Xiao Yan's body crashed through the outer courtyard wall. Blood splattered across stone tiles as he tumbled into the night, barely conscious, bones cracked.
Wu Tangge's laughter echoed behind him.
"A fly with wings dares to touch the heavens. How amusing."
The Thunder Sect disciples looked on in fear, none daring to speak. Even Hua Yueru stood frozen, caught between rage and confusion, pride and dread.
---
Deep Forest – Midnight
Xiao Yan collapsed under a tree, clutching his ribs. His breathing was shallow, each gasp a knife in his lungs.
His ring glowed.
An old man in tattered robes emerged—his master, an aged soul sealed in a spiritual ring.
"You fool!" the old man snapped. "That wasn't courage. That was suicide I barely saved you!"
Xiao Yan coughed blood and wiped his lips. "I… had to try. I couldn't just watch him take her…"
"That man is not a mortal cultivator. He's touched the realm beyond understanding," the master said grimly. "But… perhaps that's what you need."
Xiao Yan looked up.
The old man knelt before him and placed two fingers on his forehead.
"You always feared the cost of your bloodline. But if you don't awaken it now… you'll die before you even understand what you are."
A burning pain surged through Xiao Yan's core. Flames erupted from within his dantian, but they weren't ordinary flames.
They were black-gold, rippling with dragonic runes.
"Arghhh!!"
He screamed, body trembling violently.
[System Message: 'Primordial Heavenfire Bloodline' — 7% Awakened.]
His meridians howled as ancient power surged through them. The sky above turned crimson for a brief moment. The air warped.
His master took a step back, eyes wide.
"Good. Now, train. Heal. Endure. Because if you don't grow strong fast, that man will take everything—and burn your soul to dust while smiling."
---
Thunder Sect – Following Morning
Wu Tangge stood on the highest peak, arms crossed, gazing over the valley.
Smoke still rose from the ruins of the Heaven Thrilling Sect in the far distance. Lucid had done his job well.
Behind Wu Tangge, Hua Lin knelt with a scroll. "Senior Wu… these are the Thunder Sect's secret techniques, as requested."
Wu Tangge took it without looking. "Mhm. Have the girl brought to me tonight. I will begin her awakening."
Hua Lin bowed lower. "Yes… Senior Wu Tangge."
A disciple ran toward them, pale-faced. "Sect Leader! News from the southern range! Xiao Yan… he's alive. And he… he burned through a seventh-stage beast alone last night… with flames we've never seen before."
Wu Tangge turned slowly, eyes narrowing.
"He lived? Hmm."
He smiled darkly.
"Good. Let him come back. I want to crush his hope myself."
---
Southern Range – Three Days Later
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged in a cave, shirtless, his body wrapped in golden-black fire. His eyes were closed, but energy surged violently around him.
The old man's voice echoed in his mind.
"Again. Refine it. Suppress it. Let your rage fuel the fire, but not consume it."
His sword floated before him—no longer steel, but fused with his flames, alive with draconic runes.
[System Message: Bloodline Resonance: Weapon Soul Infusion — Completed.]
[System Message: Cultivation Level: King - 8th Layer.]
Ding!
Xiao Yan Fated Value increased (54%)
A heartbeat later, Xiao Yan opened his eyes.
They no longer held innocence. They glowed—amber with vertical slits, like those of an ancient dragon.
---
Thunder Sect – Midnight
That night, Hua Yueru stood silently outside Wu Tangge's chambers. She had not moved in an hour.
Inside, Wu Tangge was meditating, surrounded by floating crystals and formation runes. Power coiled around him like serpents.
A wind blew.
And then—without warning—a sword struck the barrier of the chamber.
BOOM!
The formation rippled.
Wu Tangge opened one eye, and a smile slowly formed.
"He's back already?"
He stood, brushing his robes.
Outside, Xiao Yan stood, sword blazing, eyes burning with dragon fire.
"I'm here, Wu Tangge. And I'm not leaving without her."
The night wind howled over Thunder Peak as tension choked the air.
Wu Tangge stepped from the chamber, his black robe trailing like a shadow. The air around him rippled with power—spatial laws bent in his presence. His gaze locked onto Xiao Yan.
"So," he said, smiling lazily. "The rat returns. Did you come to offer your neck, or are you still under the illusion that you matter?"
Xiao Yan's grip on his sword tightened. His blood boiled with rage, but his breath was calm—measured.
"I came to end this," Xiao Yan said.
Wu Tangge tilted his head, amused.
"End what?" He pointed lazily at the ground. "You mean yourself?"
Xiao Yan didn't respond. Flames burst from his feet as he launched forward, sword flashing with black-gold light.
Xiao Yan struck like a thunderclap, blade infused with dragonic qi. The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer pressure.
But Wu Tangge… did not move.
With a bored flick of his finger, the sword shattered into pieces midair. The energy behind Xiao Yan's strike backfired, sending him spinning through the air like a broken arrow.
BOOM!
He slammed into the earth, coughing blood.
"That was… it?" Wu Tangge chuckled.
"Come on, impress me. Struggle. Scream. I want to enjoy this."
Xiao Yan got up, bleeding but not broken.
He roared, calling upon the full strength of his newly awakened Primordial Heavenfire Bloodline. The sky above twisted into a vortex of fire and wind. His flames expanded, scorching the clouds.
He unleashed a Heavenfire Dragon Slash—his most powerful technique.
The mountain peak lit up with godly fire.
Wu Tangge raised a hand.
Snap.
The entire vortex of flames froze midair, as though time itself had stopped.
Then—with a twist of his palm—he reversed the flames.
The firestorm folded back onto Xiao Yan, consuming him.
Just before the flames could crush him, Xiao Yan's ring exploded with light. His master's spiritual form appeared, grim and furious.
"I told you not to come here, fool!"
The old man's palm formed a symbol, tapping Xiao Yan's forehead.
"Spatial Severance Technique!"
A rip in space tore open behind Xiao Yan. In a blink, the old man dragged him through—their bodies vanishing into the void.
Wu Tangge watched, amused.
"Running? Hm. Let him run. Let him grow a little."
Ding!
Xiao Yan Fated Value Dropped (35%)
He turned to Hua Yueru, who had rushed out to the scene.
"Come to my room I will awake your body," he whispered coldly.
---
Lower Realm - Elsewhere
Inside a floating shard of spatial energy, Xiao Yan groaned as he opened his eyes.
His master sat beside him.
"You barely lived," the old man muttered. "That wasn't a fight. That was a slaughter."
Xiao Yan said nothing.
His eyes burned—not with tears, but with resolve.
"I will become strong enough," he whispered. "I will make him kneel. Not just for her… but for everything he's taken."