Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Flame's Call
As the radiant arrow hurtled toward him, time seemed to slow, the clearing around him quieting to a murmur. In the midst of his focus, a familiar voice echoed in his mind, sharp and laced with irritation.
"Are you… mentally ill, or has that shadowy old hermit rubbed off on you?" Feiyan's voice rang out, half-joking, half-exasperated. Her tone dripped with sarcasm, but there was an edge of concern buried beneath it. "Honestly, if you're going to hold back just to keep up appearances for these 'righteous' cultivators, you might as well start digging your own grave now."
Li Yan could almost imagine her rolling her eyes, feathers ruffled in annoyance. He held back a weary sigh, but her presence stirred something within him, grounding him even amidst the chaos of the battlefield.
"Oh, don't you sigh at me," Feiyan huffed, catching his reaction. "What's the point of wielding a flame like mine if you're too afraid to let it burn? You're a fire cultivator, not some—" she paused, clearly searching for the right words, "not some doddering monk obsessed with balance."
He felt her impatience flare within him, a warmth pressing against his chest, nudging him forward. "I know you're worried," she added, her tone shifting, though the sass remained. "But if you keep letting every thought hold you back, you'll never break free from these chains you keep tying yourself in."
Her voice softened, becoming almost encouraging, yet the sass in her words was unmistakable. "Let my flame remind them that strength isn't about hiding in shadows or clinging to their so-called righteousness. Show them what a real power looks like."
Li Yan's chest tightened, Feiyan's words kindling a spark of determination within him.
Li Yan's gaze sharpened as Feiyan's words settled within him, igniting a fierce resolve. Her flame pulsed from his core, the heat coiling through him like a long-lost part of his soul, waiting to be unleashed. He'd held back this power for so long, afraid of its consequences, yet now, with every heartbeat, the flame urged him forward, breaking down his last barriers of restraint.
He took a steadying breath, letting his fingers curl as he channeled a fraction of Feiyan's strength, focusing it into a streamlining blaze that wrapped around his arm like liquid fire. The crimson flame surged outward, coiling with an intensity that made the air vibrate, crackling with energy as it met Lin Yue's radiant arrow.
The clash was instantaneous. Her arrow of light collided with his flame, and for a moment, the clearing was bathed in a blinding explosion of radiance and fire. Sparks and embers flew in every direction, illuminating the darkened forest as the power of their Qi pulsed outward. The sheer force of the collision sent shockwaves through the ground, splitting rocks and loosening earth, while the air thickened with the raw energy of their confrontation.
But the true impact was yet to unfold.
The heat from Feiyan's flame surged, rippling outward like a wildfire breaking loose. A wave of oppressive warmth descended over the area, its touch fierce and consuming. The mist that had veiled the clearing began to dissipate, dissolving into wisps under the relentless heat. The cool moisture of the forest vanished in an instant, replaced by a searing dryness that filled the air.
Trees in the immediate vicinity withered, their leaves shriveling and blackening as the fire's essence spread, leaching life from everything it touched. Some trees, unable to withstand the sudden shift, ignited, their branches engulfed in flames that burned with a fervor far beyond that of ordinary fire. The ground itself seemed to smolder, cracks forming where Feiyan's flame scorched it, marking the earth with a heat so intense it felt alive, like the embodiment of a primal force unleashed.
Li Yan stood amidst the inferno, his flame casting an otherworldly glow around him, illuminating his figure in fierce reds and golds. His breath came heavy, the strain of controlling Feiyan's flame pressing on him, but his stance was steady, his gaze unwavering as he faced Lin Yue and the others. This was his power—a flame that knew no limits, a strength that answered only to him.
The clearing was transformed, the once-shadowed mist now a scorched, barren space, trees withered and burning, the ground cracked and lifeless. Feiyan's flame had marked the area as surely as it marked him, and for a moment, there was only silence, the oppressive heat settling as the first sparks of ash began to fall.
The power of Feiyan's flame had left its mark, and all who stood there felt its weight, a force that refused to be ignored.
Lin Yue's heart raced, her breath catching as she felt the overwhelming heat wash over her. The oppressive warmth bore down on her, sinking into her skin like a scorching brand. It wasn't just fire—it was something ancient, something alive, a flame that seemed to look through her, consuming everything in its path with an indomitable will. She struggled to steady herself, her fingers tightening around her bow as she forced herself to remain still, to remain strong. Yet beneath her resolve, a flicker of unease had begun to spread, like a shadow lengthening in the face of an unstoppable blaze.
For all her strength, for all the light she had cultivated, this flame was something she could not comprehend. Her Qi felt thin, strained in comparison, and the purity of her light seemed to wither in its presence. The heat clung to her, heavy and relentless, as though the very air had turned to fire, leaving her no respite, no place to escape. And in that moment, she found herself questioning—a thought, brief but sharp, whether her own light was enough to face this kind of power.
Zhao Rong, normally so grounded, felt an unfamiliar dread coil in his chest. The flame pressed against him like a crushing weight, testing the very core of his strength. His earth Qi, usually firm and unyielding, felt brittle under the flame's might, like stone beginning to crack under an unbearable heat. Beads of sweat dripped down his brow, the searing air stealing every breath, every thought that dared to linger.
He had faced many opponents, had stood against forces that most would flee from, but this… This was different. This was a flame that transcended ordinary cultivation, a force that seemed to exist outside the realms of the righteous sects, unbound by any rule he knew. Zhao Rong's heart thudded in his chest as he clenched his staff tighter, his mind warring between his duty to Kunlun and the primal instinct urging him to retreat. He couldn't show weakness, not now, not with Lin Yue and Liu Min beside him. But every instinct he possessed screamed at him that this was a power meant to be feared, not fought.
Liu Min, ever the strategist, found his thoughts scattering as the flame's heat engulfed him. His usually sharp focus dulled, every thought fading under the weight of the heat pressing down on him. It was as if his very essence was unraveling, his ice Qi struggling to maintain itself, melting away like frost before a blazing sun. He tightened his grip on his spear, forcing his mind back to clarity, but his control felt shaky, his confidence fractured. For the first time, he questioned his calculations, the belief that their combined strength could subdue this lone cultivator.
His gaze locked onto Li Yan, and for a brief, unsettling moment, Liu Min felt as though he were staring into the heart of a storm, a force so wild and unrestrained that no amount of precision or discipline could hold it back. Fear crept in, unbidden, filling his lungs with a weight that felt impossible to shake. This flame… it was beyond reason, beyond strategy, a force that would consume anyone who dared to stand against it. And for the first time, Liu Min, Kunlun's calm and collected strategist, felt the icy grip of doubt, a sliver of fear worming its way into his heart.
They all felt it—the oppressive, unyielding presence of Feiyan's flame. A fire that did not merely burn but consumed, leaving nothing untouched, forcing each of them to confront the depths of their own resilience. It was a flame that reminded them, with every blazing spark, that some powers were not meant to be controlled, that some forces existed to remind cultivators of their limits.
In that instant, standing amidst the scorched earth and withered trees, each one of them understood the same, undeniable truth: they were facing something that defied the order they had spent their lives upholding. And none of them could escape the raw, searing fear that it would consume them whole.
Li Yan took a steady step forward, feeling Feiyan's flame pulse through him like a living heartbeat, fierce and untamed. Every nerve in his body tingled with an energy that felt both empowering and dangerous, a potent blend of strength and exhilaration that he had never experienced before. The weight of the flame was no longer a burden; it was a force that lifted him, a power that resonated with the very essence of his being.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he moved, his flame trailing in his wake, licking at the earth and leaving a trail of scorched marks in his path. He could feel the heat radiating from him, a raw intensity that seeped into every fiber of his being, amplifying his senses, heightening his awareness. The fear that had once held him back, the hesitation he'd clung to, had all but evaporated, replaced by a fierce determination.
His gaze locked onto Lin Yue, Zhao Rong, and Liu Min, each of them visibly shaken, their composure cracked under the relentless assault of Feiyan's flame. A strange satisfaction surged within him at the sight, a part of him reveling in their fear, in the way they flinched under the heat. They had come to challenge him, to enforce their order upon him, yet here they stood, rooted in place, forced to confront a flame that was beyond their control.
The thrill of it was intoxicating, a rush of adrenaline and power that drowned out the aches and bruises from the earlier clashes. He felt alive, more alive than he had ever felt, as if Feiyan's flame had unlocked something deep within him, a side of himself he had never dared to embrace. For the first time, he allowed himself to feel the full depth of his resolve, unfiltered and unrestrained.
His steps grew faster, each one fueled by the intensity of Feiyan's power. I won't be bound by their rules. I won't be hunted, controlled, or silenced. The thought echoed in his mind, a fierce promise that burned as brightly as the flame he wielded. If Kunlun wanted to make him their enemy, if they wanted to crush him under the weight of their order, then he would show them what it meant to face someone who refused to yield.
With each step closer, he could see the fear in their eyes, the way they braced themselves, uncertain yet defiant. But Li Yan felt no hesitation now, no doubt. This was his power—his flame, a strength he had earned through his own struggle, his own choices. He raised his hand, the fire curling around his palm, coiling and shifting with a sentient intensity, waiting for his command.
He could feel Feiyan's presence within him, her essence merging with his own, amplifying his resolve. It was as if she, too, urged him forward, nudging him to unleash the full force of her flame upon them. The temptation was strong, a pull that called to the deepest part of him, urging him to embrace his own will without holding back.
The flame pulsed, brightening in his palm as he prepared to strike, his gaze unflinching as he looked upon his opponents. He felt an undeniable sense of clarity, a purpose that burned as fiercely as the fire he wielded. This was the moment to make his stand, to let his flame speak for him, to show them that he was not someone to be subdued or controlled.
And with that resolve, he took another step forward, his flame blazing brighter, ready to incinerate anyone who dared to stand in his way.