Arriving at the ancestral home at seven, I toiled until one in the afternoon. Phew, I hadn't slept well on the car ride. I planned to catch some shut-eye, but the urge to write was strong. Opening the webpage, I saw there were twelve monthly tickets—whoa! That instantly touched Old Gu’s heart. I immediately splashed cold water on my face, jolted my spirits, and got to writing...

...

As time wore on, by the third day, the look of astonishment in the white-bearded elder's eyes slowly turned grave. He watched Ye Chen, whose face remained serene amidst the Fire Source, muttering to himself, "Strange. Only a few days have passed, how could his consciousness intensity grow so rapidly? By the looks of it, he might even last another day."

Inside the Fire Source, Ye Chen kept his eyes closed, comprehending that profound artistic conception.

Under the searing agony, his consciousness shattered time and again, yet under the indelible obsession burning in his heart, it reformed once more, grinding the consciousness, which was like murky stone, into a piece of exquisitely clear crystal.

Time flew by...

The fourth day, the fifth day... the seventh day!

The white-bearded elder stood beside the Fire Source, his expression agitated and ecstatic. When Ye Chen managed to persist until the fifth day, a tidal wave of astonishment had already crashed into his heart. A thought arose then: a desperate hope that Ye Chen might actually succeed in merging with the Fire Source!

And now, he realized that this hope stood a very real chance of becoming reality!

"Go on! You must keep going!" The white-bearded elder stared intently at Ye Chen, encouraging him silently in his heart. For the first time in countless eons, he felt such excitement and trepidation. After waiting for so many years, he had finally found the descendant worthy of inheriting his masterpiece—how could he not be thrilled?

Flames danced across his brow, and Ye Chen’s eyes slowly opened. These eyes seemed to reflect the entire world—deep, calm—and within them spun a fiery rune mark. Beside this pattern, a tiny crimson dot accompanied it, eventually shrinking to the extreme before vanishing.

The Fire Source enveloping Ye Chen instantly dissolved, like water swallowed by a leviathan, drawn in by the fire mark that materialized on his forehead. He hovered suspended in mid-air, his eyes filled with myriad insights, which he slowly reined in, returning to his usual state. He looked up at the white-bearded elder and stated, "I have merged."

The white-bearded elder burst into hearty laughter, his eyes flashing with brilliant light. He looked at Ye Chen, nodding repeatedly, exclaiming, "Good, good, very good! You are the weakest among those who entered the relic, yet you managed to successfully merge with the Fire Source. Truly excellent!" If anyone familiar with the white-bearded elder were present, they would be utterly staggered. This man, usually so disdainful that he wouldn't give a second glance to geniuses who achieved demigod status by age ten, was now uttering so many 'good's. It was evident he was more than ordinarily pleased with Ye Chen.

Ye Chen nodded slightly, making no attempt at modesty. "Is the control of this relic mine now?"

The white-bearded elder shot him an irritated glare. "You're still preoccupied with such petty trifles? How small-minded! Compared to merging with the Fire Source, this relic is nothing but a fart!"

"The reason?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

The white-bearded elder glared at Ye Chen’s insolent demeanor, nearly choking on his anger. The arrogant geniuses who usually stood before him spoke with bated breath; which one would dare speak to him in that tone? He would have slapped them into oblivion long ago!

He glanced helplessly at Ye Chen and said, "The Fire Source you merged with is the Source of Incineration among the Six Paths of Fire. Now, your blood, bones, and very strength are imbued with the power of incineration. It can set anything ablaze; there is nothing between heaven and earth that cannot be burned! Of course, the prerequisite is that your own level must be high enough."

"The Six Paths of Fire? Incineration?" Ye Chen pondered briefly.

The white-bearded elder sighed contentedly. "You don't need to know that yet. When you travel to the Ancient World later, you will understand. Regarding the Path of Fire, you still have a long way to go. Work hard. I will await you in the Ancient World!"

Ye Chen frowned slightly and nodded.

The white-bearded elder smiled. "Now, I shall impart a few supreme techniques to you. Comprehend them well!" Saying this, he tapped a finger forward, and a thread of red light entered Ye Chen's brow.

Ye Chen's brain cells instantly received a massive influx of data.

"Flame God Hammer!"

"Phantom Flame Shield!"

"《Inferno Canon》!"

The Flame God Hammer and the Phantom Flame Shield were each divided into five levels. Once all levels were mastered, one could condense these two divine weapons for combat! As for the 《Inferno Canon》, it contained numerous offensive, defensive, and auxiliary methods related to fire-element techniques, divided into nine tiers!

"Comprehend them well. Only after mastering both the Flame God Hammer and the Phantom Flame Shield to the first level can you leave. With these two supreme techniques, ensuring your survival will not be difficult!" the white-bearded elder stated gravely.

Ye Chen frowned. "This isn't something that can be learned in a day or two."

"I don't care," the white-bearded elder waved his hand. "Manage it yourself. The first level is simple to grasp; if you're slow, it takes years; if you're clever, a few months. Put in the effort!" With that, his figure gradually grew translucent and vanished.

Ye Chen rolled his eyes, glanced at the empty ground around him, grit his teeth slightly, and stopped wasting time. He quickly found a spot on the ground, sat down, and began cultivating the Flame God Hammer first...

Little did he know that at this very moment, a tremendous commotion was erupting outside.

System Announcement: "The relic has recognized its master. All other prospective successors have been eliminated. From now on, everyone may apply to leave the Reincarnation World, or choose to remain inside to continue honing combat skills and survival ability, though no points reward will be granted."

When everyone saw this message, they were stunned, immediately erupting into an uproar that pierced the heavens.

"Who was it? Exactly who!!"

"It recognized its master so quickly? Which bastard is so despicable, shameless, treacherous, cunning, vicious, and fierce..."

"Damn it! After all my hard work, it was all for nothing! Beast!"

Everyone immediately started cursing on the spot, seething with rage.

When Blood Dragon heard this announcement, he paused for a beat, then his expression swiftly darkened. Clenching his fists, his fingernails dug deep into his palms. Cold light flashed in his eyes. "Someone got here first! No matter who you are, you're dead!" Saying this, he decisively applied to exit the Reincarnation World.

Many others did the same. In an instant, thousands of people awoke in the relic's plaza. Some foes locked eyes, their enmity flaring violently, but under the main system god's warning, they dared not make a move, lest they be instantly vaporized into dust!

Everyone lined up to leave the relic.

As for staying inside to practice combat techniques?

Only a fool would do that! No matter how high one's combat skill, inherent strength remained the key. If one stayed inside for a few months of intensive training, the ordinary zombies outside would likely be dozens of levels higher, let alone other monsters.

After all, this wasn't like the virtual combat towers of the Atlantis Civilization. In the virtual towers, time could be freely selected. Generally, after returning from the wilderness at night, diligent individuals would dive in to train for a night, then go hunt monsters again during the day. Since entering the virtual combat tower wearing a helmet meant the body was replenished in a nutrient pod, it was equivalent to sleeping. However, entering a mission world in the Reincarnation World took at least seven or eight days, sometimes one or two months, before one could emerge.

Primal Spirit Tower, Eighth Level.

Combat Space.

"Die!"

White Dragon, clad in white and wielding a longsword, stared icily at the burly man before him. His figure suddenly moved, ghostly, darting in front of the large man. Seeing the opponent swing his saber down, White Dragon’s figure swayed eerily, deftly evading the force of the monstrous blow!

Thwack!

The sword light was graceful, like a blooming Epiphyllum flower!

Life was fading...

The burly man’s head slid off his neck, dropping to the ground like a ball. White Dragon’s gaze was cold, devoid of any emotion, his sword tip dripping blood.

The combat subjects he chose were all male and were configured with extremely repulsive appearances, the kind that immediately made one feel the urge to beat them up. If he chose someone he knew, he absolutely wouldn't be able to strike, even if the opponent was a virtual character.

Ding!

An announcement sounded near White Dragon's ear. He paused momentarily, then his eyes lit up with great joy. "Good heavens, he actually succeeded in recognizing the master! You haven't let down all the cultivation I poured into you!"

Simultaneously, the other four—Ye Zhu, Yue Heng, Zhuge Fan, and Mo Feng—all heard the announcement. Their eyes revealed delight, happy for Ye Chen.

"Good, impressive! I can't lose either, one more round!" Yue Heng’s fighting spirit soared. Looking at the opponent he had just cleaved, he swiftly configured another one, gripping his iron rod, and charged forward...

While Ye Chen was cultivating the Flame God Hammer, the area outside the relic gradually grew restless. Seven days later, a massive crowd suddenly surged forward—a dense mass of about one hundred thousand people—driving Russian Type F-08 military trucks, and transporting numerous rocket launchers, tanks, and vast quantities of ammunition.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the sky, streams of fighter jets flew overhead. They were the latest model developed by Russia in 2013, the E-4 fighter jet, rumored to be even more powerful than China's J-B2 fighter!

Among this massive contingent, the leading group wore exquisitely tailored leather armor—smooth and refined, clearly expensive—and on their backs and waists hung weapons like Tiger Bone sabers and Serpent Scale daggers. What drew the most attention was that everyone possessed an extremely cold aura, surrounded by a faint killing intent!

"Guild Leader, that ahead is the relic, we're almost there," a man with golden curly hair pointed forward, his gaze icy. He carried a long spear on his back and was draped in animal hide. A scar marred the side of his handsome face, slightly diminishing his overall good looks but adding a touch of ruggedness and charisma.

If Ye Chen were here, he would recognize this man as that same Blood Dragon!

"En." Leaning languidly on a golden armchair was a youth who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. He lacked any killing aura, appearing harmless. He yawned. "I hope there are some real treasures inside that relic, otherwise, this trip will have been wasted."

Blood Dragon’s fingers trembled slightly. He could almost imagine the wrath he would face if he made this young Guild Leader's trip in vain. However, the memory of the marvelous artifacts he glimpsed upon entering the relic gave him confidence. He nodded respectfully, "I absolutely will not disappoint the Guild Leader."