The Root-Forged Spirit Beast charged.
Flaming antlers cleaved downward, splitting the mossy ground like molten axes. Bai Kuan braced with a roar, embedding his heels into the earth as he caught the blow on crossed forearms. Heat scorched his skin instantly.
"Spread!" Zu Tian barked.
The disciples scattered as the beast stamped, releasing a shockwave of scarlet qi that splintered roots and flung shards of bark like blades.
Li Xueyao's eyes sharpened. She traced a half-circle with her fingers, igniting a swirling veil of ember-colored mist.
"Flame Lotus Veil!"
Scarlet fog erupted around her—lotus-shaped motes spinning like burning snowflakes. The fog cushioned the shockwave, lessening its impact on the others… but the beast's weight and strength still dwarfed them.
"Bai Kuan! Fall back!" Zu Tian warned.
"I got— ugh!"
The beast's antler clipped Bai Kuan's shoulder, sending him rolling across the dirt. Smoke curled from the wound—burned, not cut.
Yen Mo darted in, blade flashing with bright crimson qi.
"Ember Pulse Slash!"
His sword carved a blazing arc toward the beast's flank—but the creature's bark-bone hide hardened like stone, deflecting the strike. Sparks scattered uselessly.
"It's too tough!" Yen Mo hissed, barely evading a sweeping claw.
Zu Tian leapt in, his broken sword humming. He carved a line across the beast's foreleg—finally drawing a gout of corrupted flame-blood.
But instead of weakening, the creature grew angrier.
It bellowed, shaking the entire clearing. Roots writhed beneath the ground, wrapping around the disciples' feet like living chains.
Li Xueyao flicked her wrist, lotus-mist erupting in a spinning wave.
"Flame Lotus Veil — Shatter Form!"
The mist bloomed into dozens of burning petals that cut through the roots, releasing the others.
Yet the beast surged again—faster than before.
Its eyes glowed deeper, its wooden musculature pulse with ancient fury. The guardians of the Scarlet Gorge were never meant to be defeated by lone swords or simple strikes.
Zu Tian's group had reached the limit of conventional fighting.
Yen Mo staggered back beside him. "Senior… Brother… we can't keep this up. It's too resilient. Our flames barely scorch it."
Bai Kuan spat blood, still grinning. "We need something big—and done together."
Zu Tian's gaze darkened.
There was only one option left.
A technique forbidden for casual use—a formation that required unity, perfect timing, and an unbroken flow of flame qi among all members.
"Prepare the array," Zu Tian said.
Yen Mo and Li Xueyao stiffened.
"You don't mean—" Yen Mo whispered.
Li Xueyao's eyes widened. "The Tri-Sun Ignition Array?"
Zu Tian nodded once.
The Blaze Sword Sect was known for three signature offensive flames:
— Inferno Heart Flame
- Tri-Sun Ignition Array
- Solar Sphere
Individually, each was deadly.
Combined in a tri-focus array?
They could mimic the birth of a miniature sun—an attack strong enough to shatter stone giants.
But it required coordination from all members present, each contributing a portion of qi to feed the core flame.
"Take positions!" Zu Tian commanded.
The group fanned out instantly, forming a triangular ring around the Root-Forged Beast.
Zu Tian at the front — the array spearhead.Li Xueyao to the left — the ignition conduit.Yen Mo to the right — the stabilizing ember.Bai Kuan anchoring the rear — brute strength fueling the structure itself.
They inhaled.
Their flames ignited.
"Array… begin!" Zu Tian shouted.
Flames erupted outward from each disciple, weaving through the air like glowing threads. They converged into a triangular shape marked by ancient symbols—burning bright enough to illuminate the shadowed forest.
The Root-Forged Beast sensed danger.
It charged.
But Bai Kuan stomped forward, slamming his fists together. His qi burst out like a furnace, forming a blazing wall that shoved the beast back.
Li Xueyao's lotus-mist condensed into a spiraling pillar, feeding the array with refined flame essence.
Yen Mo's sword flickered repeatedly, stabilizing the flow with rapid bursts of ember-qi.
Fire converged.
Heat rose.
The triangular array pulsed—each beat hotter than the last.
Zu Tian's broken sword suddenly resonated.
A faint hum.A pulse like ancient breathing.Hidden power stirring.
He didn't notice.
No one did.
Zu Tian raised the broken blade overhead.
His voice boomed:
"Tri-Sun Ignition — Final Convergence Strike!"
The array contracted.
Three flames merged into one.
A lance of blinding, white-gold fire surged down into Zu Tian's blade.
The air screamed.
Even the Root-Forged Beast froze—sensing obliteration.
Zu Tian slashed downward.
"Sunder!"
A beam of flame shot forward like a newborn sun descending.
It tore through the guardian.
Flame and ancient wood howled as the beast's form split open, erupting into a tornado of burning roots and crimson light.
The explosion shook the entire forest.
Then—
Silence.
Only drifting embers remained.
Zu Tian exhaled, lowering his blade. The broken sword still glowed faintly, feeding a hum only the audience could sense.
The others collapsed around him, panting, sweating, shaken… but alive.
Yen Mo laughed weakly. "We… actually did it."
Li Xueyao knelt, steadying her breath. "The Tri-Sun Array… shouldn't have been that strong…"
Bai Kuan wiped soot from his face. "Who cares? It worked!"
Zu Tian said nothing. He stared at his sword, puzzled by the faint warmth pulsing through it.
"Strange…"
But the mystery would wait.
Ahead, the collapsed spirit beast crumbled—revealing something glowing deep within its chest:
A crimson beast-core, swirling with ancient qi.
And beside it… a broken stone tablet marked with array runes.
The first treasure of the Scarlet Gorge.