"Nine Heaven Sword Rain!"
Elder Han Yue's voice boomed like a god's decree. High above the village, he used his sword like a brush, painting the sky with lethal strokes. In an instant, thousands of afterimages solidified into real, humming blades of Sword Qi. They hung in the air—a metallic forest pointed directly at the hearts of the people below.
"I will give you one last chance," Han Yue said, his eyes cold as he glared down. "Show me the secret passage and I will spare you all. I will let you live to see the sun tomorrow. So… what do you say?"
Doctor Lu Cheng turned and looked at the villagers. He saw the terror in the eyes of the children and the trembling hands of the elders.
What would Old Lady Shen do? he wondered.
Then he remembered her warning. No. That place must remain a secret. Besides, I have lived here my whole life and have never seen a hidden path. Even I am just hearing of this secret from Old Lady Shen, he thought. I won't let this tyrant destroy our history for a ghost.
"So," Han Yue hissed, "you have decided to lie to me."
The Elder went silent for a heartbeat, then swept his sword downward. The thousands of Qi blades shrieked through the air, slamming into the golden formation shield.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Every strike carried the weight of a hundred tons. The golden dome groaned and rippled under the relentless pressure. Below, the villagers stumbled back. Even though the formation held, the raw shockwaves of a Core Formation master were enough to make their bones ache.
"Where is Old Lady Shen?" someone whispered in the panic. "It's been two months since we last saw her!"
Lu Cheng heard the whispers, but he could only stare at the sky, praying the shield would hold just a little longer.
The Awakening: Heart of the Solar Flame
TING! TING! TING!
Inside the crumbling mountain, the sounds of clashing steel echoed through the dust. Ye Heimin's blade parried a falling rock as he stood his ground against the others.
"Did you really think Master Han Yue would let this go?" Su Qingmei sneered, even as he breathed heavily.
I never thought Ye Heimin would still survive after fighting three of us, Mo Xuan said silently. And yet he stands his ground against Su Qingmei.
Mo Xuan watched from the side, his face pale. What a monster, he thought, looking at Wang Fang. He survived Su Qingmei's ambush, and now… what is he doing?
Wang Fang had been sitting perfectly still since he avoided the attack.
Suddenly, his Qi didn't just rise, it exploded. A pillar of energy rushed out of him, so dense it made the air vibrate. Su Qingmei and Ye Heimin both froze, their eyes widening as they felt an intense, scorching pressure.
BOOM!
The Qi ignited. Roaring crimson flames wrapped around Wang Fang like a living cocoon.
"Flame Qi?!" Su Qingmei shouted, shielding his face. "Is he a secret disciple of the Crimson Sun Sect?"
"No," Ye Heimin muttered, backing away from the heat. "This flame is… different. It's denser. It feels like it's devouring the air itself."
Inside his mind, Wang Fang was fighting for control.
It's the first time I've used the technique Mother gave me, he thought, lucky that he had been able to open the storage ring Xinyi gave him. His veins glowed like hot coals. The fire is burning through my Qi at a terrifying rate. I must stabilize! I must endure! I must see her face again!
"AHHHHHH! WANG FANG SHOUTED;BODY CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE!"
He slammed his hands into a complex seal. The flames roared higher, turning into a white-hot inferno. Ye Heimin gasped, unable to get within ten feet of the heat. "It's impossible! His body should be ash!"
BOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted, blowing the dust and debris away in every direction. He Sun and Bai Lu choked on the smoke, squinting through the haze.
As the dust cleared, a figure walked forward. Wang Fang moved with a majestic, heavy grace. His presence was completely transformed. He raised his hand and waved it like a fan, and the remaining dust was instantly blown away by a gust of pure energy.
Su Qingmei gasped.
Wang Fang looked… different. His gaze was no longer that of a village boy; it was the sight of a hunter. His eyes had shifted into a piercing, glowing gold.
Wang Fang looked at his hands. My body is fully healed… I feel sharper than a blade.
"Wang Fang?" Ye Heimin called out, his voice hesitant. "You… you look different. More beautiful, somehow. Even your body… you've grown."
Wang Fang gave a short, cold nod. "I can feel the change. But it doesn't matter right now."
RUMBLE!
The mountain began to shake violently. Rocks the size of houses began to fall from the ceiling.
"Shit," Wang Fang said, his golden eyes scanning the tunnel. "We need to leave this place, fast!"
But as he moved, Su Qingmei's sword flashed, pointed straight at Wang Fang's throat.
"Come on, Su Qingmei!" Ye Heimin growled, stepping forward.
But Wang Fang raised a hand to stop him.
"Do you really want to do this?" Wang Fang asked calmly.
Su Qingmei's hand trembled slightly. I can't let him go. That flame is unknown… it's more powerful than anything in the Crimson Sun Sect. If I don't kill him now, I'll never have another chance.
But as he looked into Wang Fang's golden eyes, he realized the truth.
If I fight him here, one of us will die, and the mountain will bury the other.
"If you do this," Wang Fang said, his voice echoing in the shaking tunnel, "you know only one of us walks out. Is it worth it?"
"…Tch." Su Qingmei lowered his sword, his face twisted in a mask of jealousy. "I'll let you off for now. But don't think for a second I'll spare you once we see the sky."
One side of Wang Fang's mouth curled into a cold smirk. "Whatever. Let's move. This is the last stretch of the tunnel. Prepare yourselves!"
Behind them, the path collapsed. Ahead, the final mystery of the Forbidden Mountain awaited.