"The immortal's approval!"

The swarming little people gazed intently at the Flaming Mountain before them. As the light dimmed, they saw a three-legged divine bird, radiating unparalleled brilliance, descend from the sky and transform a sparsely populated mountain range into the form before them.

The scorching flames engulfed every inch of land in the mountains. Most of the grasses and trees that had taken root and grown in the mountain forests were reduced to ashes. Only a very few, in harmony with the flames, grew further and adapted to the extremely harsh environment.

The rushing streams and great rivers no longer flow with clear water, but with viscous and extremely hot lava. This place has become a dead end, and if anyone is ignorant and rashly steps into it, their fate will not be much better than that of the vegetation that has turned to ashes.

Even so, once word of the situation spread, it attracted an astonishing number of villains. Moreover, as the news spread, more and more capable individuals, or those who believed they would be the chosen lucky ones, rushed over.

The decree delivered by the descending immortal has spread throughout the world. After all, such things cannot be concealed. There are simply too many people in the know. As long as someone is willing to stir things up, news about the immortal can easily be spread.

Those who gain the approval of the immortals can use their power to establish a kingdom. Such temptation is irresistible to almost no villain. What intelligent beings pursue is nothing more than fame and fortune, and after having both, they crave an even longer life.

All of this is within easy reach and effortless as long as one gains the approval of the immortals. How could this not drive the little people living in the Sumeru Realm crazy!

However, despite their madness, they still possessed basic rationality, which explains why a large number of tiny beings lingered outside the Flaming Mountain created by the power of the Fire Spirit but did not enter.

They have witnessed firsthand how confident yet overconfident people lose their strength and resources in the flames, and are then consumed by the flames in despair.

To gain the recognition of the immortals, one must actually risk one's life; this alone is enough to bring the crazed villains back to their senses.

Then, in a more cautious way, he tested whether he could withstand the first test from the immortals.

In reality, the five guardian spirits who received Feng Bingwen's message set up tests according to their own preferences, but the first test was aptitude!

Whether one possesses the aptitude to become an immortal!

Those who possess the potential to become immortals can be fearless of any of the trials set up by the Five Elements, and will not be burned by fire or drown in water.

Because those with such qualities are among Feng Bingwen's targets.

He needed to comprehend the Great Dao in the Celestial Palace and make the most of his time, so he had no time to attend to too many other matters. Naturally, he entrusted this secondary task to the Five Spirits.

"Look! Someone's gone in!"

"What happened? Why didn't it catch fire?"

Outside the Flaming Mountain, the growing number of tiny people suddenly became restless, forming a massive, surging wave that looked like a tidal wave as they rushed toward a certain location from high above.

There, a boy who looked extremely weak was carrying a curved sword and was moving into the depths of the Flaming Mountain without any pressure, surrounded by scorching flames.

His relaxed expression gave many of the onlookers the illusion that they could do it too. Immediately, more than a dozen people took action, but after a scream and a cry of pain, no one did such a stupid thing again.

The power of the Flaming Mountain had not diminished in the slightest; in fact, it had become even stronger. What was truly remarkable was the boy who walked effortlessly through the flames, even though he still looked like a child.

"This is unbelievable! Is there something special about this kid that makes these flames not harm him at all!"

"They probably possess some special talent!"

"Go! I need to know his identity before dawn!"

A commotion arose as the little people gathered outside the Flaming Mountain were at least cultivators; those without cultivation wouldn't be qualified to come here and join the fun.

With their keen eyesight, it wasn't hard to see that the boy who moved effortlessly through the flames only had very superficial breathing marks on his body. He hadn't even crossed the threshold of cultivation. Anyone they found here could easily defeat him.

Yet this seemingly weakling advanced leisurely through the trials set up by the immortals, as if taking a stroll.

This is unreasonable. He doesn't have any special magical artifacts or treasures on him. The scimitar with a nick in his hand is just an ordinary weapon, not even a magical artifact.

Naturally, the "big shots" who longed to establish a nation and leave their own legendary history in the Sumeru Realm used their own methods to quickly find out the identity of the only boy who had stepped into the flames.

Xin Ba, a war orphan whose parents were both sacrificed to the heavens, was born into an ordinary family after the departure of the previous immortal. Unfortunately, he was caught up in the flames of war.

His father was conscripted into the army by a country that had only been established a few years ago. In less than a year, the boy received news of his father's death. Soon after, his mother also passed away under the double torment of poverty and illness.

In this chaotic era, there are countless people like this boy, practically as many as you could want. Without the suppression of newcomers, the ambitious members of the Lilliputian race naturally dare to put their ambitions into practice.

Because while the time a celestial being reigns is fixed, the time between their departure and the arrival of the next celestial being is not fixed.

During this period, if someone can achieve unification without the support of immortals, they can still secure their position even after the immortals descend.

As a result, the war broke out almost immediately after the previous immortal left, affecting countless villains and causing numerous tragedies.

The boy walking through the flames is just one example of the tragedy. However, compared to his fellow humans who are powerless to change anything and can only silently endure it, he now possesses the possibility of changing everything.

"An immortal!"

Amidst the flames, a ragged young man, whose most valuable possession was a scimitar with several chips, looked up at the sky. The intense flames distorted the light, illuminating the night sky as bright as day, yet he could hardly see the celestial palace hanging high in the heavens.

He didn't know why he was immune to the flames; he had only stepped into the flames with the mindset of "what's the use of trying?"

Besides this, a faint resentment lingered in his heart. He wanted to question the high and mighty immortal: why did you allow war to descend upon the Sumeru Realm?

The immortals, possessing boundless power, could maintain peace and stability in the world around them simply by sitting in their celestial palaces and doing nothing!

But with the departure of the immortal, everything was destroyed. His family, his playmates, and everything he owned were all burned to ashes in the war.

Even though his reason told him that the immortals who believed that resentment would inevitably bring peace were irrational, and that he should hate the powerful and wealthy who recklessly started wars for their own ambitions and disregarded the lives of ordinary people like them!

However, being young, he was unable to control his emotions with his own reason. He had a faint sense of rejection towards those immortals who could decide the development of the Sumeru Realm with a single thought!

He felt that his clan was insignificant to those immortals; otherwise, they wouldn't have allowed the flames of war to burn rampantly across the land. He thought that his clan, including those ambitious individuals, were probably like crickets in a box in the eyes of the immortals.

"I sense the aura of hatred, you petty person, what are you resenting?"

A haughty, emotionless voice rang in Xin Ba's ears.

"Who are you?"

Lost in his own world, the boy surrounded by flames suddenly heard a sound and was startled. He gripped the scimitar in his hand, which was already red-hot and slowly melting. Although he knew it was useless, it still gave him some psychological comfort.

"I am the Fire Spirit, though you lowly beings now call me the Celestial Spirit!"

"My Lord Immortal, does your communication with me mean that I have passed the test and am about to gain your approval?"

"You've only just gotten it; you've only passed the first test. You should thank your parents properly. Things won't be so easy from here on out!"

At the very center of the Flaming Mountain, the power released transformed the mountains into a purgatory. The three-legged divine bird preened its golden feathers, and beneath its bamboo grove stood a golden Flaming Divine Tree, formed purely from its own power.

Within the roots of the sacred tree lay countless tiny figures, unconscious. These were those who had attempted to force their way into the Flaming Mountain but lacked the necessary aptitude.

To the petty people outside Flaming Mountain, these overconfident fellows had been reduced to ashes and their remains were nowhere to be found. But in reality, Fire Spirit hadn't killed a single one; he didn't want to cause trouble for his master.

It's just a test; that's enough. There's no need to cause any deaths. The most important thing is to select the scoundrels who meet the master's requirements; the rest can step aside.

"My lord, my cultivation is too weak!"

He knew his own situation best. Xin Ba felt that he was lucky enough to have gotten this far. He himself didn't quite understand it, but he could guess that it was probably due to talent. However, apart from that, he didn't think he had anything special about him.

"What follows is a test of your will. How long can you endure in the fighting and battle? Let me see, you scoundrel!"

Then the fire forest's voice completely fell silent, but in front of the boy, flames flickered, and a large cat made of flames walked out slowly with elegant steps.

Xin Ba's face darkened as he looked at the large cat in front of him. His heart was heavy and slightly bitter. He thought of those unfortunate souls whose lives were taken by the flames.

But he would turn his head to look behind him, then at the crimson, melting scimitar in his hand. He had nothing, so what did he have to fear? Besides, he had already come this far.

"Hey, another one's come in!"

On the Flame Tree, modeled after the sacred Fusang tree, a fire spirit perched on a branch preening its feathers looked up towards a direction of the Flame Mountain, a hint of joy in its eyes.

If he can find enough scoundrels who can achieve immortality, he will surely receive the master's reward. At that time, he will be able to surpass the other four and enjoy the master's favor alone.

"Let's stick to the same process, treating everyone equally without any bias!"

The Fire Spirit indicates that it is a guardian spirit with extremely strong principles, selecting those it finds agreeable through trials.

As for his test, it's very simple: he has to take a beating. Whoever lasts the longest will gain his approval.

Of course, that's not what we say to outsiders. We tell these little people who are being tested that it's to test their combat skills and willpower.

In reality, it was about pleasing him and, incidentally, testing his control over the flames!

He knew it was a bit bad, but Fire Spirit thought the other four guys probably weren't much better off. After all, they finally had a place to have some fun, so why not take the opportunity to indulge themselves? How long were they going to hold back?

The endless battle... Xin Ba, whose mental will was on the verge of collapse, had forgotten the concept of time, and also forgotten how many ferocious beasts he had fought against, all made of flames.

He had no wounds on his body because he found that he could draw power from the surrounding flames. He was neither hungry nor thirsty. Of course, he still felt pain, but he had gradually gotten used to it!

Even though his body could hold on, his mind was close to collapse. He was just an ordinary person who had only been cultivating for a short time. This high-intensity battle was more than all the battles he had experienced before combined.

"I really didn't expect that you, the weakest of them all, would actually hold out until the very end!"

A slightly surprised voice rang in his ears, and the pack of fire wolves that were attacking him collapsed at the same moment the voice rang out.

The moment the enemy disappeared, the boy's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a sacred tree of flames. In the tree's canopy, a majestic and noble divine bird, exuding a terrifying aura, was looking down at him.

"My Lord Immortal Spirit!"

"There were five test takers in total, including you. You were the only one who lasted until the end, so you will gain my recognition and my power!"

The boy, who had just woken up, immediately felt a burning heat in his hand. It turned out that the scimitar he had held onto even when he was unconscious was undergoing an unprecedented change. A magnificent flame emblem appeared on the blade, making it look like a three-legged divine bird spreading its wings and taking flight.

"As agreed, I have bestowed upon you this power. Now, what do you intend to do with it?"

"To quell the chaos and establish a nation that will never again be ravaged by war!"

Xin Ba answered firmly.

"An unoriginal answer, boring!"