The night did not return to peace.
Even after the enemy's retreat, the air around the Ji Xia Sect remained heavy, as if the battle had left behind an invisible scar that refused to fade. The disciples did not sleep again. Some sat in silence, others trained harder than before, pushing their limits under the dim glow of the celestial barrier.
Fear had come.
But so had something else—
Determination.
Yan Fu stood at the highest point of the sect, overlooking everything. His expression was calm, but his thoughts were far from still.
"They'll return sooner than expected."
Ling Fei stood beside him, her presence as steady as ever. The faint golden glow in her eyes reflected the distant horizon.
"They were testing you," she said quietly.
"And now… they understand the gap."
Yan Fu nodded.
"Which means next time, they won't hold back."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
A sudden surge of energy erupted within the sect itself.
Both of them turned instantly.
"…That's Li Fei," Yan Fu said.
Without another word, they moved.
In the central courtyard—
A storm of pink flames had taken over.
The ground was cracked, scorched black, while waves of heat distorted the air. At the center stood Li Fei, his body trembling, his aura wildly fluctuating.
"Stay back!" Zhao Tian shouted, holding the other disciples away.
"He's breaking through!"
Li Fei's eyes were shut tight, his expression twisted between pain and determination. The pink flames surrounding him surged violently, forming the faint outline of a phoenix behind his back.
But something was wrong.
The flames weren't stable.
They were consuming too much.
Yan Fu landed silently a few steps away, his gaze sharp.
"He forced it."
Ling Fei crossed her arms.
"Impatient."
The flames surged again—
BOOM
A wave of heat exploded outward, forcing even Zhao Tian to step back.
Li Fei dropped to one knee, coughing violently.
"Master… I—"
His voice broke.
The energy within him was spiraling out of control.
Yan Fu stepped forward.
"Don't move."
Li Fei froze instantly.
Yan Fu raised his hand slowly, placing it just above Li Fei's head.
Golden energy flowed outward.
But unlike before—
This time it was different.
Balanced.
Controlled.
Yin and Yang intertwined within his aura, suppressing the chaotic flames without extinguishing them.
Li Fei's breathing slowed slightly.
But the flames resisted.
"They won't listen," Ling Fei said calmly.
"They're too wild."
Yan Fu's eyes narrowed.
"…Then we make them listen."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"Guardian Resonance."
But this time—
He didn't use it for battle.
He guided it.
Vorath's shadow wrapped around the flames, containing their spread.
Aetherion's light seeped into Li Fei's body, stabilizing his core.
Tianlong's lightning flickered faintly, forcing the chaotic energy into alignment.
And beneath it all—
Yan Fu's balance held everything together.
"Focus," he said quietly.
"Don't fight the flames… control them."
Li Fei clenched his fists.
"I… can't…"
"Yes, you can."
Yan Fu's voice was firm.
"You're not weak."
A pause.
Then—
Ling Fei stepped forward.
For the first time—
She intervened directly.
Her hand moved.
A faint golden light touched Li Fei's chest.
Not forceful.
Not overwhelming.
But precise.
"Your problem isn't power," she said.
"It's control."
Her golden eyes locked onto his.
"Stop trying to dominate it."
"Let it flow."
Li Fei's breathing slowed.
His trembling eased.
The flames flickered—
Then shifted.
The chaotic bursts began to smooth out, forming steady currents instead of violent eruptions.
Yan Fu felt it immediately.
"…That's it."
The phoenix behind Li Fei became clearer.
More defined.
The heat no longer burned uncontrollably.
Instead—
It radiated.
Stable.
Powerful.
Controlled.
A final surge of energy rose—
Then settled.
Silence.
Li Fei opened his eyes.
The pink glow within them burned brighter than before.
"…I did it."
Yan Fu lowered his hand.
"You did."
Li Fei stood up slowly, testing his strength.
The flames responded instantly.
No chaos.
No resistance.
Only control.
He looked at Ling Fei.
"…Thanks."
She turned away slightly.
"Don't get used to it."
But the faintest hint of a smile touched her lips.
Zhao Tian stepped forward, observing Li Fei carefully.
"You've improved."
Li Fei smirked.
"Of course I have."
But his gaze shifted toward Yan Fu.
"…I won't fall behind again."
Yan Fu nodded once.
"Good."
Because he would need that strength.
All of them would.
As the tension in the courtyard faded, the disciples slowly returned to their training, their spirits lifted by what they had witnessed.
A breakthrough.
A success.
Proof that they were growing.
But above them—
The sky darkened.
Far beyond the forest—
The crimson-robed sect had not remained idle.
Within a massive volcanic domain—
The young man knelt before a towering figure.
An elder.
No—
Something far beyond that.
"You failed."
The voice was calm.
But suffocating.
The young man lowered his head.
"…Yes."
A long silence followed.
Then—
A faint chuckle.
"Good."
The young man looked up, confused.
"Now you understand."
The figure's eyes glowed faintly.
"That sect…"
"…is worth destroying properly."
The air trembled.
"Prepare."
The pressure intensified.
"Next time…"
The voice deepened.
"I will go myself."
Back at the Ji Xia Sect—
Yan Fu stood once more at the peak.
His gaze fixed on the horizon.
Ling Fei stood beside him.
"…Something bigger is coming," she said.
Yan Fu nodded.
"I know."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"…I'm looking forward to it."
The wind howled softly.
And far away—
A storm unlike any before—
Was beginning to rise.