Gu Chen didn't move.
The pair of eyes remained hidden between the trees.
For several breaths, the forest was completely silent.
Behind him, Gu Qing was still asleep.
Gu Chen's fingers slowly tightened around the hilt of the Scarlet Ember Sword.
The eyes were too low to belong to a human.
A magical beast.
But what kind?
Gu Chen quietly circulated a trace of World Energy through his body.
He didn't activate Flame Phantom Step.
He didn't draw his sword.
Not yet.
Suddenly—
Crunch.
A branch broke.
The creature stepped out of the darkness.
It resembled a leopard.
Its body was covered in dark fur with crimson patterns running across its back. Two sharp fangs extended from its mouth, and faint flames flickered around its claws.
Gu Chen recognized it.
Flame Shadow Leopard.
A Rank 1 magical beast.
But unlike the Red Flame Beast he had previously fought, this creature specialized in speed.
Gu Chen's eyes narrowed.
The leopard had probably been watching the cave for some time.
Waiting.
Gu Chen glanced behind him.
Gu Qing.
If the battle began, he needed to prevent the beast from entering the cave.
Gu Chen slowly stepped forward.
The Flame Shadow Leopard lowered its body.
Its burning eyes remained locked on him.
Then—
Whoosh!
It disappeared.
Gu Chen's expression changed.
Fast.
The beast appeared beside him almost instantly.
Its claws descended.
Clang!
Gu Chen drew his sword.
Sparks flew.
The impact pushed him backward.
The Flame Shadow Leopard landed silently.
Gu Chen steadied himself.
His arm was slightly numb.
Its physical strength wasn't particularly terrifying.
But its speed was troublesome.
The leopard attacked again.
This time—
Gu Chen moved first.
Flame Phantom Step!
Crimson energy erupted beneath his feet.
Gu Chen disappeared sideways.
The leopard's claws struck empty air.
Gu Chen appeared behind it.
His sword moved.
But the beast was already gone.
The two figures crossed through the darkness.
One crimson blur.
One black shadow.
The battle quickly awakened Gu Qing.
He rushed out of the cave with his weapon.
"Gu Chen!"
"Stay back!"
Gu Chen's voice echoed.
The Flame Shadow Leopard suddenly appeared before him.
Gu Chen raised his sword.
Bang!
The beast's claws struck the blade.
Gu Chen was pushed backward.
But this time, he didn't immediately counterattack.
Instead, he watched.
The beast was fast.
But every attack followed a pattern.
It would lower its body before accelerating.
Its right shoulder would move slightly before attacking from the left.
And whenever it missed—
it always retreated three steps before changing direction.
Gu Chen's eyes gradually became calmer.
He remembered something.
That's more valuable than winning an easy fight.
Jiang Wu's words.
Gu Chen finally understood.
This battle wasn't about overwhelming the opponent.
It was about learning.
The Flame Shadow Leopard moved again.
Gu Chen waited.
One step.
Two.
The beast disappeared.
Gu Chen's body remained still.
Gu Qing's expression changed.
"Behind you!"
At the final moment—
Gu Chen moved.
Flame Phantom Step!
He didn't retreat.
He stepped forward.
The leopard's claws passed behind him.
Gu Chen turned.
His sword followed naturally.
Only at the moment of contact did World Energy flow into the blade.
A faint crimson light appeared.
Ember Draw.
SHING!
The Flame Shadow Leopard twisted its body.
The sword missed its neck.
But it struck the creature's shoulder.
The leopard let out a painful roar and retreated.
Gu Chen didn't chase.
He lowered his sword.
A shallow wound.
Not enough.
But better.
The energy consumption was lower than before.
His control was improving.
The Flame Shadow Leopard circled him.
Its eyes had changed.
The creature had realized that this human wasn't as weak as it initially believed.
Gu Chen remained calm.
The beast was fast.
But so was he.
He had something the leopard didn't know.
His body.
Since cultivating the Flame Demon Physique, Gu Chen's physical strength had increased dramatically.
He hadn't truly tested that strength against a creature of equal rank.
Until now.
The leopard attacked.
Whoosh!
Gu Chen activated Flame Phantom Step.
But instead of completely avoiding the attack—
he stepped toward it.
The beast's claws descended.
Gu Chen raised his left arm.
Bang!
The claws struck him.
Gu Qing's expression changed.
"Gu Chen!"
But Gu Chen's body only moved back half a step.
The claws had torn his clothes.
Yet they hadn't deeply penetrated his skin.
Gu Chen looked at his arm.
A faint line of blood.
That was all.
The Flame Demon Physique had absorbed most of the attack.
The Flame Shadow Leopard seemed equally surprised.
That moment of hesitation was enough.
Gu Chen moved.
His sword flashed.
Ember Draw!
This time—
there was no wasted movement.
The sword traveled in a clean arc.
Crimson energy condensed along the blade.
SHING!
The Flame Shadow Leopard tried to retreat.
Too slow.
The blade struck its chest.
The beast was thrown backward.
It crashed into a tree.
For several breaths, it struggled to stand.
Then it looked at Gu Chen.
Its instincts finally made the decision.
This prey wasn't worth the risk.
The Flame Shadow Leopard turned.
And disappeared into the darkness.
Gu Chen didn't chase it.
He lowered his sword.
His breathing was slightly heavy.
Gu Qing approached him.
"You let it go?"
"It decided to leave."
"You could have killed it."
Gu Chen shook his head.
"Maybe."
But that wasn't guaranteed.
The beast was injured.
Not helpless.
Chasing a magical beast into the darkness was unnecessary.
Especially when he didn't need anything from it.
Gu Qing looked at Gu Chen's arm.
"You're injured."
Gu Chen examined the shallow wound.
"It will heal."
He sat near the cave entrance.
Gu Qing sat beside him.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Then Gu Qing finally said,
"Your body..."
Gu Chen looked toward him.
"What about it?"
"That attack should have injured you more."
Gu Chen smiled faintly.
"I've been cultivating a body technique."
Gu Qing looked at him carefully.
"The strange inheritance?"
Gu Chen nodded.
Gu Qing didn't ask another question.
He had already learned that Gu Chen wouldn't explain everything.
Gu Chen looked toward the forest.
The Flame Shadow Leopard was gone.
But the battle had given him something.
His understanding of the Ember-Sundering Sword Art had improved again.
He still hadn't reached Minor Success.
Yet he could feel himself approaching it.
The difference between forcing the technique and allowing the sword to move naturally was becoming increasingly clear.
Gu Chen closed his eyes.
The battle replayed in his mind.
The beast's movement.
His own steps.
The final sword strike.
Then—
he noticed something.
The Ember Scripture appeared within his consciousness.
The description beneath the first movement of the Ember-Sundering Sword Art had changed slightly.
Previously, it had simply shown the movement.
Now—
a faint line appeared.
The sword does not seek speed.
The sword does not seek strength.
When the path is clear, the blade arrives naturally.
Gu Chen opened his eyes.
His expression became thoughtful.
The Scripture hadn't given him a new technique.
It hadn't increased his strength.
It had merely responded to his understanding.
Gu Chen looked at the Scarlet Ember Sword resting across his knees.
Then he smiled faintly.
Perhaps this was the true way to cultivate the Ember Scripture.
Not blindly following its instructions.
But walking the path—
and allowing understanding to reveal what had always been there.
Outside the cave, the first light of dawn slowly appeared.
The second day in the Falling Flame Mountains had begun.
And Gu Chen could already feel that his journey was changing him.