The evening sun cast a warm glow over the Starfall estate when Lin Feng heard a gentle knock at his door. He opened it to find Old Liu standing respectfully, holding a small, ornate box. A faint heat radiated from it, thickening the air around them.
"Young Master," Old Liu said, bowing his head, "the family head has granted your request for the Fire Dragon Fruit."
Lin Feng's eyes gleamed as he accepted the box. He carefully lifted the lid to reveal the fruit, its crimson skin pulsating with a heat that made the air shimmer. He nodded gratefully to Old Liu. "Thank you. I will put it to good use."
Old Liu gave him a thoughtful look. "Be cautious, Young Master. The Fire Dragon Fruit is no ordinary treasure, it is a wild force on nature. Many who have tried to consume it could not bear the intensity and failed to master it. Even those who succeeded were changed by its power."
Lin Feng's gaze hardened, resolute. "I understand, Old Liu. I'm prepared." He was not a teenager, he had lived for two lifetimes and knew importance of special types of fire from novels he had read to ease his boredom, he also had his sight on 50 heavenly flames, the flames that were created by heavens themselves! its just that his cultivation was not enough to snatch them. With his family's connections stealing lower ranked heavenly flame would not be too troublesome though.
Old Liu gave a solemn nod. "The family head has also summoned all three heirs to the main hall in five days time. A shadow guard will be assigned to each one of you. It will be an opportunity for you all to choose a guardian whose loyalty will be bound to you."
The words piqued Lin Feng's interest. A shadow guard was more than just a protector; they were skilled cultivators, fiercely loyal, and often carried fates intertwined with their chosen master's. If his ability to see threads of fortune could gain the luckiest among them, he might secure the one with the strongest destiny which shall be arranged for one with golden threads of fortune, Lin Wei.
Lin Feng nodded. "Thank you for informing me, Old Liu. I'll be ready."
As the retainer left, Lin Feng closed the door and placed the box on a low table in the centre of the room. The Fire Dragon Fruit lay within, radiating waves of heat that pulsed like a living heart. This was no ordinary cultivation aid; it was an essence capable of altering his very core, pushing him to a new height of power—but only if he could endure the pain.
Without further delay, Lin Feng took a deep breath and picked up the fruit, feeling its intense warmth seep into his fingers. He brought it to his mouth and took a single bite, bracing himself as molten heat flooded down his throat, igniting every fiber of his being.
The moment the fruit entered his system, a torrent of fiery energy exploded within him. It was as if he had swallowed liquid fire. His Qi pathways felt as though they were being scorched from the inside, every inch of his body thrumming with unbearable heat. He gasped as his skin prickled and tightened, the fruit's energy threatening to consume him whole.
Sweat beaded and then evaporated as his body temperature rose. His robes began to smolder, curling and blackening from the edges. Within seconds, the cloth crumbled, leaving him bare to the unrelenting heat. Even his hair began to singe, strands curling and disintegrating from the intensity. He forced himself to concentrate, clutching the stone floor with hands that felt ready to combust.
"Damn...this pain..." he gritted out, his voice strangled. He had expected pain, but this was beyond anything he could have anticipated. His Qi fought desperately to contain the Dragon Fire, struggling to temper the wild energy coursing through him.
For a moment, the thought of stopping crossed his mind, but he crushed it. He had gone too far to turn back now. With sheer determination, he pressed on, channeling the fire into his core and focusing his will on absorbing the energy rather than letting it consume him.
Gradually, he felt the power begin to merge with his own Qi. The fiery energy slowly bent to his will, integrating into his pathways and seeping into his bones. His cultivation surged, the potent fire propelling him higher, pushing him to the peak of the 2nd Rank. His very blood seemed to burn with a new strength, every cell charged with the raw, untamed power of Dragon Fire.
As the last waves of heat subsided, Lin Feng collapsed onto the cool stone floor, his body aching but stronger than ever. He breathed heavily, his body finally cooling, though a new heat pulsed within his core—a steady flame, restrained yet ready to burst forth at his command. He raised a hand, summoning a flicker of crimson flame that danced along his fingertips. This was no ordinary fire. It was Dragon Fire—rare, powerful, and almost impossible to control!
"HaHaHaHa It seems I have made it out alive!"
Lin Feng laughed heartly, the pain was unbearable, he had never experienced such excruciating pain in his two lives. Rising to his feet, Lin Feng knew he needed to test his newfound power. He retrieved his sword from its stand, the blade gleaming in the dim light. The Starfall family's immortal sword technique was already formidable, but with Dragon Fire, it could become something entirely different.
He made his way to the private training grounds behind his quarters, where the stone walls bore ancient ward formations that could contain even the most volatile energy. The night air was cool against his skin as he took his stance, sword raised before him.
Lin Feng began the first movement of the Starfall Sword Art—"Star's First Light." As his blade cut through the air, he channeled a thread of Dragon Fire along its edge. The crimson flames wrapped around the steel, not just coating it but seemingly merging with the metal itself. The sword's usual silver glow transformed into a burning crimson streak that left afterimages in the air.
He moved through the forms with increasing speed: "Falling Star Strike," "Celestial Arc," "Heaven's Descent"—each movement precise and deadly, now enhanced by the Dragon Fire's destructive power. Where his blade passed, the air itself seemed to burn, leaving trails of crimson light that lingered for seconds before fading.
The final movement of the sequence was "Star's Final Radiance," a technique that usually channeled pure sword qi into a devastating strike. But as Lin Feng executed it, infusing it with Dragon Fire, the result was beyond his expectations. The flames erupted from his blade in a spiraling helix, turning the practice target before him not just to ash, but to nothing at all—the heat so intense it had completely vaporized the reinforced training dummy.
Lin Feng lowered his sword, satisfaction coursing through him. This power would serve him well at the Divine Beast Academy, where all geniuses would collide with one another.
He sheathed his sword, the blade still warm from the Dragon Fire. Five days remained until the shadow guard selection, and he intended to master this new power before then. The Divine Beast Academy's entrance ceremony would follow shortly after, and he needed every advantage he could get.
His once-orange strands of fortune now glowed a vibrant red, signaling an increase in his luck and his standing with fate itself. He had defied the odds, overcoming the consuming power of the Fire Dragon Fruit, and in doing so, had strengthened both his body and his destiny.
Looking up at the night sky, Lin Feng allowed himself a small smile. Every piece was falling into place. With the Dragon Fire, his enhanced sword techniques, and soon, the luckiest shadow guard at his side, he would ensure that every move he made would bring him closer to victory.
"Let them think I'm just the third son with a common Fire Path," he thought, watching the last crimson embers fade from his blade. "Soon enough, they'll learn that even the simplest flame can burn down the heavens themselves."