NOVGO.NET Chapter 1085 - 1085: No Residence?!
The sun was already sinking when Kent and his companions stepped out from the Central Hall. The evening light painted the Seven Mountains in hues of gold and crimson, the clouds glowing like burning embers above their peaks. The servant lady floated before them on her stone slab, her calm voice cutting through the murmurs of the group.
“Golden Heir,” she said, “you have three days to choose, but nothing prevents you from beginning now. Come. This evening, we will start with Blazing Flame Mountain.”
Fatty Ben groaned loudly, holding his belly. “Evening? Can’t we eat first? Fire mountain sounds like roasted meat waiting to happen!”
Tata Lan smacked the back of his head. “Fatty uncle, if you think of food at every mountain, you’ll be cooked before we’re done!”
Even the Dragon Twin Sisters smirked at his whining. Kent, however, walked calmly at the front, his eyes on the blazing peak ahead.
–
The path leading upward was lined with red stone, warm to the touch. Heat rose in waves, making the air shimmer as though they walked inside a furnace. From above came the roar of flames—pillars of fire erupting into the sky, phoenix-shaped bursts scattering into embers.
Sophia, her voice soft, frowned slightly. “The air itself is burning. I feel sacred energy woven within the flames.”
Amelia’s sharp eyes narrowed. “No… it’s more than sacred. This mountain itself tests endurance. Even standing here drains the weak.”
Fatty Ben wiped sweat from his brow, panting. “Endurance? Ha! I’ll endure when dinner’s ready!”
Lily gave him a glare sharp enough to slice him in two. “If you embarrass Kent here, I’ll roast you myself.”
As they climbed higher, they finally reached the outer gates of Blazing Flame Mountain. The gate was forged of molten iron, runes glowing faintly along its surface. Before it stood dozens of disciples clad in crimson robes, each radiating scorching aura. Their gazes turned instantly toward Kent’s group.
One of them, tall with hair like burning coal, sneered openly. “So this is the Golden Heir? Hmph. Brings an entire village with him. Is he here to cultivate or run a market stall?”
Murmurs of laughter followed.
Amelia’s eyes flashed dangerously, but Kent lifted his hand, silencing her before she could speak. His calm gaze met the mocking disciple’s.
The servant lady stepped forward, her tone icy. “This is the Golden Heir. Remember your manners, or Elder Huo himself will burn them into you.”
At her words, the disciples stiffened, though their eyes still burned with rivalry.
The gates opened with a hiss, and the group entered.
Inside, Blazing Flame Mountain glowed like a living volcano. Rivers of molten fire coursed down the slopes, yet disciples bathed in them as if the flames were no more than warm springs. Vast phoenixes of fire soared across the skies, their cries shaking the heavens. The entire mountain was alive with energy that pulsed in every stone.
Bai Qi gasped, holding Kent’s arm. “Such flame… each ember here could serve as alchemical fuel for a hundred pills.”
Lin Lin nodded, awe flashing across her usually composed face. “This mountain is a natural alchemy furnace. Those who cultivate here will never lack fire essence.”
Fatty Ben’s jaw dropped as he watched a disciple walk barefoot across lava. “Are you kidding me?! That guy’s feet aren’t even sizzling!”
Tata Lan snorted. “Fatty uncle, even a baby dragon would handle this heat. You’d melt before the gate!”
The Dragon Twin Sisters inhaled deeply, their scales glowing faintly. “The thunder of storms calls us, but this flame… this flame is tempting.”
A booming voice echoed across the mountain. “So. The Golden Heir arrives.”
A figure descended from above, riding a phoenix of pure fire. His hair blazed like flame, his eyes shone with molten gold. He was Elder Huo, master of Blazing Flame Mountain.
He studied Kent briefly, his gaze heavy, before giving a curt nod. “Good. You do not bow. I like that. But if you choose this peak, you must endure its fires, or burn with the unworthy.”
Fatty Ben muttered, “He looks like he eats lava for breakfast…”
Kent stepped forward, his voice steady. “We will see.”
Elder Huo smirked faintly, then turned away, vanishing into the flames. The disciples followed him, leaving only the lingering heat and the echo of his challenge.
The servant lady spoke again, bowing slightly toward Kent. “This is the first. Remember what you saw. Fire grants destruction, fury, and rebirth. But it consumes as much as it gives. Tomorrow,—or even tonight—you may see another. Choose wisely, Golden Heir.”
Kent gave a small nod, his eyes calm as the sea against the mountain of fire. “We will continue.”
Behind him, his wives whispered among themselves.
Amelia: “Fire is strength, but also chaos. We must weigh carefully.”
Sophia: “I sensed holiness hidden in those flames… healing through destruction.”
Bai Qi: “For alchemy, this mountain is unmatched.”
Lucy: “If the disciples already despise us, business here will be bloody.”
Lily: hmphed quietly, her eyes on Kent alone.
Fatty Ben wiped his sweat and groaned. “Six more to go? By the heavens, can’t one of them be Ice Cream Mountain?”
Everyone laughed lightly, but Kent’s calm gaze never wavered from the horizon, where the remaining six peaks loomed, each waiting with secrets.
The first step was taken.
–
The night fell heavy over the Heavenly Wizard Academy, the skies above the Seven Mountains glowing faintly with runes that looked like drifting constellations. The group of thirty stood silently in the cooling gardens outside the Central Hall, their breaths slow, their robes still sticky with the sweat of Blazing Flame Mountain. Kent turned to the servant lady, his tone even.
“Where is our residence?”
Her expression did not shift. “Until you choose a mountain, nothing will be provided. No rooms. No quarters. No halls. If you wish, you may stay in the outer gardens.”
Her words dropped like cold water.
“What?!” Amelia’s eyes narrowed, her sharp tone cutting. “Do you mean the Golden Heir himself must sleep under the stars like a beggar?”