Three days passed quickly.
During those three days, Gu Chen barely left his courtyard.
He practiced the sword during the day.
He cultivated at night.
Whenever his World Energy recovered, he would practice the Flame Phantom Step.
His progress wasn't dramatic.
But it was steady.
The first movement of the Ember-Sundering Sword Art had become smoother, and Gu Chen had finally begun to understand the elder's words.
Let the power follow the sword.
He still hadn't reached Minor Success.
But he was no longer blindly forcing World Energy into every strike.
As for Flame Phantom Step, he could now burst forward several times in succession without immediately losing control of his body.
That alone was a considerable improvement.
The Flame Demon Physique, however, remained stagnant.
The resources from his first cultivation had been completely consumed.
Without new materials, he could only maintain its current state.
On the morning of the fourth day, Gu Chen arrived at the eastern gate.
The area was already crowded.
Nearly thirty young disciples had gathered.
Some carried weapons.
Others wore light armor.
Several had storage pouches hanging from their waists.
Gu Chen immediately recognized a few familiar faces.
Gu Qing was among them.
"So you're finally here."
Gu Chen glanced at him.
"I'm not late."
Gu Qing laughed.
"You almost are."
Gu Chen ignored him and looked ahead.
Three elders stood near the gate.
The strongest among them was a middle-aged man wearing a dark-red robe.
Gu Chen couldn't sense the man's exact cultivation.
That meant the elder was far stronger than him.
The elder looked across the gathered disciples.
"The Falling Flame Mountains are not the Gu Clan."
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it clearly.
"Outside the clan, no one will care about your identity."
"Magical beasts will not show mercy."
"Neither will cultivators."
The atmosphere immediately became quieter.
"The outer region remains relatively safe, but you are forbidden from entering the inner region."
The elder's gaze became sharp.
"Anyone who ignores this order will bear the consequences themselves."
No one spoke.
The Falling Flame Mountains were vast.
The outer region contained mostly Rank 1 magical beasts.
But deeper inside—
Rank 2 magical beasts could be found.
And according to rumors, even stronger creatures occasionally appeared in the depths.
For the younger generation, entering too deeply was no different from seeking death.
"Board."
The elder waved his hand.
A transport airship slowly descended from the sky.
Its enormous shadow covered the eastern gate.
Gu Chen raised his head.
This airship was considerably larger than the one he had taken to Redstone Ridge.
Several formation lines glowed across its body.
Its spiritual fluctuations were also much stronger.
One after another, the disciples boarded.
Gu Chen followed.
The moment the airship rose into the sky, several younger disciples rushed toward the edge.
Below them, the Gu Clan gradually became smaller.
Gu Chen stood quietly.
This was the first time he had seen the surrounding territory from such a height.
Mountains stretched endlessly into the distance.
Forests covered enormous regions.
Rivers appeared like thin silver lines across the land.
And beyond everything—
more mountains.
Tianyuan was truly vast.
Gu Chen suddenly understood how little he had seen.
The Gu Clan had always seemed enormous to him.
But from the sky, it was merely one territory among countless others.
"Thinking about leaving already?"
Gu Qing walked beside him.
Gu Chen looked toward the horizon.
"One day."
Gu Qing smiled.
"You really want to see the world."
"Don't you?"
Gu Qing was silent for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Of course."
"But first, I need to survive the Falling Flame Mountains."
Gu Chen laughed softly.
"That's a good place to start."
The journey lasted several hours.
As the airship continued forward, the temperature gradually increased.
Even the clouds above seemed to carry a faint red color.
Then Gu Chen saw them.
The Falling Flame Mountains.
A seemingly endless mountain range stretched across the horizon.
Several mountain peaks emitted thin trails of smoke.
The surrounding World Energy was noticeably different.
It carried a powerful fire attribute.
Gu Chen could feel the Ember Scripture react faintly within him.
Not violently.
But with clear interest.
His eyes narrowed.
"Interesting."
The airship slowly descended.
Before it reached the ground, Gu Chen noticed something unusual.
Several groups were already gathered near the entrance to the mountains.
They didn't wear Gu Clan robes.
Some carried different clan symbols.
Others appeared to be independent cultivators.
Gu Qing noticed them too.
"Other cultivators?"
Gu Chen nodded.
The Falling Flame Mountains clearly didn't belong exclusively to the Gu Clan.
Resources attracted cultivators.
Where there were resources—
there would inevitably be competition.
The airship landed.
The three Gu Clan elders immediately led the younger generation forward.
The middle-aged elder spoke.
"You have seven days."
"Within seven days, gather whatever resources you can find in the outer region."
"On the seventh day, return here before sunset."
Several disciples exchanged excited looks.
Seven days.
That was enough time to explore a considerable part of the outer region.
But Gu Chen remained calm.
His purpose was clear.
He needed resources suitable for the Flame Demon Physique.
He wasn't going to chase every treasure he encountered.
The elder continued.
"You may form groups."
"But remember this."
His gaze swept across everyone.
"Trust is a luxury outside the clan."
Those words caused several disciples to become serious.
"Now go."
The disciples immediately began moving.
Some formed groups.
Others entered the mountains alone.
Gu Qing looked toward Gu Chen.
"Together?"
Gu Chen considered it.
Exploring alone would allow him greater freedom.
But this was his first time entering a true cultivation region.
Gu Qing was someone he trusted.
"For now."
Gu Qing nodded.
The two entered the mountains.
The moment they crossed the outer boundary, the atmosphere changed.
The sounds of the outside world gradually disappeared.
Massive trees blocked the sunlight.
Strange plants grew between the rocks.
The fire-attributed World Energy became denser.
Gu Chen's hand rested on the Scarlet Ember Sword.
Gu Qing looked around.
"Where are we going?"
Gu Chen removed the list from his storage pouch.
"I need several fire-attributed resources."
Gu Qing glanced at it.
"You really came prepared."
"I always do."
Gu Qing read several names.
Then he stopped.
"Blazing Earth Root?"
Gu Chen nodded.
"Have you heard of it?"
"Yes."
Gu Qing pointed deeper into the forest.
"It grows around regions with underground fire veins."
Gu Chen looked in that direction.
"Then that's where we're going."
The two continued forward.
But less than fifteen minutes later—
Gu Chen suddenly stopped.
Gu Qing immediately became alert.
"What is it?"
Gu Chen didn't answer.
He stared at the ground.
There were footprints.
Fresh ones.
But they weren't from magical beasts.
They belonged to humans.
Several people.
And judging from the direction—
they were heading toward the same region.
Gu Qing's expression became serious.
"Another group?"
"Probably."
Gu Chen stood slowly.
The Falling Flame Mountains had only just welcomed him.
And already—
he had encountered his first competition.
Gu Chen's fingers slowly tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"Let's see who they are."
The two figures disappeared into the dense forest.
Unaware that their seven-day journey had only just begun.