Not of master and servant.
Not of sect and disciple.
But something far deeper.
A silent agreement, woven by destiny itself, now existed between Xiao Tian and the Flame Empress Huo Lian — an invisible thread, faint yet indestructible, stretching beyond the mortal realm.
The Empress slowly withdrew her hand, her expression calm, yet within her phoenix-like eyes flickered a rare warmth — so faint that only the heavens might witness it.
The gathered elders, grandmasters, and disciples stood frozen, their minds trembling with disbelief.
Who was this young man,
who dared to defy the Empress,
challenged her divine flames,
and walked away not just unscathed — but honored?
It shattered everything they knew about hierarchy, strength, and fate.
---
The Empress's Decree
Flame Empress Huo Lian's voice, soft yet mighty, swept across the devastated arena like a sacred decree:
> "From this day forth, Xiao Tian shall become the Flame Sovereign Hall's Core Disciple... no, its Crown Disciple."
> "He shall inherit the True Origin Flame and wield it as its rightful master."
> "Within the Hall, his words shall carry the same weight as mine."
The entire sect erupted into hushed chaos, panic, disbelief, and awe.
A Crown Disciple?
Such a title was beyond even the highest elders.
It was reserved for those destined to ascend the heavens and carve their name among the stars.
Among the murmuring crowd, an ancient elder with a long white beard muttered in awe,
> "He is not merely a dragon among men...
he is a calamity wrapped in mortal flesh..."
---
Xiao Tian's Response
Yet in the face of such overwhelming honor, Xiao Tian merely chuckled lazily, scratching the back of his head like a rogue who had accidentally seized a heavenly treasure.
> "Heh, Empress... you're making things difficult for me," he said playfully, half-joking and half-serious.
His voice floated across the grand hall — light-hearted and casual.
But none dared to mock him.
Because behind that casual smile lay a power none could defy.
---
The Arrival of Ancient Envoys
Before the sect could fully digest the unfolding events, the heavens above trembled.
Thick clouds churned unnaturally, and amidst them, majestic chariots descended — pulled by beasts of ancient bloodlines: qilins, thunder wolves, and crimson phoenixes.
From the swirling clouds emerged three figures, cloaked in imperial robes, radiating terrifying auras.
The sigils on their robes bore the mark of the Heaven Ascension Sect —
one of the three supreme sects of the cultivation world.
The leading envoy, a middle-aged man whose hair shone like woven silver, spoke, his voice thundering across the skies:
> "By decree of the Heaven Ascension Sect — we have come to claim the successor of the True Origin Flame."
The sect fell into utter silence.
Even the Flame Empress's gaze turned grave.
The Heaven Ascension Sect...
a titan among titans, an existence even she had to tread carefully around.
And now, they had descended —
seeking Xiao Tian.
---
The Flame Empress Stands Her Ground
Without waiting for Xiao Tian's response, Flame Empress Huo Lian stepped forward, her aura surging like a tidal wave.
Scarlet flames coiled around her like divine armor.
> "The True Origin Flame has already chosen its master," she declared, her voice like a sword cutting through the heavens.
> "No decree, no sect, no heaven shall lay a hand on what belongs to him."
The clouds above quivered at her proclamation.
The leading envoy's face darkened. His silver eyes gleamed coldly as he sneered:
> "A mere branch sect dares to defy the Heaven Ascension Sect?"
The atmosphere thickened to the point of suffocation.
The disciples and elders felt as though invisible iron chains were tightening around their throats.
---
Xiao Tian Steps Forward
Finally, Xiao Tian moved.
A single, unhurried step — yet the very ground beneath his feet seemed to bow in reverence.
Raising his bamboo staff lazily onto his shoulder, he smiled — a carefree, lazy grin.
> "Old man... why so serious?" he asked nonchalantly.
The moment he spoke, a pressure more ancient and primal than anything present washed over the land.
The divine beasts pulling the chariots wailed, their legs buckling in submission.
The sky itself cracked faintly.
The envoys of the Heaven Ascension Sect involuntarily took a half-step backward.
Terror rippled through their hearts.
> "What kind of monster have we encountered?"
---
A Storm Awakens
The confrontation was inevitable.
The Heaven Ascension Sect would not easily allow an outsider to wield the True Origin Flame.
But Xiao Tian...
Xiao Tian would never bow.
As the clouds churned, as divine flames danced around him, as the very heavens seemed to tremble at his presence —
a truth became undeniable to all who witnessed:
> A new star had risen.
And the heavens would bleed before it bowed.
"The Sky Shatters"
The heavens trembled.
The silver-haired envoy's expression turned ashen, but pride rooted him in place. With a wave of his sleeve, a sword of pure starlight materialized, humming with ancient might.
> "If the Flame Hall will not surrender the successor," he declared coldly,
"then we shall seize him by force."
His voice echoed, each word layered with profound laws of the Dao, striking fear even into seasoned elders.
But Xiao Tian simply tilted his head lazily, as if swatting away a fly.
> "You want to seize me?"
He smiled, revealing his white teeth.
"You're welcome to try."
The world froze.
Then—
Boom!
The silver-haired envoy lunged forward, his sword flashing like a meteor.
Space itself folded and cracked under his assault, a testament to his terrifying cultivation.
---
A Single Flick
But before anyone could react, before the elders could cry out in alarm, before even the Empress could intervene —
Xiao Tian lifted one finger.
Just a casual flick.
Yet that flick carried with it the might of mountains collapsing and seas boiling.
> Bang!
The envoy's sword, forged from starlight and blessed by the sect's ancestor, shattered into fragments mid-air.
The envoy was thrown backward, blood spraying from his mouth like a crimson mist, his body crashing into the clouds like a falling comet.
The world fell silent.
The Heaven Ascension Envoys — beings who could command armies with a word — were utterly crushed before the gaze of this playful youth.
---
The Empress Watches
High above, the Flame Empress Huo Lian observed silently.
Her lips curved ever so slightly.
Not in mockery.
Not in pity.
But in recognition.
> "A dragon caged for too long," she thought, "will tear apart the very heavens once freed."
And today...
the heavens had been torn.
---
The Remaining Envoys Step Back
The remaining two envoys exchanged horrified glances.
Their cultivation bases, though mighty, were far inferior to the silver-haired envoy — who had been the strongest among them.
If even he had been reduced to a battered wreck...
then they were but ants before this monster.
Without hesitation, they cupped their fists, suppressing their fear with trembling hands.
> "This... this was a misunderstanding!" they cried out.
> "We dared not offend the successor of the True Origin Flame! We shall depart immediately!"
Xiao Tian merely yawned, stretching his arms lazily toward the heavens.
> "Mn... now you understand."
---
A Silent Oath
As the shattered clouds mended slowly,
as the sun bathed the broken arena with golden light once more,
every soul present fell to their knees.
Not out of fear.
Not out of duty.
But out of awe.
Today, they had witnessed the birth of a sovereign —
a man who would carve his path not by bending to heaven's will, but by rewriting it.
In their hearts, a silent oath was made:
> Where Xiao Tian treads, the world shall bow.
---
Far Away, Beyond the Mortal World
Unseen by mortal eyes, beyond the veils of the world, ancient existences stirred.
In distant realms untouched by time, sleeping gods and forgotten immortals opened their eyes.
A name, once unknown, now echoed through the corridors of destiny:
> Xiao Tian.
And with it, a prophecy once sealed in the Celestial Tablets began to unravel.
A prophecy that would shake all realms.
A prophecy that began with a single verse:
> "When the fallen star rises against heaven's decree,
the old heavens shall shatter,
and a new era shall be born."
"The Flame That Defies Heaven"
A gentle breeze whispered through the cracked sky,
carrying with it a solemn chill.
The grand arena, which once echoed with cheers and battles, now stood silent — as if paying tribute to the one who stood at its center.
Xiao Tian stood alone.
No sect.
No clan.
No guardian.
Only himself —
and a destiny that even the heavens could not chain.
---
The Empress Descends
Above, wrapped in imperial flames, the Flame Empress Huo Lian slowly descended.
Each of her steps was accompanied by petals of fire, dancing like loyal servants.
Her crimson eyes stared deeply at Xiao Tian, not as a ruler to a subject,
nor as a master to a disciple,
but as one soul recognizing another — equally untamed, equally proud.
She raised her hand.
In her palm, a wisp of golden flame appeared — no larger than a butterfly.
Yet the moment it surfaced, the world screamed.
---
The True Origin Flame
> "This," the Empress spoke, her voice resonating through the hearts of all present,
"is the True Origin Flame.
It once scorched the Nine Heavens and forced Immortal Kings to kneel.
Today, I bestow it upon you, Xiao Tian."
The elders gasped.
Even the ancient ancestors slumbering within the sect's soul jade tablets stirred at her words.
The True Origin Flame — a primordial existence from the dawn of the universe.
Even holding a fragment was enough to command armies.
To hand it to a mere youth...!
Madness.
And yet, none dared speak.
Because in the presence of Xiao Tian, even madness seemed destined.
---
A Flame Baptism
The Empress flicked her fingers.
The golden flame shot toward Xiao Tian's chest —
not to burn him,
but to merge with his soul.
The moment it touched him,
the skies darkened.
The earth cracked.
Mountains in distant lands collapsed, sensing the birth of a force too wild to be contained.
---
Visions of a New Era
As the flame entered his body, Xiao Tian's mind exploded with visions:
A crimson phoenix soaring across the heavens, setting stars ablaze.
A black dragon roaring at the void, tearing apart the cosmos.
A man — his figure blurred — standing alone atop a ruined heaven, wielding a sword of burning light, defying countless Immortal Kings.
At the center of it all...
> was himself.
---
The Empress's Declaration
The Empress's voice, like the tolling of an ancient bell, resonated through the broken skies:
> "From this day forth...
Xiao Tian shall be the sole successor of the True Flame Palace.
He shall not bow to sect, to emperor, nor to heaven itself.
He shall walk his own path, and the stars shall be his footstones!"
Thunder rumbled.
Lightning wept.
Even the Dao itself trembled.
---
The Path Begins
Opening his eyes, Xiao Tian smiled.
Not a smile of arrogance.
Not a smile of cruelty.
But a smile that said —
"I have arrived."
He turned to the Empress and bowed slightly — not as a subject, but as an equal.
And in that moment, a silent vow was etched into the very bones of heaven:
> No chain shall bind him.
No sky shall contain him.
And no fate shall decide his end.
---
Thus began the first step of Xiao Tian's journey.
A journey that would lead him to crush the old heavens,
rewrite destiny,
and carve a new path where none dared tread.
---