As soon as Trent Locke spoke, everyone turned to look at Evan Lin standing among the crowd.
At this point, even a fool could tell the heat waves inside the mountain were at a dangerous peak. If anyone stepped up now and tried to stand out, the result would be obvious—pure tragedy.
"Bro, he's calling you. Are you deaf or what?"
"Yeah, go on and give it a shot. With your artifact protecting you, I bet you’ll charge straight through! How could a little heat wave possibly hurt you?"
A few people next to Evan Lin started laughing first.
They’d already found Evan Lin annoying for a long time.
"That place is dangerous. I suggest you think it through. Otherwise, it’s still not too late to turn around and leave now."
Rena Locke looked over at Evan Lin, her brows furrowing.
Her voice was cold, full of disdain.
"Rena, what are you talking about? You think this kid would turn and walk away? Back at Heavenly Lake, wasn’t he pretty confident?" Gavin Locke laughed, raising his eyebrows slightly.
"After Heavenly Lake, we didn’t go looking for trouble with him, but today he’s come knocking himself. On top of that, he’s even gotten close to Yvette Locke—there’s no way he escapes punishment." Clark Locke crossed his arms, his gaze toward Evan Lin especially icy.
"He can’t go. It’s too dangerous."
On the viewing platform, Yvette Locke, who was leaning there, froze for a moment.
She turned her head to look at Hugo Locke beside her, eyes full of pleading.
"This will be his own choice. The path to the Deep-Frost Iceflame is dangerous, and I will not intervene. You are forbidden to go down on your own—you must be the last to enter the mountain."
Hugo Locke spoke calmly.
Being the last to enter the mountain meant you could preserve your strength the most.
Hearing this, Yvette Locke’s eyes grew even more forlorn. As she looked at Evan Lin, her gaze was full of worry.
"Once you’re injured, that artifact of yours will be mine."
That was why Evan Lin could walk as if on level ground, completely unharmed.
The short man, about one-sixty-five tall, kept his arms crossed, a scornful smile on his lips and a cold edge in his voice: "Still not going? What, you plan to make everyone wait for you?"
As soon as Hugo Locke thought of this, he quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea. "Impossible. He must be using some special cultivation method or artifact!"
Boom!
Just as he finished speaking.
On the dragon tattoo on his left arm, red patterns slowly surfaced, interwoven with a hint of pale blue light—the Deep-Frost Iceflame he had obtained from the Heavenly Lake.
The Deep-Frost Iceflame glimmered on the dragon tattoo, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.
Even from far away, the heat waves crashing toward them made a lot of people’s faces change.
From where they stood, everyone could see there wasn’t a trace of inner strength around Evan Lin as he walked into the blazing corridor like it was just a stroll in the park.
This level of heat couldn't harm Evan Lin at all. As he entered the tunnel, the chill from the Deep-Frost Iceflame on his dragon tattoo completely neutralized the surrounding flames.
But instead, everyone watched as he moved forward, step by steady step, not fast or slow, heading deeper and deeper into the passage.
Rena Locke watched Evan Lin really step forward, seeing the heat waves burst from inside the mountain and slam into him. His black hair was blown up, but his face stayed perfectly calm. Rena felt a flicker of uncertainty inside.
Back at Changbai Mountain, Rena Locke had thought Evan Lin was just a guy a little stronger than normal.
Sure, Evan Lin had embarrassed Gavin Locke with just a pinky, and kicked him out the doors of the Changbai Mountain hotel, but that was only because Gavin underestimated him.
Now, seeing Evan Lin so calm and confident, Rena Locke felt something strange welling up inside her.
Everyone’s attention in the whole place was focused on Evan Lin.
Yvette Locke looked extremely worried and restless.
Rena Locke’s brows were tightly furrowed, looking at Evan Lin as if he was some delusional fool.
Gavin Locke and Clark Locke looked like they were enjoying the show, and most people were just waiting to see Evan Lin get badly hurt.
"Once you’re injured, that magic artifact of yours will be mine."
The short man shifted his left foot back half a step, body tensed in a bow stance, just waiting for Evan Lin to be blasted out by the heat wave so he could rush in and grab the artifact first.
Everyone present had their own schemes.
Evan Lin walked forward steadily, getting closer and closer to the path. He stared at the red-hot stone corridor ahead, his face calm.
All the rocks inside the mountain had been baked orange-red, white smoke curling from the gravel, and the grass on the ground was scorched yellow.
Evan Lin stood at the entrance, backpack on, and stepped inside.
"Why isn’t this kid using any inner strength?"
"Did he come here today just to end it all?"
"There are idiots every year, but this year there’s a whole bunch. I bet he’s just sick of living."
From where they stood, everyone could see there wasn’t a trace of inner strength around Evan Lin as he walked into the blazing corridor like it was just a stroll in the park.
Seeing this, most people were just waiting to laugh at Evan Lin—at the very least, he should be forced out in a sorry state by the heat.
But instead, everyone saw him walk forward, step by steady step, not fast or slow, moving deeper and deeper into the passage.
The whole corridor was still blazing, high temperatures spurting out from time to time, but none of it seemed to threaten him at all!
"No way!"
Cries of disbelief erupted from the crowd.
"He’s totally fine?"
Rena Locke’s eyes went wide, her whole body trembling.
"He’s still moving forward!"
"He’s not afraid of the flames at all? He hasn’t released any inner strength! He’s just walking through like it’s nothing!"
The whole place erupted in chaos.
Up on the high platform, Hugo Locke was stunned as well.
"That shouldn’t be possible. Only those with the Fire Spirit Physique bloodline can walk the Path of Flame easily. How could he, how could he do this?"
"Could it be that his Fire Spirit Physique bloodline is even purer than our clan's?"
As soon as Hugo Locke thought of this, he quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea. "Impossible. He must be using some special technique or artifact!"
While Hugo Locke and the others were still in shock, Yvette Locke was waving her arms excitedly in Evan Lin's direction, cheering him on. But the distance was too far, and Evan Lin had already turned the corner, showing no sign of looking back.
Evan Lin kept walking forward. From his left hand, a faint chill began to emanate.
On the dragon tattoo on his left arm, red patterns slowly surfaced, interwoven with a hint of pale blue light—the Deep Cold Ice Flame he had obtained from the Heavenly Lake.
The Deep Cold Ice Flame glimmered on the dragon tattoo, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.
"Is it reacting?"
Evan Lin's expression was cold as he glanced at his left hand.
This level of heat couldn't harm Evan Lin at all. As he entered the tunnel, the chill from the Deep Cold Ice Flame on his dragon tattoo completely neutralized the surrounding flames.
That was why Evan Lin could walk as if on level ground, completely unharmed.
Not far ahead, a stone pavilion stood atop the red-hot rocks.