His body writhed in agony as the Cursed Core ignited. Normal cultivators felt warmth. Kael felt pain. But within the pain, power. His veins glowed ember-red, his heartbeat like a war drum.
He tried the Ember Vein technique, forbidden since the old war. It should've killed him. Instead, it opened the first gate. Flames erupted from his back and scorched the cliffside. His father watched from afar, stunned.
"He's... alive. He awakened. But that's impossible."