The midday sun beat down upon the Cloud-Peak Pavilion, its golden rays fracturing against the defensive arrays that shimmered like a soap bubble over the highest peak of the Fragrance Melody Sect. Four months had passed since Wang Jian's breakthrough to the Core Formation Realm, and the atmosphere within the pavilion had transformed from one of tense preparation to a humming, vibrant powerhouse of accumulated strength.
In the central courtyard, the air warped and twisted, heat waves radiating outward in visible ripples. Two figures danced amidst the distortion, their movements blurring into streaks of gold and crimson.
"Attack me, Ling'er! Do not hold back! Use the full heat of the flame!" Hua Yimei's voice rang out, authoritative yet breathless, echoing off the stone walls.
"I won't, Mother!" Hua Ling shouted back, her voice filled with a competitive, youthful exuberance.
