In the following days, everything seemed unusually peaceful. Xiao Fan had long forgotten about the warning from Fire Dance King. He continued to train Huo Ling'er and Huo Yang, while the dragon girl slowly recovered. Though she remained timid and fearful, especially around others, she began to speak more.
"Mas...ter..."
Hearing Huo Ling'er and Huo Yang call him 'Master' every day, the dragon girl started to imitate them, her voice soft and unsure. Despite her hesitant attempts, Xiao Fan was pleased and devoted more effort to teaching her how to speak.
Huo Ling'er, watching the dragon girl cling to Xiao Fan, felt increasingly uncomfortable. She had thought about teaching the dragon girl herself, but the girl would shy away and hide behind Xiao Fan whenever anyone else approached. This frustrated Huo Ling'er immensely.
It was she who had saved the dragon girl, so why was the girl so attached to Xiao Fan? Huo Ling'er felt she needed to take action before the girl took Xiao Fan away from her completely.
One day, while Xiao Fan was out, Huo Ling'er forcibly took the dragon girl out of the palace. She had no intention of harming the girl; rather, she hoped to expose her to more strangers and help her overcome her fear.
Recently, Xiao Fan had sensed an opportunity to break through to the Transcendent Realm. He planned to seek advice from the emperor, but he couldn't take the dragon girl along. After reassuring her that he would be back soon, he left for the imperial study.
"Be good and stay here. I'll be back shortly, okay?"
The dragon girl, though reluctant, nodded obediently. After comforting her, Xiao Fan headed to the study.
Shortly after Xiao Fan left, Huo Ling'er sneaked into his quarters. "Come on, let's go out and have some fun!" she said, attempting to lead the dragon girl out. The girl resisted, but Huo Ling'er insisted and eventually dragged her outside.
Upon reaching the imperial study, Xiao Fan was informed that the emperor was seeing no one that day. He felt a bit puzzled but decided to return. On his way back, he encountered Fire Dance King, who seemed anxious and hurried.
"Perfect timing. Come with me," Fire Dance King ordered before Xiao Fan could ask anything. Grabbing Xiao Fan's sleeve, he swiftly led him to a familiar chamber—the one housing the Heavenly Fire.
As they approached, guards immediately blocked their way. "By the emperor's order, no one may enter!"
Fire Dance King, unfazed, sent the guards flying with a wave of his hand. "Out of the way!" he barked, pushing open the chamber door. "Xiao Fan, follow me!" he shouted before rushing inside. Xiao Fan, worried about the importance of the Heavenly Fire, quickly followed.
Inside, they found Emperor Huo in a meditative pose, struggling as the crimson-gold Heavenly Fire burned above him. The fire was expanding uncontrollably, raising the temperature to dangerous levels.
Seeing this, Fire Dance King shouted, "Brother, stop!"
Emperor Huo opened his eyes, which were filled with despair. "It's too late…"
The Heavenly Fire exploded, expanding rapidly. "Brother!" Fire Dance King roared, pushing Xiao Fan out of the chamber before rushing to his brother's side.
Meanwhile, in the capital, Huo Ling'er was trying to help the dragon girl face her fear of crowds. But it only made the girl more terrified.
"Don't be scared. These people won't harm you. Be brave!" Huo Ling'er encouraged, pushing the girl to interact with others. But the dragon girl had an extreme reaction, suddenly bolting away.
"Hey! Don't run!" Huo Ling'er began to chase her, but at that moment, a massive energy wave erupted from the palace.
Boom!
A fiery shockwave engulfed the entire capital, raising the temperature dramatically and setting buildings ablaze. The ground trembled, structures collapsed, and fire ravaged the city. Screams of agony filled the air as people were instantly turned to ash. In an instant, the capital became a hellscape.
At the epicenter, Emperor Huo lay dying. Fire Dance King's body covered him, having absorbed the brunt of the explosion. The emperor, barely clinging to life, looked at his brother's lifeless form with tears in his eyes.
He remembered a promise they had made as children.
"Brother, if I become emperor, you must help me govern well!"
"And if I become emperor?"
"Brother, if you become emperor, I'll make sure you don't make mistakes. I'll help you be a great ruler!"
"Haha, it's a deal then!"
Somewhere along the way, their relationship had grown distant. But Fire Dance King had never forgotten their promise. While others thought he sought power, Emperor Huo knew his brother only wanted to ensure he ruled wisely.
Gazing at Fire Dance King's body, Emperor Huo felt a deep sorrow and regret. His brother had never sought the throne, only to guide him. Yet he had failed him.
"Is the Saint Realm really this difficult?" he murmured.
Then, a desperate resolve lit up his eyes. "No! I refuse to believe it!"