The wind whipped through the craggy peaks of the Tianlong Mountains as Xian Hei made his way down the twisting path from the ancient temple. For the first time, the Flame of Heaven burned within him-a force unlike anything he had ever known. The shadows in his soul twisted and roared, pulled by the primal heat of the flame, yet stayed under his control. It was a weird kind of synergy: shadow and flame, light and darkness, each reinforcing the other-a balance that made him feel even more powerful than he'd ever imagined. This came with a price. But this newly discovered power wasn't without its price. Being out of the shadow cast by the mountain, he could feel the weight of the Flame of Heaven bearing down on him.
It was spiritual, not just physical-a constant test of one's will and endurance. The flame gnawed at his soul, searing away pieces of his humanity. Many times, it felt as if it would consume him utterly, but Xian Hei knew he wasn't weak; he had been through worse, had been reborn within the very fires of vengeance and darkness. No flame could ever hope to break him. Compared to the seclusion provided by the mountains, the world beneath was so very different: teeming cities he had passed through were filled with people, ignorant of a storm building across the horizon.
What power Xian Hei had claimed could level entire regions, and yet he wasn't ready to strike-not yet, anyway. He needed to rein not just over the Flames of Heaven but over the forces that shaped the realm itself if he was to reign over the world. The next piece in his game was the Divine Empire. It was said that the imperial family possessed artifacts from the Age of Ancients with unspoken powers, capable of bending reality to its whim. Yet the empire was also home to the Ten Immortals-legendary cultivators whose power was whispered to rival that of gods.
They would stand as the greatest challenge to his reign, and yet they were also his greatest opportunity. The Ten Immortals were not immortal in the literal sense but were said to be so because their cultivation could allow them to transcend the limits of normal mortals and reach into realms others could not. If Xian Hei could bring them to heel, bind them to his will, then he would have the power to rule over the world without equal. But before anything great could be achieved with such an authority, he needed first to test the flames. --- Laiyun sat in the shadow of the capital of the Divine Empire.
A place of prosperity, where trade and culture had coalesced, this great town boasted a renowned library that housed a vast, unmatched collection of scriptures and classical documents; markets filled to capacity with curios; a place where many would show their might in both arts-scholarly debates.
But by this time, the city had turned into a haven for those who wished to disregard the rule of the empire.
Rebels, dissidents, and would-be assassins flocked to Laiyun, kept from the prying eyes of the empire.
Xian Hei knew this. He had watched over the city for weeks, learning its movements, its politics, its secrets. This was the perfect place to test his control over the Flame of Heaven: a spark here would light a fire that would rage across the empire, weakening its hold on the surrounding regions and drawing the attention of the Ten Immortals. His eyes gleamed with cold satisfaction, like a predator as Xian Hei neared the city gates. His shadow rippled around him, whispering to the flame within. He could feel the power, the overwhelming surge of energy coursing through him. The shadow and flame had become one, and together, they would burn this city to the ground. He lifted his hand, and the air seemed to crackle with energy. The fire within him pulsed, a rhythm to his will. A wave of heat exploded outward, searing the earth, even the air, into ash.
The gates of Laiyun groaned and shattered under a wave of fire surging toward them.
The city's defenses, designed to withstand sieges and magic alike, were nothing in the face of the Flame of Heaven.
The buildings nearest the gate were consumed in an instant, their wood and stone reduced to smoldering ruin in mere moments. A wave of panic swept through the city as screams echoed from the marketplace. Xian Hei stepped forward, and the ground never once kissed his feet; it was as if the flames themselves parted to make a way for him. Flames danced beside him, at his every step, responding to each thought. The city guards rushed into response, but their weapons were futile against the inferno. With a flick of his wrist, he sent another surge of flames down the streets, scorching them, as people scrambled to flee in all directions. The flames pursued them, closing all avenues of escape, while his shadow fell across the city like a dark mantle. "You dare defy me? " Xian Hei's voice rang through the city, amplified by the shadows. His power was absolute, and there would be no mercy for those who opposed him. --- Amidst the bedlam, one figure materialized in the middle of the city square-a man whose aura was heavy with the weight of power. His white robes fluttered in the wind, his long hair streaked with silver, and his eyes burned with an intense golden glow. He was one of the Ten Immortals, Xian Hei realized as his eyes fell upon a man whose face he remembered from the texts he studied: the immortal *Jin Tai*, master of flame and lightning. So, it is you," Jin Tai said calmly, but the weight of centuries of experience in the tone. He scanned the destruction around him with both sorrow and anger, but did not budge. "You think you can claim dominion over flame?
You are but a fledgling in comparison to the true fire that burns within this land.
Xian Hei's lips curled into a cold smile. "Then let us test your flames against mine, immortal."
Without warning, Jin Tai raised his hand, summoning a torrent of golden lightning that crackled through the air, striking down at Xian Hei with the ferocity of a storm.
The lightning tore up the ground before them, but Xian Hei merely lifted a hand, and the shadows sprang forward, trying to block the attack in a hiss of energy.
The lightning was sucked into the darkness, its strength contorted and twisted as it disappeared into the shadows, where he had ordered.
"Good," Xian Hei said, his voice hinting at amazement. "But your flame is poor compared to the Flame of Heaven."
He raised both hands, and the city seemed to tremble as the full force of his power erupted in a roaring blaze. The Flame of Heaven surged forward like an unstoppable wave, its blue light illuminating the night sky. It crashed into Jin Tai's golden lightning with a deafening roar, clashing in a violent explosion of power that sent shockwaves through the streets.
For a time, it seemed neither of them would yield. But there was just too much of Xian Hei's flames. They swirled around Jin Tai's golden lightning, overwhelming it in a tidal wave of blue fire. The immortal's defenses faltered as the flames seared through his protective aura, scorching his robes and sending him stumbling back. "Do you yield?" Xian Hei asked coldly, his eyes burning with a feral fire. Jin Tai gritted his teeth, the sweat dripping down his brow, struggling to hold on to his stance. He was strong, but there was no doubt he was the one being overpowered. "You may have the Flame of Heaven, but you are nothing but a pawn in a greater game," Jin Tai spat through a thick veil of pain. "The gods will not let you go untested forever." "Then come, gods," Xian Hei replied in his low tone, filled with conqueror's confidence. "The world shall burn, and I shall be that fire." With those words, he let out the full force of his powers, and the whole city of Laiyun went into a blaze.