Dawn broke slowly over the valley.
Faint golden light slipped through the mist, casting a glow over shattered rooftops and cracked stone paths. The silence was broken only by the soft crackle of flame from a makeshift campfire outside the shrine ruins.
Jiang Han stood over it, slowly turning a skinned forest hare on a sharpened stick. His eyes were half-lidded in focus—not just on the meat, but on the heat.
He was learning to control it.
Not with tools. Not with spells. With will.
His Origin Spark pulsed within his chest, resonating with the flames. He could feel the rise and fall of the heat, the shape of the smoke, the rhythm of combustion. It was like his body was becoming an extension of the flame.
> The system said my flame affinity is Minor... but if I can make it my own, rank won't matter.
He made a quick gesture with his fingers.
A thin line of fire peeled away from the campfire and floated into the air, twisting and dancing. It hovered in the air like a thread of silk.
He smiled faintly.
> You have forged a new skill: Flame Thread
Type: Utility / Control
Description: A thin, heat-stable thread of spiritual flame used for fine manipulation. Can bind, cut, or inscribe.
"It's fragile," he murmured, moving the thread toward a leaf. It burned a precise line through the center. "But flexible. I can refine it."
A soft rustle behind him made him turn.
Lin Yao stood in the entrance of the shrine ruins, wrapped in the burned wool cloak he'd found for her. Her skin had color again. Her eyes were clearer, though still tired.
She took a slow step forward, then another, before settling beside the fire.
"You look like a shaman from the old tales," she said softly, watching the fire thread coil and vanish. "Taming flames under broken skies."
He smiled faintly and handed her the roasted meat.
"You're awake."
"I watched you all night," she said, taking the food with gentle fingers. "You barely blinked. Didn't sleep once."
"I was... practicing," he said. "And watching over you."
Silence passed between them, warm and soft as the firelight.
After a while, she spoke again.
"You're not like other kids."
He didn't answer right away.
Finally, he said, "I remember too much."
She looked at him sideways. "From before?"
He hesitated. Then nodded. "Let's just say… I've lived long enough to learn some things I shouldn't have."
"I believe you." Her voice didn't waver. "When you fought that thing… the black creature… you didn't hesitate. Even grown cultivators panic in their first real fight. You moved like you knew how you would die, and still chose the path."
He looked into the fire.
"That's because I did."
---
Later that morning, Jiang Han stepped outside the valley.
His plan was simple: hunt weak spirit beasts, absorb their spiritual essence, and slowly build his foundation. He couldn't risk trying to skip levels the way the old system used to allow. Now, strength had to be forged—not gifted.
> Level: 1 (EXP: 3/100)
Next Goal: Level 2
Conditions:
– Defeat 2 low-ranked spiritual beasts
– Absorb natural elemental essence
– Refine meridians through circulation
Rewards: +100 attribute points, stability increase, system unlocks
The forest east of Yunlin Valley was still partially intact. Old birch trees reached toward the sky like skeletal arms. Mist clung to the ground like a sleeping beast.
Jiang Han crouched low as he followed fresh tracks—small paw prints, barely embedded in the mud.
> An Ash Wolf. They were common in the region. Spirit Rank 1. Agile but lightly built.
He reached into the side of his cloak and pulled out a bone knife he'd carved the night before. His flame thread hovered in his other palm, coiled like a whip.
> I'll need to blind it first. Use terrain. Lure it into the choke point.
He positioned himself beside a fallen log near a narrow ridge. The air was heavy with moisture. Perfect for muting his footsteps.
The moment came.
A low growl echoed from the right.
He didn't flinch.
The Ash Wolf lunged—grey and lean, spirit smoke trailing from its fangs.
Jiang Han sidestepped just in time, slicing with his bone knife.
A shallow cut. Not enough.
The wolf howled and turned, baring teeth.
This time, Jiang Han moved.
He flung the flame thread like a lash—wrapping it around the beast's front leg. It yelped, struggling to shake it free.
> Don't freeze—circle behind!
He charged in, slashing across the flank. The wolf twisted to counter, claws grazing Jiang Han's arm. Blood welled—but he didn't stop.
He wrapped the thread again. Pulled tight.
Then stabbed the neck.
The wolf spasmed—then collapsed.
Silence returned to the woods.
Jiang Han stood over the body, panting, eyes wide. His hands trembled—not from fear, but adrenaline.
> You have defeated a Spirit Beast: Ash Wolf (Rank 1)
+32 EXP
Partial energy absorbed (via Heaven Devourer Physique)
Flame Affinity Synced: +1
New Skill Concept Imprinted: Heat Pulse (incomplete)
He sat back against the tree, breathing heavily.
The blood on his sleeve itched. His bones ached.
But there was a smile on his lips.
> This is what real growth feels like.
---
He returned to the shrine at sunset.
Lin Yao was tending a small garden patch he hadn't noticed before—wild roots and moss, half of them probably useless, but she looked peaceful.
"You're hurt," she said softly, seeing the dried blood on his arm.
"I won," he said simply.
She smiled. "Then I'll cook."
He blinked. "You cook?"
"Very badly."
They laughed—for the first time since the world fell apart.