SWORD OF FLAME

Four heirlooms

"Why are you placing such a condition, Qiang Mo?"

"He must prove that he's worthy to be my master! I will not serve a weak master!" Qiang Mo's voice rose slightly. "Especially if he acquires the Fire God Sword—I'll be cast aside again. Do you know how it feels to be second?"

Fei Hung burst into laughter. He hadn't expected that even a being like Qiang Mo could have emotions. The fiery spirit, known for his fierceness, actually had a heart like a human.

"I'll talk to him about you later."

"No need!" Qiang Mo interrupted. "Time will reveal what kind of person he is."

"Very well, if that's your wish. I’ll train him hard enough to be able to defeat you," Fei Hung replied.

Qiang Mo shrank and vanished. Fei Hung took a long breath and began his walk back to the cave.

As he walked, Fei Hung smiled, reminiscing about the time the Fire God Warrior handed the Sea of Fire to him nearly 150 years ago.

"Fei, my time is running out. In 15 years at most, I will vanish from this world. I may not see you again in that time," said Xiao Tian, the Fire God Warrior.

"Master, where are you going?"

"I don’t know. I’ll let my heart guide my steps."

"But Master..."

"Don’t be sad, Fei. It’s time for you to walk your own path in this world. Take this sword with you." The Fire God Warrior handed him a short, black-bladed sword.

"This sword is called the Sea of Fire. Although it’s not as powerful as the Fire God Sword, it is still formidable in the martial world. Few relics can match its power—the Silk Wind Spear, the Water Core Machete, and the Word of the Earth Sword. These four artifacts were created by Sage Abiyasa from the four elements, and each one represents a unique element," he continued.

Fei Hung could only remain silent.

"If you wish, you can seek the other three and unite them. I'm sure you’ll become the strongest warrior in the martial world."

"I have no desire to become the strongest, Master," Fei Hung replied.

"Very well, Fei. This is where we part ways. Walk the path of righteousness. Beware of worldly temptations. One wrong step, and you may never escape it," Xiao Tian said, smiling before disappearing.

Unaware, Fei Hung had reached the entrance to the cave where he had lived in solitude for decades.

He sat on a stone near the entrance.

---

Fang Yun had been cultivating his inner energy for nearly seven days. During that time, Fei Hung had left him alone in the cave.

One afternoon, Fang Yun felt a powerful surge of energy from within. It seemed ready to burst out of every pore. Still seated in meditation, he let the energy flow outward.

Suddenly, everything outside the cave became eerily silent. Birds and animals, usually lively at the bottom of the gorge, went quiet. Even the wind stopped blowing, as if something had silenced it.

That calm lasted only moments before the wind was suddenly sucked into the cave, entering Fang Yun’s body.

The young man remained still, letting the process unfold.

A while later, he opened his eyes—the cultivation process had finished. He took a deep breath and looked around, frowning when he didn’t see his grandfather.

Meanwhile, Fei Hung was in Zhongshan Village, seeking information about the robbery that had occurred nearly eleven months ago in Lufeng.

"All the victims have been buried. Those who survived refuse to return to the village," said one local man.

"But one boy disappeared and hasn’t returned. No one knows whether he was taken or escaped. His parents are dead, though," he added.

"That must be Fang Yun," Fei Hung thought.

"Do you know who committed the robbery?"

The man fell silent. "Sorry, we agreed never to speak that name again."

"Very well. Thank you for the food." Fei Hung took his leave, heading back to the gorge to check on his only student’s progress.

Upon reaching the edge, Fei Hung leapt gracefully down to the bottom. He found Fang Yun outside the cave, stretching.

"Why are you out here? Shouldn’t you be cultivating your energy?" Fei Hung asked sternly.

Fang Yun chuckled. "If I’ve finished, why continue, Grandfather?"

Fei Hung frowned. "You’ve finished?"

Fang Yun nodded. "Just as you said yesterday."

Still skeptical, Fei Hung checked Fang Yun’s wrist.

His brows furrowed in disbelief. Normally, energy cultivation took months, yet Fang Yun had completed it in one week—and not only had he harnessed internal energy, but he had also absorbed elemental wind.

"Let’s sit. Tell me everything that happened."

Fang Yun sat beside him and explained in detail.

"In the final phase, I felt a powerful gust of wind entering me, then moving softly through every part of my body," he said.

"You’ve already developed internal energy and mastered the wind element. For now, don’t practice the Fire God Fist—it might disrupt your energy," Fei Hung warned.

"Then what should I train in, Grandfather?"

"Don’t worry, Fang Yun. I have many techniques you can learn," Fei Hung replied with a smile. He was confident the young man he regarded as a grandson would master them quickly.

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. Fang Yun’s body became tall and sturdy. His jaw was now defined, and his eyes held a sharper focus.

For two full years, he trained under Fei Hung. He mastered five techniques, including the Quiet Wind incantation—a technique for lightening the body.

Two of the techniques were Fei Hung’s own martial world staples: the Sea of Fire Sword technique and the Formless Strike.

"Fang Yun, it’s time for you to begin studying the techniques in the Fire God Manual. But first, you must fully master the Fire God inner energy."

Fang Yun nodded slowly. It had been three years in the depths of the mysterious gorge. He was now eighteen.

"I’ll only teach you how to refine the Fire God’s internal energy. Once you’ve mastered that, you’ll have to learn the manual’s techniques on your own."

"Why alone? Can’t you teach me?"

"Do you want all my martial knowledge to vanish?"

"Oh... right. Sorry, Grandfather. I forgot that the manual’s techniques aren’t meant for just anyone," Fang Yun replied with a sheepish grin.

"Always joking, aren’t you? Come on, follow me." Fei Hung rose and led Fang Yun to a location far from the cave they had called home all this time.