Chapter 45: Through the Sea of Blades and Flames

The moment she stepped into the sea of fire, a pain that pierced the very soul swept through her entire being.

“Hiss…” Jiang Min inhaled sharply. This searing, bone-deep agony was a hundredfold worse than the pain of crossing a river of magma. The elder had spoken truly—this mountain of blades and sea of fire was but an illusion. Her body suffered no harm; it was her soul that writhed in torment.

Her foot barely touched the sea of fire and had yet to set foot on the mountain of blades, yet the burning pain in her soul was already unbearable.

If she continued onto the mountain of blades, what kind of torment awaited her then?

“It’s just pain—it can’t kill me…”

“Keep going!” Gritting her teeth, Jiang Min placed her foot on the mountain of blades.

In an instant, it was as if thousands of fine needles stabbed into her sole. Fierce, razor-sharp blade energy, laced with the power of thunder, rampaged through her foot. This pain, too, reached straight to her soul, so intense her very sea of consciousness wavered. If she continued to endure, the worst outcome might be utter collapse of her spiritual mind.

Her movement halted at the first step.

Yet, this was only the beginning.

“A sword’s keen edge is born of relentless honing. To pursue the way of the sword is nothing like what ordinary people imagine. If you wish to become one with the blade, you must first forge yourself—just as a sword is tempered through countless trials. Without enduring endless hardship, how could anyone achieve glory?”

The voice of the thunder-fire phantom drifted to her, deep and resonant.

“Will you continue forward?”

Jiang Min’s foot rested on the mountain of blades, her whole body trembling from the pain. She knew the thunder-fire phantom spoke no lies. She had read in books that to truly enter the path of the sword, one must devote both body and spirit.

But could this pain compare to the agony of facing death unable to control one’s own fate?

If she could not bear this, what right had she to speak of cultivation?

Of course she would continue!

Shifting all her weight onto her foot, Jiang Min placed her other foot atop the mountain of blades, immersing herself fully into the sea of fire and blades.

A violent ringing filled her ears, nearly making her faint as the pain reached its peak, as if her soul were being ground to dust. Her consciousness blurred, and only by biting her tongue did she remain barely lucid.

Her spiritual mind trembled violently, on the brink of collapse. If this continued, she might be gravely injured.

No, she had to find a way to steady her mind.

“The sea of consciousness…”

“The Spirit-Linking Art is best for nurturing the spirit…”

Fighting back the urge to faint, Jiang Min silently began to recite the verses of the Spirit-Linking Art.

“Breath is the elixir of longevity; the heart is master of breath and spirit.
If one knows clarity of heart, one attains the way of the immortals.
True nature shines clear and bright; fortune is tied to the heart.
Character, resting on destiny, is indestructible; the true self has no end…”

The words of the Spirit-Linking Art were etched into her memory; she could recite them without thought. As she did, her spiritual power instinctively circulated, and a profound, weighty strength emerged from the depths of obscurity to support her mind, stabilizing her consciousness.

“It seems I can still go on…”

After chanting the Spirit-Linking Art, Jiang Min’s suffering eased a little, and she pressed forward.

Her body trembled visibly, sweat streaming down in large beads until she was soaked as if submerged in water. Yet her eyes still burned with unwavering determination.

Step by step, she advanced toward the stone platform.

…

At this time,

Outside the volcano’s mouth, more and more cultivators were gathering. Even the number of Golden Core cultivators had grown beyond the two from before. Several Golden Core Elders of the Flame Blade Sect arrived after hearing the news, gazing at the thunder-fire barrier within the crater with grave expressions.

“A thousand years ago, there was a Nascent Soul sword cultivator who mastered the powers of thunder and fire, known as True Lord Thunderflame. His swordsmanship was unrivaled, and he was undefeated among his peers. Yet one day, he vanished without a trace—none know where he went.”

“Perhaps, within this volcanic crater lies True Lord Thunderflame’s abode—or even the place where he passed on.”

One Flame Blade Sect Golden Core Elder spoke, his gaze burning with longing as he looked at the crater.

The higher one climbed on the path of cultivation, the greater the obstacles. The legacy of a Nascent Soul cultivator was of immense allure to any Golden Core cultivator.

Another cultivator frowned, his expression grave. “Judging by the strength of this barrier, at least a Nascent Soul cultivator set it down. Even after all these years, it is still beyond us Golden Core cultivators to break.”

“One alone may not succeed, but if we join forces, we may be able to shatter the barrier and bring this blessed land back into the world.”

The previous Flame Blade Sect Elder addressed the other Golden Core cultivators, cupping his fists and calling out, “Fellow Daoists, why not join hands to break this thunder-fire barrier together?”

The Golden Core cultivators exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

“Agreed.”

“No problem.”

“Very well, let’s do it.”

Each of them took action—some drew treasures that shone with brilliant light, others conjured awe-inspiring spells. In unison, they unleashed their full power upon the thunder-fire barrier.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The thunder-fire barrier rippled but showed no sign of weakening. Still, the Golden Core cultivators’ faces lit up with joy.

Previously, all their efforts had been swallowed by the violet lightning and crimson flames without a trace. Now, their combined assault actually produced a response—proof they were affecting the barrier. With persistent effort, it could surely be worn away.

“Again!”

A barrage of attacks rained down, shaking the heavens and earth and causing the barrier to quiver endlessly.

Its strength would be exhausted.

In the end, it was merely a matter of time.

…

Within the underground hall,

Jiang Min was still traversing the mountain of blades and sea of fire.

The stone platform was yet a great distance away.

Enduring pain was difficult, but to press forward while suffering was even harder. Each step felt like bearing a mountain’s weight. She could no longer stand upright; her body curled in on itself, as if she might collapse at any moment.

Still, she persevered, showing no sign of surrender.

The pain was so intense she could no longer distinguish reality from illusion. Her whole body hurt; her spirit hurt; yet sometimes, for a fleeting instant, all pain vanished, her body felt weightless—only for the agony to return just as quickly.

Even though the blades and flames were mere illusions, more phantasms appeared before Jiang Min’s eyes.

She seemed to see her mother, whom she had not seen for many years, standing ahead and weeping, “Child, come down—don’t suffer anymore.”

“What suffering? It doesn’t hurt at all, Mother.”

Jiang Min smiled gently at her mother, warmth in her voice. “Once I build my foundation, I’ll come home to see you.”

Weishui Village—it had been so many years since she left.

How could she not miss home? She longed for her mother’s hot meals, her father’s bamboo dragonflies, her sister’s clay figurines, her brother—taken by bandits and missing for so long… Such a distant home, and only after reaching the Foundation Establishment realm could she soar on magical treasures and return across tens of thousands of miles.

Before that, there were still people like Jiang Ziyi and countless villains like Lin Mingyue standing in her way.

Then… she would simply kill them all.

Jiang Min closed her eyes, refusing to look at these hellish illusions. Resolute, she pressed forward through the pain.

The thunder-fire phantom watched her. If he had a face, it would surely show deep emotion. Since his passing, no one had ever crossed the mountain of blades and sea of fire with such steadfastness. Many had abandoned the trial at the very first step.

“This child’s heart is truly unwavering… a fine seedling for the sword’s path.”

He watched Jiang Min as she crossed the long expanse of blades and fire, step by step, finally arriving before him.

To Jiang Min, this agony seemed to last a thousand years, ten thousand years—her sense of time utterly lost.

As she stepped off the mountain of blades and sea of fire, she stumbled, nearly collapsing to the ground.

Her face was pale as death, but her dark eyes shone with a startling light. Enduring the pain, she raised her hand, cupped her fists, and said:

“Senior.”

“I have made it.”