The mountains behind Canaan Academy were quiet that night. Most students were asleep or cultivating in their dormitories, unaware that a rare fluctuation of energy had appeared deep within a hidden valley.
But Lin Shen already knew.
Inside his body, the World Tree trembled slightly. Its roots stretched across the inner world within his consciousness, sensing a violent flame energy nearby. At the same time, the balance of his Sun–Moon Physique reacted instinctively. Yin and Yang energy circulated through his meridians like a calm river.
Lin Shen opened his purple eyes slowly.
"A Heavenly Flame fragment…" he whispered.
Because he remembered the original plot, he knew that such fragments sometimes appeared before the full flame revealed itself. Many cultivators would try to seize it violently. Most of them would fail.
But Lin Shen never relied on force.
He moved silently through the forest until he reached the valley. At the center of a cracked stone platform, a small crimson flame flickered in the darkness. Though tiny, the surrounding air distorted violently. Even Dou Spirits would hesitate to approach.
Lin Shen observed first.
He sat down calmly, allowing his breathing to slow. The World Tree roots extended invisibly through his meridians, analyzing the flame's structure. Its energy was chaotic but incomplete — like a newborn beast searching for stability.
"Interesting…
"
Instead of suppressing the flame, Lin Shen used Moon Yin energy to cool its outer layer. Slowly, he introduced Sun Yang energy to stabilize its core. The two energies created a balanced environment the flame could accept.
The flame resisted at first.
It twisted violently, releasing bursts of heat that shattered nearby stones.
Yet Lin Shen's expression never changed.
Within his body, the World Tree extended a single root and gently wrapped around the flame's energy pattern. Not to control it — but to understand it.
Minutes passed.
Then suddenly the flame calmed.
The crimson light slowly shrank and floated toward Lin Shen's palm. Without burning him, it entered his body and settled within the World Tree's inner domain.
A soft glow spread through his meridians.
His cultivation advanced slightly, but Lin Shen cared more about the knowledge he gained.
"This is only the beginning," he said quietly.
Somewhere far away, the real Heavenly Flames of the continent still slept.
And one day, Lin Shen would collect them all.
But tonight, he had taken the first step.
Above him, the moonlight shone through the trees, reflecting in his purple eyes as the World Tree grew one branch stronger.