NOVEL NEXT Chapter 438: Flame Will Realm
The Dong Clan's ancestral compound sprawled across dozens of li, mountains and rivers woven into its foundation. Tiled-roofed pavilions gleamed faintly beneath layers of protective formations, while jade bridges arched over lakes where rare spirit fish glimmered like living jewels. Ordinarily, the place exuded tranquil majesty. Today, however, that serenity was drowned beneath a tense undercurrent.
The main ceremonial hall blazed with light. Crimson silk banners fluttered from carved beams, and auspicious incense rose in curling streams, only to mingle with faint fluctuations of spiritual power. A wedding ought to be a festive occasion, yet the air within the hall felt heavy—far heavier than celebration alone could explain.
"I didn't think so many people would attend." Dong Tianzi stood at the threshold, his eyes widening as he scanned the crowd.
The hall was filled with cultivators, their auras tightly restrained yet impossible to conceal entirely. Pressure lingered in the air with every breath. Each sweep of his gaze made his chest tighten—Void Return cultivators sat here as though they were ordinary guests, and even among them were figures whose depths he dared not probe.
"It seems our plan regarding Liang is of no use after all." Dong Tianzi forced a laugh, though the sound rang hollow.
Dong Tianshu shook his head calmly. "It cannot be helped. The plans of men often differ from the will of heaven."
"No," Tianzi sneered quietly. "It was a misjudgment on our part. This Liang… he deliberately fooled us into underestimating him."
Tianshu's eyes flickered with a trace of thought. "Indeed he did. The question is—for what purpose?"
Tianzi faltered, then lowered his voice. "That, I cannot say. But since this marriage is being held so openly, it seems he has already come to terms with the old man."
At that, Tianshu gave a slow nod. "True. The old man has never been fond of outsiders."
Tianzi exhaled, his gaze returning to the crowded hall. "For Liang and Dong Rui's union to draw so many mighty figures… this is beyond anything I imagined."
Beside him, Tianshu smiled faintly. His expression was calm, but his eyes narrowed slightly, as though studying a vast chessboard invisible to others. "You are too naïve, brother. When people of such caliber gather under the pretext of a wedding, do you truly believe it is for red veils and bridal wine?"
Tianzi turned sharply. "What do you mean?"
Tianshu shook his head, his voice dropping to a murmur. "Watch, and you will understand. Some matters cannot be spoken aloud within these walls."
---
Meanwhile, in the boundless void beyond the mortal world, a small spirit boat cut silently through the endless darkness.
Two women stood upon its deck. From a distance, they appeared no different from ordinary travelers, but a closer look would reveal something unsettling—they moved through the starry expanse without the protection of a spiritual shield.
This was no trivial matter. To drift unprotected in the void meant certain death; even Void Transformation Expert dared not attempt it without profound treasures. Yet these two stood there as though the void itself provided them air to breathe.
Luo Li finally broke the silence. "Sister Xi, are you truly determined to attend?"
Her gaze swept over her companion. Xi's aura was faint, hidden beneath layers of suppression.
Xi raised a pale hand, covering her lips as she let out a low, melodious laugh. "You've misunderstood me."
"Oh?" Luo Li's brow arched.
Still gazing at the horizon, Xi's smile deepened. "The relationship between Liang and I goes back much further than you imagine. But that alone would not bring me here. Besides…"
"Besides what?" Luo Li pressed, her eyes sharp.
"Besides the fact that we are also here on a mission," Xi said evenly, her tone carrying a lightness that did not match her words. "A wise merchant does not waste an opportunity to profit."
Luo Li's eyes flickered, and realization dawned. Though they had indeed come at Liang's invitation, whether they would merely observe or intervene was a different matter entirely.
"You are far too daring." Luo Li's voice hardened. "This wedding will draw Void Return experts, perhaps even those at the late stage. Stirring muddy waters here is akin to playing dice with your own life."
Xi's expression did not waver. "That is why I have you by my side."
"You…" Luo Li exhaled sharply through her nose, her lips curling with disdain. "Bold, reckless, and utterly incorrigible. One day, this audacity of yours will kill us both."
Xi only chuckled softly, her gaze lifting once more to the endless void. "Perhaps. But until that day comes, we must seize what chances the heavens allow."
---
The Martial Rising Realm
Wu Jiang stood before the ancient stone gate, his brows faintly furrowed as his gaze lingered upon its silent surface. Unlike the previous two trials, this final gate was different. The laws within it were distorted—time itself flowed strangely. A breath taken outside could stretch into months, even years within.
Many who witnessed the three Martial Gates believed that Wu Jiang himself had forged them. Even that ghostly remnant, Sia, likely thought so. But the truth was more complex. Wu Jiang had only inherited fragments of their origin; the three gates were but the surface of something far deeper. Even he dared not claim to fully understand the foundation on which they stood.
"Strange…" Wu Jiang muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with a hint of unease. "It has been far too long, yet there is still no sign of him."
According to the rules of the Martial Gates, whether one succeeded or perished, the body of the challenger would eventually be expelled. Even death within could not erase a cultivator's shell. Yet, the gate remained closed, and Kai's figure had not reappeared.
A faint ripple of impatience passed across Wu Jiang's normally unshakable face. He turned slightly, gazing toward the distant horizon.
"The wedding of that brat Liang is about to begin… If Kai cannot emerge now, he may as well abandon the thought entirely."
He understood better than anyone the importance of timing. Once Liang became tied to the Dong Clan by marriage, his influence would soar beyond measure. In that case, even if Kai survived these trials, he would find himself forever pressed beneath Liang's shadow.
Of course, such contests of destiny were rarely determined by strength alone. The deciding factor often lay in the unseen—what cultivators called Fate Aura. It was an intangible current, shaped by chance encounters, opportunities, and the recognition of Heaven and Earth itself. Between two rivals, the one who held greater fate would almost always prevail.
Yet when Wu Jiang recalled Kai's performance thus far, even his ancient heart stirred faintly.
"To have forged a Martial Soul Realm foundation in so short a span… Such a thing has not been seen since the ancient days."
The Martial Soul Realm—this was not a mere step on the Martial Path. It was a height few living beings could hope to glimpse.
To Immortal cultivators, it was a realm equivalent to Dao Integration, a union of self and heaven, where will and soul resonated with the marrow of existence itself. For Kai, still in the dawn of his path, to reach this stage… it was truly beyond precedent.
The Martial Path was not like the Immortal Path. It did not seek harmony with heaven and earth, nor longevity beyond measure. It was a road that burned too bright, too sharp—like a blade that could cut all things, yet could not escape being worn away by its own edge.
Those who stepped onto this path knew from the very beginning that their years would be fewer, their trials harsher. Yet they still pressed forward, for every realm promised power that could shake mountains and split rivers.
The first step was the Foundation Realm. Here, the body was beaten and tempered, bones ground like iron, flesh reforged again and again until it could bear the weight of storms yet to come.
Only then could one enter the Essence Refinement Realm, where internal qi was seized by force. Unlike the Immortal Path, which pursued balance and circulation, the martialist wrestled with their own energy, bending it to serve their will through sheer dominance.
But no matter how fierce the body or how vast the qi, both would crumble before a wavering heart. Thus came the Will Tempering Realm. At this stage, each strike was no longer mere technique. Every movement had to be fused with conviction, for even the strongest blade was nothing if the hand that wielded it trembled.
Beyond that lay the Intent Manifestation Realm—the true threshold of the Martial Path. Here, Martial Intent was born. The cultivator ceased to borrow strength from heaven and earth; their will itself became power. A single word, a single thought, could turn into a force as real as steel.
If one survived, they would engrave that Intent into the depths of the soul, stepping into the Martial Soul Realm. Their presence alone could shatter the minds of the weak-willed, their aura no longer something unseen, but a weapon sharper than any blade.
And at the very end lay the Flame-Will Realm—the apex of mortal martial cultivation. Qi here no longer needed form, nor element, nor law. It became pure flame, burning with nothing but willpower. Such a cultivator's strike was enough to sear heaven and earth, but their own life was consumed in equal measure.