In the remote Ember Village, nestled in the shadow of the Celestial Peak, sixteen-year-old Yan Rui scraped a living as a woodcutter. His days were spent amidst the dense, mist-laden forests, and his nights were consumed by cold hunger in his dilapidated hut. Born with a frail body and no family name to speak of, he was the village's outcast. To them, Yan Rui was a curse-bringer, a boy doomed to remain insignificant.
Every decade, the Flameborne Sect descended from the Celestial Peak to recruit disciples. Their crimson-robed elders were seen as gods walking among mortals, and they offered a single promise: the chance to step onto the path of immortality. This year, Ember Village was chosen as a recruiting ground.
The villagers buzzed with excitement. Young men and women from all over were preparing for the testing ceremony. Yet, Yan Rui's participation was laughable. His dantian—the core of cultivation—was deemed "shattered" by the village healer when he was five. Without it, he couldn't sense spiritual energy, let alone absorb it.
On the day of the test, Yan Rui stood at the edge of the crowd, his thin figure wrapped in patched clothes. The plaza was filled with hopeful candidates, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
An elder of the Flameborne Sect, a man with fiery golden eyes and hair streaked with red, stepped forward. His mere presence silenced the crowd. "Let the testing begin," he commanded, his voice carrying like a flame-fed wind.
One by one, the candidates approached a glowing crystal orb. The orb judged their potential. Green light meant low-tier talent. Blue indicated moderate talent. Golden light meant genius-tier.
"Lin Zhan!" the elder called. A burly young man from the village stepped forward. He placed his hand on the orb, and a faint green glow appeared.
"Low-tier," the elder announced flatly. Lin Zhan lowered his head and stepped back.
The process continued, with most candidates receiving green or blue lights. When it was Yan Rui's turn, snickers erupted in the crowd.
"What's the point of testing him? He's got a shattered dantian!" one villager mocked.
Ignoring the jeers, Yan Rui stepped forward. The elder raised an eyebrow, his piercing gaze lingering on Yan Rui's thin frame. "You dare to try?" he asked.
Yan Rui nodded. "Even the weakest ember can spark a flame, Elder."
Intrigued, the elder gestured for him to proceed. Yan Rui hesitated before placing his trembling hand on the crystal. For a moment, nothing happened. The orb remained dim, and the crowd laughed.
But just as Yan Rui was about to withdraw his hand, the orb erupted in a burst of crimson light. Gasps filled the plaza as the elder's expression shifted to shock.
"Crimson?" someone whispered. "What does it mean?"
The elder's eyes burned with intensity. "A dormant flame. This boy possesses the Ember Vein Constitution!"
The crowd fell silent. The Ember Vein Constitution was a legendary physique said to be cursed and blessed in equal measure. Those who possessed it could either rise as unparalleled cultivators or burn themselves to ashes in failure.
Yan Rui's mind raced. He had always felt different, but to have such a rare constitution? It felt surreal.
"You are accepted into the Flameborne Sect," the elder declared. "But beware—your path will be fraught with peril."
As Yan Rui turned to leave, the elder grabbed his shoulder. "Do not disappoint me, boy. The flame that burns within you is both a gift and a trial."
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