THE MARTIAL KING - SEASON 6 EPISODE 46

“You don’t stand a chance of walking out of here alive!” taunted Adler as he sneered at Zen. Ignoring Adler’s threat, Zen waited patiently in silence. Walking away from Zen, Adler found a quiet spot to sit and meditate.

As the exhausted group reached the platform, the only safe place here, they were so weak and they nearly collapsed. If the group’s need for this refuge hadn’t been so dire, they would not have risked their lives to land on the platform. Each disciple found himself a place to rest, meditate and replenish his depleted store of energy. Previously, the disciples had only been part of some practice activities and not facing certain life-threatening circumstances or exerting themselves as much as they had just now. With stiff muscles and sore bodies, the disciples took their time to heal, so they wouldn’t have to endure crippling injuries for the rest of their long lives.

Looks can be deceiving. The Sea of Raging Fire was immense. Before the fire receded, the surface looked calm and still. However, the heat was rising, colliding with the cooler air, and hot lava created violent swirling waves of flames. The group saw that in the distance, yellow-white flames flicked where the fire burned the hottest. The disciples also noticed some unknown small creatures who were cocking their heads and staring curiously back at them.

Sporadically, tiny flames shot out from their mouths. They dived in and out of the molten lava waves as if they were fish.

These creatures were alien to any other known life in the world. They didn’t just survive in the scalding liquid of the lava, and it was their natural habitat. So, they would likely perish if they were parted from the element for any length of time.
While contemplating over the little creatures he saw, Zen couldn’t help but experience a great sense of gratitude for how the fire sustained the mysterious creatures. His curiosity was peaked as he considered how vast the Sea of Raging Fire was and what other unknown life might have flourished in this environment that was unique to this area.

If Zen were a bit stronger, he would have taken the risk, and leapt at the chance to explore this magical environment.

Nevertheless, aside from the haunting self-pity that he wouldn’t be able to satiate his curious mind, there was nothing he could do.

The short respite Zen had in a corner on the platform gave him the opportunity to relax, and focus on his slow, shallow breath and allowed him to reach a deeper state of meditation. In his deep reflective state, Zen felt his strength start to return quickly. As Zen subconsciously examined the trials so far, his thoughts inevitably turned to the road behind, before he looked ahead to what lay ahead.

Just like what they had gone through, there would be another high platform that they’d need to find and climb for refuge to save themselves. The timing was vital and it would determine their success or failure. Consequently, the disciples knew they needed all their strengths. As soon as the tide was low again, they’d need to get to another platform as fast as they could, or the flames would be able to knock them off the pillars.

About an hour later, the tide changed and the Sea of Raging Fire’s flames receded.
“The sea is ebbing!” mumbled one of the disciples, guardedly. Since the trial was the sort that one mistake would cost them their lives, he wasn’t sure if the pounding of his heart was from excitement or fear.

As the molten lava tide receded and when it was low enough to reveal the stone pillars again, some of the disciples had already started to march down from the platform.

Time was pressing. In order to complete the challenge within the given time, some of the disciples ignored the dangers willingly and walked ahead of the group even though the waves lapped at the pillars, and were high enough to engulf and scald the group members if the currents changed.

After the first disciple jumped off the high platform, a second, and then a third followed.

Sitting on the edge of the high platform, Zen looked out at the Sea of Raging Fire. Although the tide was lower, the situation was still dangerous. Most of the disciples had already gone off the platform, so he pulled himself up to his feet. His muscles became taut, and he curled his back down a little to prepare for a jump. Then he somersaulted through the air twice before agilely uncurling himself and landing precisely on one of stone pillars.

Alongside the stone pillar, the violent lava swelled. However, it didn’t scare Zen. Undaunted, he continued forward.

Watching Zen’s figure becoming smaller in the distance, Adler bit his lip in ire and turned around to glare at the other disciple from his own sect. “How are you feeling now?” Adler asked sharply.

The disciple sighed in dismay and shook his head. His concern and gratitude shone in his eyes as he gazed at Adler and said, “That’s a shame. Perhaps we should wait for the next low tide.”

They didn’t really have much choice though. So, the group decided to stay on the platform and wait for the tide to cycle through once more. Alder hoped that when the waves rose and fell again, the injured disciple would have enough energy to get up and fight during the next challenge. At the moment, they had no choice but to wait. The two Iridescence Sect female disciples refused to keep their company any longer. They folded their hands together politely and bowed gracefully. In a quiet voice, one of the ladies said, “Adler, we hate to leave you here. But, the tide has subsided. So the next challenge has started, and we need to keep moving. Our hope is for you two to catch up very soon.”

After that, the women jumped off the platform to one of the stone pillars below. Watching the graceful, elegant figures as they soared through the air, the scarlet flames rising like butterflies around them and accentuating their forms, Adler and the injured disciple shook their heads helplessly. From the start of the trial, the two men knew the women were only following them to be protected.

They couldn’t blame the two women either. Under such circumstances, the men would inevitably bring them danger if they stuck with the men in the challenge behind. Resolutely, the two women decided to make their move, leaving Adler and the other disciple behind.

Being left alone only intensified Adler’s hatred of Zen. Grinding his words through his teeth, he said, “This bad luck is caused by that bastard from the Cloud Sect who is in grade three of nature level. I swear on all that’s holy that if I catch him, I’ll rip him to shreds, and make him kneel before us as he begs for mercy.”

Zen was so far ahead that they couldn’t see him anymore. It wouldn’t be easy for Adler to catch up and win the challenge. He thought it was Zen’s fault his peer was injured, and they fell behind during such an important competition. Waiting there helplessly, made Adler detest Zen even more.

Actually, it wasn’t Zen’s fault in the slightest bit. At the start when they entered the Sea of Raging Fire, Zen even helped them slay the fiery evil spirits and ensured safe passage for them to cross the fire sea to the high platform. Nevertheless, there were always some people who blamed others and would never recognize their negligence or mistakes.