The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a blood-red hue across the broken peaks of the Black Serpent Mountains. Vạn Thiên Phong stood atop a cliff, his robe fluttering wildly in the cold wind. Behind him, the body of a high-tier elder from the Crimson Lotus Sect lay still, charred and twisted beyond recognition.
He had broken another taboo.
"You've gone too far this time," a voice echoed from the shadows.
A familiar figure emerged: Tử Mặc – the silent guardian of the Eastern Heaven Pavilion. His eyes weren't accusing, but filled with warning.
"He tried to kill me first," Vạn Thiên Phong replied coldly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"But you annihilated his soul," Tử Mặc said. "Not even a trace remains."
A long silence passed between them. The wind howled like a mournful spirit.
"I'm not the same boy who was kicked around in the outer sect," Phong said. "If they want to come at me, they'd better be ready to vanish from the heavens."
Tử Mặc sighed. "Your power is rising too quickly. The heavens will not tolerate imbalance for long."
Vạn Thiên Phong turned to him, eyes glowing faintly gold. "Let the heavens try."
---
That night, Phong returned to his hidden cave beneath the roots of the Ancient Soul Tree. Bạch Tiêu Nhiên awaited him, her sword resting across her knees.
"You're bleeding," she said.
He glanced at the long cut across his chest. "It'll heal."
"You burned your soul again, didn't you?" Her voice cracked. "You're pushing yourself too far."
"There's no choice anymore," he whispered. "If I don't break them before they break me, I'll end up another forgotten corpse."
She moved closer, resting her forehead against his. "Then let me burn with you."
His heart skipped. In this world of betrayal, she remained his one light.
---
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Heavenly Court, a divine mirror shimmered to life. A hundred ancient figures turned their gaze toward a single face—Vạn Thiên Phong's.
"He's awakened the Soul Flame."
"The last one who did... razed three continents."
"He cannot be allowed to ascend."
The judgment of the immortals had begun.
And far from their divine halls, Phong stared into the darkness with a strange calm.
He could feel it.
The heavens were watching.
And he smiled.
---
End of Chapter 24.