Shen Yuan finished packing his belongings with precise efficiency. As he secured the last strap on his satchel, he took one last glance at his abode—sparse yet suffused with a quiet confidence. He had bigger horizons to tread now. The Hellfire Temple awaited.
Stepping outside, he walked the winding path towards the temple. Massive statues stood as silent sentries along the way, each one carved into fierce, roaring beasts wreathed in flames, their eyes gleaming with an eerie, lifelike quality. The temple itself towered ahead, its grand, obsidian walls reaching into the sky as if challenging the heavens themselves. Flickers of crimson light seeped from within, and a strange warmth filled the air, pulling him forward like a silent command.
At the entrance, he was met by a group of disciples. They eyed him with a mixture of curiosity and approval, though one face among them looked far from impressed. A girl stood to the side, arms crossed, with fiery red robe cascading over her shoulder and a smirk just as sharp as her gaze, with her silky black hair flowing with the wind.
"Well, if it isn't the famed newcomer," she drawled, her eyes assessing him with a challenging gleam. "The one who thinks he's already worth the Hellfire's time. Quite the show-off, aren't you?"
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, unfazed by her mocking tone. "So, they say," he replied coolly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
The girl's smirk grew, as if she'd been waiting for exactly this reaction. "Lucky for you, I'm in a generous mood. I'll give you a tour of the temple. Try to keep up and you can call me Feng Yanqing." Without waiting for his reply, she turned on her heel, motioning for him to follow.
The Hellfire Temple was a place of rare beauty and hidden danger. Each corridor, each room, seemed to pulse with restrained power, as though the flames decorating every wall could leap to life at any moment. The girl known as Feng Yanqing pointed out various halls—the Hall of Trials, where disciples refined their flame techniques; the Inferno Chamber, which seemed to glow with a perpetual, smoldering heat, and finally, a secluded chamber, nearly hidden away.
"These are the Depths," she announced, her voice dropping. "Where only those with the temple's blessing may tread. You are lucky you have the permission of the temple master."
Shen Yuan took in the shadowed expanse, noting the faint hum of energy that seemed to emanate from the very walls. He tilted his head slightly, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "Only the blessed, you say?"
Feng Yanqing scoffed. "Don't get any ideas, newcomer. This isn't a place for anyone still wet behind the ears." But her eyes sparked with a flicker of admiration, perhaps grudging respect, at his lack of fear. "Still, you might be an exception. You're here to learn, so try not to look too impressed."
They moved on, and as the tour progressed, Shen Yuan noted her subtle pride in each chamber she described. Though she pretended indifference, her gaze lingered on the temple's intricate carvings and the flames etched into its stone. The temple was a part of her, just as much as her fierce spirit, and in some way, she seemed to expect him to respect it, if nothing else.
After nearly two hours, they arrived at a vast, vaulted chamber bathed in a dim, red glow. A faint yet unmistakable energy pulsed from the center, like a steady heartbeat. Fen Yanqing gestured for him to stand in the middle, her demeanor shifting from casual disdain to something more serious.
"Shen Yuan," she began, her voice softening. "There's a reason the temple master ordered to bring you here, to the heart of the temple." From the folds of her robe, she withdrew a slender scroll wrapped in red silk. "This," she said, handing it to him, "is the Void Fire technique. It's the signature of the Hellfire Temple. The one who masters this… are only those ones the temple master has deemed worthy. And for now, there are 5 of them who mastered this including me, and if you master this you will be the 6th."
Shen Yuan's fingers closed around the scroll, feeling a faint warmth radiate from it. Her eyes met his, and for the first time, her smirk was gone, replaced by a caution he hadn't seen before.
"This isn't some ordinary flame technique," Feng Yanqing warned. "Void Fire doesn't just burn. It has the power to erase everything it touches—body, soul, and… Akasha."
Her voice grew softer as she spoke the last word, as though invoking a force that defied even her understanding. "Akasha… it is the fundamental aspect or rather fundamental Information from which everything that exists has formed be it soul, planet, star system or even the Universe, all have one fundamental aspect in common the Akasha."
A glint of fascination crossed Shen Yuan's eyes. This was no ordinary technique—it was a key to something far greater. His mind raced with possibilities, each more intriguing than the last. He had heard of powers capable of destruction, of severing the body and soul. But to erase Akasha itself, the very root of existence… this was on another level entirely.
"And you're just giving me this?" he asked, half-amused, half-incredulous.
Feng Yanqing shrugged, her smirk returning. "If you can master it, then you've earned it. If not, well, that's your problem. And the temple master deems you worthy, so I don't have a choice."
He studied her for a moment, her fiery gaze unwavering, as if daring him to grasp the magnitude of the gift—or the curse—he held. "Thank you," he said simply, his tone betraying neither fear nor excitement, only a quiet determination.
Her eyes narrowed, but there was a trace of satisfaction in her gaze. "Well, don't thank me yet. Just know that if you fail to master it, you could die."
Shen Yuan nodded, fully aware of the weight of her words. He slid the scroll into his satchel, feeling the warmth pulse against his side like a silent promise.
As they walked back through the temple's halls, she stole a sidelong glance at him. "Not bad, Shen Yuan. Most would be trembling by now. Either you're braver than most or just recklessly confident."
He offered her a faint smile, neither confirming nor denying her statement. "I suppose time will tell."
They reached the entrance of the temple, and she crossed her arms, watching him as he turned to leave. "Don't forget what I told you. Void Fire isn't something you can play around with. If you're serious about it, be prepared to pay the price."
Shen Yuan smiled, "Yes ma'am!"
Fen Yanqing slightly blushed and chuckled, "You are quite the charm."
Shen Yuan then left and went to the housing area of the Hellfire Temple, where he saw many adobes with names carved on them, he then saw an adobe with his name and entered it.
After entering, he sat down and took out the void fire technique's scroll and started to read it.