Chapter 350: The Peaks of the Netherworld

“You’re very lucky!” As they walked toward the summit of the Peaks of the Netherworld, Hei Yin glanced at Rod with a complex expression.
As a member of the Black Phoenix clan, he naturally understood what the Netherworld Hellfire meant to their family. Lending it to an outsider made him somewhat reluctant, even though Rod was considered his friend—his feelings were conflicted.
There were many legends about the Netherworld Hellfire, but one thing was certain: it was a supreme treasure. Over hundreds of thousands of years, it had only been accessed by outsiders twice. The first time, thousands of years ago, when the Black Phoenix clan faced a grave crisis, a god-like man suddenly appeared to save them. Severely injured afterward, he was granted the chance to enter the Peaks of the Netherworld and use the Netherworld Hellfire to recover.
Who was that man? He was a legend of his time, a god-like existence, hailed as the strongest warrior on the continent and the foremost power of the Darkness.
No one would have expected that thousands of years later, another outsider would dare to touch the Netherworld Hellfire—namely Rod!
Looking at Rod, Hei Yin silently marveled. The Netherworld Hellfire was something he himself desired. If he could succeed in using it for refinement, his future would be boundless. Just like every member of his clan who had gone through its trials, he would surely dominate the four continents! Miss Lucy was a prime example—just a year ago, she was merely a late-stage Saint-level warrior, but now she had reached a level beyond anyone’s reach, entering that realm all warriors dreamed of—a new world of profound power.
Not only Hei Yin but everyone else envied her. They too wished to have such a chance for refinement. Unfortunately, the Netherworld Hellfire was not accessible to just anyone. Even within the Black Phoenix clan, only those with pure enough bloodlines could obtain this opportunity. Even Kuulok, hailed as the greatest genius today, did not have such a chance.
On one hand, there was opposition from within the clan; on the other, their bloodlines were not pure enough, and they feared they wouldn’t survive the hellfire’s devouring power!
So what about Rod? Could he persevere? Could he hold on with his formidable strength? Hei Yin wondered silently as he watched Rod.

“It’s just luck; no one knows the final outcome!” Taking a deep breath, Rod said in a low voice. He still clearly remembered the warnings Merk and Doron had given him before he set off. The Nether Hellfire seemed gentle on the surface but actually had a terrifying devouring power. There were only two possibilities to merge with it: first, having the pure bloodline of their Black Phoenix clan, which would allow them to merge with the Nether Hellfire with the support of that bloodline, just like Lucy; second, having great strength, like that powerful warrior from thousands of years ago, who managed to withstand it with his strength and eventually reached a level that was unattainable even to this day—the Xuanhuang Realm.

The danger was evident. If they failed, they would be utterly destroyed with no chance of survival. That’s why Merk and Doron had repeatedly instructed Rod to acclimate himself at the entrance of the cave to see if he could hold on. Only if he could adapt without any discomfort should he enter the core area; otherwise, it was better to give up.

Rod also understood this. It was impossible to take risks just to shorten the time needed for cultivation, as he wouldn’t even survive—it would be a losing deal.

“Too kind. The fact that you’re allowed to come here speaks volumes. I hope you succeed!” Looking at Rod, Heibin smiled sincerely. He too wanted to see what level Rod, known as a prodigy, would reach after successfully merging with the Hellfire—would he enter the Yangxuan Realm? Or would he reach that unattainable level—the Xuanhuang Realm?

“Actually, if I could, I’d be willing to take the risk too!” With a sigh, Heibin said dejectedly. Sometimes, the hearts of martial artists are unimaginable—crazy. They’re even willing to do terrible things for their pursuits.

Hearing his words, Rod turned back in surprise, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, not knowing what to say. He didn’t feel comfortable commenting on such matters.

As they continued along the rugged mountain path, the summit soon appeared before them.

By this point, the temperature had risen significantly. The cold of winter had vanished, replaced by the pleasant warmth of autumn. Such a drastic change in temperature was remarkable. Truly a magical place—this place’s temperature was probably much higher than usual. Inside the Dark Source, the temperature was generally below ten degrees, but here, it remained around twenty degrees, which was truly refreshing.

Of course, along the way, Rod also discovered quite a few things. At the very least, he had detected over a dozen spies along his journey. These people were all highly skilled, almost all at the middle stage or above of the divine level, with even some reaching the later stage of the divine level!

It made sense, after all, as a sacred place of the Black Phoenix clan, its defensive capabilities were naturally formidable. The stronger the defense the closer one got to this mountain peak. By this point, although the number of defenders had decreased, their strength had increased significantly!

When he was less than a hundred meters away from the summit, Rod, thanks to his terrifying insight, detected two powerful warriors at an advanced dark yellow level guarding the area. These two were undoubtedly formidable figures, their status within the Black Phoenix clan surely on par with those enforcement elders! They were also the final line of defense for this Abyssal Mountain Peak, the strongest guardians here. Such defenses made it impossible for ordinary people to break through, let alone Rod, showing just how advanced the defenses were.

Seemingly aware of Rod’s purpose, the hidden figures simply kept their attention fixed on him, neither hiding nor interfering. Thus, the two of them quickly reached the summit. A cool breeze blew, and at that moment, there were three or four people sitting in meditation on the summit. One was a martial artist at the early divine level, around Rod’s age, and two middle-aged men at the later divine level. These three seemed to be the ones the Black Phoenix clan was focusing all its efforts on cultivating.

“Elder Seven, Elder Eight, and Tus… Hehe, they’ve been meditating here all along. Don’t worry; per the clan’s orders, they won’t hinder you, and you shouldn’t disturb their meditation either!” Hei Yin explained, sensing Rod’s puzzled gaze. His eyes took on a strange look when looking at the youth known as Tus.

Nodding, Rod walked toward the center with a sense of excitement. At the top of the Abyssal Mountain Peak, there was a hundred-meter-square open area, as if the entire peak tip had been cut away, leaving a perfectly smooth surface. In the center was a huge cave about ten meters in diameter, from which streams of white light emerged, carrying a wave of heat. This must be the legendary Abyssal Cave, and below it lay the Abyssal Hellfire, Rod thought.

Seemingly sensing Rod’s arrival, the three meditators opened their eyes simultaneously and looked in his direction.

“Elders, this is Rod. The news from the clan has reached them, right…” Seeing them looking over, Hei Yin hurriedly explained to avoid any misunderstandings.

“Mm. I understand. It’s okay, the person has arrived. You can go now!” Nodding, the Seventh Elder interrupted Hei Yin’s words and spoke calmly.
“Well… Brother Rod, you should practice here. Remember, there’s only ten days—make the most of it. I’ll be waiting for good news from you. It’s not suitable for me to stay long here. Without the clan’s permission, we can’t remain. I’m leaving now!” With a reluctant glance at the cave, Hei Yin said sadly.
Hearing Hei Yin’s words, Rod was somewhat surprised. They couldn’t stay long? There was such a rule? No wonder Hei Yin had looked envious when he saw that young man. After all, the fire element here was extremely abundant. As soon as he arrived, he felt his internal fighting energy become more active and fierce—truly a great place for cultivation. He could understand Hei Yin’s thoughts; after all, anyone would want to practice here for longer. He was just puzzled why the Black Phoenix Clan had such a rule. Didn’t they want their clan to grow stronger?
“Mm, thank you for your help!” Not able to figure it out, Rod didn’t press further and expressed his gratitude. Hei Yin had indeed helped him a lot during this time.
“Then I’m leaving. Remember to come out after ten days!” After giving one last reminder, Hei Yin sighed heavily and left reluctantly, stepping away from this place that was a sacred ground for his cultivation.
“Are you Rod? The one who came here to practice for ten days?” The Seventh Elder asked, looking at Rod.
“Yes. I hope the elder can take good care of me.”
“Alright. I, an old man, won’t waste time talking with you. You came here by your own efforts. I know you’re quite capable! At such a young age, you’ve already achieved so much—your future is boundless. Make the most of it!” Nodding, the Seventh Elder gave a look of appreciation before closing his eyes and entering a state of cultivation, clearly not intending to continue the conversation.
Feeling awkward, Rod curled his lips slightly. Seeing that the three of them had gone into cultivation, he didn’t say much and slowly walked to the cave entrance to observe.
Thick mist, along with scorching heat, made it impossible to see far. Only faint traces of green could be seen—Lucy’s color of the Nether Hell Fire.

The internal combat energy began to surge wildly, moving on its own. Abundant fire elements rushed through Rod’s entire body, bringing a long-forgotten sense of excitement and thrill. Rod didn’t dare overthink it, knowing that the environment here still had some impact on him. So he quickly sat in seiza position and began to meditate. Just as Clan Leader Merk had said, if one was affected upon arriving here, it meant they couldn’t withstand the Nether Hellfire below. They had to learn to adapt; otherwise, death awaited them. What Rod needed to do now was adapt to this environment in the shortest possible time.