After the first hour of tempering, the following fire affinity improvement came two hours later, then four hours, and so on.

Ding!

<Your fire affinity has reached 75%>

<Your Fire Spirit Body (Mid-rank) has improved>

..

<The purity of your Fire Dragon God Bloodline (Divine-rank) has increased>

<Your Fire Dragon Physique (Low-rank) has improved>

<Your Dragon Force has been strengthened>

..

=====

[Dragon Force (Low-rank) (Upgradeable)]

Effect: Passively increase your base strength by 16% (↑2%) and base defense by 8% (↑1%).

=====

Ding!

<You have tempered your body to the absolute limit in the present environment>

<The present environment will no longer affect your body>

..

It only took Vaan roughly thirty hours to reach the maximum benefits permissible by the third stage's lava pool.

The rate of improvement was vastly superior to the first and second stages.

It was no wonder that the higher-ranking dragons aimed for the latter stages and challenged their limits.

However, Vaan gradually realized the higher-ranking dragons also had other reasons for doing so.

By challenging stages appropriate for their level, they could leave the benefits of the earlier stages to their lower-ranking clan members.

The Fire Dragon God must have taken the mindset of its descendants into account when the Trial by Fire was designed.

That's why most dragons haven't been able to maximize their benefits in the Trial by Fire.

The Trial by Fire was purposely designed against them to raise the difficulty. Ultimately, it worked in Vaan's favor.

If the Fire Dragon God didn't make the Trial by Fire difficult to find the best successor, he wouldn't have gotten the chance to fight for the inheritance.

Shortly after Vaan stepped out of the lava pool, he adjusted his breathing and mental state before moving toward the entrance to the fourth stage.

It was still a lava whirlpool.

As such, the dragon lords could have entered the fourth stage if they truly wanted to. Even if they couldn't withstand the heat with their bodies, he figured they could still protect themselves with magic and catch a glimpse of the fourth stage.

—Or so he thought.

However, upon reaching the lava whirlpool, Vaan quickly discovered why the dragon lords failed to enter the fourth stage.

An overwhelming sense of death emanated from the lava whirlpool.

Just by looking at the lava whirlpool up close, Vaan felt his body screaming danger. And if he tried to shorten the distance between him and the lava whirlpool, he would hair-rising chill all over his body.

Every step closer to the lava whirlpool was like one step closer to death.

"So, this is the problem all dragon lords face," Vaan muttered while staring at the lava whirlpool up ahead.

Rather than a whirlpool of lava, a whirlpool of death seemed more fitting.

Vaan couldn't imagine how much higher the difficulty had to be for the fourth stage's entrance to emanate such a threatening sense of danger and death.

It didn't seem possible for mortals to survive the fourth stage.

However, it also didn't make sense for the Fire Dragon God to set up such an impossible trial if it was looking for a successor to succeed it.

Vaan started to question the real purpose of the Trial by Fire.

Perhaps it wasn't meant to be a trial and training ground to raise the Fire Dragon God's successor.

Maybe it was just the Fire Dragon God's resting place, and preventative measures were set up to prevent others from disturbing the Fire Dragon God's rest.

Nevertheless, Vaan quickly scratched the thought the moment it appeared.

It made even less sense.

[You still have three unused quotas. Will you not use it on this stage as well, challenger?]

The Quasi-Divine Fire Spirit's voice was suddenly heard.

"No," Vaan shook his head.

Although the third trial region was filled with Rank 4 fire-attribute magical plants, they weren't particularly useful to him.

Of course, it would be a different story for Rank 5 fire-attribute magical plants. As such, he still intended to save his quotas.

[Very well. You have passed the third stage perfectly and will receive seven drops of the Fire Dragon God's blood essence.]

Shortly after the Quasi-Divine Fire Spirit spoke, another fiery fire phoenix delivered the bottle of blood essence to Vaan.

The situation equally baffled and surprised him.

"Wasn't I meant to receive the reward only after I entered the next stage?" Vaan asked, knowing the Quasi-Divine Fire Spirit was unbiased and strictly adhered to the rules.

[The third stage is different from the previous two stages. The rewards are handed out early due to the difficulty of the fourth stage onwards.]

"I see.." Vaan frowned with a deep look.

After accepting the bottle of blood essence, he acquired fifteen drops of the Fire Dragon God's blood essence in total.historical

However, his mind was preoccupied with the fourth stage.

He already found it strange that the fourth stage's difficulty would be so high that it would bar everyone from entering it.

Receiving his stage reward early only made this point more suspicious rather than reinforcing it.

It was like the Fire Dragon God was desperately trying to convey the message, "you can't survive the fourth stage unless you receive your third stage rewards early,'' as if it wasn't obvious enough.

After pondering for some time, Vaan thought of something and shook his head with self-ridiculing laughter.

"Hahaha.. Well, fuck." Vaan's short laughter quickly died, replaced by a solemn expression.

"I told myself I wouldn't take any unnecessary risk and gamble with my life. However, sometimes, great things can't be achieved without a leap of faith."

"Here goes nothing." Vaan's eyes suddenly gleamed with determination and ruthlessness.

In the next moment, he threw himself into the ominous whirlpool of lava, screaming with danger like he was jumping into the jaws of death.

The threatening sense of danger and death was drastically amplified in an instant, enough to make even brave men cower.

However, Vaan was already determined to take a leap of faith into the fourth stage, even if it was a gateway to the underworld.

Thus, he did not have second thoughts and falter, especially not when a moment of hesitation could decide life and death.