The morning sun filtered dimly through the ashen clouds that hung heavy over the Skyreach Mountains. Mist clung to the jagged cliffs like a veil, and beneath it, the world was hushed — too still, too silent. Li Wei's breath fogged as he stepped cautiously onto the frozen ridge.
The battle at Twin Serpent Gorge had changed him. His Qi had evolved, his senses sharper, more alert. He felt the rhythm of the mountain, the shift in the wind, even the faint tremor of something ancient stirring beneath the snow-covered ground.
"Do you feel that?" Mei Ling asked, her hand instinctively reaching for her spirit talisman.
He nodded. "It's not just the cold. Something's watching us."
They had been journeying northeast following the guidance of the Celestial Map that Elder Mo had revealed. Their destination: the lost temple of Lanxu — said to be buried under a mountain of ice and guarded by a beast of living flame.
Bo Qian stepped beside them, his broadsword resting across his shoulders. "Then let it come. I'm tired of climbing."
Before Li Wei could respond, a low rumble echoed from beneath. The ground cracked.
A massive pillar of fire erupted from the ice.
Mei Ling screamed as the flames spiraled into the sky, melting the snow in a ten-meter radius. From within the inferno, a creature emerged — not quite dragon, not quite phoenix, but something in between. Wings of blazing ember, eyes like coals, and a body that shimmered with molten energy.
"The Vermillion Flame Sentinel," Bo Qian whispered. "It's real."
The beast roared, the sound splintering the stillness like thunder. Li Wei's Qi surged in response, golden threads wrapping around his wrists. He reached for his sword, the Blade of Aether.
"Stay close," he said, planting his stance. "This guardian isn't just protecting the temple. It's testing us."
— — — — —
The battle was not one of speed, but of rhythm. The Sentinel struck in sweeping arcs, waves of flame chasing them across the ice field. Mei Ling summoned protective wards, her talismans glowing as they absorbed the impact. Bo Qian deflected bursts of fire with his brute strength, but even he grunted from the heat.
Li Wei closed his eyes for half a heartbeat. He reached inward, searching… and there it was — the core flame within him. Not his Qi, not his strength, but his will.
He stepped forward, dodging the next blast with preternatural grace. The Blade of Aether shimmered with starlight as he slashed through the air, parting fire with light.
The Sentinel screeched, reeling.
"Now!" he shouted.
Bo Qian launched forward with a battle cry, striking the beast's flank. Mei Ling followed, channeling a frost seal that clashed against the flames with a hiss.
The beast faltered, its flames sputtering.
Li Wei leapt, landing atop its back, and drove the Blade of Aether into the fiery crest of its skull. Light exploded outward.
The fire vanished.
The creature collapsed, not dead — but transformed. Its molten body hardened into crystal, and its eyes dimmed with recognition.
"You… are the one," it whispered in a voice like crackling embers. "The heir of Jade… the flame of destiny."
Then it disintegrated into ashes, scattering across the ridge.
In its place stood an ancient doorway, half-buried in frost. Carvings of celestial dragons lined its frame, and in its center — a jade emblem pulsing with soft green light.
Mei Ling stepped forward, awe in her eyes. "We found it. The Temple of Lanxu."
Bo Qian chuckled, wiping soot from his brow. "Hope the next guardian likes tea."
Li Wei didn't answer. He stared at the jade emblem, his heart pounding. The Sentinel's words echoed within him.
The flame of destiny.