Lingyan sat on a jagged rock, her expression blank, eyes fixed on the blood-soaked body of Dudu. The battlefield was silent, except for the distant echoes of dripping blood. Dudu's body lay twisted, his Qi shattered beyond recovery. Even death had not been kind to him.
Minutes passed. The stench of iron and decay hung heavy in the air.
Then a thought stirred her.
"Soyang…"
His name echoed in her mind like a whisper in the wind. She rose, eyes now calm with determination, and walked toward the ancient, rune-covered barrier that sealed off the inner hall.
She raised her hand to the barrier, brows furrowed.
"How do I break this?" she muttered.
A mechanical voice answered in her head.
[System: Don't worry. I can break the barrier.]
Soyang, hiding in the shadows nearby, smirked.
"Of course you can."
The system spoke again.
[System: Soyang, touch the barrier.]
Without hesitation, Soyang placed his palm on the shimmering wall of energy. Lingyan followed, her palm resting beside his. For a moment, nothing happened—then the barrier trembled, cracks crawling across its surface like spiderwebs under pressure. A low hum echoed, and with a burst of light, the barrier shattered into dust.
What lay beyond stole their breath.
The Radish Kashal Hall—a name whispered in legends—stood untouched by time. The grand hall stretched wide, its stone walls lined with ten massive suits of iron armor, each twice the size of a man. At the far end stood a majestic obsidian throne, and atop it flickered a flame—transparent, ethereal, and scattered with star-like motes.
It was the Eternal Heart Flame.
Soyang's eyes widened, awe and greed blending together.
"So this… is the Eternal Heart Flame," he whispered, stepping forward.
But the hall would not yield so easily.
Suddenly, the armor began to move. The first suit raised its weapon, creaking with age, and launched an attack—straight at Lingyan.
She didn't flinch.
With a flick of her finger, two armors exploded into fragments, their cores shattered. More came—four at once this time—rushing her from all sides.
She vanished into the shadows.
Within the darkness, Lingyan pulled out a pill and consumed it in a single breath. Her Qi flared, shadowy and cold. She touched her fingertip to the Eternal Flame, borrowing a sliver of its essence. Her finger now burned with ghostly fire.
"I need them closer. Let them think they're winning..."
She emerged from the shadows, dancing between the armors, weaving a path of chaos and speed. The iron giants slowly clustered together, drawn in by her feints.
When they stood within striking range of each other—
She struck.
With all her strength and the borrowed flame, she unleashed a spiral of destructive Qi. A deafening boom echoed across the hall as light swallowed the battlefield. Smoke engulfed everything.
Silence fell.
As the smoke cleared, only one armor remained. It stood shaking, a glowing crack across its chest. With a final groan, it collapsed. The hall grew quiet once more.
Lingyan gasped, collapsing to her knees.
"I… I thought I was done for…"
She swallowed another pill, Qi swirling faintly around her as her strength recovered.
Slowly, she approached the throne.
As she neared, she realized—the Eternal Flame was not unguarded.
A translucent woman's soul hovered behind the flame, cloaked in flowing robes. Her voice resonated through the hall:
"Good… I've waited so long… for a girl like you. I grant you my legacy… the Eternal Heart Flame, and the techniques to wield it."
But it wasn't Lingyan who responded.
It was Soyang.
Imitating a soft, feminine voice with perfect precision, he bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Master. I shall honor your will."
In his mind, he was grinning wildly.
"Hook, line, and flame."
The soul smiled faintly and passed the flame to him, along with a scroll pulsing with ancient flame techniques.
[System: If I observe this soul carefully, your cultivation may advance.]
"Then do it," Soyang replied internally.
The soul, however, began to notice.
"Wait… What are you—"
The illusion faded. Soyang's true form was revealed.
The soul gasped.
"You… You're a boy!?"
But it was too late. The system surged with power, binding her essence.
She screamed in anger, but resistance was meaningless. Moments later, her soul was absorbed entirely, her knowledge and power extracted.
[System: Soul absorbed. Begin cultivation.]
Soyang sat cross-legged beneath the throne, absorbing the soul's remnants. His body trembled as raw soul energy flowed through him. Power surged.
[System: Breakthrough achieved. 9th Layer of Body Tempering Realm.]
But Soyang wasn't done.
His eyes burned with obsession as he stared at the Eternal Heart Flame.
"Now… the main course."
The system warned him.
[System: To refine the Eternal Heart Flame, you must first swallow its core.]
Without hesitation, Soyang covered his hand in Qi, reached into the flame, and grasped the burning core. He brought it to his mouth and swallowed.
Pain exploded inside him.
His stomach burned like molten lava. He screamed, face contorting in agony.
"Refine it!" the system ordered.
His skin blistered. Qi spiraled violently. His veins glowed with flame as his body reached its limits.
And then—
Silence.
The flame bowed to him. The Eternal Heart Flame recognized its new master.
[System: Flame refined. Breakthrough to Spirit Awakening Realm—Stage One.]
Soyang rose, breathing heavily, lips curled in a grin.
"Finally… I've obtained the Eternal Heart Flame. And now…"
He looked toward the sky above the ruined hall.
"…this world will burn."
The System's voice echoed faintly in Soyang's mind, heavy with weariness.
"You have absorbed the Eternal Heart Flame… The cave will now collapse automatically."
The once-fiery cavern began to tremble as cracks spread along the walls like spiderwebs. Soyang turned around calmly and walked out of the Kashal, the place that once sealed the flame.
Outside, amidst the fog, he saw the chained gorilla once again. But now—the chains had dissolved. The beast's aura surged as its strength slowly returned.
The gorilla let out a hearty laugh, wild and proud. "You did it! You destroyed that immortal woman!"
Soyang gave a slight nod. "Where's my reward?"
The gorilla's giant hand reached out, presenting a weathered scroll wrapped in golden thread. "This," it said, "is a Body Tempering Skill. It will enhance your physical strength far beyond mortals. But there's a condition—"
Soyang raised an eyebrow. "What condition?"
"You need the blood of the best," the gorilla said, eyes gleaming. "The strongest. Only the greatest bloodlines can awaken the true power of this scroll."
A smirk played on Soyang's lips. "Sounds like fun."
He accepted the scroll and bowed slightly, more out of habit than gratitude. "Let's get out of here. This place is going down."
The gorilla nodded and turned toward the collapsing ruins. Together, they made their way toward the entrance.
As they neared the exit, the System shimmered beside Soyang, transforming its form into Lingyan—his ever-present companion.
But trouble awaited them outside.
Ching So stood at the cave's entrance with a dozen disciples behind him, their weapons ready and eyes burning with greed.
"Well, well, Miss Lingyan," Ching So sneered. "You were lucky to survive the inheritance. I bet you gained quite a few treasures, didn't you? Why don't you hand them over?"
Soyang's expression remained calm, almost bored. The system-turned-Lingyan stepped forward, but before a word could be said—
BOOM!
The cave behind them exploded, sending a massive shockwave across the valley.
"Too late," Soyang said coldly. "Everything valuable in that place is dust now."
The gorilla stepped forward, cracking its knuckles. "You want something? Try taking it."
The air grew tense. The disciples hesitated, feeling the pressure from both the flaming aura around Soyang and the beast at his side.
One step forward would mean death.
Ching So clenched his jaw, then slowly backed off. "This isn't over."
Soyang gave him a condescending smirk. "It already is."
With that, he and the gorilla walked past them like royalty leaving ruins—unbothered, undefeated, and absolutely terrifying.
Chapter end, thankyou