For a moment, nothing else was in his world, but flames, and the single purpose with which he needed to move.Sheng Ming burst forward, breaking the sound barrier with a single step as he struck at the demon. The strike was like an explosion, destroying pieces of his body, burning away at his flesh as he aimed for the heart.“You—” the demon tried, but Sheng Ming was faster. Flames burned in fury, as he struck at his heart once more as Sheng Ming plunged his chest into the demon, wanting to crush its heart and end it. As his hand moved through Yang Sheng, he looked at the demon, to see it suffering in pain, but instead, only found a grin looking back at him.“I can move my heart around,” the demon said, before striking back.Sheng Ming let the strike hit, blocking it. His flames began to flicker, and so he reached into his soul, and reached out to another spirit ring, as it dissolved.“Finale Flames: Second Step.”Power filled him to the brim, more power than he had ever possessed or

I opened my eyes, feeling like I’d just watched a nightmare. A strange feeling burned in my chest, a hollowness, like I had lost something really precious to me, but did not know it yet. I felt tears filling my eyes, and I blinked them, feeling them trickle down my cheeks. Something was wrong. I could feel it. Like someone had cut out something from inside my very soul.Pushing myself up from my bed, I looked around myself in surprise. The memories of the night came flooding back, and yet, as I looked outside the window from my chamber, I saw a city bathed in snow.It took me a second to find out what the feeling was.I could no longer feel any connection to the Old man. My heart dropped a beat, the entire world sinking around me as I felt a deep ache go through my soul, but I refused to believe it. I turned towards the door and stepped out.Servants jumped around, some panicking at my awakening, others rushing around to inform whoever they needed to. I didn’t know this place, but I c

I looked down, clenching my fist. I did not like that. Having to give up Feng Sha, or sit by the side, but I understood the point. I was by no means anywhere close to their power. I could barely even channel Feng Sha’s power on my own, much less bring out its full potential.“You can try,” the Tu patriarch said, before glancing at me. “Call upon the divine beast, child of old.”I looked at the divinity, gulping, before I gave a nod. I closed my eyes, reaching within myself as I found the familiar presence inside of me. I did not have to say anything, and Feng Sha manifested around me, through me.Power flooded me, harmony thrumming through my spirit as the power of a divine beast flooded my body. The silhouette of Feng Sha formed around me, the giant spirit turtle-snake looking down upon the divinities.“Who seeks to command our strength?” Feng Sha asked.The three divinities regarded each other. “Water is where I belong. I will be the most suited to do so,” the Yue patriarch said.Th

In truth, I felt a little uncomfortable bringing Yan Yun with me, but she’d been the one who’d said it’d make sense to bring her. Despite no longer following a lightning path, she was the most familiar with it, and the most knowledgeable on dragons. Her grandfather had also told her of the existence of the Cradle before, so she had a rough idea on what was in store for us. And with Leiyu, she allowed us to communicate quickly and send letters without needing to set up and use complicated scrying formations. And Zhang was there, because there was no one else I trusted with my life more than him.I really wished I’d had the time to try to think of or come up with a way to send messages over long distances, but unfortunately that just wasn’t something I’d had the time for, at least not for this journey. Though it was not like I’d just given up. I was well aware that war times were the times where progress had often been made in the largest leaps and bounds. I recalled the meeting I’d had

Bang.The world shook, a loud explosion echoing through the forest.Bang. Bang. Bang.Three more shots followed. Bao Feng opened his eyes, and looked in shock as the bear lay on the ground, alive but injured, blood flowing out of wounds.Crackle.An arrow shot towards the creature, bursting out in a swirl of fire that enveloped the beast. It roared, before turning around as it started to run the other way.Bao Feng stared in shock. Just what had happened? Had he… had he been saved by some cultivator who happened to be nearby? No matter who, he was beyond grateful. Just who was his savior? He wondered.He turned, upon hearing footsteps and looked behind. A boy stood there, rather young and his clothes… is that what cultivators wore nowadays? Even Bao Feng had clothes that were better than that.No, no that wouldn’t do. This was his savior, and a powerful cultivator. Who knows, maybe they could hear his thoughts and then he’d be losing his head after having just survived.“O honored cul