Hell Forest — Altar Of First Sword
Zhen Huan stood at the edge of the scorched clearing, eyes locked onto the black sword that blazed with flame atop the stone altar. His lips curled into a confident smirk.
Hey… now it's mine.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
But the moment his foot crossed the boundary of the molten ring, a wave of searing flame aura lashed out toward him. It grazed his skin like the breath of a firestorm.
His clothes ignited at the edges. Searing pain bloomed across his chest and arms as shallow cuts appeared, torn open by invisible force.
"Ah!" he flinched, staggering slightly. It hurts… why is this happening?
He shielded his eyes from the heat, raising his left hand over his brow. The sword's pressure wasn't ordinary—it was testing him. Challenging him.
Is this some sort of trial?
He gritted his teeth and raised his own blade defensively.
But the moment he did, his sword began to crack.
Thin lines raced down its length like a web of fractures, glowing red from the heat.
His eyes widened. What? My sword—!
With a sharp crack, the blade shattered completely in his hand. Metal fragments scattered across the scorched stone.
He stared at the broken hilt in disbelief, then scoffed and let it drop with a clatter.
So that's your power… Let's see what you can really do.
The flame lashed at him again as he continued forward, undeterred.
His clothes burned away in patches. Heat licked his skin. His black hair unraveled from its tie and flowed behind him, dancing in the rising flame aura like threads of smoke.
Each step he took was a battle against pain—but he didn't stop.
Finally, he reached the base of the altar.
Three steps. That's all that remained between him and the Sword of Inferno.
He stepped up, one foot at a time, ignoring the cuts, the burns, the raw agony in his muscles.
At the top, he stood face-to-face with the sword.
Its black blade shimmered with crimson flame. It radiated raw power and ancient wrath.
His eyes narrowed as he reached out and grabbed the hilt.
The moment his fingers touched it—
WHOOSH!
A blazing wave of flame surged through his entire body.
It didn't burn—it empowered.
Zhen Huan gasped as the fiery energy roared through his meridians, awakening something within him.
This feeling… it's incredible.
With a firm grip, he pulled the sword from the altar.
It came free effortlessly, as though it had been waiting for him all along.
Suddenly, a mechanical chime echoed in his mind.
Ding!
You have successfully acquired the First Sword: Sword of Inferno.
Host can only access 1% of the sword's power due to low cultivation.
A new window shimmered into view.
Ding!
Reward Granted: 300 XP Points
You have unlocked one of the First Sword Techniques.
Current XP: 300
Do you wish to receive your Sword Technique now? Y/N
Zhen Huan nodded and tapped the glowing "Yes."
Let's see what you've got for me…
The window vanished.
A new one took its place, written in radiant flame script.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host. You have received:
First Sword Technique — Three Layers of Inferno Slash.
Zhen Huan grinned.
Crimson light pulsed from the blade in his hand.
The moment Zhen Huan accepted the technique, a surge of knowledge exploded in his mind. It was as though he had practiced it for years—each movement, each detail etched into his soul with clarity.
The technique was called Three Layers of Inferno Slash, and it consisted of three devastating forms:
— Inferno Slash First Form – Mountain and River Slash
— Inferno Slash Second Form – Heaven and Earth Slash
— Inferno Slash Third Form – Time and Space Slash
But with his current cultivation, he could only access the first form.
Zhen Huan turned toward the dense crimson forest behind him. Trees swayed gently, unaware of the fury about to descend.
He closed his eyes and took a firm stance. The Sword of Inferno pulsed in his hand, flame flickering along its black blade.
In one swift motion, he slashed through the air.
"Inferno Slash First Form – Mountain and River Slash!"
A fiery arc burst forth, searing and fast, like a flaming crescent of destruction. It shot forward, carving through the air with blazing might.
It passed through dozens of crimson-leafed trees in a flash.
Then silence.
Zhen Huan dropped to one knee, chest heaving. His spiritual energy was completely drained.
He looked at his sword with disbelief.
Huh? Nothing happened… Is this sword defective?
Seconds passed.
Then—
A sound like thunder rolled through the clearing.
With a series of deep cracks, the trees the flame had touched suddenly split in half. Their trunks slid cleanly apart, collapsing to the forest floor in a wave of destruction.
Oh… so it's not defective. It's insanely powerful.
He grinned, eyes gleaming with pride.
Hehe… amazing. But my spiritual energy is completely drained. Huff...
Lowering himself to the ground, he sat cross-legged, placing the black sword beside him.
He closed his eyes again.
I think this is how cultivators recover… by absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings, right?
He tried to focus, pulling in the world's ambient energy.
Suddenly, a purple system window flickered into existence before him, letters glowing in red.
Warning!
Host cannot absorb spiritual energy. Attempting to do so will result in backlash.
But Zhen Huan's eyes remained closed. He didn't see the warning.
The window faded, and another one immediately appeared.
Penalty!
Immense pain for 20 seconds.
Then it began.
A searing wave of pain surged through his entire body.
Zhen Huan's eyes flew open.
"Aaaaaghhhhhh!"
His scream echoed through the forest as his veins bulged and his muscles spasmed.
Ah! What the fuck is happening to me?!
A system timer appeared in front of him, counting down in cold, relentless numbers.
16…
15…
14…
He stared at it in agony.
What is this timer…? This pain… it's unbearable. I feel like I'm going to die…
Sweat poured down his face. His body shook violently. Every nerve burned as if his blood had turned to molten metal.
"AHHHHHH!" he roared again, clutching his arms and writhing in the dirt.
The Sword of Inferno lay beside him, silent and still, as the young cultivator faced the cruel punishment of reckless cultivation.
The seconds ticked down, slow and merciless.
After 13 seconds passed, he was still alive. Miraculously.
The countdown reached its end.
0…
The torment stopped.
Zhen Huan collapsed on the ground, lying flat with his back to the altar floor and his eyes staring blankly at the sky. His body trembled, soaked in sweat, every muscle aching from the pain he had just endured. His breath came in ragged gasps.
What the fuck happened here…
A system window suddenly appeared in front of his face, the words glowing in a soft white light.
Host, you have successfully completed your penalty.
Then the window vanished without another word.
Zhen Huan's exhausted gaze followed its fading glow. His brows tightened into a scowl.
"You fucking system... I thought I was going to die," he growled through gritted teeth.
With a heavy effort, he sat up and reached for his black sword, the Sword of Inferno. Pain still throbbed through his limbs. His legs trembled beneath him, weakened by the ordeal, but he forced himself to stand.
His once-fine clothes were now tattered and scorched, stained with ash and dirt. His hair clung to his face, wild and disheveled.
Ah… I need to change my clothes, he thought, glancing down at the state he was in.
He closed his eyes and tried to sense the presence of a lake nearby—any source of water to wash away the grime and blood.
But he found nothing.
Instead, he sensed something… different. Something faint but distinct, far off in the opposite direction from where he had entered the forest.
He opened his eyes and turned toward that distant pull. Something was happening there.
Tightening his grip on the Sword of Inferno, he leapt off the altar. As his feet touched the ground, a wave of strength surged through him—the sword's presence boosting his speed.
Without hesitation, Zhen Huan shot forward, moving like a blur between the trees. Branches cracked under his wooden slippers, leaves scattered in his wake. His body darted from one high tree limb to another, barely touching them before leaping again.
He was running twice as fast as before.
As he neared the source of the energy, new sounds met his ears.
The clash of weapons.
Furious roars of beasts.
Explosions echoing through the forest.
Boom!
The earth trembled beneath his feet as he raced along the crimson branches. Leaves fell like rain around him.
He narrowed his eyes, heart racing.
Someone's fighting a beast…
Let's see who's bold enough to pick a fight out here.