Chapter 5: A Storm Brews
The sun rose gently over the outer sect, painting the peaks in golden light—but beneath that peaceful glow, tension simmered.
Ye Tian stood at the edge of a quiet cliff behind his courtyard, eyes closed, arms folded behind his back. The breeze whispered past him. Birdsong rang faintly in the distance. But his heart… was still.
"I've broken through to the 6th stage… but it's still not enough," he murmured.
He clenched his fist. "To protect her. To fulfill my path. I'll need more than brute strength… I'll need everything."
System Notification
[New Priority Objective Unlocked]
"Awaken the Heaven-Defying Bead"
Objective: Collect & Fuse the Seven Elemental Essences
Progress: 0/7
[Sub-Quest Generated: Locate Lesser Flame Essence (Fire)]
Location: Blazing Spirit Valley (Outer Sect Forbidden Zone)
Time Limit: None
Warning: Danger Level – HIGH
Ye Tian narrowed his eyes. "So it begins…"
Before he could move—
Elsewhere, in the Inner Sect Halls
Liu Sheng stood before a training pillar, shirtless, steam rising from his skin. The qi around him burned faintly with an oppressive aura.
"6th Stage already?" he muttered. "In one day?"
He threw a punch—the air cracked like thunder.
Zhou Han, bruised and bandaged, sat nearby in silence.
"Let me handle him," Liu Sheng said, wiping his hands. "I'll remind that bumpkin why talent means nothing before a true bloodline."
Zhou Han sneered. "Break him slowly."
Back in the Sect Market
The sect's trade courtyard buzzed with activity. Disciples weaved between stalls filled with herbs, spirit crystals, and beast parts. Ye Tian moved through the crowd, hood up, suppressing his cultivation.
[Quest Sub-Materials Detected Nearby]
Merchant Stall – Left Row, 4th Tent
He turned and found an old merchant who offered him a Cracked Flame Essence Fragment.
[Item: Cracked Flame Essence Fragment]
Grade: Low – Stable
Effect: May attract Lesser Flame Spirits
Price: 1 Spirit Jade
Ye Tian paid. The merchant smiled. "That thing burns more than flesh..."
As Ye Tian turned, another disciple blocked him.
"You're the one who embarrassed Zhou Han, aren't you?"
Ye Tian didn't glance. "Move."
The disciple flared his qi. Ye Tian let a thread of his 6th Stage aura leak out. The disciple paled and stepped aside.
New Side Character: Lin Xue
At the alchemist quarter, Ye Tian reached for Qi-binding silk—only to be intercepted by a girl.
"That's mine," she said.
Sharp-eyed, confident, and dressed in slightly wrinkled purple alchemist robes. Her name: Lin Xue.
"You're Ye Tian, aren't you?" she said. "Help me collect bone dust from the lower pits, and I'll give you the silk."
They descended into the Beast Pit.
Together, they fought through a pack of Lesser Corpse Hounds. Lin Xue's clever use of flame powders and Ye Tian's precise strikes made a deadly combination.
[Item Acquired: Refined Beast Bone Dust x1]
[Side Event: Market Alliance Completed]
At the exit, Lin Xue looked at him. "When you shine too bright, people stop seeing you as human."
Ye Tian replied quietly, "I stopped being just human a long time ago."
The Journey Begins
Later that evening, Ye Tian stood at the eastern cliffs, preparing for departure.
[Quest Prerequisites Complete]
[Optional Entry to: Blazing Spirit Valley]
[Danger Rating: ⚠️⚠️⚠️ / 5]
[System Recommendation: Proceed with Caution]
He glanced toward the volcanic ridges.
"Let's see what the flames have to offer."
As he meditated one last time, the system pulsed.
[Heaven-Defying Bead: Reacting to Fire Domain Proximity]
[Elemental Core Slot 1 – Unlock Progress: 0.1%]
[Hidden Notification: ??? is Watching.]
Ye Tian's eyes snapped open.
"...Someone's watching me?"
"The storm has just begun."
Chapter 5 – Epilogue: Into the Flames
The sun had not yet risen when Ye Tian arrived at the outskirts of Blazing Spirit Valley.
A red mist clung to the jagged hills. The air shimmered with heat. Sulfur. Ash. The distant roar of magma rivers echoed like the growl of a slumbering beast.
No guards. No disciples. No welcome.
"This place was sealed for a reason," Ye Tian muttered, adjusting his robes.
He stepped forward, and the stone beneath his feet immediately glowed faintly red, reacting to his qi.
DING!
[Warning: Fire Elemental Domain Entered]
[Temperature: 1873°C – Stable]
[System Shield Activated – Duration: 1 hour]
A soft, red barrier shimmered around him as he moved deeper in.
The landscape changed quickly. Magma pits bubbled beside blackened trees. Strange rock formations pulsed with fire-light. And amidst it all—whispers.
"Flesh… qi…" "Another mortal dares enter…"
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed.
"Spirits."
Ambush
A ripple in the ground. Then a burst of flame—
A Lesser Flame Wraith burst forth, shrieking as it lunged for his throat.
Ye Tian didn't flinch.
"Void Palm."
CRACK! The wraith exploded in a burst of smoke and ember.
Three more came.
"System, track core reaction."
[Tracking... Target within 800 meters]
[Warning: Intermediate Flame Spirit Detected]
"Perfect."
Inner Core – Flame Essence Shrine
At the valley's heart sat an ancient shrine—half-buried in ash, ringed in scorched stone. At its center hovered a glowing ember crystal, beating like a heart.
The Flame Essence.
But beside it, a figure stood.
A girl.
Hair like living fire. Barefoot. Eyes glowing crimson. Skin kissed by embers.
"You're not welcome here," she said.
Ye Tian paused. "You're guarding the essence."
She nodded. "I am the will of the Flame Domain. A sliver of its soul. And I don't like outsiders."
"Then consider me an intruder with purpose," he said calmly.
"Tch. Then burn with it."
She raised her hand—magma surged around her feet.
"Trial of Fire: Begin."