The ring of stones circled Tian Rui like stars orbiting a dead sun. Each one pulsed with energy both ancient and alive—waiting to be chosen, to be claimed.
The sage hovered at the edge of the circle, unmoving. "Each principle is a legacy. A choice that shapes your path. But you… are not like the others. Yours will not be given. It must be taken."
Tian Rui stared at the stones.
—The first was pure white, humming with the Principle of Order.
—The second bled shadow, whispering the Principle of Deception.
—The third burned crimson, its fire slow and hungry: the Principle of Destruction.
—The fourth glowed silver, calm and cold: the Principle of Balance.
—The fifth pulsed a sickly green—the Principle of Corruption.
But then he saw the sixth.
It didn't glow. It devoured light. A black stone, cracked and still bleeding faint embers—like something had burned within it for centuries without dying.
Tian Rui stepped closer.
"What is this one?"
The sage's eyes flicked toward it. His tone dropped to a whisper.
"The Forsaken Flame. The principle of those who rise not from heaven's blessing… but from ruin."
Tian Rui stared at the cracked stone.
It didn't whisper to him. It screamed—a cry that matched the fire that had burned in him since the day he was branded rootless.
"I'll take it."
The sage did not smile. He only nodded. "Then brace yourself."
---
The moment Tian Rui touched the stone, agony swallowed him whole.
His vision fractured. Fire tore through his veins. Memories not his own burned into his mind—scenes of failed cultivations, of spirit roots that melted under pressure, of entire paths erased from existence.
But he didn't let go.
His fingers gripped tighter. His spirit roared against the flames.
"I will not die broken."
"I will rise without your permission."
The stone shattered—and the fire surged into his core.
---
Outside the void, Lyen gasped. The entire structure trembled, and the gate pulsed violently. She could feel Tian Rui's qi twisting into something wild, raw, and primal.
Veylan's eyes widened. "He's forging a new path."
---
Inside the void, the flames receded. Tian Rui knelt in the ashes of the shattered ring, steam rising from his body. But he wasn't broken. He was branded anew—his back now marked by a spiral flame sigil, curling around the base of his spine and reaching toward his shoulders like wings of fire.
The sage stepped forward. "You are now bound to the Forsaken Flame. It will burn your weakness. Feed your anger. Test your will. But if you master it…"
He bowed.
"You will become what even heaven fears."
---
Tian Rui stood slowly. Stronger. Clearer. He turned toward the void's edge. The exit appeared—cracking open the veil between worlds.
"I'll forge the path with fire if I must," he said. "But I won't be stopped."
The sage's voice echoed behind him as he walked away.
"Then let the world remember your name... Heaven-Breaker."