Burning Heaven Blazing Flame Mountain stood in the northern Wildlands of the Central Domain.
This vast region, stretching for a hundred thousand li, was a desolate expanse of mountains and valleys, devoid of life. The scorching heat made it impossible for any living creature to thrive.
At the heart of these mountains, a volcano ten thousand *ren* tall blotted out all signs of vitality, transforming the area into a hellscape of death.
Yet today, a fearless young man dared to challenge this inferno, attempting to scale its deserted peak.
This fiery youth was named Lin Feng.
*Sizzle...*
Lin Feng's palm pressed against a rock, and the intense heat seared his skin.
He gritted his teeth against the pain, forcing himself to climb upward, step by step.
When he finally paused to catch his breath, he opened his mouth, only to be instantly engulfed by the stifling, suffocating air.
"Damn it... just one more step," Lin Feng cursed, his heart burning with frustration.
He could have easily obtained the Heaven-Burning Divine Stone and Earth Core Strange Fire from the Xiongnu to restore his appearance. With the help of the Nine Nether forces, he could have risen to power and even seized control of the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty.
But before any of his plans could be implemented, they were shattered by the harsh reality.
"These useless fools can't achieve anything and only make things worse. I can't rely on them at all!
After all my efforts, I finally shared Shen Zhao's cultivation techniques with you, and you still couldn't achieve anything.
That was information I painstakingly coaxed from Yu Xiyan in my past life.
Yet you worthless fools can't even deal with a single Shen Zhao!"
"Shen Zhao, I will be your sworn enemy in this life!"
Fueled by his burning hatred for Shen Zhao, Lin Feng gritted his teeth and continued his climb.
However, the higher he climbed, the more arduous the ascent became.
Not only did the terrain grow steeper, but the environment also became increasingly harsh.
He had to contend with scorching heat and a suffocating pressure that swept in from all directions.
Even cultivators with profound cultivation could barely withstand such extreme conditions, let alone someone with a ruined foundation.
Finally, after climbing about a third of the way, Lin Feng gazed at the Burning Heaven Blazing Flame Mountain, its summit stretching endlessly before him. His resolve began to waver.
"No, if I continue like this, I'll be burned to death before I even reach the Earth Core Rock Pool."
Looking at the soles of his burned-through shoes and the blistering scars covering his body, Lin Feng gave up.
"Master, tell me there's another way to restore my appearance, right?"
He pinned his last hope on Yu Qingzhu, who resided within the Soul-Nourishing Ring.
"I have already shown you the path. Whether you succeed or fail rests solely on your own efforts."
Yu Qingzhu's cold, indifferent response met his plea.
Lin Feng sank to his knees, ignoring the searing pain as his knees burned.
"Master, is my entire life truly destined to be this miserable? Heaven is so cruel!"
Without the Heaven-Burning Divine Stone, his hope of restoring his appearance was extinguished.
Without the Earth Core Strange Fire, his lightning-seared Kun'er would remain unusable.
If he couldn't restore his face or his broken body, he would forever be an anomaly in the eyes of others, enduring their ridicule and bullying.
In his previous life, he had reached the pinnacle of power. Why had his second life become so arduous?
Was Heaven playing a cruel joke? Was his past life merely a fleeting spring dream? Was he destined to remain an insignificant ant, forever unremarkable?
He refused to live in hiding like this. In his current state, he doubted even the Fifth Princess of the Purple Abyss Empire would look at him.
Better to die than live like this.
With that thought, he drew his dagger and prepared to end his life.
But at the last moment, he hesitated.
He didn't want to die. Such a death would be truly unbearable.
More than that, he feared death!
"Master, please! There must be another way, right? Tell me! Tell me!"
He pleaded and shouted with all his might, desperate to find another shortcut that would restore his confidence.
After a long silence, the Soul-Nourishing Ring glowed with a faint, eerie light. Finally, a cold voice replied, "There is indeed another method, but you are incapable of performing it."
Lin Feng's eyes lit up with renewed hope. "Master, please tell me! As long as it doesn't involve returning to Blazing Flame Mountain, I can do anything!"
"Go to Shen Zhao. He must have a way to restore your appearance and body."
"What? Impossible!"
Lin Feng's face twisted with fury. The distorted S-shaped features began to writhe, gradually morphing into a Z-shape.
"It was Shen Zhao who ruined me! I'll never forgive him! And you expect me to beg him for help?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I want to skin him alive, drink his blood, and chop him into pieces to feed to the dogs—only then will my hatred be quenched!"
"Then there's nothing I can do. Either you continue climbing to obtain the Heaven-Burning Divine Stone, or you seek out Shen Zhao and beg for his forgiveness. There are no other options. The choice is yours."
Yu Qingzhu ignored Lin Feng's emotional turmoil, his icy tone even carrying a hint of schadenfreude. But the raging Lin Feng failed to notice.
"No! I won't! I'd rather die than beg him! Since you won't help me, Master, I'll find my own way."
With that, he stood up and ran down the mountain.
He had barely reached the foot of the mountain and taken a breath of fresh air when the sharp crack of a leather whip split the air. Before Lin Feng could react, a brutal lash struck his back.
"Aah~"
He cried out in pain and quickly turned around, only to find four burly men standing before him, glaring at him with vicious expressions.
"Holy shit, he's really ugly."
"Who would have thought such a monstrously hideous creature could exist? He's dragging down the entire Immortal Martial Continent's aesthetic standards."
"Damn it, just looking at him makes me want to explode. How does he even have the nerve to live? If I were him, I'd just find a well and end it all."
"He's so disgusting it makes me want to puke. I wish I could regurgitate all the Demonic Beasts I ate last year just to feel a tiny bit better."
The four burly men didn't care about Lin Feng's feelings as they relentlessly mocked his appearance.
This only contorted his already twisted features further.
He struggled to suppress his surging anger, clenching his fists and glaring fixedly at the four men.
*Crack~*
The next moment, another whip cracked across his face.
"What are you staring at, you ugly freak? If you don't like it, I'll whip you to death today."
"Forget it, Second Brother. We finally found a living person. Let's not kill him."
"Boss, you're seriously taking *this* kind of trash?"
"Can't help it. The Demonic Breath Hall is on a tight schedule and desperately needs a large labor force. Every hand counts. Take him back to the Demonic Realm and have him haul bricks first. Besides, look at that face—why not offer him to our Empress? She has a particular fondness for such men. The uglier, the more she's interested."
With that, the boss flipped his hand and yanked Lin Feng to his side. Before Lin Feng could react, he was tossed into a nearby slave cage.
"No! Master, save me!"
Lin Feng tried the same trick again, hoping Yu Qingzhu would take him away. He had no intention of becoming a brick-hauling slave in the Demonic Realm.
But this time, the Soul-Nourishing Ring remained utterly unresponsive.
*Slap!*
Another slap landed across Lin Feng's face.
A low-ranking demon, radiating demonic energy, jabbed a finger at him and roared, "What are you babbling about? Keep shouting and I'll cut out your tongue! Damn, you're truly disgusting—even the Demonic Beasts deep in the Demonic Realm are better-looking than you! Ugh~"
"Still, you're lucky, kid. Our Empress loves guys like you—the uglier, the better."
"Seeing your utterly detestable face probably means we'll get a few extra spirit stones in tips.
Ugh, I can't take it anymore. I need to go throw up again."
With that, the petty leader gagged and stalked away.
Lin Feng, crammed into the narrow space with other slaves, could only watch helplessly as the prison cart rumbled to life.
Meanwhile, the four burly men continued their conversation.
"If it weren't for the Grand Emperor's demise in the Central Domain, causing the barrier to destabilize, we wouldn't have had this chance to come here and capture laborers to repair the palace."
"We should leave soon. We can't let the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty discover our presence."
"The Demon Breath Empress gave us strict orders before we left: no conflicts with the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty. We can only capture rootless vagrants and rogue cultivators—no targeting sects or those with official Dragon Han residency."
"With the Demon Abyss Holy City facing combined pressure from the Heavenly Gate Holy Dynasty and the Demon Breath Empress, we can't afford to offend the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty right now."
"Then let's hurry. If the barrier closes before we get back, we're done for."
"If anything goes wrong, we know the Empress's methods. We'd be lucky if she just killed us outright."
"Right, let's not waste any time and head back. The longer we delay, the more complications could arise."
Having made up their minds, the group immediately began escorting dozens of carriages toward the Wildlands.
Lin Feng gripped the bars of his cage tightly, staring desperately at the sky.
*Is this how my life will end?*
*No, I refuse to accept this miserable fate! I will never surrender!*
Silent tears streamed down his contorted face.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)