Finally Over

Leon arrived before the others since his Lightning Griffin could fly the fastest. He flew flew towards the ten pillars that looked to be holding the sky up.

As he tried to fly between two of the pillars and enter the area between all the pillars where the large gate to the Fire Plane was, he used his clan token to identify himself and passed through an invisible barrier.

Leon didn't go towards the large gate at the center rather he went to a door like hole in the walls of the building on the same level as the Fire Plane gate.

He walked in to see a reception like room. With comfortable couches and a man sitting behind a desk. The reception area was empty with Only the man there.

He looked towards Leon and said, "You must be Leon Flamesmith, here is a token for the training room you can use until your called again for the next round."

Leon took the token that had a number on it. "So room 1832. Now where could that be." Leon spent ten minutes looking for the room and finally entered it.

"This place is literally a Maze! I really don't understand why the architects made sure everything was symmetrical and similar. You can't even tell if you entered another hall or just walked up stairs and entered another level."

The room he entered was big. It was so big that he could summon the Dragon in its real form and still have plenty of space.

Leon summoned three beasts: the Ifrit, The Chimera and the Storm Spirit Butterfly.

He took out the things he bought with his Fire points. It was the Pure Fire Soul, Dream soul evolution fruit, Pure Lightning Cloud Bottle and a bottle of soul dew.

Leon gave the Ifrit the Pure Fire soul. He then gave him a few drops of soul dew and let it cultivate. The room was dense in fire energy so it was the best place for the Ifrit to cultivate in. The Ifrit found a place to sit down and started having the Pure Fire Soul combine with its own.

Leon gave the Dream soul evolution fruit to the Price beast. The goat head ate the whole thing in one bite and drank all the soul dew drops as well. It was the part of the chimera that would go through an evolution. The Chimera formed a Black lotus around itself and comfortably floated in the air as it slept on the lotus. It passively devoured the Fire energy in the surrounding as well because of the Flame Devour rune.

Leon then called the Storm Spirit Butterfly over to him. He opened the Pure Lightning Cloud Bottle and let it absorb all of it. A storm cloud formed again around the butterfly just like when it had evolved. It the continued to cultivate.

Leon summoned the Lightning Griffin and started cultivating the Lightning God's Armor art. He had spend all his time in the Blood God's Art that he barely cultivated this. He was only at 32 runes from the 9999. His affinity had slightly increased as time had passed and with the Butterfly cultivating in the surrounding it gave off lightning energy for Leon to use and form runes with.

Leon spent the three days forming 8 more runes when he finally called again for the competition. He unsummoned the still cultivating beasts and left. He was supposed to meet everyone at the gate to the Fire Plane.

The nineteen Summoners all brought back together. Leon found Pace and Anastasia.

"Pace, Anastasia how were the other battles."

Pace smiled and said, "We had to fight three more battles, both Anastasia and I won all three of them."

"Great job! So you both should be able to pass to the next exercise let's just hope we can all get into the final team together."

"Leon, I never thought you were so idealistic, I'm grateful for all your help in my beasts evolution but I don't think I'll make it to the final ten." Anastasia said with a frown.

Leon looked at Pace for answers. Pace slid close to Leon and whispered to him, "She got in a fight with one of our teammates, because of that we almost lost two of our battles. She's still stuck in it. I don't know if it's going to effect her score since she still pulled through..."

Leon understood. It was a bit insensitive to assume they would pass when she felt like she failed.

Leon didn't really want to console her, he had helped her enough already and Pace had tried already. So he just waited for Oren and Irene to appear.

As he waited Pace and Leon caught up a bit more. Pace told Leon about the other people in the competition and the trump cards they showed in the three battles.

The other members in the Competition were either also in groups talking or alone silently waiting.

In around twenty minutes of waiting Irene and Oren appeared. Oren walked forward, "You all have done well for being the last nineteen but in the end we can only take ten. Eighth, tenth, fifteenth and sixteenth. You all know your fire point ranks. Everyone with the rank I called out, leave. You have failed."

"You all might think that the decision was made to quickly. But I assure you that we took in account everything the Council of Fire knows about you from birth. The judgement was taken through all the Core members of the Council and so this decision is final."

Four people in the crowd were stunned. One of them was about to attack Oren and shout at Oren but was stopped by someone who seemed to be his friend. The four slowly and regretfully left.

While the other four bathed in misery the other fifteen sighed in relief. Leon was happy to see Pace and Anastasia pass.

"Now there are fifteen of you. Only ten can pass to fight the substitute team. I Honestly want the team I trained to completely win against the substitute team and fight for the continent in the three continental competition. So I will be harsh and make sure the best of the best make it through. Being the last fifteen you all have something to be proud of."

"Now fourth, fifth, eleventh, thirteenth and seventeenth. All of you have failed to meet the mark for the last ten."

Leon frowned. He looked at Pace and Anastasia behind him. Both of them held a smile, but from their eyes he could see their sorrow. Anastasia looked as If she was expecting this and was taking it a bit better then most of the others. Pace gave a pat to his cheeks and smiled.

"Leon well done! You made it to the last ten!" Pace said.

"Thank you Brother, I'll make sure to win against the substitute team, not just for myself but for you and Anastasia." Leon felt a little sad. But seeing they they didn't get accepted even after he had done everything he could to help them, he could only accept the fact that he would have to win the competition with out their help. He just wanted them with him so he could have an easier time in group sections of the competition. Now he would just do it himself.

Honestly after he had opened the Portal to the Hell Plane, he was reconsidering things. He had left it hoping that someone else could fix it, but he knew that wouldn't happened. The Constellation beast Scorpio didn't look as important. He just wanted to get the pink seed to grow and find the emerald box at Moonlight cliff in the nature continent. He would then have to think about how to deal the Hell Plane before something that shouldn't be released escapes the Hell Plane.

Oren looked at the five ready to leave and said, "You five, You must be wondering why I didn't send you off earlier with the other four. Someone from the Council of Fire made you stay."

In a flash of Fire a man appeared. He looked around thirty years old. He had white hair and a rough beard. His eyes red like a burning fire.

While looking at the man Leon felt he could see a gigantic pair of flaming wings. This was the first time he had seen someone close to his affinity of the Fire element. This man was most likely at the peak of the grandmaster level.

Oren and Irene bowed to the man and said together, "We welcome the Head of the Council."

The other fifteen were surprised. This normal looking man was the highest ranking person on the continent!

They quickly bowed as well.

"I am Helios, The head of the Council of Fire, Congratulations to the final ten. You may not be the fianl main team but you will be in the final substitute team. You all will be representing our Fire continent soon. I hope you all can burn as bright as the flames and show them the true might of the purest of heat."

Leon had met Helios in his past life, he had taught for a while and was the one suppose to crown him on the day of his inauguration. However he had disappeared a week before and so someone else had to stand in for him.

The last ten which included Leon raises their heads and enthusiastically shouted, "Yes Sir!"

"Good. Now the other five, You have shown great promise. The Council is willing to make an exception and have you all accepted into the Council as inner members without taking the entrance test."

The five were ecstatic hearing that. In earlier competitions this had never happened so they were all surprised. Only the final ten and the final substitute team were given the chance to join the Council of Fire after the competition.

To join the Council of Fire one had to be a Fire Cultivator or at least partially a fire cultivator. It didn't matter where you were born. Hundreds of thousands of people would come each year from all over the world in an attempt to join the Council of Fire but only ten to twenty are accepted. That was only for the outer members. For inner members, it is said you have to work for the Council of Fire for ten years before you can have the chance of becoming an inner member.

Not only was the Council of Fire accepting five people together at once. They were also as inner members.

The five didn't hesitate to accept.

"You five will come with me, Oren, Irene continue with what you were doing."

The five and Helios disappeared.

"Now you are the final ten, You have two months left until fightning the Substitute Team." Irene said.

"All the members of the substitute team have been given a golden spoon since they were born. They were fed the best things, taught the best abilities and contracted the best beast."

"Many of you have seen them and know how much stronger they are." As Irene said this almost all of the ten grit their teeth as a different memory awakened for everyone. Leon looked around and wondered what everyone's motive was. Clearly it was something compelling if it pushed them this far.

"So Oren and I have decided to train you all at the outer section of Mount Vulcan for the next two months."

"What?!" the ten almost shouted in unison.

Seeing the surprise faces Irene repeated, "Yes you all will train at the outer section of Mount Vulcan."

Even Leon was surprised. He moved forward and spoke, "Isn't this a bit dangerous, I've been to Mount Vulcan and these..." Leon looked at his teammates then continued, "Can barely hold out against one beast there, and I don't mean to insult you but I think you and Oren can barely survive their yourselves."

Leon wasn't joking, He had to hide and sneakily pass the outer area. The beast their were all Bluestar beasts at least. All that weaker beasts had formed hordes to survive. Making them even more deadly then the high Level beasts that fought solo. And all beasts were territorial, they notice your presence they will try to kill you as fast as possible.

Even if Irene and Oren could fight someone of the beasts their Leon didn't believe they could protect everyone here as well.

On top of all of that the Hell Plane portal was open underneath it all. He didn't want to go near that place. The aura from the Hell Plane make him lose control over his slaughter qi. He could also had an ominous feeling at the back of his mind since he opened the Portal that something was going to go terribly wrong. If something does happened, he wanted to be as far as way as possible like the nature continent. After he found the emerald box and the pink seed grew he would be much stronger. He would have a better chance to face that enemy then. With his current strength he would be instantly killed.

Irene and Oren were a bit surprised when Leon said that he had been to Mount Vulcan. The other nine as well, Mount Vulcan was like a forbidden zone where only summoning masters dared to enter.

"Leon I think you've crossed the line their, You are clearly underestimateing Teacher Irene and teacher Oren. You may not know this but Teacher Irene and Oren are the most likely members in the Council to become High elders soon-"

Irene stopped Abigail, "What Leon said is true, We will be able to protect you right at the border of the outer section but any deeper both me and Oren will barely be able to protect half of you. Mount Vulcan is a dangerous place where unexpected things can happen, Oren and I can not promise you safety."

"Whose still willing to go hearing that?" Oren asked.

Nine people raised their hands. Only Leon didn't raise his hand.

"Leon if you don't want to go you can stay behind-"

"I'll go." Leon then raised his hand as well. Since all nine other members were going he would be left out of the circle during the actual competition. If that happened it would only increase the chances of losing and being left out from the main team. He just hoped everything he felt was paranoia.

"Since you all have agreed, let's go." Irene said as she summoned her beast to fly on. Oren and the ten team members did the same. They all flew to Mount Vulcan.