Ninth Heaven, Bound By Flame
After skimming through the "Alchemy Notes" and "Pill Recipes" categories, Xiao Ranyu exhaled and closed the tabs with a flick of thought. They could wait.
> "I'll look into those once I've got more points to spare."
He shifted on his scorched training mat, the faint scent of singed moss still lingering from yesterday's flame-control exercise. The courtyard was quiet, save for the occasional chirp of a bird brave enough to ignore the half-melted stone beneath his feet.
> "Now..."
His gaze sharpened.
> "Let's get serious."
With a silent command, he pulled open the Martial Arts Skill panel. It expanded instantly, golden light cascading as it sorted itself into neat categories by rank: Yellow, Mysterious, Earth, and Heaven.
He didn't even bother with the first two.
> "Too basic. Too weak."
His eyes moved to the Heaven-Tier section. As soon as his thought brushed the first technique, the system responded coldly:
> [Access Denied: User must reach Dou Huang to practice Heaven-Tier Martial Skills.]
> "Tch. Earth-tier it is."
He flicked over to Earth-tier flame-based arts. His criteria were simple: speed, raw power, defense, and something that paired with a blade. Soon, the choices narrowed.
---
Movement Skill: Infernal Mirage Steps
Earth Rank
A high-speed movement technique that generates blazing afterimages with each dash. Movement speed scales with flame intensity and spiritual control. Useful for evasion and confusion tactics.
Cost: 4,200 Points
> "Fast, flashy, and flame-fed. Perfect."
---
Palm Technique: Sun-Destroying Palm
Earth Rank
A powerful palm strike that condenses internal flame into a golden burst. Causes concussive damage and residual burning over time.
Cost: 3,800 Points
> "One palm to cook an armored boar alive. Yes, please."
---
Fist Technique: Molten Tyrant Fist
Earth Rank
Brutal close-range style. Every punch ignites the air. Technique grows stronger with emotional volatility.
Cost: 4,000 Points
> "Great for those days when diplomacy dies."
---
Defensive Technique: Flame Emperor's Wrath Body
Earth Rank
A body-forging technique that cloaks the user in a semi-visible armor of flame essence. Reduces incoming damage and reflects a portion of it as searing heat.
Cost: 6,800 Points
> "Feels like wearing molten armor. I like it."
---
He was about to select all four when another tab pulsed with a soft glow.
[Weapons Available]
Curious, he tapped. A new window bloomed to life. At the top, framed in golden script, was an offer that made his breath catch:
> [Exclusive Set: Eternal Flame Vassal Body Compatibility Pack — 100% FREE]
> "Free?"
His voice was cautious, like the system might rescind it out of spite. He tapped.
Light burst forth. From the flames emerged two items: a sword, and a sealed scroll wrapped in red-gold silk. Heat shimmered off both like they had been forged inside a star.
> [You have obtained: — Weapon: Emberfall Edge — Technique: Solar Rupture – Ninth Heaven Flame Slash]
He read the description of the blade first.
---
Emberfall Edge
Scarlet blade veined with black, forged from flame-forged ore.
Hums when swung. Heat signature equals small sun. Sharp enough to injure Dou Huang. Evolves by absorbing Heavenly Flames.
> "A sword that eats fire and gets stronger? Yeah, this one's mine."
---
Next, he unraveled the scroll.
Solar Rupture – Ninth Heaven Flame Slash
Earth-Tier (Growth Potential: Heaven-Tier)
Legacy technique created by the Ancient Flame Emperor. Evolves with each Heavenly Flame absorbed.
Technique Forms by Flame Count:
1 Flame – Scorching Fang: Flaming arc that scorches techniques and terrain.
2 Flames – Twin Flame Pyroclasm: Dual-flame helix burst. Mid-air explosion causes wide-range damage.
3 Flames – Solar Collapse: A miniature sun is summoned and dropped like a comet. Damages soul and spirit.
4 Flames – Crimson Sky Divide: Slices space with flame. Temporarily disables enemies' flame techniques.
5 Flames – Infernal Crown Execution: Bestows a burning crown. Marks enemies as fire-subjects. Ignores regeneration.
6-8 Flames – Cataclysm Lotus Rupture: Lotus field of flame that detonates in synchronized bursts. Terrain devastation.
9+ Flames – Eternal Ember Annihilation: Erases laws. One slash causes dimensional fracture. Cannot be blocked.
He nearly dropped the scroll from sheer joy.
> "This technique… it's not just a sword move. It's an extinction event."
With a quiet reverence, he stored both the sword and the scroll. The system locked them in as bound items, resonating with his Flame Vassal Body.
> "They were made for me."
Finally, he opened the skill purchase panel, ready to blow his savings like a drunk young master.
> [Selected:
Infernal Mirage Steps – 4,200
Sun-Destroying Palm – 3,800
Molten Tyrant Fist – 4,000
Flame Emperor's Wrath Body – 6,800
Total: 18,800 Points]
He checked his current balance.
> [Available Sign-In Points: 1,130]
> "..."
> "You've got to be kidding me."
The system chimed as if mocking him:
> [Insufficient Points. Please reduce selection or earn additional points.]
He didn't move.
> "I'm not downgrading. These are mine."
He crossed his arms.
> "System. Fastest way to get more points?"
> [Sign-In Points are earned through:
— Refining rare items
— Feeding high-value resources to the system
— Completing milestone achievements]
> [Bonus Active: Refining a Heavenly Flame = 100,000 Points.]
His eyebrows rose slowly.
> "One... hundred thousand?"
> "Do you even know how many I have already?"
He raised three fingers.
> "Bone-Chilling Flame. Mysterious Yellow Flame. Gold Emperor Incinerating Flame."
Three Heavenly Flames curled in his spiritual sea, each coiling like a dragon asleep, pulsing with ancient heat.
> "That's three hundred thousand points, just sitting there."
The system responded, almost cautiously:
> [Note: Flames must be fully refined. Risk of spiritual backlash is high. Multiple flame refinement is considered lethal to standard others.]
> [Warning: Host is anomalous.]
He grinned.
> "Damn right I am."
He turned toward the open space of the courtyard, where the air itself shimmered faintly from the lingering heat of his cultivation.
> "System, mark these skills for purchase once point threshold is met."
> [Acknowledged. Skills locked for future acquisition upon sufficient balance.]
The fire rising in his soul wasn't just power anymore.
It was purpose.
He didn't just want to learn techniques.
He wanted to master fire until it obeyed him like breath, until it bowed.
A breeze stirred the half-melted stones beneath his feet.
A flicker of memory passed—his mother's smile, ghostlike in the heat haze.
One day, he'd bring her back.
> "When I refine these flames..."
He raised a hand.
> "I'll buy the whole damn panel."
He laughed, sharp and giddy.
> "System. Get ready."
> "We're about to go shopping."