The abyssal forest stirred restlessly around Lin Ho as he stood motionless, the flame-seed settling into his core. Every breath he drew felt like embers scraping his lungs. His meridians shimmered with molten Chaos Qi, now fused with a trace of something older — something fiery and willful.
He fell to one knee, panting.
> "So this… is the trial," he whispered.
Visions flashed across his mind: vast skies burning purple, seas turning to molten glass, figures of fire and shadow locked in cosmic war. At the center stood a man wreathed in golden-black flames — eyes just like his.
> "Ancestor… or monster?" Lin Ho gasped, clutching his chest.
The flame-seed wasn't content to lie dormant. It challenged him, pushing the limits of his flesh and soul. But Lin Ho gritted his teeth and sank into the Primordial Spiral Breathing, cycling Chaos Qi to stabilize the fusion.
Time became meaningless.
Roots curled from the earth and tried to drag him down, sensing his transformation. But they recoiled each time they touched him — burned by the unpredictable harmony within his body.
After what felt like hours, he stood again.
Stronger.
> "Mid Meridian Forging Peak," he muttered, sensing his new realm. "Half-step Late stage… without pills."
His aura had become denser, heavier — yet fluid. Flames danced along his skin before, leaving no trace. He had become a vessel for something ancient, yet new.
Suddenly, the serpent spirit reappeared, its form dimmer now.
> "You… survived," it said, almost reverently.
> "Was that a test?" Lin Ho asked.
> "No. A gift. And a curse. You carry the Flame of the Abyss now. It will awaken things both within and without."
The serpent began to dissolve, its duty fulfilled.
> "When the ocean boils, and the sky turns red… follow the fireflies. They will lead you to the Eternal Ember.
> "Wait," Lin Ho said, stepping forward, but the serpent had already faded into ash and mist.
A moment later, the forest began to quake. The path that had brought him in was shifting — closing.
> "Time to leave," Lin Ho murmured, gripping his longblade.
With a thought, Chaos Qi surged beneath his feet. He vanished in a blink, racing toward the distant stone door as trees cracked and howled behind him.
---
Outside the Secret Realm
The barrier trembled. Elders gathered, concerned. And then — a flash of light burst from the gate, and a figure stepped out, cloak fluttering, eyes glowing like twin comets.
Lin Ho had returned.
Stronger. Changed.
Watched.
---
End of Chapter 7