The courtyard was silent.
Under the faint light of the moon, three materials rested on the stone table.
Fireheart Grass.
Three Flame Crystals.
Red Flame Beast Blood.
Gu Chen stared at them for several breaths.
These materials had taken him two days to gather.
Now they would determine whether he could successfully cultivate the first stage of the Flame Demon Physique.
He opened the Ember Scripture.
The ancient characters appeared within his consciousness.
This time, there was no uncertainty.
The cultivation method was already engraved in his mind.
Gu Chen carefully followed the instructions.
First—
the Fireheart Grass had to be refined.
He placed it between his palms.
The Ember Scripture circulated.
A faint flame appeared around his hands.
The Fireheart Grass slowly melted.
Instead of becoming ordinary liquid, it transformed into a thick crimson essence.
Gu Chen carefully guided it into his body.
The moment the essence entered—
BOOM!
A terrifying heat exploded inside him.
Gu Chen's expression changed.
His entire body became hot.
His skin turned slightly red.
He immediately circulated the Ember Scripture.
The flame essence began spreading through his meridians.
Then it entered his muscles.
His bones.
His organs.
And finally—
his cells.
Pain erupted throughout his body.
Gu Chen clenched his teeth.
So this was the Flame Demon Physique.
It wasn't simply strengthening his body.
It was reconstructing it through flame energy.
The three Flame Crystals suddenly floated from the table.
One after another, they cracked.
Pure fire energy poured into Gu Chen's body.
BOOM!
The courtyard trembled.
A wave of heat spread outward.
Gu Chen's clothes fluttered violently.
His breathing became heavy.
The flame energy continued penetrating his body.
His muscles tightened.
His bones became denser.
His blood began circulating at an incredible speed.
Even his organs were undergoing transformation.
Gu Chen endured the pain silently.
He couldn't stop.
The moment he stopped the process halfway, the transformation could fail.
So he continued.
Hour after hour.
Near midnight, something changed.
The pain suddenly disappeared.
Gu Chen opened his eyes.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
Then he slowly clenched his fist.
BOOM!
A burst of physical force erupted from his body.
The stone floor beneath his feet cracked.
Gu Chen stared at his fist.
His eyes widened.
"What strength..."
He stood.
His body felt completely different.
Every muscle contained tremendous power.
His bones felt heavier.
His movements felt lighter.
Even without circulating his World Energy, he could feel an enormous amount of physical strength within his body.
Gu Chen took a deep breath.
He threw a simple punch toward the empty courtyard.
BOOM!
The air exploded.
A powerful shockwave spread forward.
Gu Chen immediately stopped.
His expression became serious.
"This..."
He knew exactly what had happened.
His cultivation hadn't changed.
He was still:
Rank 1 — Level 5 Cell Tempering.
But his physical strength had reached a completely different level.
It was already close to the physical strength of an Initial Rank 2 cultivator.
Gu Chen slowly smiled.
"So this is the Flame Demon Physique."
But then he noticed something strange.
His vision seemed different.
Gu Chen walked toward the courtyard's water basin.
He looked into the reflection.
His expression froze.
His eyes were no longer completely black.
A faint crimson-golden color had appeared around his pupils.
When he focused, the color became brighter.
Gu Chen touched his hair.
Several strands had changed.
They were no longer completely black.
Dark crimson strands were mixed throughout his hair.
He stared at his reflection.
"What happened to me?"
The Ember Scripture gave him the answer.
The transformation wasn't only strengthening his body.
It was changing his physical constitution.
The Flame Demon Physique had begun altering his body at its most fundamental level.
The changes were still subtle.
But they were unmistakable.
Gu Chen's eyes narrowed.
"If I continue cultivating..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
He already understood.
The changes would become more obvious.
Gu Chen returned to the stone table.
The Red Flame Beast Blood remained.
He carefully followed the next step of the technique.
The blood was refined and absorbed.
This time, the heat was even more intense.
A faint flame appeared around his body.
His crimson-golden eyes became brighter.
His dark hair fluttered even though there was no wind.
The transformation continued for several more hours.
By dawn—
everything finally settled.
Gu Chen opened his eyes.
The flame around him disappeared.
His body returned to normal.
But the changes remained.
His eyes now carried a faint crimson-golden hue.
Several dark-red strands were visible within his black hair.
He looked different.
Not dramatically.
But enough that anyone familiar with him would notice.
Gu Chen stood quietly.
He tested his strength once more.
His physical body had become incredibly powerful.
Yet he didn't become arrogant.
He understood something important.
Physical strength was not the same as cultivation realm.
He was still a Rank 1 cultivator.
If he encountered a true Rank 2 cultivator, he couldn't simply assume that his physical strength alone would guarantee victory.
A Rank 2 cultivator possessed stronger World Energy, better techniques, and greater combat ability.
Still—
Gu Chen smiled.
He finally had something he had lacked before.
A powerful physical foundation.
He looked toward the Scarlet Ember Sword resting beside the table.
His hand reached for it.
The moment he grasped the sword—
the Ember Scripture reacted.
The flame energy within his body flowed naturally toward the sword.
The sword gave a faint hum.
Gu Chen's eyes brightened.
The Flame Demon Physique wasn't only strengthening his body.
It was also making his body more compatible with the Ember Scripture.
He raised the sword.
A faint crimson flame appeared along its edge.
This time, the flame was more stable than before.
Gu Chen swung.
Shing!
A red arc cut through the air.
He stared at the sword.
His sword technique had improved slightly.
Not because his mastery had suddenly increased.
But because his foundation had become stronger.
Gu Chen smiled.
The three parts of the Ember Scripture were beginning to connect.
Flame Demon Physique strengthened his body.
Flame Phantom Step would allow him to move faster.
And Ember-Sundering Sword Art would turn that foundation into killing power.
But he still needed resources.
The first transformation had already consumed almost everything he gathered.
If he wanted to continue cultivating the Flame Demon Physique—
he would need even better materials.
Gu Chen looked toward the eastern mountains.
The Gu Clan was only one small part of Tianyuan.
Beyond its territory were countless sects, clans, ancient ruins, dangerous regions, and opportunities.
One day, he would explore them.
But not yet.
For now, he needed to strengthen his foundation.
And there was one thing he wanted to test first.
The Flame Phantom Step.
Gu Chen stepped into the center of the courtyard.
He circulated the technique.
Flame energy gathered beneath his feet.
His eyes became sharp.
Then—
BOOM!
His figure disappeared.
A crimson afterimage remained where he had been standing.
Gu Chen reappeared several meters away.
He looked back at the afterimage.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
The Ember Scripture had truly begun to reveal its mysteries.