Chapter 38:"Ready For Ashen Soul Ruins"

Another day had passed since the critical meeting that determined the fate of the Vermillion Flame Sect.

Tension gripped the air like an invisible force, pressing down on every disciple and elder. The entire sect had shifted into high alert, its once peaceful atmosphere now charged with urgency and anticipation.

The sun had barely risen over the towering peaks of the Scarlet Cloud Mountains, casting golden light upon the ancient structures of the sect. Yet, despite the early hour, the sect was already bustling with movement.

Disciples moved hurriedly across the courtyards, whispers of the impending war passing between them in hushed tones. The usually serene training fields were now filled with intense combat drills, the sharp clang of weapons echoing through the mountains. Elders gathered in urgent discussions, strategizing, assigning defensive formations, and preparing for the inevitable conflict.

At the heart of the sect, within the Sect Master's Courtyard, nestled amongst the tranquil gardens and serene pavilions, Ye Xiaotian sat within the quiet confines of the Fourth Pavilion, entirely absorbed in his studies, oblivious to the flurry of activity outside.

With a thump, he closed the Comprehensive Guide to Spiritual Herbs, the thick tome vibrating slightly against the polished wooden table.

"Huuh… At last, I've finished it," he muttered, exhaling deeply, a sense of accomplishment evident in his voice.

Leaning back, he rubbed his forehead, feeling the exhaustion of the past two days weigh on him. He had immersed himself entirely in the study of spiritual medicinal herbs, barely stepping outside his pavilion.

Throughout this time, he had learned about thousands of herbs, their individual properties, their alchemical interactions, and their potential uses. Some could heal mortal wounds, mending flesh and bone with astonishing speed, others could extend one's lifespan, slowing the relentless march of time, and a rare few could even alter the very nature of one's cultivation, pushing the boundaries of human potential.

But what truly baffled and astonished him, what intrigued him more than anything else he had studied, was what had been happening inside his mind, the spontaneous generation of entirely new alchemy formulas.

Without consciously trying, without actively seeking them out, his mind had spontaneously formed dozens of pill recipes, complex combinations of herbs that, to his knowledge, had never been recorded before, formulas that shimmered with potential, promising powerful effects.

"I'll ask Master Han Zhen about it after my test," he mused, shaking his head slightly, pushing the question to the back of his mind for the time being.

Three more days remained before his deadline. Master Han Zhen had given him a full week to study both the "Basics of Alchemy" and the "Comprehensive Guide to Spiritual Herbs."

But he had already finished them both, absorbing the knowledge within their pages in just four days, a testament to his exceptional intellect and his unwavering dedication.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

"If Qin Mei hears about this," he chuckled to himself, a hint of playful rivalry in his voice, "she'll probably faint." After all, she had taken two months, diligently poring over the texts, to fully grasp what he had just learned in four days.

Stretching his limbs, feeling the stiffness in his muscles from his prolonged period of study, Ye Xiaotian stood and headed to wash up. The past two days of seclusion and study had left him feeling somewhat drained, his energy depleted. Fresh, cool water splashed over his face, jolting him awake, washing away the remnants of exhaustion, invigorating his senses.

As he stepped out of his bathing chamber, refreshed and revitalized, the door to his pavilion suddenly burst open with a loud bang, the sound echoing through the quiet courtyard.

Qin Lian stormed in, panting heavily, her movements rushed.

Ye Xiaotian's brows furrowed in concern. Her crimson robes, usually pristine and perfectly arranged, were slightly disheveled, her breathing uneven, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Dark circles, evidence of sleepless nights, hung beneath her reddened, swollen eyes.

It was clear she hadn't rested at all.

For the entirety of the previous day, after her intense and emotionally draining meeting with the Ancestral Elders, she had immediately gone into another meeting, a crucial gathering with the sect's Elders' Council.

From dawn until deep into the night, she had been consumed by the urgent preparations for war, tirelessly handling military formations, meticulously allocating resources, and overseeing the training regimens of the disciples, ensuring that every member of the sect was ready for the coming conflict.

And now, having finally freed herself for a moment, having carved out a sliver of time amidst the chaos, she had come straight here to Ye Xiaotian.

Ye Xiaotian frowned, stepping toward her, concern etched on his features. "Big sister Qin Lian, you…" he began but was cut off mid-sentence.

"We need to talk," she interrupted, her voice hoarse, strained, yet resolute, leaving no room for argument.

Ye Xiaotian observed her, his brow furrowing deeper. The normally composed, ever-collected Sect Master of the Vermillion Flame Sect looked… strained, almost haggard. Fatigue clung to her like a shroud, evident in the dark circles beneath her eyes, but so did an overwhelming sense of urgency, a palpable tension that radiated from her.

He sighed, understanding the unspoken message in her demeanor. "Sit down first," he urged gently, gesturing towards a nearby chair. "At least catch your breath. You look exhausted."

Qin Lian shook her head, her movements quick, almost frantic. "No time," she said, her voice tight. "We don't have time for pleasantries, for rest. This is urgent."

Ye Xiaotian's eyes narrowed, his concern growing. Just how dire had things become? For Qin Lian, usually so composed, so in control, to be this agitated, this rushed… it could only mean one thing. The situation was critical.

He gestured toward the chair again, silently reiterating his offer, but then, understanding the futility of trying to persuade her, he asked, his voice calm but laced with an underlying tension, "Then at least tell me what's happened? What's so urgent that it can't wait a moment?"

Qin Lian took a deep, steadying breath, trying to regain some semblance of composure. She looked him directly in the eye, her gaze intense, her expression grave.

"The Black Serpent Sect has started to move," she said, her voice low but firm, the words hanging heavy in the air.

The air in the pavilion seemed to grow colder, the temperature dropping perceptibly as if an icy wind had swept through the room.

Ye Xiaotian's expression remained calm, his features betraying nothing of the turmoil that was surely brewing within him, but his gaze sharpened, his eyes becoming like chips of obsidian, hard and penetrating. "...So it begins," he murmured, his voice barely audible, but carrying a weight of understanding, a sense of inevitability.

Qin Lian nodded grimly, her expression mirroring his. "Yes," she confirmed. "It begins. And we… we have made preparations."

She began to explain, her voice laced with a mixture of urgency and concern. "The day before yesterday, I had a meeting with the Ancestral Elders, and yesterday, I met with the Grand Elders." She paused briefly as if steadying herself for what she was about to say. "We have decided that the Vermillion Flame Sect will go to war but we will not let them harm you."

Ye Xiaotian's gaze softened, a flicker of warmth and gratitude crossing his features. He said nothing, however, simply listening intently, waiting for her to continue.

"That's why the sect has begun preparing for the upcoming battles," Qin Lian explained. "The Flame Ascension Trials will also be reopened for the disciples, to temper themselves before the war."

Ye Xiaotian raised an eyebrow. "Flame Ascension Trials?"

Qin Lian nodded. "You could consider it a training ground but also a bloody battlefield. It is one of the sect's greatest secrets. In the past, it was opened to train our disciples, but over time, as fewer battles threatened the sect, and, it was deemed too dangerous. Eventually, The previous Sect Master decided to seal it because… we lost too many disciples within its depths."

Hearing this, Ye Xiaotian immediately understood.

Every major sect in the True Mortal World had its hidden secrets whether they were powerful artifacts, lost techniques, or concealed training grounds. These secrets were what allowed them to maintain their dominance, ensuring that they remained unchallenged for generations.

Qin Lian looked at Ye Xiaotian, her expression becoming more serious, her gaze filled with concern and reluctance. After hesitating for a moment, gathering her thoughts, she began to speak, her voice low and deliberate. "Xiaotian," she said, using his given name for the first time, a sign of the closeness they shared, "the Ancestors have decided to send you to the Ashen Soul Ruins."

Ye Xiaotian looked at her, his expression calm, his gaze unwavering. "The Ashen Soul Ruins?" he asked, the name unfamiliar to him. "What is it?"

Qin Lian exhaled deeply before answering, her voice carrying a weight as heavy as the ruins she spoke of.

"The Ashen Soul Ruins are one of the most perilous, yet most coveted places in the Desolate Shadow Continent. A battlefield where a cataclysmic war once raged in ancient times a war so fierce that its echoes still linger, woven into the very fabric of the land. It is said that countless supreme experts perished there, their unwilling souls refusing to fade, staining the ruins with an aura of eternal unrest."

She clenched her fists, her expression grim.

"The spiritual energy there is wild and untamed, twisting and thrashing like a caged beast. The land itself is unstable as if still bearing the scars of the battle that once shook the heavens. It is a place where time seems frozen, where the wails of fallen warriors still whisper through the wind. Many cultivators, drawn by its promise of power, have ventured into its depths… yet only a handful have ever returned."

Qin Lian then hurriedly explained, her voice laced with a mixture of urgency and sincerity. "Actually," she confessed, her gaze softening slightly, "I don't want to send you there. It's a very dangerous place, Xiaotian, a place where even seasoned cultivators fear to tread. But,"

she continued, her voice hardening with resolve, "Given your current abilities, your current level of strength, and the very real threats that surround you, keeping you here, within the sect, would only make you a target, a focal point for the Black Serpent Sect's aggression. They will come for you, Xiaotian. They will focus their initial attack on you, believing that by eliminating you, they will cripple us, break our spirit."

Ye Xiaotian didn't flinch at her words and didn't show any outward signs of fear or apprehension. He did, however, raise an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful.

"So," he concluded, his voice calm and steady, "rather than defend me here, within the walls of the sect, you want me to… grow strong enough to handle the situation myself, to become strong enough to face the Black Serpent Sect on my own terms?"

Qin Lian exhaled, nodding. "Exactly."

She hesitated for only a moment before reinforcing her point. "The Ashen Soul Ruins are unlike anything you've ever experienced. It is an unforgiving land where only strength matters. Its spiritual energy is volatile, the environment unstable, and the remnants of past battles still linger in the air as if time itself refuses to move forward. If you enter, you will be pushed beyond your limits, forced to adapt, to endure, and to evolve."

Her fists tightened. "But it will also make you stronger if you survive."

A brief silence settled between them, the weight of Qin Lian's words hanging heavy in the air.

Then, to her complete shock, Ye Xiaotian smirked a hint of defiance, a spark of excitement, flickering in his eyes.

"Sounds perfect," he said, his voice surprisingly light, almost casual, given the gravity of the situation.

Qin Lian blinked, taken aback by how effortlessly he accepted the decision, and how readily he embraced the challenge. "You… you don't have any questions?" she asked, her voice laced with surprise. "No concerns? No fears?"

Ye Xiaotian chuckled, a low, confident sound. "I've already made enemies far stronger than me, Big Sister Qin Lian," he reminded her. "I've already stared death in the face. If I don't push my limits, if I don't constantly strive to become stronger, I'll eventually die anyway. So, what's the difference? At least this way," he added, his smirk widening, "I get to choose how I face my fate."

A flicker of emotion, a complex mix of concern, frustration, and perhaps… a hint of admiration, passed through Qin Lian's eyes.

She sighed deeply. "You leave in three days," she finally said. "A group of elders will escort you to the entrance, but once inside…" she paused, letting the weight of her next words settle. "You're on your own."

"You will have to rely on your skills, your instincts, and your own strength. Survive, Xiaotian," she urged, her voice laced with desperation. "Grow stronger. And return… when you're ready."

Xiaotian gave a simple, confident nod.

"I'll be back," he said, his voice leaving no room for doubt.

Qin Lian studied him for a moment longer, her gaze searching his, looking for any sign of fear, any flicker of hesitation, before turning toward the door. "Then prepare yourself," she said, her voice firm.

Just before she left the pavilion, she paused and glanced over her shoulder, her expression softening slightly.

"Ye Xiaotian," she said, her voice quiet.

He raised an eyebrow, acknowledging her words.

"Don't die," she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper.

Ye Xiaotian grinned, a flash of white teeth against his tanned skin. "No promises," he replied, his voice laced with a playful defiance.

And with that, the countdown to his departure, the countdown to his trial by fire, began.

End of Chapter 38