After Lady Virelila's wager had been sealed, the atmosphere within the do settled into a heavy silence. The murmurs between halls gradually faded, replaced by a tense anticipation that lingered in the air like the calm before a storm.
Max stood quietly among the disciples of the Thirty Third Hall, his eyes slowly closing as he withdrew his attention inward.
He did not allow himself to be distracted by the presence of Isabella Lumin, nor by the imposing aura of Zain Heron, nor even by the glowing Red Horn Dragon bone that had briefly appeared before him.
All of that would matter later. For now, his breathing beca slow and steady. He regulated the circulation of his Divine Essence as he ran the Primordial Elental Scripture, stabilizing the flow through his ridians and the single opened divine vein within his body.
The faint heat radiating from the golden path ahead brushed against his senses, yet he did not resist it. Instead, he allowed himself to grow familiar with it.
Ti passed quietly.
Nearly an hour later, movent stirred above the center of the do. Grand Elder Waller once again appeared in midair, his figure hovering above the entrance of the golden path. His presence commanded imdiate attention, and conversations ceased at once.
"I take it you all have been inford about the Path to Eternal Flas," Grand Elder Waller began, his voice resonating clearly across the vast do.
He paused briefly, scanning the gathered disciples from the Thirty Six Halls.
"There is no ti limit for this trial," he continued. "You may proceed at your own pace. You are allowed to adapt gradually to the flas as you advance deeper into the path. However, do not mistake the absence of ti restriction as leniency. The further you go, the harsher the pressure becos."
His gaze sharpened.
"The deeper you advance, the greater the rewards you may obtain. Endure for as long as you can. You will be eliminated only when you lose consciousness within the path. Until that mont, you are free to push your limits."
The golden path beneath him shimred faintly as if responding to his declaration.
With finality in his tone, Grand Elder Waller said, "Now, all disciples, enter the Path to Eternal Flas."
His words carried the authority of judgnt.
Imdiately, movent erupted across the do. Disciples from all Thirty Six Halls began stepping forward in organized groups, each hall following its own formation. The floating screens above flickered brighter, preparing to display the progress of those who would soon enter.
Lady Virelila turned toward her disciples one last ti.
"You all go ahead and do your best," she said calmly, though her eyes carried unmistakable expectation.
The disciples of the Thirty Third Hall nodded firmly.
At the front stood Aden, Dale, and Jane, the top three disciples of the hall. Their expressions were resolute, their auras already stirring faintly in preparation. Without hesitation, they stepped forward toward the golden path.
Behind them followed Max, Carl, and Laura, forming the next group. The rest of the hall's disciples trailed closely behind, their footsteps echoing faintly against the polished floor of the do.
As Max approached the entrance of the golden path, he felt the heat intensify noticeably. The air before him shimred with dense fla energy. It was not an ordinary fla that burned outwardly. It was a pervasive force that seeped into one's body, testing resistance from within.
He opened his eyes slowly.
The path stretched forward like a river of molten gold, vanishing into layers of distorted heat waves in the distance. Beyond the first stretch, the entrance to the second pillar could barely be discerned, obscured by a deeper crimson glow.
Aden stepped onto the golden surface first.
The mont his foot made contact, a surge of black fla energy erupted subtly around him, enveloping his body in an invisible pressure. He did not retreat. Instead, he clenched his jaw and took another step forward.
Dale and Jane followed imdiately after.
Then Max stepped forward.
The instant his foot touched the golden path, a wave of scorching force rushed through his body. It did not attack like a beast. It pressed against his skin, seeped into his muscles, and attempted to invade his ridians. The heat was fierce, yet refined. It sought weaknesses rather than brute destruction.
Max inhaled slowly as he circulated his Divine Essence to handle the flaming pressure.
Behind him, Carl and Laura stepped onto the path, their expressions tightening as they felt the weight of the first pillar.
One by one, disciples from the other halls entered as well. Across the floating screens above, scenes began to display from different angles, showing the progress of each hall's disciples as they advanced into the first of the Thirty Six Pillars of Eternal Flas.
The trial had begun.
The mont the disciples fully stepped onto the golden surface, the Path to Eternal Flas revealed its true nature. What appeared calm from afar transford into a relentless sea of scorching pressure the deeper they ventured. The heat was not rely external. It seeped into bones and ridians, pressing against bloodline and spirit alike.
Very soon, the differences in foundation and strength beca unmistakable.
At the very front were the leading figures of the various halls. Dale, Jane, and Aden from the Thirty Third Hall moved with steady montum, their auras stabilizing the flas around them as they advanced.
From other halls, similarly formidable disciples surged forward with controlled confidence. These were individuals who had honed their bodies and bloodlines to a refined state. The first hundred miles passed under their feet without significant hesitation.
By the ti they crossed the three hundred mile mark, faint distortions began to form in the air around them. The flas grew denser, and the golden glow beneath their feet deepened into a darker shade, laced with streaks of black fire.
Yet the leading group did not falter. So released subtle draconic transformations, scales faintly appearing over their arms. Others reinforced their bodies with concentrated fla essence. Their progress was not reckless. It was asured, deliberate, and relentless.
Soon, several among them approached the one thousand mile mark, which signified the end of the first pillar. The heat near the boundary intensified sharply, forming swirling columns of fla that lashed outward like testing whips.
Yet the strongest among this first group pushed through. Dale's expression tightened but remained composed as he took his final steps across the boundary. Jane followed closely, her aura burning with controlled intensity. Aden's footsteps were heavy yet unwavering as he crossed the threshold.
They beca the first group to complete the first pillar.
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