Beneath the scorched sky of the Scorch Realm, nestled within the throat of a dormant volcano, flame qi surged like a living tide. The air shimmered with heat, and the ground pulsed with ancient energy. It was here, in this crucible of fire, that Jalen had found the perfect place for Rana to refine the Flame Beast Crown—a treasure that had chosen her, fused with her essence, and now demanded to be mastered.
Rana sat cross-legged on a bed of obsidian, her body wrapped in a cocoon of white-gold flame. The crown hovered above her head, spinning slowly, its runes glowing brighter with each passing hour. Across from her, Jalen sat in silence, meditating. His presence was calm and steady—like a mountain watching over a storm.
Days passed.
A week and a half into the refinement, the volcano trembled. The crown's energy surged, and Rana's qi flared uncontrollably. Her spirit sea expanded, her meridians and dantian stretched, and her flaming core reformed stronger. She had reached the threshold.
Three days later, she crossed it.
The Flame Beast Crown fused completely with her cultivation base, and her realm jumped two steps. She was no longer a Peak Moon Realm cultivator. She had stepped into the mid-Imperial Realm, her flame qi burning with sovereign intensity.
Jalen opened his eyes and smiled faintly. "Not bad, flame brain."
Rana exhaled, her body glowing with residual heat. "I feel like I could burn the sky."
"You probably could," he said.
For the next few days, they trained together. Jalen guided her through the intricacies of flame qi control, helping her refine five of the six new techniques she had added to his Spirit Flame Art.
The thirteenth technique is basically the flame fusion technique she used in the tournament in Ruona, but until she's in the spirit fusion realm, it's forbidden to her now.
The fourteenth technique Blazing Pulse—A short-range burst of flame qi that disrupts enemy formations and stuns targets.
The fourteenth technique Cinder Step—A movement technique that leaves behind flame clones to confuse enemies.
The fifteenth technique Phoenix Grasp—A grappling flame technique that binds and burns simultaneously.
The sixteenth technique Soul brand Ember—a mark that weakens enemies over time, reducing their qi regeneration.
The seventeenth technique Flare Domain – A battlefield-wide flame domain that boosts all flame techniques and suppresses opposing elements. Well, if the wielder is stronger than the enemy.
Jalen tested each technique with her, offering adjustments and insights. Their synergy grew. Rana's confidence soared. And though they rarely spoke of it, the bond between them deepened—quietly, naturally.
But time was running out.
The Scorch Realm had a limit. One and a half months after entry, every cultivator was forcibly ejected. And when that moment came, the realm trembled. A surge of spatial energy enveloped the volcano, and in a flash of light, Rana and Jalen were expelled—along with every other cultivator who had entered.
Just as they had entered through the rift above the Flame Meridian Grounds, so too did they return—cast out by the realm's will, their bodies reappearing in bursts of flame and light.
And what followed was chaos.
___
Outside the realm, sects and families had gathered. Each sent at least one Saint Realm expert to oversee their disciples' return.
Over at the Crimson Vale Sect, the disciples who had entered the Scorch Realm returned with stories—of Jalen, who not only killed one of their disciples but also wielded both light and shadow qi.
They brought their grievances to Elder George. He listened in silence, his expression darkening with every word.
Meanwhile, Lloyd—now an early Imperial Realm cultivator—had just reunited with Patriarch Shanell and Elder Alando.
His aura was steadier, his presence more mature, but his eyes still held the curiosity of someone who hadn't yet seen the full weight of the world.
He spotted Jalen standing alone, distant from the Raine Sect's gathering. Lloyd was about to go greet him since they haven't seen each other again after their separation in the Scorch realm, which was over a month ago until now.
But before he could move, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Don't come near me. Not now. No matter what happens, stay out of it."
Jalen's tone was calm but firm. Final.
Lloyd froze. He didn't understand what was about to unfold, but he knew Jalen well enough to trust him, and so he stayed put.
Something dangerous was brewing, and Jalen didn't want the Raine Sect caught in the crossfire.
Patriarch Shanell and Elder Alando exchanged glances. They had seen Jalen's deliberate distance. Even Lloyd—his brother in all but blood—was being kept away.
They understood immediately.
___
Rana, upon returning from the realm, adopted an aloof demeanor and kept her distance from Jalen—not out of desire, but out of necessity. He had asked her to stay away, to protect her from what was coming.
She approached her master, Talia, with composed grace. The moment Talia sensed Rana's aura, her eyes lit with recognition.
"You succeeded," she said, smiling. "Congratulations."
Rana bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Master."
Yet her gaze, unbidden, drifted toward Jalen.
Talia noticed. She followed Rana's eyes and saw the young man standing alone—blue-eyed, quiet, and strangely out of place. No ornate robes. No overwhelming aura. Just stillness.
But something didn't sit right.
He looked ordinary. He felt anything but.
She tried to sense his cultivation realm. Nothing. Not even a flicker. She frowned. Even if he were using a spirit tool to mask his realm, she should be able to detect it. She was a Sage Realm expert, after all.
"This young man…" she murmured. "He's not as simple as he looks."
Just as she was about to ask Rana about him, a surge of pressure swept through the area.
Elder George's aura exploded.
Flames engulfed his fist as he stepped forward, eyes locked on Jalen. The crowd turned. Those below the Sage Realm distance themselves about a mile away to avoid getting crushed. Some people, like Rana, were protected by their sage realm master, so they weren't affected too much by the energy. Those at the Sage realm stood alert, unsure what had provoked him.
Without warning, Elder George charged.
His fist blazed with annihilation flame, aimed straight at Jalen's chest.
The crowd gasped. Some screamed. Others watched in horror.
Rana's heart seized. She instinctively stepped forward—but her teacher's hand stopped her, firm and unyielding.
Jalen, however, didn't move.
Normally, he would have vanished—avoiding conflict, sidestepping exposure. But not this time.
This time, he stayed.
Not out of pride. Not out of anger.
He simply wanted to test his strength—against a Sage Realm expert.
The moment Elder George crossed into his proximity, Jalen vanished.
His body flickered like a shadow torn from reality.
He had activated Motion Eclipse, the first technique of the Shadow Art, and reappeared behind the elder in a blur of darkness.
In his hand gleamed Ebon Severance, his Supreme Grade Shadow Tool. It sliced through the air with silent fury, aimed directly at George's spine.
The elder countered instantly by activating a flaming wall behind him. The blade met the wall with a hiss, and the resulting shockwave cracked the ground beneath them. The force of the clash sent both men flying backward, their qi rippling across the field like a storm.
The onlookers gasped.
Cultivators from various sects and noble families stared in disbelief—not just at the power Jalen had displayed, but at the implications. His peak Immortal realm cultivation, his age, and now his Supreme Grade Spirit Tool—all signs pointed to something impossible.
Weapons like Ebon Severance weren't just rare—they were legendary. Tools wielded by Sky Limit Realm experts, the kind of cultivators who shaped continents and bent laws. For a young man to possess such a weapon… it defied logic.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Is he from a hidden sect?"
"Could he be the heir of an ancient bloodline?"
"Or did he steal it…?"
Some eyes gleamed with greed. Others with fear. A few with reverence.
Master Talia stood silently among the crowd, her expression unreadable. Questions swirled in her mind—sharp, urgent, and many. But now was not the moment to press her disciple about the mysterious young man.
Like the others, she watched.
Watched the boy with quiet presence and hidden power.
Watched the storm gathering around him.
And waited to see what would unfold.