While Hope was screaming at the top of his lungs inside the volcano, outside, the people gathered in anxious silence. The heat from the volcano reached even the surrounding plains, suffocating the air and making the distance from the mountain feel like an oppressive weight pressing down on them. The group of onlookers stood at the base of the volcano, casting glances toward the peak, unsure of what to expect.

Among them stood Marcus and Lea, their expressions a mix of anticipation and skepticism.

The young cultivators had only just witnessed Hope’s descent into the volcano, eager to see what he would do next, but already, they doubted his strength. Both Marcus and Lea were cultivators at the early stage of Will Refinement realm, the fourth essence realm, and neither had much faith that a young man like Hope could last long in such a dangerous environment.

Lea shifted uneasily. “I told you this was a bad idea” she murmured to Marcus, her voice tinged with concern. “We shouldn’t have let him go in alone. What if he burns out before we even get the chance to recruit him?”

Marcus, normally the calm and composed one, furrowed his brow. He was silent for a moment, staring toward the volcano's fiery mouth. “I think he has potential, Lea. But he’s too brash, too reckless. If he lasts long enough, maybe he will be worth investing in. But I’m not convinced yet.” He glanced at the smoke rising from the volcano, his lips curling into a skeptical smile. “It’s not like he’s the only genius in the world.”

Lea crossed her arms, her gaze still trained on the summit. “I don’t know… there’s something about him. If he survives this, it could mean he really is special. But even then, this is pushing it. He can’t have prepared for this kind of test. Not many can.”

They both knew that even the strongest cultivators would struggle to survive in such an environment. The volcano was an unforgiving crucible—one that could strip away even the most hardened bodies. It was a test of will, of stamina, and of strength. Yet, they both couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Hope had ventured too far, too soon.

“I give him five minutes, maybe ten minutes” Marcus muttered, his tone lacking conviction but still determined. He turned to Lea, his eyes hard. “We stay here, for now. If he survives longer than that, we’ll reconsider. But I’m telling you now, I don’t think he’ll make it.”

Lea hesitated, her brows furrowing as she glanced back at the volcano. “It’s true… he’s only in the early stages of Soul Resonance. His body isn’t built for this kind of test. Even a top-tier genius would struggle.”

The air grew thick with the heat as they waited. Time seemed to crawl, stretching on in the oppressive silence, broken only by the occasional gust of wind carrying the scent of sulfur and ash. The ground beneath their feet felt soft, shifting, as though the earth itself was groaning under the weight of the inferno raging within the volcano.

At first, they stood there in silence, only the occasional exchange of glances between Marcus and Lea breaking the stillness. They both kept their focus on the summit, watching for any signs of movement or a flicker of hope from the young cultivator.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Five minutes passed without any sign of Hope. By now, their doubts were turning to certainty. The moment they had been expecting was beginning to feel more and more inevitable. Marcus glanced over at Lea, his face a mask of indifference. “I think he’s gone” he said, his voice low but resolute. “There’s no way he could last this long. Not without the proper preparation or guidance. He overestimated his own strength.”

Lea’s face was tight with frustration. “He jumped in the volcano as if he could handle it but now look at him.” She shook her head, her voice tinged with a mix of regret and annoyance. “He’s young. Too eager, too impulsive. He probably didn’t even understand the true danger he was putting himself in. All for what? To impress us? To prove something?”

Marcus didn’t respond immediately, his thoughts turning inward. His gaze shifted from the volcano to the edge of the plateau. There, a group of local villagers had gathered, their eyes wide with awe and fear. They had watched Hope’s descent into the fiery pit, some of them whispering amongst themselves. The word was starting to spread, and they could already sense that the situation wasn’t looking good.

Hope was still trapped inside, his body likely being consumed by the fire. Marcus’ thoughts were unreadable as he realized the magnitude of the young cultivator’s miscalculation. The test was too much for him. He had misjudged the strength required to endure the flames.

Ten minutes passed. Nothing.

With a final glance toward the volcano, Marcus sighed and started walking back down the path they had climbed earlier. “It’s over. He won’t make it” he said, his voice heavy with resignation.

Lea followed behind, her own shoulders slumped with disappointment. Her hope had faltered quickly, replaced by the reality that their expectations had been too high.

As they descended the volcano’s slope, their thoughts were with Hope, but the sharp sting of failure gnawed at them. They had hoped they would find a genius among geniuses but it didn’t seem to be the case.

Marcus and Lea made their way back to Solaris to meet up with the other elder who came with them to host the test. They were tasked by the Pavilion Master to make sure everything went smoothly during the recruitment trial.

“Well?” the third elder asked, his voice low and measured.

Marcus and Lea exchanged glances before Marcus spoke, his voice subdued. “Cedric, we found a genius at the volcano but…that boy jumped straight into the volcano. We waited for 10 minutes hoping he would come out of it but it seems like he’s dead. There were no other good seedlings.”

“I knew it,” the elder interrupted with a sigh, shaking his head. “I told you, both of you, that there would be no real talents there. Also, young people these days have no patience. They think strength can be forged through sheer will alone.”

Lea frowned, her frustration evident. “We could have at least given him a little more time, Elder. He might have been able to survive, but we were too quick to assume he couldn’t.”

Marcus was silent, looking down at the ground. It was hard to argue with the Cedric’s logic. Hope had indeed shown an eagerness to prove himself, but that ambition had ultimately led to his downfall.

“We lost him” Lea said, her voice tight with disappointment. “It’s a shame. I really thought he had potential.”

Cedric sighed deeply, he couldn’t change what happened nor did he intend to do so. Everyone had a destiny, when someone died during their cultivation journey it just meant their destiny was exhausted.

He looked at Lea and Marcus and said.

“We have less than a month to finish our preparations and set up every test correctly. See to it that everything will flow smoothly.”

Marcus and Lea both nodded.

With a last sigh they went on to prepare for the day of the trials. Hopefully they will find good seedlings to bring back to the sect.