, the York family, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, and the Mi Jiao Clan… anyone who was an enemy of the Black Phoenix Clan was unhappy.
Especially the larger clans, those with more knowledge about the Black Phoenix Clan, had begun to suspect something. Events from five or six thousand years ago continued to circulate to this day.

Weren’t the powerful members of the Black Phoenix Clan who appeared thousands of years ago at this age as well? Later, they dominated the entire Dark Source, unmatched by anyone—the Netherhell Flame, a legendary fire from which those who emerged were all earth-shattering figures. Looking at the expressions of the people from the Black Phoenix Clan now, it was inevitable for everyone’s heart to skip a beat—had Lucy already passed through the Netherhell Flame? Some of the older generations who knew about this couldn’t help but gasp in shock. Watching the Black Phoenix Clan, their hearts were filled with turmoil; it seemed the clan was about to regain its former glory. With that in mind, the other clans inevitably began to worry. The audience below certainly didn’t care about what those on stage were thinking. As the four of them entered the final stage—the Core of the Netherworld—everyone grew tense. Entering the Core wasn’t the end; it was said that doing so merely meant gaining the Core’s recognition and some benefits. The real greatest reward, what everyone eagerly sought, was obtaining the legendary item that allowed one to smoothly enter the Yin Yellow Realm—there was only one such spot! Who could it be? Zi Yang from the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan? Lucy from the Black Phoenix Clan? Sognar from the Dragon Clan, or Rod, whose origins were unknown? “It’s Rod, definitely him. Zi Yang has no chance!” “Yeah, Zi Yang definitely has no chance. If he can get out alive this time, that would be good already!” “True, too unlucky—having three enemies enter together. If it were me, I’d rather give up the chance! That Zi Yang…” “It’s tough. Anyway, it definitely won’t be his turn this time!” For a while, all conversations turned to Zi Yang. If the once-destroyed Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan wanted to revive its glory, Zi Yang had to succeed. He had had a chance before, but now… Who entered with him? It was Rod, the mortal enemy of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan and Zi Yang’s enemy as well—Sognar, a member of the Dragon Clan, since the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan was destroyed by the dragons. And the other one, Lucy? She was a member of the Black Phoenix Clan, also involved in destroying the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan, with even greater hatred! Moreover, these three were close friends. This time, with Zi Yang facing off against these three at once, he definitely had no chance. If those three united, would Zi Yang still have a chance? That would be miraculous.

Everyone lost hope that Zi Yang would give up on playing tricks on them. Similarly, on the arena, the York family had finally felt a bit happier—after all, Zi Yang was now a member of their family, and his ability to enter the core area was considered a good thing for them. But now, things took a turn for the worse when they ran into those three guys. All their hopes vanished in an instant!

It was like having a cooked duck right at one’s mouth, about to bite into it, when suddenly three robbers appeared, snatched the duck away, and threw them a bone! The frustration involved was beyond what others could understand or imagine.

Outside, discussions were rampant. Everyone was talking about what had just happened—after decades, someone had finally managed to enter the core area, so naturally, they were eager to see the outcome.

While the outside world was in an uproar, inside the Netherworld, Rod, Sognar, and Lucy passed through that door and arrived in a brand new world. This world before them seemed especially real.

It was an underground world, surrounded by magma. Only a few narrow paths, wide enough for one person at a time, stretched across the middle. The heat was intense; as soon as they stepped there, they felt a wave of heat hitting them, making them sweat profusely.

The deep red magma flowed and churned like rivers, bubbling up with small bubbles that made a hissing sound, creating a unique atmosphere.

“You guys…” An astonished voice came from ahead. It was Zi Yang, who appeared in front of Rod.

When he saw Rod, Sognar, and Lucy all entering, a look of disbelief flashed across his face.

“Zi Yang, hehe, what a coincidence, isn’t it? Want to fight?” Sognar grinned and said casually.

“What do you want?” Zi Yang asked in a deep voice, looking at Sognar. There were only four spots available for the third stage, and now all four of them were here. Clearly, the three of them were in one group, while he was alone. If they fought, it would be a huge problem for him. Fortunately, the terrain here might help a bit—those narrow paths were filled with magma, and even iron or stones falling in would melt instantly. Relatively speaking, he wouldn’t suffer as much from a combined attack from several people.

“How about that? Isn’t Ziyang the second elder of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle Clan? Isn’t he really amazing? What’s the matter? Not saying a word today? Weren’t you the one shouting threats at us before? Now you’re scared? We’re just bullying you alone today, what’s the big deal? It’s because there are three of us against you! That’s why you were so arrogant before, right?” Sognar said with a smirk, looking exactly like a hooligan.

“Hmph, Sognar, you’re getting more and more like that scoundrel. Bullying me? It doesn’t matter. If you’ve got the guts, come at me!” Seemingly angered by Sognar’s words, Ziyang replied coldly with a snort before taking a defensive stance.

The atmosphere became tense. Lucy, who already disliked the people of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle Clan and hated Rod even more, would surely not object to taking this opportunity to eliminate Ziyang. Rod also had no good feelings for Ziyang, so it didn’t matter if he was killed either. Suddenly, the situation became extremely volatile, with everyone ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

“The Netherworld Core isn’t a fighting arena. It’s not good for young people to be so angry, right?” Suddenly, an old voice rang out, interrupting the tense standoff between the two sides at this critical moment.

The deep voice seemed to come from all directions, making it impossible to determine its exact source. The authority in that voice terrified everyone; it was an unquestionable command that made people obey despite itself.

As everyone was confused and looking around, the magma below suddenly surged even more violently, rolling like waves, seemingly determined to devour everything. Seeing this, the few people there hurried to safer places without hesitation—this wasn’t a joke. If they were hit, the consequences would be unimaginable. The power of this place was beyond their ability to resist.

Slowly, a vortex formed within the magma. It kept swirling and surging before piercing dozens of meters deep, spraying molten rock in all directions.

Suddenly, something unbelievable happened. Inside the magma vortex, that familiar presence appeared, followed by a figure slowly emerging before everyone’s eyes, floating mid-air.

An old man, whose age was hard to determine, with silver hair and a seemingly frail physique. Yet this old man emerged from the magma, giving the impression that his weak-looking body concealed absolutely astonishing explosive power—someone who should never be underestimated. He was the one who had spoken earlier.
Instantly, everyone took a keen interest in this old man; he must be the one in charge of the final selection.