Anya sat by the window, her golden hair tied in a high ponytail, looking down as she flipped through a heavy magic tome.
Lina sat beside her, her emerald eyes focused intently on the potion recipe in her hand.
Frederick and Eli were in the back row of the classroom, whispering about something.
Zach sat in the corner, fiddling with a short blade in his hand, though his gaze drifted toward Aili from time to time.
Aili propped up her chin, listlessly turning the pages of her book. Sensing something, she looked out the window.
Their eyes met.
Her eyes suddenly widened, and the book in her hand dropped to the floor.
Jiang Lin gave a slight nod and continued walking forward.
Behind him, Aili stood up abruptly, her chair making a harsh scraping sound against the floor.
“What’s wrong?”
Anya looked up and followed her gaze out the window.
She only saw a golden figure from behind, disappearing at the end of the hallway.
She frowned slightly, feeling as if that back was somewhat familiar.
“It’s nothing.” Aili sat back down, her heart racing incredibly fast. “Jiang Lin is back...”
“Who did you say is back?!!”
“...”
Vice-dean Keith’s office was on the third floor of the east wing of the teaching building; it was a room with excellent lighting.
When Jiang Lin knocked on the door, a voice from inside said, “Come in.”
Pushing the door open, he saw Keith sitting behind the desk, holding a document with a furrowed brow.
Hearing the noise, he looked up, and his gaze landed on Jiang Lin.
He froze for a moment, then a flash of pleasant surprise appeared in his eyes.
“Jiang Lin? You’re back!”
“Dean Keith.” Jiang Lin bowed slightly. “I’ve come to report back from my leave.”
Keith put down the document, stood up, and walked over to Jiang Lin, looking him up and down.
“3rd-rank peak... three months, from early 2nd-rank to 3rd-rank peak...” he murmured, his eyes filled with disbelief. “How did you do it?”
“Master taught me well.”
Jiang Lin replied.
Keith took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.
“Your master... is that person?”
“Yes.”
Keith didn’t ask further, simply nodding heavily.
“Good, very good. Being able to study under that person is your good fortune.”
He walked back to the desk, took a document from a drawer, and handed it to Jiang Lin.
“I’ll handle the paperwork for your return. The qualifiers for the National Youth Adventurer Competition have already ended. The elimination rounds start next month. Since you took a recommendation spot before, you can participate directly.”
Jiang Lin took the document, scanned it, and put it into his spatial ring.
Keith nodded and patted his shoulder.
“Get some rest and prepare well for the competition.”
Jiang Lin turned and walked out of the office, his long golden hair gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.
He didn’t return to the classroom but left the academy directly, heading toward the Clearwater City temple.
Inside the temple, in the Statue Hall.
Jiang Lin stood before the statue of the God of Holy Light, closed his eyes, and sank his mind into the apostle park on his body.
A gentle yet vast consciousness enveloped him, and several lines of text condensed from holy light appeared before his eyes:
【Quest Accepted: Abyss Corridor Invasion (Special Task)】
【Quest Objective: The assessment for Demon God Believers, the Demon Lord Trial, began seven days ago. Please enter the Abyss Corridor as soon as possible to hunt other Demon God Believers. The trial content has been made public; this trial is for the advancement of the younger generation, and those above the 5th-rank cannot enter this space】
【Quest Rewards: Holy Light Origin (Massive), exclusive holy art insight opportunity, talent awakening opportunity, apostle advancement assessment opportunity】
【Warning: The danger level of this task is extremely high, with a death probability exceeding 99%】
Jiang Lin opened his eyes, light flowing within his golden pupils.
It had already begun seven days ago.
He had less than a month left.
If he entered directly through divine teleportation, he would be marked as an “outsider” and become a public enemy to all participants.
But if he didn’t use divine teleportation, he would need to find the entrance to the Abyss Corridor himself.
“The tracking rune Master gave me should be able to sense the location of the entrance.”
He closed his eyes, and the extremely faint ice-blue mark on his brow grew slightly warm, pointing toward the southeast.
The demon territory.
He turned and walked out of the Statue Hall, through the temple’s long corridors, and arrived at the Temple Master’s office.
Knock, push.
The Temple Master of Clearwater City was sitting behind her desk, a quill in hand, with a thick stack of work documents before her.
Seeing Jiang Lin, she put down the pen, a flash of surprise in her eyes.
“Jiang Lin? You’ve returned from the Northern Ice Field?”
“Yes.” Jiang Lin bowed slightly. “Temple Master, I have a request.”
“Speak.”
“I need to go to the demon territory. However, I am unfamiliar with the terrain and the distribution of forces there. I hope to borrow some relevant information.”
The Temple Master’s brow furrowed slightly.
“The demon territory? You’re going alone?”
“Yes.”
The Temple Master stared at him for a moment before finally nodding.
“The third floor of the library has detailed information on the geography and forces of the demon territory. Go find the librarian and say I authorized it.”
“Thank you, Temple Master.”
Jiang Lin turned to leave.
Behind him, the Temple Master’s voice drifted over.
“Be careful. The demon side is not like the human kingdoms.”
“I understand.”
On the third floor of the library, in the ancient texts section.
Jiang Lin walked between the bookshelves, his fingertips brushing against the thick spines of the books.
《Geography of the Demon Territory》, 《Research on the Abyss Corridor》, 《The Path of Advancement for Demon God Believers》, 《Secrets of the Demon Lord Seed》...
He pulled out several volumes that looked the most substantial and sat down in a seat by the window.
Outside the window, the setting sun dyed the sky a golden-red, and the distant temple clock tower cast a long shadow in the twilight.
Jiang Lin opened the pages, his golden eyes quickly scanning the densely packed text.
According to the 《Geography of the Demon Territory》, the demon territory was located west of the Saintas Kingdom, across the Ash Mountains; it was a vast expanse of wasteland and forests.
There was no unified country there; instead, it was divided among countless tribes, city-states, and the forces of Demon God Believers.
The 《Research on the Abyss Corridor》 described that extradimensional space in detail.
The Abyss Corridor was not a fixed space, but a trial ground opened by the power of a demon god.
It would appear randomly at specific times and locations, last for about a month, and then close.
After participants entered, they would be randomly teleported to various corners of the corridor.
There were countless levels within the corridor, each with a different environment.
There were ice fields, volcanoes, swamps, deserts, and even simulated city ruins.
Participants needed to survive in these environments, hunt other participants, and seize their Demon Lord Seeds.
With every seed seized, one’s own seed would grow stronger.
Ultimately, when the corridor closed, the participant with the strongest seed would receive a Demon God’s Blessing and complete their advancement.
Jiang Lin closed the book, his golden eyes narrowing slightly in the twilight.
He stood up, put the books back on the shelf, and walked out of the library. In the hallway, the magic crystal lamps lit up automatically, their soft light dispelling the deepening twilight.
The temple clock tower struck six in the evening, the heavy chimes echoing over the city.
He did not linger, heading straight toward the Court of Space.
Clearwater City at night was even more lively than during the day.
The shops on both sides of the street were brightly lit, pedestrians were bustling, and the air was filled with the mixed scents of baked bread, grilled meat, and spices.
Occasionally, students wearing the school uniform of Saint Brilliance Magic Academy would pass by, dark circles under their eyes from staying up late, holding cups of invigorating herbal tea and walking hurriedly.
Jiang Lin moved through the crowd and arrived at the Court of Space. There weren’t many people in the hall; he walked to the service counter and took out his identification and gold coins.
“To Ironforge.”
The staff member took the gold coins and identification, looking down to operate the system.
A moment later, a silver-white teleportation rune was handed to Jiang Lin.
“Teleportation Hall 3, departing in fifteen minutes.”
Jiang Lin nodded and walked toward the hall.
When the light of teleportation faded, the chill of Ironforge hit him in the face.
Jiang Lin walked out of the Court of Space and stood on the steps, his gaze sweeping over this northern stronghold.
The night in Ironforge was even more desolate than in Clearwater City; pedestrians on the streets were sparse, most shops had already closed, and only a few taverns were still lit, emitting noisy voices and the smell of low-quality ale.
He didn’t stay, heading straight toward the north of the city.
Ironforge was one of the northernmost cities in the Saintas Kingdom; further north were the Ash Mountains.
Crossing the Ash Mountains would lead to the edge of the demon territory.
He didn’t choose to continue by teleportation array because the demon territory had no civilian-grade teleportation arrays connected to the human kingdoms.
To get across, he could only rely on his own two legs.
As the night grew deeper, Jiang Lin stayed in a simple inn in the north of the city.
The room was small and the walls were mottled, with only a hard board bed and a wobbly wooden table.
He didn’t mind, simply sitting cross-legged on the bed, running his three breathing techniques simultaneously to adjust his condition to its peak.
The night passed in silence.
Early the next morning, just as the sky was turning gray, Jiang Lin left the inn and headed north.
The north gate of Ironforge was a heavy iron portcullis; on either side of the gate stood two soldiers in heavy armor, holding spears and looking alert.
Seeing Jiang Lin approach, one of the soldiers raised a hand to stop him.
“What are you doing out of the city?”
“Going to the Ash Mountains.”
The soldier looked him up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on his fine-grade constant-temperature protective suit, then looked at Little Black on his shoulder, his brow furrowing slightly.
“The Ash Mountains are not peaceful; there have been demonic beasts spotted recently. You’re going alone?”
“Yes.”
The soldier was silent for a moment before stepping aside.
“Be careful.”
Jiang Lin nodded and walked out of the city gate.
North of Ironforge was a gradually rising hilly area.
The ground was covered with withered yellow grass and low shrubs, with the occasional crooked pine tree shivering in the cold wind.
In the distance, the outline of the Ash Mountains was faintly visible in the morning mist, like a black Great Wall stretching across the horizon.
Jiang Lin quickened his pace.
Little Black huddled in his arms, its amber cat eyes alertly scanning the surroundings.
Its ears twitched from time to time, catching sounds from afar.
“Kid, there’s something over there,” Little Black suddenly sent a telepathic message, its paw pointing toward a pine forest to the northeast. “The aura isn’t right; it doesn’t seem like a normal demonic beast.”
Jiang Lin didn’t stop, as the perception of 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】 quietly expanded.
Sure enough, in the pine forest about five hundred yards to the northeast, several obscure auras were moving slowly.
Their auras were cold and viscous, carrying an uncomfortable sense of pollution similar to that of the Aberrants.
“Cultists?” Jiang Lin frowned slightly.
“Doesn’t seem like it.” Little Black shook its head. “It’s closer to the aura of demons. They might be scouts that came over from the Ash Mountains.”
Jiang Lin ignored them and continued walking north.
Those auras seemed to have noticed him as well, lingering in the pine forest for a moment before quietly moving away.
They didn’t approach or attack, but simply followed from a distance.
“They’re tracking us.”
Little Black sent the message.
“I know.” Jiang Lin didn’t look back. “Ignore them and keep walking.”
The Ash Mountains were even more treacherous than expected.
The mountains were steep and the paths were rugged; most sections could only be climbed on foot.
The mountain surface was covered with thick layers of volcanic ash and gravel; every step had to be taken carefully, as one could easily slip.
Jiang Lin moved through the mountains, the perception of 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】 always active, staying alert to everything around him.
Those auras tracking him followed all the way to the foot of the mountain and then disappeared.
“They’re gone.”
Little Black said.
Jiang Lin nodded and continued climbing upward.
Crossing the Ash Mountains took two whole days.
When Jiang Lin stood on the highest peak of the range and looked down at the scene on the other side, he finally understood why they were called the “Ash Mountains.”
West of the mountains was a vast wasteland.
Gray-black soil, sparse vegetation, and dark yellow clouds floating in the sky; sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, casting mottled shadows on the wasteland.
In the distance, the outlines of some buildings could be vaguely seen—low, crude, built from black volcanic rock, blending into the wasteland.
The demon territory was here.
Jiang Lin leaped down from the peak, his figure making several leaps and landings on the steep slope before steadily landing at the foot of the mountain.
The moment he stepped into the demon territory, he felt a subtle change.
The magic essence in the air was denser, carrying a more violent aura than in the human kingdoms.
The temperature was also a few degrees higher than on the west side of the mountains, and the wind carried a faint smell of sulfur.
The demon territory was even more desolate than imagined.
Jiang Lin walked on the wasteland for a whole day without meeting anyone, only seeing several large black vultures circling in the sky, emitting harsh cries.
When night fell, he stopped under a leeward rock, took out dried rations and a waterskin, and settled his dinner simply.
Little Black crouched beside him, its amber eyes flickering with an eerie light.
“How much further?”
“At this speed, about five days.”
Little Black was silent for a moment, gave a yawn, and curled up by Jiang Lin’s leg.
“Call me when we get there.”
Jiang Lin didn’t sleep; he simply sat cross-legged under the rock, his three breathing techniques running simultaneously while he remained alert to his surroundings.
As the night grew deeper, a wind picked up on the wasteland.
The sound of the wind was mixed with noises from afar that sounded like the low growls of beasts, echoing in the darkness.
The night passed without incident.
Over the next three days, Jiang Lin traversed the wasteland, heading southeast.
The further southeast he went, the denser the vegetation became; the wasteland gradually transitioned into a savanna, and then into a large forest.
The trees were tall and lush, their canopies obscuring the sky, with only scattered sunlight filtering through the gaps.
Traces of creatures began to appear in the forest.
There were demonic beasts as large as calves covered in black scales moving through the woods; there were flying insects with emerald bodies and gauze-like wings flitting between the canopies; and there were gray-white monkeys with three eyes leaping among the branches.
Most of them ignored Jiang Lin; occasionally, a few would approach out of curiosity, sniff around him, and then turn to leave.
On the evening of the fourth day, Jiang Lin walked out of the forest, and the view ahead suddenly opened up.
In front of him was a vast swamp.
...
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