The twilight over Azure Wave City bled into streaks of crimson and gold, the setting sun painting the great towers of the Shen Clan in a solemn hue. Shen Yuan stood by the terrace of his cultivation hall, the cold wind brushing through his white hair. His eyes glimmered with an otherworldly calm — like a storm waiting for command.
Behind him knelt a tall man in black robes trimmed with silver, his expression sharp, posture rigid as steel.
"Xuan Ming," Shen Yuan's voice echoed softly, but it carried a power that made the very air still. "You've served me since childhood. I trust your blade and your silence more than anyone in this realm."
The butler bowed deeply. "This servant lives only to serve the young master."
"I want every scrap of information on the Bai Clan's new prodigy," Shen Yuan said, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "Xiao Chen — the one who calls himself heaven's chosen. I want to know everything about him."
Xuan Ming clasped his fists. "As you command, young master."
In a flicker of shadow, he vanished.
Three Days Later – Bai Clan Territory
The Bai Clan's outer city bustled with noise and life. Merchants shouted over each other, hawking spiritual fruits and low-grade talismans, while cultivators strode through the crowded streets, their robes gleaming with clan insignias.
Among them moved a silent shadow — Xuan Ming.
His steps left no trace. No one noticed when his gaze swept over the crowd, nor when he melted into an alley behind a row of vendors.
Inside a teahouse, he met with one of his informants — a middle-aged cultivator with trembling hands and eyes darting like a nervous rat.
"Y-young master Shen's man?" the informant whispered.
"Speak," Xuan Ming said coldly. "Every second you waste makes your life shorter."
The man swallowed hard and began.
The Tale of Xiao Chen
A year ago, Xiao Chen was nothing but a cripple in the Bai Clan — born with shattered meridians and no spiritual root to speak of. Even the lowest outer disciples spat at him. They mocked him in public, beat him for amusement, and used him as a training dummy for years.
But everything changed one year ago when "One night," the informant continued, "a heavenly flame fell from the skies — a crimson meteor that struck behind the Bai ancestral mountain. No one dared to approach it… except him."
When he emerged three days later, Xiao Chen's crippled body had been reborn. He awakened some flame physique which absorbed the Crimson Divine Flame, an ancient fire thought lost since the Immortal Wars.
"Since then, he's risen like wildfire," the man whispered. "In one year, he climbed from mortal trash to Peak Foundation Establishment. Some say he can even slay Core cultivators."
Xuan Ming's expression remained unreadable. "And his personality?"
The informant gave a nervous laugh. "Arrogant… unbearably so. He flaunts his strength at every opportunity. He demands respect, admiration — and if someone looks away too quickly, he calls it an insult. But he's no fool — he knows how to play the crowd."
The butler's eyes narrowed. "And the woman, Bai Rouxi?"
The man hesitated, then sighed. "She was the only one who ever treated him kindly when he was still a cripple. Gave him food, bandaged his wounds, spoke for him. Now… he worships her. Anyone who mentions her name in vain disappears overnight."
Scene – The Market Square
The bustling heart of the Bai Clan's inner city.
A group of young disciples surrounded a tall youth dressed in fiery red robes embroidered with the Bai insignia. His sharp, handsome face twisted into a smirk as he basked in the awe around him.
It was Xiao Chen.
His eyes gleamed with the flicker of flames, arrogance radiating like heat. Every gesture he made — even drinking tea — carried a deliberate flourish, as if demanding the world to look at him.
"Hahaha! Did you hear?" one disciple said loudly. "Brother Xiao defeated three Core realm elders in a spar yesterday!"
"Of course!" another shouted. "Brother Xiao is the pride of the Bai Clan! The heavens themselves bless him!"
Xiao Chen leaned back lazily, letting the words roll over him like music. "Naturally," he said with a faint smile. "The heavens choose only those worthy of standing beneath their light."
He tossed a few gold spirit coins onto the table, not because he needed to — but because everyone needed to see him do it.
A young woman's name slipped into the conversation.
"Bai Rouxi is said to be returning from her sect visit soon," one whispered.
The corner of Xiao Chen's lips curled. "Rouxi… ah, my kind Rouxi," he murmured, his voice soft but full of possessive pride. "Even if the world rejects me, she never will. When I rise to the heavens, she will stand beside me — and those who mocked me will kneel beneath our feet."
A poor street vendor accidentally bumped into his sleeve, spilling tea.
The crowd froze.
Xiao Chen's eyes burned scarlet. "You dare?" he said quietly — too quietly. The air rippled with flame Qi. The vendor fell to his knees, trembling.
"S-sorry, young master! I didn't—"
Xiao Chen's palm snapped out, slapping the man across the face with a crack like thunder. "Learn your place."
The spectators laughed nervously, pretending to approve. Xiao Chen smiled faintly again, basking in the fear like it was sunlight.
Back at the Shen Clan
Xuan Ming knelt once more before Shen Yuan, presenting a small jade slip.
"All the intelligence you requested, young master."
Shen Yuan pressed the slip against his forehead, absorbing the information silently.
When he opened his eyes, his calm gaze had turned cold — like frost beneath starlight.
"So that's his story…" he murmured. "A cripple who stumbled upon heaven's fire and thought himself a dragon."
He turned toward the setting sun, the azure sigil between his brows faintly glowing.
"Xuan Ming," he said quietly, "prepare the shadows. When he returns from the secret realm, I want every flame that dares burn too bright… extinguished."
Xuan Ming bowed deeply. "As you command, young master."
Meanwhile – At the Blazing Sovereign Secret Realm
Deep in the mountain range, where crimson mist coiled like blood and molten rivers flowed beneath the surface — Xiao Chen stood before a grand stone gate carved with the words:
"Blazing Sovereign's Rest."
His eyes gleamed with greed and excitement.
"The legacy of an Emperor Realm powerhouse… all mine," he whispered. "When I emerge, the heavens will no longer ignore me."
Flames surged around him as he stepped into the ancient ruins, his laughter echoing through the fiery mist.
Far away, Shen Yuan's eyes opened once more, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.
"Let the flames rise," he whispered. "I'll become the storm that snuffs them out."