Chapter 14 – The Burning Resolve
Sovereign of Celestial Ascent
Mu Qingfeng taking advantage of the chaos, managed to get the upper hand, sealing Tainming's powers momentarily with a dark cultivation art.
The shattered remains of the Mirror Trial flickered behind them.
Li Tianming and Jiang Chen fled. Their bodies ached, their wounds burned, but they could not stop. Behind them, the beings Mu Qingfeng had unleashed—chaes-born horrors of ancient power—pursued them.
The air crackled with dark energy. The sky itself seemed to twist as the monstrous figures closed in.
Their distorted forms moved like liquid shadows, their eyes gleaming with cold, mindless hunger.
"We're not going to outrun them forever!" Jiang Chen growled, his sword dripping with dark ichor from their previous battles.
Tianming's breath was ragged. His energy was fading. The Celestial Jade of Primordial Chaos pulsed faintly in his chest, but its power was running thin. Every burst of celestial energy had drained him more than he expected.
"Then we don't run." Tianming's voice was hoarse, but firm. "We fight."
Jiang Chen exhaled sharply, gripping his sword tighter. "I was hoping you'd say that."
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The chaes-born struck first. Twisting figures lashed out, their claws cutting through the air like blades.
Tianming dodged, barely, but his limbs felt heavy. Too slow. A dark claw raked across his shoulder, pain searing through his body.
Jiang Chen moved fast—his sword cut through the darkness, severing one of the creatures in half. But the others did not stop. They came in waves, a tide of shifting, writhing death.
I need to end this now.
Tianming's palm ignited, golden energy crackling along his veins. The last of his power. He didn't hesitate—he thrust his hand forward, unleashing a shockwave of celestial force.
The blast tore through the battlefield, light swallowing the shadows whole.
And then—silence.
The last creature crumbled into dust.
Tianming swayed, nearly collapsing, but caught himself at the last moment. His vision blurred. His stamina was gone.
He had won—but barely.
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He stood there for a long moment, blood dripping from his fingers. Then, he clenched his fists.
"I thought I was ready."
His voice was quiet. Cold.
"But I was wrong."
The truth was undeniable. He had power—but not enough. Strength—but no endurance. Knowledge—but not mastery.
He looked at his own hands. Still too weak.
I can't stop here.
He thought of his father. His brother. The ones who had cast him aside.
He had sworn vengeance—but standing here, barely surviving this battle, he realized something.
' I'm not strong enough to take them on. Not yet.'
His jaw tightened. One day, he would return. One day, he would stand above them all. But not yet.
He turned to Jiang Chen, whose expression was unreadable.
"You still standing?" Jiang Chen asked, wiping blood from his cheek.
Tianming exhaled, pushing away his frustration. "Barely."
Jiang Chen nodded. "Then let's move. We've got a world to see."
Tianming's gaze hardened. A world to conquer.
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The Crimson Dragon Sect was no longer his home. Not yet. Not until he could return as someone truly unshakable.
Somewhere out there, far from the reach of his father and brother, was the path to true power.
Storm Horizon Sect – A sect known for their speed and mastery of wind techniques, said to be untouchable in battle.
Nether Abyss Sect – Practitioners of forbidden arts, feared and shunned by all.
Grand Lotus Temple – An order that claimed enlightenment, wielding divine techniques of unfathomable depth.
Ironblood Warlords – Mercenary cultivators who bowed to no sect, feared and respected across the land.
These were the forces that ruled the world beyond. And Tianming?
He was just getting started.
I won't return until I stand at the peak."
Tianming clenched his fists.
>"This world will remember my name."
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Next Chapter Preview
Tianming and Jiang Chen step into the wider world, where new sects rise and greater dangers await. Meanwhile, Mu Qingfeng tightens his grip, ensuring that enemies lurk in every shadow. The journey of ascension has only begun.
"Tianming was not just a rogue cultivator seeking strength.
He was the Sovereign of Celestial Ascent."
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