The Firebone Mountains loomed ahead like the spines of a slumbering beast. Jagged rocks cut into the sky, and plumes of smoke curled from deep ravines. Each step Lin Xun took felt like a challenge—an invitation to test the power that now flowed through his veins.
His ring pulsed with warmth as if encouraging him onward.
> "Mother said the inheritance began here… What secrets did you leave behind?"
He climbed steadily, avoiding visible paths, eyes scanning for danger. The mountains were infamous not only for their natural hazards but also for being home to rogue cultivators, spirit beasts, and ancient remnants of lost sects.
And Lin Xun had no allies here.
Only fire. And revenge.
---
Midway through his ascent, he felt it.
A chilling presence. A predator's gaze.
He ducked just as a shadow lunged from above. The air split as claws scraped rock. A Snowfang Leopard—coated in silver fur, eyes glowing blue, and fangs dripping cold mist.
> A frost-element beast in a fire-aspected mountain?
The contradiction intrigued him. But there was no time to ponder.
The beast growled and charged.
Lin Xun rolled aside and drew his makeshift blade—a broken sword scavenged from the ruins. It hissed as flames coiled around it, reacting to his qi.
> "Let's see what this new power can do."
---
The battle began.
The leopard struck fast, using its agility and ice mist to blur its movements. But Lin Xun wasn't the same boy from Emberwind Village. His body responded with instinct born of bloodline and awakening.
He focused. Fire gathered in his left hand. Frost crackled in his right.
With a roar, he slammed both hands together and unleashed a shockwave of steam and force. The ground split. The beast reeled.
> "Dual-element pulse strike… It works!"
He pressed the advantage.
Slash. Dodge. Burn. Freeze.
Each movement refined his control, tested his limit.
The beast lunged for one final blow—but Lin Xun countered with a fire-infused kick that sent it flying into a boulder.
The Snowfang Leopard lay still.
He collapsed to his knees, panting.
> [Beast Core Absorbed – Snowfang: Cold Affinity Boost +5%]
His eyes widened. The ring absorbed the core?!
> "So… it's not just a relic. It's an artifact."
The ring glowed faintly, then dimmed.
And Lin Xun smiled through the pain.
---
That night, beneath a canopy of twisted fireleaf trees, Lin Xun made camp. He roasted meat from the beast, the fire flickering against the stone walls. He felt stronger—both from the core and the battle.
> "This is the path. Fight, survive, grow. Repeat."
But as he meditated, a new presence stirred within his mind.
A woman's voice. Not the soft one from before—this one was commanding, cold, regal.
> "You bear my flame. But can you bear my will?"
His eyes shot open. The campfire flared.
> "Who are you?"
> "I am the Flame Empress… and you are my last vessel."
The voice faded, but her presence remained.
Lin Xun stared at the fire, eyes fierce.
> "Then teach me."
---
Far away, within the inner chambers of the Lin Clan…
> "We've received confirmation. The boy survived."
> "Impossible! That village was wiped out."
> "He has the ring. And the bloodline has awakened."
A shadowed figure stood by the window, gazing at the moonlit sky.
> "Send the Hallowed Seekers. I want his head… and the ring."
---
Back in the mountains, Lin Xun packed his things at dawn. He had no time to waste. The Firebone core valley was still ahead, and he needed real weapons, not broken relics.
He took one last look at the beast's grave and wh
ispered:
> "Thank you. Your power won't be wasted."
And then he vanished into the mists.
The road to domination had only just begun.
---