The moment Huo Zhenxu vanished, the oppressive pressure lingering in the air slowly dispersed, but the sense of danger did not.
It clung.
Like heat trapped beneath ash.
Little Fire stood still for several breaths, his gaze fixed on the place where the Upper Realm cultivator had disappeared. The volcanic wind brushed past him, tugging at his hair, yet his expression remained heavy.
A Heaven Enlightenment cultivator…
And not an ordinary one.
Spirit Fairy broke the silence first.
"He wasn't just strong," she said quietly, folding her fan with a sharp snap. "His domain felt… arrogant. Like it assumed the world would bend."
Shuye hugged her arms lightly, the black wind inside her veins stirring faintly again, responding to the memory of his gaze.
"He looked at me," she whispered, "as if I were something… unfinished."
Little Fire's jaw tightened.
"That's because you are powerful," he said, voice firm. "And people like him don't see people. They see possessions."
He turned to them both.
"We Should not linger here anymore."
They continued forward along the cracked stone path, leaving behind the battlefield of ash and scattered ember-crystals. The land ahead descended gradually, forming vast flame valleys where molten rivers crossed like glowing veins.
The temperature increased.
Spirit Fairy walked with measured grace, blue liquid fire coating her skin like a second layer, cooling her meridians while simultaneously amplifying her combat readiness. Each step she took left faint ripples of azure flame in the air.
Shuye, however, had to slow again.
Her ancient wind resisted the realm's pressure in waves—sometimes calm, sometimes violently unstable. Little Fire noticed immediately and adjusted his pace without saying a word.
After several minutes, Shuye finally spoke.
"…You don't have to keep matching my steps."
Little Fire didn't look back.
"I know."
Spirit Fairy smirked slightly. "He's stubborn. Once he decides something, he won't change."
Shuye glanced at Spirit Fairy, then hesitated.
"…You've known him a long time?"
Spirit Fairy paused, then answered honestly.
"Long enough to know he won't abandon someone."
Shuye lowered her eyes.
"…That makes two of us."
Spirit Fairy glanced sideways.
For a moment, the air between them felt… different.
Not hostile.
Not competitive.
Just complicated.
They stopped near a field of fireglass pillars—translucent red crystal formations that radiated warmth but blocked most of the ambient heat.
Spirit Fairy expanded her water-flame aura, forming a cooling boundary.
Shuye exhaled softly in relief.
"Thank you."
Spirit Fairy sat beside her. "You don't have to thank me every time."
There was a brief silence before Shuye spoke again, her tone hesitant.
"…Spirit Fairy."
"Yes?"
"Do you ever feel like… the world is moving too fast, and you're just trying not to fall behind?"
Spirit Fairy smiled faintly.
"All the time."
Their eyes met.
And then—unexpectedly—Shuye smiled back.
It was small.
But real.
Little Fire watched them from a short distance, heart feeling strangely tight. He didn't understand why—but seeing the two of them like this made him uneasy in a way fire never had.
He shook his head and focused inward.
Focus.
Protect.
Survive.
As they prepared to move again, Spirit Fairy stood and stretched, then glanced mischievously at Shuye.
"By the way," she said casually, "when Little Fire was stabilizing you last night… did you feel anything strange?"
Shuye froze.
Her face turned red instantly.
"I—I don't know what you mean!"
Spirit Fairy leaned closer, smiling.
"Oh? Really? Because your heartbeat sounded loud enough to echo."
Little Fire turned sharply.
"Spirit Fairy."
She waved her fan innocently. "What? I'm just curious."
Shuye buried her face in her sleeves.
"You're both terrible…"
Despite herself, she laughed softly.
The sound lingered warmly in the burning air.
As they moved again, the terrain shifted.
Ancient broken statues emerged from the volcanic stone—figures kneeling, arms raised, faces eroded by time. Their forms radiated a faint, unsettling reverence.
Spirit Fairy slowed.
"These are flame worship statues… from before recorded sect history."
Shuye's wind stirred violently.
"…They're facing inward."
Little Fire followed her gaze.
At the center of the valley—far ahead—stood a massive collapsed altar, half-buried in magma, its runes cracked and dark.
Something about it felt wrong.
And watching.
Little Fire clenched his fist.
"We avoid that place for now."
Shuye nodded—but her chest tightened inexplicably.
Somewhere, far above them—
Huo Zhenxu watched again.
Still smiling.
Still waiting.
As the burning sky darkened slightly, signaling another cycle of the realm, the three continued forward—silhouettes against endless flame.
They walked close together now.
Not because of fear.
But because they understood something unspoken:
Whatever awaited them deeper inside this realm…
They would face it together.
And the Flame Planet, ancient and cruel, watched silently—
as destinies began to intertwine under burning heavens.
----Waiting---