The moment Jiang Han hit the ground, it tried to eat him.
Not literally. Not physically.
But spiritually.
The ground rippled like molten bone. The air howled with heat that had no form. Lava didn't flow—it hunted. Trees made of living obsidian groaned as they leaned, sensing intruders.
Bo Ren slammed a barrier down behind them as the last of the team crossed the threshold.
> "We're in. And the Sovereign Hunters won't follow here."
> "Why?" Tian Xue asked, breathless.
> "Because this place doesn't care about rank, bloodline, or law," he said grimly.
"This flame… burns everything."
---
The Heart of Instinct
They trekked deeper into the Territory. Hours passed. Then days.
Here, time fractured.
Some areas blinked in and out of existence. Others screamed memories not their own. Yue nearly lost her mind when a tree whispered her childhood regrets. Zhao Kai burned through half his spirit reserves fighting a stone cat that didn't exist.
But Jiang Han?
The flame here loved him.
And that worried him more than anything.
> "This fire…" he murmured to Bo Ren one night.
"It's not recognizing my Sovereign status. It's recognizing something else."
Bo looked up from a scroll. "Like what?"
Jiang stared into the darkness.
> "Like it sees me as one of its own."
---
The Trial Begins
They reached a clearing where no light entered—yet everything glowed.
In the center stood a beast.
Not one that could be drawn or described.
It shifted: wolf, serpent, dragon, horned ape. Its form was the essence of hunger and survival.
Above it floated the Third Flame—pulsing not like a heart, but like a hunting rhythm.
When it spoke, it did not use words.
It used emotion.
> "Strength."
"Blood."
"Survive."
Bo Ren paled. "It's not a flame spirit—it's a primal will."
Zhao Kai muttered, "Great. Now the fire talks in caveman."
Tian Xue placed a hand on Jiang's arm. "Be careful. This one… it doesn't care if you deserve it."
Jiang nodded, stepping forward.
> "That's fine."
"Because I don't care if it understands me."
> "I came to prove I'm more than instinct."
---
Duel: Man vs Beast
The beast struck first—faster than any Sovereign attack he'd faced. Its claws ripped space, its howl broke sound. Jiang blocked with Sovereign Emberfang—but the weapon shivered under the blow.
He rolled, flame igniting midair, countered with a Chainbreaker Spiral.
It missed.
The beast vanished—then reappeared behind him, biting down with a jaw made of shadow.
Jiang took the hit.
Flame exploded from his back.
> "You want instinct?" he roared.
"I remember what it's like to burn without reason."
He activated Delay Burn—then Echo Reversal—each flame skill not just resisting the beast, but feeding off it.
Still, it wasn't enough.
The beast evolved mid-fight. Every wound it took, it grew faster, leaner, deadlier.
Zhao Kai screamed from the edge. "You're losing!"
Bo Ren whispered, "No… he's learning."
---
The Inner Beast
The flame around Jiang surged—and turned inward.
In his mindscape, he stood face-to-face with himself.
But not as he was now.
As he might have become.
A Jiang Han with hollow eyes. No soul. No purpose. Only raw, endless fire. The man he could have been if he'd burned away everything else.
The monster.
It stepped forward.
> "Stop pretending.
You love the power.
You love that they fear you."
Jiang didn't flinch.
> "I used to."
He raised his blade.
> "But now I protect them. Even from myself."
He struck.
Flame met flame.
Light met abyss.
And the monster burned away—screaming in rage and envy.
---
The Third Flame
In the real world, the beast let out a final roar—and exploded into embers.
The Third Flame descended, spinning like a beast's eye, then split—half sinking into Jiang's chest, half fusing with Sovereign Emberfang.
> Third Sovereign Flame Acquired: Beast Flame
Trait Gained: Instinct Overdrive
• When HP drops below 30%, agility, strength, and soul power increase by 80% for 10 seconds.
• Flame attacks now carry a "Savage Imprint" – reduces target regeneration.
Flame Throne Mark: 3/12
---
Jiang stood tall.
Breathing heavy.
But unbroken.
> "Three down."
Tian Xue ran to him and hugged him tight. "You're bleeding!"
He smiled weakly. "Then it's a good day."
Zhao Kai flopped onto the ground. "Let's not do that again. Ever."
Yue grunted. "We'll have to."
Bo Ren looked up at the storming horizon.
> "Because now the Immortal Realm knows he can win."