Bai Xiaochun nodded in response.

More people arrived, joining the waiting group, coldly watching their fellow disciples.

Soon it was noon, and all those eligible to participate in the fire trial had arrived, a total of 37 people.

Around that time, bright beams rose from each of the four mountain peaks into the sky, then fired towards the trial site.

From Lesser Marsh Peak came a tall middle-aged man, exuding a Blood Qi that rippled and distorted everything around him. A faint image of a hand, resembling the Blood Stream Sect's hand, could be seen behind him. Most shocking of all, the skin on the man's right hand was covered with what seemed like faint cracks and fissures. This man was the Great Elder of the small peak.

The Great Elder from the Nameless Peak was a dwarf with short hair and a scarred face. He stood in what appeared to be a dark cloud, but it was actually a vicious Stone Statue Ghost emitting shocking pressure.

Yan Xiaobao met the elder of Corpse Mountain Peak, an apparently wrinkled old man who actually radiated the life force of a young person.

The last was the elder of Middle Peak, the most striking to Yan Xiaobao. She was a young and beautiful woman who somehow looked very mature.

There was only one way to describe her clothing: sexy and very alluring. She had long, beautiful legs, her posterior was so plump and curvaceous that anyone who saw it would do a double take. Her Daoist robes were so tightly wrapped around her voluptuous figure that it seemed they might pop off at any moment. In addition, she had long, flame-red hair that made her look like she was on fire.

Though her oval face couldn't be called beautiful, it was charming in itself, and her eyes seemed to reach out to seduce anyone who looked at them. Yan Xiaobao instinctively took a deep breath, feeling his heart race. He quickly looked away, trying not to stare.

"Is she the Great Elder of Middle Peak? Song Que's aunt, Song Junwan?" Unfortunately, he couldn't resist any longer and looked at her again, shocked to find her gazing at him seductively.

She smiled, and Yan Xiaobao instantly felt his scalp tingle explosively. For some reason, her gaze actually filled him with a profound sense of danger. He quickly lowered his head.

As he looked down, Song Junwan's eyes flickered. Internally, she was actually very surprised. Among all the disciples of the endless Blood, Yan Xiaobao was the only one who dared look at her twice. Just as she was about to punish him, he apparently detected the expression in her eyes and lowered his head.

When the four Great Elders arrived, the disciples formally shook hands in greeting.

"Greetings, Great Elders!"

Yan Xiaobao followed suit, though inwardly he was sighing. Who would have thought the elder of Zhongshan would be such a vixen? And to think he had to enter her Immortal Cave to obtain an eternal and indestructible relic. At this point, it seemed almost impossible.

"According to my plan," he thought, "I'll eventually have to deal with her as the elder of Middle Peak."

Even as he sighed inwardly, Great Lord Song Junwan said, "You are all people who failed in the Foundation Holy Land. According to sect rules, you should be punished, but after some discussions with the Sect Leader, our elders agreed to let you have another trial.

"Foundation Establishment Pills can be used to reach the Mortal-Dao Foundation Establishment. As for the success rate, it varies. Some people only need one pill, while others might require two or three pills. There was even once a disciple who needed six of them to succeed!" With that, she pulled out a medicine bottle, then smiled in an extremely enticing manner. It was a somewhat wicked smile, but that only made it more beautiful. In fact, in some ways, it made her even more attractive. After all, even roses have thorns. "Inside this medicine bottle are 10 Foundation Establishment Pills."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she tossed the medicine bottle into the never-ending blood pit.

"Let the battle commence. You have one month, after which you will be taken out of the pit. Those who successfully establish a foundation will become Dharma Protectors on any peak you wish!" As it disappeared into the depths, all eyes locked onto the medicine bottle. Without the slightest hesitation, the entire group instantly turned into beams of light, shooting towards it.

"I will definitely earn the right to enter the Foundation!"

"I failed once, but I won't fail again. I'm going to the Foundation!"

"We're forbidden to kill in this trial, so anyone trying to stop me from entering the Foundation will die!"

RUUUUUUUUUUMBLE!

In the blink of an eye, all the disciples disappeared into the pit, eyes bloodshot, ready to fight to the death.

Yan Xiaobao was in the group, his eyes glued to the falling medicine bottle. Once inside the pit, his inner Blood Qi surged, and he picked up speed. Almost immediately, he and three other disciples were at the forefront. Moments later, they reached the position of the medicine bottle.

Of course, Yan Xiaobao still couldn't use his foundation establishment cultivation base. If he did, his one thought would be to crush the others. But in the Blood Flow Sect, he'd learned to always maintain the utmost caution, so he only used the power of the Qi Condensation stage. He also avoided using any of his magical techniques to further avoid digging any holes in his disguise.

In fact, because he had cultivated the Immortal Heavenly King, he was filled with Blood Qi, making him look indistinguishable from any other disciple.

Yan Xiaobao roared and waved his right hand, releasing a Blood Qi in a powerful attack that spread in all directions. The other three disciples in the area were forced to defend themselves, significantly slowing down as a result.

"Nightcrypt!"

"You got some luck in the Foundation Establishment Holy Land and hid it, didn't you!? You haven't reached the Earthstring Foundation, but you still have capabilities beyond the tenth level of Qi Condensation!"

Seeing that Nightcrypt didn't slow down at all, the other three immediately joined forces to attack him. The disciples further back seemed not to have expected this happen, but they weren't surprised.

As he and the other disciples came to the same conclusion, Zhao Wuchang's eyes flickered, realizing Nightcrypt had encountered some good fortune, granting him more power than before.

Just as Yan Xiaobao accelerated towards the medicine bottle, he forced some blood to seep out, appearing injured. Meanwhile, he wore a crazed expression on his face. After one final burst, he closed the distance and grabbed the medicine bottle. In this situation, any other disciple would have opened the bottle, swallowed a few pills, and then tossed the remaining medicine aside to distract the other disciples.

In fact, that's what all the other disciples expected to happen.

Even the four Grand Elders of Endless Blood expected the same outcome. They weren't surprised to see Yan Xiaobao break through the pack and grab the bottle. After all, most disciples of the Blood Flow Sect had various ace tricks to call upon, so a burst of speed wasn't unexpected.

As for the Great Elder of Corpse Peak, he had previously encountered Nightcrypt, and at the moment, admiration filled his eyes. Of course, if not for the events a few months prior, he wouldn't have paid so much attention to Yan Xiaobao.

However, what happened next left all four Great Elders completely stunned.

Yan Xiaobao didn't open the medicine bottle but instead accelerated, delving further into the pit's depths.

"What are you doing, Nightcrypt?!?!"

"Damn it! I can't believe he's doing this!!"

"Nightcrypt, do you want to die?!?!" As the furious crowd chased Yan Xiaobao deeper, rumbling sounds could be heard.

Even as the other disciples' killing intent soared, the four Great Elders of the Endless Blood traded surprised glances. Then, their eyes started shining with eager excitement.

"Is he taking the pills?" The elder from Lesser Marsh Peak, a hoarse-voiced burly man, said. His expression was quite fierce, yet his eyes held admiration. "How bold! That's exactly the kind of personality a disciple of the Blood Stream Sect should have. I never paid attention to this kid before. Shame he didn't reach the Earthstring Foundation, or else he'd be a prime choice!"

When she laughed, Song Junwan covered her mouth, suddenly impressed with Nightcrypt. "Interesting. It's presumed that many among these thirty people like to take the pills, but he's the first to actually try to do it!"

The elder from the Nameless Mountain Peak, the dwarf, chuckled darkly. "He's called Nightcrypt, isn't he? What a fitting name, and the potential for the disciple. If he really manages to cut off others' paths to Foundation Establishment, then I absolutely want him for the Nameless Peak."

...