Fallen Heaven: Rise of Faizi Tian
Episode 55 – Elder Ren's Departure, Demon Seal's Awakening, and the Birth of the Ruler's Slash
The wind screamed across the shattered plateau, carrying with it the scent of scorched stone and the metallic tang of blood. The black storm above had finally begun to thin, its suffocating darkness giving way to faint strands of sunlight that stabbed through the clouds like golden spears.
Faizi Tian stood at the center of the chaos, his chest heaving, his hand still gripping the Demon Seal embedded in his body. The seal's surface pulsed like a living heart, black veins of energy crawling up his arm and across his chest. His spirit energy churned like a raging inferno inside him, burning so hot it almost tore him apart.
A few paces away, Elder Ren was watching him in silence.
But this was not the cold, sharp-eyed Ren that Faizi had fought for so many days. This was the man behind the mask — a gaze heavy with an emotion Faizi had never seen before. Not pity. Not judgment. Something closer to… pride.
"You've done it," Ren finally said, his voice low but steady. "The Seal is yours."
Faizi didn't answer immediately. His mind was still half-locked in the last trial — the illusions, the killing intent, the voice of the Seal urging him to betray, to destroy, to conquer. It had taken every shred of his will not to lose himself.
The Seal's voice whispered again, softer now, almost sulking.
*"You resist too much. But now… you are mine, and I am yours."*
Faizi's fingers curled tighter into a fist. "Then obey," he muttered under his breath.
The Seal pulsed in response, not in defiance but in recognition — a predator acknowledging another predator.
Ren stepped forward, his boots crunching against the cracked stone. "Faizi Tian," he said, "before I go, you need to understand something."
Faizi looked up, frowning. "Go? What do you mean?"
"My part in this was never to walk with you to the end," Ren said, his voice calm but final. "I was to test you, sharpen you, and see if you were worthy to bear that thing. You've proven it. My task is over."
The words hit Faizi harder than he expected. Despite their battles, their clashes, Ren had been a constant presence in this journey — sometimes an obstacle, sometimes an unexpected shield. The thought of him simply… leaving felt wrong.
"There's more to come," Faizi said quietly. "The world ahead is worse than what we've faced. You know that."
Ren smiled faintly. "I do. But where you're going now, my presence will only draw more eyes… more enemies. And there are things I must prepare for."
The storm above them began to clear fully, sunlight spilling over the battlefield. Faizi could now see the devastation they'd wrought — mountains split in half, rivers of molten rock cutting through the earth, the air itself still shimmering from the heat of their powers.
Ren's eyes flicked toward the Demon Seal. "Tell me, Faizi Tian… have you felt it yet? The skill buried inside?"
Faizi blinked. "Skill?"
The Seal's voice slithered through his mind, sharp and eager.
*"Yes… the blade of dominion, forged from my wrath. Call it… the Demonic Slash of Ruler."*
An image exploded into Faizi's thoughts — a single strike that tore the heavens apart, a crescent of black and crimson flame cutting mountains into dust. His breath caught.
"I see you understand," Ren said, watching his reaction. "That skill will be both your weapon and your test. Use it without control, and it will consume you."
Faizi met Ren's gaze. "And if I master it?"
"Then," Ren said, "there will be no wall you cannot break."
They stood in silence for a moment. The air was warmer now, the oppressive darkness gone. Ren finally exhaled, as though some weight had lifted from him.
"It's time," he said.
Faizi opened his mouth to argue — but then stopped. The Seal inside him thrummed in agreement, as if even it understood that this parting was inevitable.
Ren stepped closer, placing a hand on Faizi's shoulder. "Remember this — the path ahead is not about how strong you are. It's about how long you can hold onto yourself."
Then, without another word, he turned and began to walk toward the mountain pass. His figure grew smaller with each step until, with a shimmer of heat in the distance, he was gone.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Faizi stood alone, the sun now fully bathing the plateau in gold. For the first time since this journey began, there was no one beside him. No guiding voice, no rival's shadow. Just him… and the Seal.
He looked down at his hand, at the black flames now dancing harmlessly over his skin. He closed his eyes and breathed deep.
"Let's see," he said softly, "what this Demonic Slash of Ruler can do."
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### The Birth of the Ruler's Slash
He walked to the edge of the plateau, where a jagged mountain rose in the distance — its peak sharp like a blade. Raising his right hand, he let the Seal's energy surge into him, merging with his own flame essence.
Black fire bloomed from his arm, laced with streaks of crimson light. The air rippled violently, and the ground beneath his feet cracked, unable to withstand the pressure.
*"Focus,"* the Seal whispered. *"One thought. One intent. Rule."*
Faizi inhaled sharply, channeled every shred of will into his blade, and swung.
The world erupted.
A crescent of black-and-crimson energy screamed across the sky, tearing through the air with a sound like a thousand war drums. The distant mountain didn't just split — it exploded, its peak shattering into molten fragments that rained down into the valleys below. The shockwave ripped across the land, flattening forests and carving a new scar into the earth.
When it was over, the silence was absolute.
Faizi lowered his arm, his breathing ragged. The power had been immense — intoxicating, even. But deep inside, he felt the Seal watching, measuring.
*"Good,"* it said. *"But not enough. Master me, and we will make the heavens bow."*
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### The Breakthrough
As the echoes of destruction faded, Faizi felt something shift within him. His flame essence surged wildly, no longer restrained by the limits of the Ember Root Realm. The Seal's energy poured into him like molten gold, forcing every meridian open, flooding every vein with power.
His body burned — but this was not the pain of injury. It was the burning of transformation.
The energy coalesced, settling into his limbs, his core, his mind. He could feel the difference instantly — the flames in his veins moved with a speed and strength that had been impossible before.
He had broken through.
**Flame Vein Realm – Early Stage.**
Faizi opened his eyes. The world looked sharper, the air richer with energy, the ground beneath him almost… fragile. His journey had only just begun.
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He turned his gaze toward the horizon. Somewhere out there, enemies waited. Challenges beyond his current strength. And perhaps… one day… Elder Ren.
The Seal pulsed once, like a heartbeat.
*"Let us go claim the world."*
Faizi Tian smiled faintly. "One step at a time."
With the sun at his back and the ruined mountain before him, he began his descent into the next chapter of his fate.
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