The sun had barely begun its descent behind the volcanic peaks when Su Yang stood before the Valley's outer archway, waiting. His crimson robes fluttered slightly in the dry wind, and Max sat beside him, golden ears perked and alert.
From the distant steps, two figures approached swiftly.
"Su Yang?" Jin Hao blinked in surprise. "You changed your mind?"
Lin Xue raised her eyes, calm but curious. "You said you needed to stay."
Su Yang nodded. "I did. But the flame beast you're after may have unique fire marrow I need. And the Mist Mirror Marsh is rumored to have a Thunderleaf Vine grove… one of the ingredients for a pill I'm refining."
Jin Hao grinned and elbowed him lightly. "So it was about ingredients all along."
"Partly," Su Yang replied. "But also… I have a bad feeling. I'd rather be there."
Neither of them asked more. They didn't know about Zi Shu, still coiled silently under Su Yang's sleeve, hidden by a layer of flame-imbued fabric that suppressed her aura.
Even Max, sharp as ever, stayed quiet—though his tail wagged slightly, picking up on Su Yang's unusual intensity.
> "If something happens out there… Zi Shu might react. I need to stay close to stabilize her soul flame," Su Yang thought. "And if there's danger… I'm not letting them fall."
---
The trio set off by dusk, moving along the Red Vein Trail, a winding mountain path that led toward the infamous Red Vein Canyon—a deep fissure where flames seeped from the earth, and beasts of fire affinity often gathered.
Jin Hao explained as they moved.
"The sect's notice says a Crimson-Flare Beast has been spotted. It's at Marrow Tempering Mid Stage. Its fire attacks are fused with wind, which makes it explosive."
Su Yang nodded thoughtfully. "And if we subdue it instead of killing it?"
"It's worth three times more," Jin Hao said. "But I don't think that's realistic."
"Maybe not," Su Yang murmured. "But it depends on how we approach it."
Lin Xue added, "We'll be passing by Mist Mirror Marsh on the way back. That's when I'll split off to find the Eye Soul Lotus."
Su Yang looked at her. "You'll go alone?"
She shook her head. "I'll enter the marsh with you two first. Once I locate the lotus aura, I'll activate the ward you gave me and dive in alone."
"…You might not come out."
She held his gaze. "Then you'll have to come in and drag me out."
Jin Hao laughed nervously. "Let's not go that far."
But Su Yang didn't smile. He glanced at the talisman he'd carved for her—it had begun to faintly hum. The lotus was already active.
---
They reached the canyon at nightfall.
The Red Vein Canyon glowed faintly beneath the moonlight—deep trenches lined with molten fissures, and charred stone pillars jutting from the earth like broken teeth. Heat distorted the air, and faint bestial howls echoed in the distance.
The group slowed their pace, keeping their senses sharp.
Su Yang suddenly raised a hand.
Max stopped instantly. Lin Xue froze. Jin Hao dropped into a stance.
A few meters ahead, the earth shimmered. The flames shifted unnaturally.
Then, with a thunderous crack, a creature burst from the ground.
The Crimson-Flare Beast.
It was massive—six feet tall at the shoulder, its body covered in burning red scales that shimmered like molten metal. Two long horns curved from its head, glowing with wind-fire qi. Its breath came in bursts, each one leaving a scorch mark on the earth.
> "Level-4?" Jin Hao whispered.
"No… stronger," Su Yang said. "It's really Stage 7: Profound Beast (Low). Someone underestimated its growth."
The beast growled. Then its eyes locked onto Jin Hao.
Before it could charge, Su Yang moved.
A golden-red flame burst from his palm—but he didn't fire it. Instead, he pushed it into the air, forming a shifting spiral of radiant fire.
The Crimson-Flare Beast hesitated.
Its eyes narrowed. It didn't understand why, but its beast instinct warned it: this flame was not ordinary.
> "Max, right flank. Lin Xue, bind it from the rear. Jin Hao, prepare your strike, but wait for my signal."
They obeyed immediately.
Su Yang stepped forward alone, lifting both palms.
> "Let's see how your flame holds up against mine."
Zi Shu stirred beneath his sleeve, reacting faintly to the beast's spiritual fire. But Su Yang steadied her aura with his will.
The Crimson-Flare Beast roared—and charged.
---