Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The moment Xuanyuan Po underwent berserk metamorphosis, the waves of heat traveling through the stone path suddenly exploded into real flames.

A primordial Qi emerged from the designs on Xuanyuan Po's body, keeping the flames outside.

But these flames were the true form of the Celestial Tree's Wildfire, holding an unimaginable might. It made the true essence and Qi within Xuanyuan Po's body vibrate with the flames, stoking them so hot that they instantly broke through his meridians and Qi openings to surge into his surroundings!

Xuanyuan Po felt a terrible pain, like countless sharp knives were stabbing into his body. His face became incomparably pale while beads of sweat the size of beans dripped down from his forehead.

After a few moments, he could no longer endure. With a low roar, he dropped one knee to the ground.

With a boom, his burly body swayed and his sturdy knee smashed a shallow hole in the ground. The flying shards of stone tore several holes through the blazing Wildfire that were almost instantly filled.

The bizarre and beautiful designs on his body allowed the Celestial Tree's Wildfire to verify that he was a demi-human, so no real harm was done to his body. However, the true essence in his body was circulating at uncontrollable speeds, and he was at risk of death through combustion at any moment.

Xuanyuan Po kneeled in the flames, his eyes closed and his face fraught with pain. His heaving gasps seemed like they would continue forever.

After some time, he finally opened his eyes and looked forward.

The Wildfire in the stone path had already vanished and his eyes had regained their sobriety, still tinged with fear and respect.

……

……

Not long after Xuanyuan Po broke through the baptism of Wildfire, the two other demi-human experts beneath their Celestial Trees also broke through this bottleneck. However, since they had not had their meridians widened with needles by Chen Changsheng in the Orthodox Academy, their circumstances were more dangerous, their appearances more miserable. Their clothes had been scorched into rags and their bodies were covered in blood. They proceeded very unsteadily along the stone path, liable to fall over at any moment.

Xiaode lived up to his reputation as second on the Proclamation of Liberation. The baptism of Wildfire had no effect on him, primarily because he had a higher cultivation level than Xuanyuan Po and the others, but also because he had been lucky enough to experience the baptism of Wildfire many years ago.

The one facing the most danger was the young man in the bamboo hat, because he needed to endure the most pressure.

He was not a demi-human, so his blood did not contain the Qi of the Wildfire left behind by his ancestors. And no matter how much pressure he faced, strange and beautiful designs would not emerge on his body and face to protect him. In other words, he could only rely on his cultivation and strength to endure.

No longer after he traveled underground through the stone hall, the Celestial Tree's Wildfire sensed that he was not a demi-human. No waves of heat came to welcome him, only terrifying flames!

To creatures that were not demi-humans, the Wildfire had no sense of softness or instruction, only callous killing intent.

As he sensed the heat and energy within the flames, sensed the savage and brutal Qi, the young man raised his head, his expression grave as he gazed at the smear of red that engulfed the stone path.

This was the baptism of the Wildfire.

Demi-human experts could rely on their powerful physiques and determined wills to pass, as their bodies contained the Qi of the Wildfire. Non-demi-humans, on the other hand, if they had no desire to be burned to death by the Wildfire, would have to open their seas of consciousness and allow the Wildfire to remold their souls.

The young man naturally didn't want to die, but he also could not pick the latter, so what would he do?

In a flash, the extremely heat-resistant Polestar Grass growing from the chinks in the stone walls, almost invisible to the eye, burned into several hundred wisps of smoke.

A smoky curtain dropped down from the brim of the bamboo hat to the ground, protecting his body.

The wild and brutal Wildfire of the Celestial Tree descended on his body, but it was blocked by the smoky curtain.

With a low yet ear-piercing biting sound, the curtain grew thinner and thinner, the smoke fainter and fainter. The grave expression on his face grew more and more sincere, but there was no fear, only caution and a hint of curiosity.

If he just stood in the stone path and took on this endless stream of Wildfire, even the divine artifact that was his bamboo hat would eventually be exhausted into trash. Before the bamboo hat lost effectiveness, he had to make it past the Wildfire.

He walked through the path of flames.

The light smoke dropping down from the hat could protect his face and body, but not his feet.

His footsteps were extremely heavy and slow. Each step left a clear imprint on the stone path.

After some time, the Wildfire in the stone path abruptly vanished.

The curtain of smoke dropping down from the brim of the bamboo hat had faded so much that it was almost invisible.

Half of his handsome face was revealed, occasionally flashing with a smear of pain.

To walk through this path laden with the Wildfire of the Celestial Tree, he had suffered some very painful injuries.

But the greatest pain was in his heart.

He had used two divine artifacts preserved in the Demon Palace for many years. Who knew when they might eventually recover?

……

……

The young man in the bamboo hat stood silently in front of a swamp.

He knew that this was not a real swamp.

Though he was several dozen zhang away, he could still feel a choking heat, with even the edge of his clothes beginning to crinkle.

It was too hot here, even hotter than the baptism of Wildfire in the stone path. This place was probably deep underground.

The cavern here was enormous and empty. Countless tree roots of varying thickness hung from its roof.

Those tree roots were spread throughout, boring deeply into the walls of black stone.

These were probably the roots of the Celestial Tree.

Whether it was the black stone walls or the swamp before him, they were hot to an inconceivable level.

The light emerging from the stone path and some other place diffused before it had time to land.

He could not understand how the roots of the Celestial Tree could live so well.

The entirety of this underground cavern seemed like an illusion.

A rock dropped from the roof of the cavern. After ten-some seconds, it finally landed in the swamp.

A small hole appeared in the surface of the swamp, which seemed to be made of congealed, black oil.

A flame shot out of the hole, looking like a dragon of fire.

The flame struck the roof, transforming into countless embers that set several roots ablaze.

The 'swamp' was actually magma.

The young man raised his head to the roof, his expression shifting as he saw the blazing roots.

The roots were not actually burning.

The flames were actually being extinguished.

They were being swallowed by the roots.

The nutrients the Celestial Trees required came from the magma flowing underground?

Even with his most esteemed status and incredibly broad experiences, he was still somewhat stunned by this sight.

When he thought of the task he was soon to undertake, he couldn't but feel a little nervous. Only after gripping the two chilly objects in his sleeve did he feel a little more at ease.