A circle of stone pillars stood silent, etched with sigils faded by time. These grounds were meant for inner disciples to prove their worth to the elders—not forgotten sons with ruined names.
Yet here stood Feng Xian, robes burned at the edges, his body steaming faintly as he channeled flame qi from within.
Across from him: Feng Wei, bruised from their earlier scuffle, now empowered by a stolen Flame burst Pill.
"You shouldn't be here," Wei sneered. "Trash with tricks dies the same."
Feng Xian didn't answer. His right hand glowed beneath the black wrap, embers licking from his fingertips.
"Let the fire consume your limits."
Spectators gathered, including Elder Feng Mo and several inner sect watchers. Whispers rose like smoke:
"He's emitting flame aura again?"
"But his meridians were shattered…"
"Even if he got lucky, Feng Wei's still a whole stage above!"
The gong rang.
Feng Wei attacked first—his qi exploding outward in a burst of crimson light. Twin flame palms struck with practiced fury. The ground cracked.
But Feng Xian moved like fire and wind—sidestepping, weaving through the blows, closer with each step.
"You want to crush me with brute force?" he thought.
"Then burn in your own arrogance."
He ducked low and launched upward—his Flame Reversal Strike clashing with Wei's next attack. An explosion of raw heat knocked both back.
Feng Xian skid to a halt, smoke rising from his shoulders. Blood trickled from his lip, but he grinned.
"You're fast," Wei growled, "but you still can't win!"
He raised both arms, flames surging wildly—
But suddenly, Feng Xian's eyes flared orange. The ember in his core twisted.
From his palm burst a new flame—wild, flickering with strange, primal energy.
The Beast borne Flame.
Wei hesitated.
Too late.
Feng Xian's fist struck like a comet, imbued not just with fire, but with the instinct of the jungle—feral, unyielding.
Silence.
Later That Night – Outside the Clan Grounds
Feng Xian stood alone beneath a half-moon. His hand trembled with unfamiliar energy. The flame he'd summoned... it wasn't just his.
"That moment… I felt something awaken in me."
From within his robes, he pulled a fang-shaped totem, scorched black with ancient runes. It had pulsed the moment he struck with the new flame.
"This came from the Verdant Maw... didn't it?"
Suddenly, Master Ash's voice crackled in his mind, sarcastic as ever.
Feng Xian closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
The ember inside him burned brighter now. No longer just flame… but something more.
"Then I'll master it."
"Even if it kills me."
🔱 Heaven Fire Legacy