The Mutation

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor. The clearing where Huo Ye and Huo Yuhao stood was still, save for the rhythmic breathing of the boy as he focused intently on his training. Sweat clung to his brow, and his thin frame trembled under the strain of spiritual exertion.

Huo Ye stood nearby, arms crossed, observing with an expression that balanced patience and expectation.

"Calm your breath. Inhale through your nose, slow and steady. Exhale with purpose," Huo Ye instructed. His voice was calm but firm. "This is Haki Breathing — a method to strengthen your body, mind, and spirit. The way you breathe shapes the flow of your power. Control it, and you control the battlefield."

Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth but nodded. He adjusted his breathing, each inhale measured, each exhale steady. Slowly, the trembling lessened. His spiritual energy pulsed faintly in the air, a gentle rhythm that mirrored the pounding of his heartbeat.

Huo Ye's gaze softened slightly. This boy... rough, unpolished, but the potential was undeniable.

As Yuhao continued his training, Huo Ye's thoughts drifted. His fingers traced the edge of the Mortal Way Sect emblem stitched subtly into the hem of his sleeve — a symbol of an ideal, a philosophy forged from his own struggle.

The Mortal Way Sect.

A sect not born from spirit power or noble bloodlines. It was not a place where prodigies were handed power at birth. No, it was a path carved from the sweat and pain of those who were told they were destined for mediocrity. A path where even the weakest could rise to greatness through will alone.

Two years ago, when the Body Sect had cast him out, Huo Ye had sworn to create something better. A place where no one would be discarded for being weak. He had wandered for years, growing stronger through sheer determination, his bond with the Primal Moon Ape martial soul sharpening his body and mind. But he had yet to find the right disciple — someone who embodied the very struggle the Mortal Way Sect represented.

Until now.

Huo Yuhao stumbled, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. Huo Ye stepped forward, catching him by the shoulder. "That's enough for now."

Yuhao gasped for breath, his chest heaving. "But… I can keep going..."

Huo Ye shook his head. "There's no rush. Strength isn't built in a day. Rest is as important as training."

Yuhao hesitated. His hands clenched at his sides. "I'm tired of resting," he muttered. "Every time I stop… it feels like I'm falling behind. Like I'm weak."

The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken pain.

Huo Ye knelt beside him, his gaze calm but understanding. "You're not weak. You're just not strong yet. There's a difference."

Yuhao looked away, his expression unreadable. "I wonder sometimes… if I'll ever be strong enough."

Huo Ye's gaze softened. "You ever wonder why I call it the Mortal Way?"

Yuhao blinked. "I… I thought it was just a name."

Huo Ye smiled faintly. "It's more than that. The Mortal Way is a path where power comes from struggle. Not from talent. Not from lineage. But from the will to keep moving forward, no matter how many times you fall."

Yuhao was quiet for a moment. "So… anyone can walk this path?"

"Not anyone," Huo Ye corrected. "Only those strong enough to endure it."

The boy looked down at his hands, his expression thoughtful. "I want to be strong… not just for me. For my mother. For everyone who said I couldn't."

Huo Ye's gaze flickered with approval. "Then it's time I give you something to help you on that path."

Yuhao blinked as Huo Ye reached into his sleeve, producing a small, glowing sphere of energy. It pulsed faintly, dark crimson light swirling within. The very air trembled as the orb hovered between them.

"This is an essence of a martial soul," Huo Ye explained. "A fragment, born from the deepest well of power… not something given lightly. It will change you — mutate what you already have."

Yuhao's breath caught in his throat. "You're… giving me this?"

Huo Ye nodded. "Yes. I believe this essence was meant for you."

Yuhao reached out hesitantly, his fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against the orb. Warmth surged up his arm — and something else. A weight. As if the very air had thickened.

Before he could pull away, Huo Ye pressed the orb gently to his chest. It dissolved into light, sinking into his body.

For a heartbeat, there was silence.

Then pain.

Yuhao screamed, clutching his head as his eyes burned with searing heat. His spirit energy surged wildly, a violent storm spiraling outward. The earth trembled beneath him, the grass withering under the force of the energy release.

Huo Ye watched calmly, though his hands clenched slightly at his sides. He could feel it — the shift. The transformation.

When the light faded, Yuhao collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Sweat dripped from his chin, falling into the dirt below.

"Look," Huo Ye said quietly.

Yuhao slowly raised his head. His reflection shimmered faintly in the surface of a nearby pool of water.

His eyes...

The soft blue of his Spirit Eyes was gone. In its place, twin spirals of crimson and black — the unmistakable pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Yuhao stared in shock. "What… what is this?"

"Power," Huo Ye said simply. "But not without consequence. The Mangekyo Sharingan will give you strength… but it will demand sacrifice. Use it wisely."

Yuhao swallowed hard, his breath shaky. But there was something different in his gaze now. A new intensity. A newfound resolve.

Huo Ye smiled. "Rest for now. Tomorrow… we begin again."