---
The trial grounds had been reduced to silence.
As Shen Li stepped down from the seventh ring, the phoenix still floating above him like a guardian, a single thought echoed in every disciple's mind:
> Who is he?
Lan Fei stared, shaken. Never had she seen someone tame the Crimson Flame Spirit. Not even her master could do that. Not even the Sect Leader.
The elders who watched in secret from the upper tower exchanged urgent glances. One among them, cloaked in red with a flame-shaped scar on his palm, clenched his fists.
"We must act. If he truly is an Ancient Heir, the balance will tip."
---
✨ The Ceremony of Embers
That night, Shen Li was summoned to the Flame Gate's sacred altar—an obsidian platform surrounded by firelotus blooms. At its center was a burning pool known as the Ember Eye.
Lan Fei stood beside it. Her voice was cold, but respectful.
"For the first time in a hundred years, we acknowledge a rogue cultivator. Shen Li, you have passed the Seven Rings. You may now look into the Eye."
"What does it do?" Shen Li asked.
She hesitated.
"It shows you your truth. And if you're not ready, it consumes you."
Yue Qian tried to protest, but Shen Li raised a hand.
"I'll do it."
He stepped to the pool.
The flames shifted.
---
🔮 A Vision from the Deep
The flames turned black.
Then—images.
> A vast battlefield. Ashes falling like snow. A golden throne shattered. An army of shadow beasts swarming across the realm.
> Shen Li stood in the center. Older. Harder. Eyes glowing with dual-colored fire. One gold, one black.
> A voice: "You carry the Dual Flame. Born from Origin and Abyss. The Balance must be restored."
Then, pain.
Agony.
Memories not his.
> A past life? A future self?
He screamed—but didn't move.
The Spark inside him roared, not in fear—but in hunger.
The fire blazed.
Then went still.
He opened his eyes.
They shimmered with flickers of crimson and gold.
Everyone had backed away, silent.
Even Lan Fei looked stunned.
"He saw it," one elder whispered. "He survived."
---
⚡ Revelations & Warning
That night, Yan Su sat beside Shen Li by the training grounds.
"What did you see?" he asked.
Shen Li shook his head. "I can't explain it. A war... shadows... fire. A throne. I think I'm meant to stop something. Or become something."
Yan Su fell silent.
Then Yue Qian came, placing a hand on Shen Li's shoulder.
"Whatever path you're on, you're not alone. We walk it with you."
He looked at them both. And smiled.
But in the far distance, beyond the sect walls, a hidden cavern pulsed with dark light.
---
☣️ In the Abyssal Vault
A masked figure knelt before a giant stone tablet glowing red.
"He has awakened. The Eye has chosen him."
The tablet cracked.
A deep, ancient voice echoed:
> "Then it begins. The Crimson Abyss shall rise once more."