The sun slowly climbed the horizon, its twilight rays bleeding through the crimson translucent formation. From within, it resembled a slumbering giant awakening—its brilliance spilling upon the mortals below like molten light from a celestial furnace.
In the next instant, the world distorted.
Ye Kaishan, Song Yan, and countless cultivators were sucked into the radiant light, their bodies and souls pulled into the mysterious expanse of the Celestial Sky Realm.
A vast stillness reigned.
Upon a flat, molten stone lay a motionless figure—Ye Kaishan. His eyes were closed, his chest faintly rising and falling as waves of heat shimmered around him.
"Hmm… it's warm," he murmured softly, a faint smile curving his lips as a gentle current of warmth brushed across his face, hands, and legs.
But soon, the warmth grew stronger.
Ye Kaishan's brow furrowed. Wisps of smoke began to rise, and a faint sizzling sound reached his ears.
"It's getting… warmer. No—hot!"
His eyes snapped open. "Hot! It's hot!"
He leapt to his feet, blowing frantically on his hands. "Too hot!"
After a moment, he steadied his breath, his gaze sweeping the fiery landscape. "Where… am I?"
A scorching wind howled across the molten plains. Beneath his feet, the vast slab of rock glowed red with heat.
Around him, the earth was dark and cracked, dotted with bubbling pools of molten lava that belched waves of blistering air. The entire land seemed alive—breathing, shifting, and seething like a sea of liquid fire.
Far in the distance, mountains rose like jagged crimson blades. From their peaks, molten rivers cascaded downward in fiery waterfalls, feeding enormous lakes of lava that illuminated the horizon in a hellish glow.
Ye Kaishan's forehead glistened with sweat. "This place is too hot… If I stay here for more than a day, I'll melt before I even find shelter."
His mind raced. Suddenly, his eyes widened as realization struck. "Right! I can use the space laws to shield myself. If I weave them subtly, the surrounding heat will be devoured into the void."
With a flick of his finger, ripples of spatial energy surged around him. The air distorted as invisible waves coiled tightly around his form. It took effort—his control needed precision at this level—but after several attempts, the barrier held.
"Shoo… it's done," he exhaled in relief, brushing his hand across his cheek. The heat and dust dissipated before reaching him, swallowed by the shimmering veil of spatial energy surrounding his body.
"Now then…" His eyes swept the horizon, expression calm yet alert. "Where should I go?"
The realm stretched endlessly in every direction no borders, no landmarks, only the eternal red glare and rolling heat.
His gaze darkened. "Song Yan said… I must reach the core of the Celestial Sky Realm." He frowned slightly. "But where do I even start?"
Time passed slowly. The sound of bubbling lava and distant eruptions echoed faintly through the oppressive air. Ye Kaishan began walking toward the faraway mountain range, where molten streams poured like glowing serpents down the slopes.
After some distance—
Cuu… cuuu…
He froze.
"What was that?" His brows knit as he turned toward the faint sound. "A voice? But… in this place, there shouldn't be anything alive."
Curiosity sparked in his eyes. He advanced carefully, stepping over blackened stones that radiated residual heat. The sound came again, faint but distinct.
Cuu… cuuu…
"It's close."
He quickened his pace and rounded a massive slab of scorched rock—then stopped.
Behind it, a small creature lay on the ground. It resembled a lizard, but its form was oddly refined: two tiny horns sprouted from its head, its body was covered in dark, glossy scales, and its tail thick and muscular twitched with an alert rhythm. Its eyes glowed with a mix of crimson and orange, vertical pupils contracting like a predator's.
By size, it was no larger than a cat.
Ye Kaishan tilted his head slightly. "A living creature… here?"
Then his gaze shifted—and froze.
Beside the small beast lay a man, half-conscious, his hands blistered from the burning ground beneath him. His breathing was weak but steady.
The little lizard tugged desperately at the man's charred robe, letting out strained cries—Cuu… cuuu…—as if calling for help.
When Ye Kaishan approached, the creature turned fiercely toward him, its scales flaring as it hissed a low warning.
Unbothered, Ye Kaishan crouched down and flipped the man over—only for his eyes to widen in recognition.
"Wait… Shen Yao?!"
Without hesitation, he tore open the void, retrieving a jade bottle from within. Uncorking it, he placed a glowing pill between Shen Yao's lips. A faint warmth spread from the man's body as color slowly returned to his face.
"Good," Ye Kaishan murmured, setting him gently on the cooler part of the stone. His expression turned thoughtful. "Why is Shen Yao here? Only the cultivators at the martial grounds were drawn into the realm… Don't tell me—"
He frowned. "Could he have come to the tournament?"
Shaking his head, he sighed. "No. I'll think about that later. For now…"
He looked over Shen Yao's body. "He's still in the Soul-Breaking Realm, and by the looks of it, he collapsed from exhaustion. This environment is brutal… even Soul-Forming cultivators would struggle to last long here."
His eyes darkened. "Anyone below that realm won't survive."
Cuu… cuuu…
The cry returned. Ye Kaishan turned just as the small lizard tugged sharply at his robe, glaring with bright eyes full of defiance.
He sighed softly. "Now what is this creature…? A demon beast, perhaps? To survive this heat, it must be."
Reaching down, he carefully lifted it by the back of its neck.
Grrrrrr…
The little beast growled, squirming in his grasp, its tail whipping lightly in protest.
Ye Kaishan chuckled faintly. "Hmm… looks like it has a bit of intelligence."
"Hmm, wait… I have something for you."
Ye Kaishan flicked his finger, pulling a jade bottle out of the void. "This is a Soul Gathering Pill — Song Yan uses it for her cultivation."
As he uncorked the bottle, a sweet, refreshing fragrance escaped. The little lizard's eyes widened, fixated on the glowing pill resting in Ye Kaishan's hand.
Ye Kaishan raised an eyebrow, glancing at the creature. "As I thought, these pills are appealing to demon beasts as well."
With a faint smile, he tossed the pill into the air. In an instant, the lizard sprang up and swallowed it whole.
"Oh, you might make a good Companion," Ye Kaishan murmured, amused, as he tossed another pill into his hand and played with it idly.
Meanwhile, on the ground nearby, Shen Yao clenched his fists into the scorched soil, sweat dripping from his temples. With some effort, he forced his eyes open. Though his injuries had healed, the unbearable heat made even breathing a struggle.
"This…" he whispered hoarsely, his gaze landing on Ye Kaishan — who was casually playing with a tiny black lizard.
"Ah… mm… Brother Ye…" The words escaped his dry lips.
Ye Kaishan stopped at once. Hearing the weak voice, he turned and saw Shen Yao's eyes half open. He quickly strode over and supported him up.
"You're awake," Ye Kaishan said, steadying him.
"Brother Ye… where are we?" Shen Yao asked, his face red from the heat.
"We were sent into the Celestial Sky Realm," Ye Kaishan replied lightly, glancing toward the distant molten mountains. "But you — why did you come to the tournament? Because of that, you got caught up in this mess as well."
"Sigh…" Shen Yao's shoulders slumped. "Brother Ye, it was my own arrogance. I had nothing to do that day and thought I'd join the tournament for some experience. Who would've thought things would turn out like this…"
Ye Kaishan's eyes sharpened slightly. "Did you encounter anyone else here besides me?"
"Yes," Shen Yao said after a pause. "I met several cultivators from the martial grounds. They've formed groups. Somehow, they received information that there's a way to leave this minor realm, so all the cultivators split into five or six separate groups to find a way out."
"Then why didn't you join them?" Ye Kaishan frowned.
Shen Yao gave a bitter smile. "Do you think I didn't try? Those cultivators from big sects and clans are too arrogant. They didn't want anyone with low cultivation to join them.
I understand weaker cultivators would only slow them down, but still, many who were left behind have already perished one by one. I wandered until I collapsed here."
Ye Kaishan fell silent, his gaze drifting over the scorching landscape. If they gathered cultivators recklessly, countless resources would be wasted just to control them… he thought, a frown tugging at his lips. Still… this method is undeniably cruel.
His gaze returned to Shen Yao. "This 'minor realm'… do you know anything about it?" he asked.
Shen Yao nodded weakly. "I… know some details…" His voice grew faint as his vision blurred.
Thud!
He collapsed again.
Ye Kaishan sighed helplessly. "Ah, I forgot — he's still affected by this heat."
He pressed his palm lightly on Shen Yao's shoulder.
Space laws rippled around them, forming an invisible barrier that devoured the scorching air. Shen Yao's face gradually returned to its normal color, and his breathing steadied once more.
Author's Note:Hey, it's your author! By this chapter, I've surpassed 100,000 words, and the story is still unfolding. I'm writing every day, but I'd love a little motivation from you, my readers.
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