The first light of dawn filtered through the trees.
Gu Chen opened his eyes.
He had spent most of the night meditating rather than sleeping.
The battle with the Flame Shadow Leopard continued replaying within his mind.
Every movement.
Every step.
Every strike.
Especially the final strike.
When the path is clear, the blade arrives naturally.
The words from the Ember Scripture remained in his mind.
Gu Chen slowly picked up the Scarlet Ember Sword.
He stood outside the cave.
Gu Qing was still asleep.
The forest around him was quiet.
Gu Chen took a deep breath.
Then closed his eyes.
He didn't circulate World Energy.
He simply moved.
His body shifted forward.
His fingers tightened around the sword.
The blade left its sheath.
Slowly.
There was no crimson light.
No powerful aura.
Only a simple movement.
Gu Chen stopped.
Then repeated it.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The sun gradually rose.
An hour passed.
Then another.
Gu Chen continued practicing.
His movements became increasingly simple.
The Ember-Sundering Sword Art originally appeared to be a technique focused on explosive fire energy.
But Gu Chen was beginning to understand something.
The flame wasn't the true beginning.
The sword was.
Without understanding the sword, adding more fire energy was meaningless.
Gu Chen's arm moved.
The Scarlet Ember Sword flashed.
Shing.
A leaf drifting through the air split into two.
Gu Chen didn't stop.
He continued.
His breathing gradually matched the rhythm of his movements.
His feet moved.
His waist turned.
His arm followed.
The sword completed the strike.
Everything connected.
For a brief moment—
Gu Chen forgot about cultivation.
He forgot about World Energy.
He forgot about the Ember Scripture.
There was only—
the sword.
SHING!
The blade flashed.
A faint crimson line appeared through the air.
Gu Chen suddenly stopped.
His eyes opened.
The surrounding World Energy was quiet.
Yet he could feel something different.
He looked at the Scarlet Ember Sword.
A small amount of World Energy naturally flowed toward the blade.
He hadn't deliberately controlled it.
It simply followed his movement.
Gu Chen's heartbeat accelerated.
He raised the sword again.
This time—
he performed Ember Draw.
The blade moved.
His body followed naturally.
At the moment the strike reached its peak—
crimson flame appeared.
Not violently.
Not explosively.
It flowed smoothly along the blade.
SHING!
The sword struck a large stone.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
a thin line appeared across the stone.
The upper half slowly slid to the ground.
BOOM!
Gu Chen stared.
The attack hadn't used more energy.
In fact—
it had used less.
But its power was considerably greater.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He understood.
His understanding of the first movement had finally crossed a threshold.
Minor Success.
Behind him, Gu Qing slowly walked out of the cave.
He stared at the divided stone.
Then at Gu Chen.
"Did you just do that?"
Gu Chen lowered his sword.
"I think so."
"You think so?"
Gu Qing walked closer.
He examined the smooth cut.
Then looked at Gu Chen again.
"That wasn't your usual sword strike."
Gu Chen nodded.
"It isn't."
"What changed?"
Gu Chen thought for a moment.
Then answered honestly.
"I stopped trying to make the technique stronger."
Gu Qing's expression became confused.
"And somehow it became stronger?"
Gu Chen smiled.
"Something like that."
Gu Qing sat on a nearby rock.
"So, what's next?"
Gu Chen looked deeper into the forest.
They still had several days remaining.
The Falling Flame Mountains were filled with opportunities.
But danger also existed everywhere.
"We continue searching."
Gu Qing sighed.
"I should have expected that."
The two packed their belongings.
Before leaving, Gu Chen checked his storage pouch.
He had obtained the Blazing Earth Root.
It was an important material.
But the Flame Demon Physique required continuous resources.
One successful transformation wasn't enough.
The more powerful the physique became, the greater the resources it would consume.
Gu Chen understood that clearly.
Strength was never free.
The two continued through the forest.
This time, Gu Chen noticed more details.
He could sense faint movements between the trees.
The sounds of insects.
The direction of the wind.
Even the subtle changes in the surrounding World Energy.
The Falling Flame Mountains were gradually becoming familiar.
After several hours of travel, they reached a narrow valley.
The temperature here was considerably higher.
Several small streams flowed between the rocks.
But instead of water—
they carried warm mineral liquid.
Gu Qing crouched beside one.
"Fire Spring Water."
Gu Chen looked at it.
The liquid contained weak fire energy.
Not particularly valuable.
But useful for refining certain spiritual medicines.
Gu Chen nodded.
"Collect some."
Gu Qing immediately took out several containers.
Gu Chen did the same.
Even weak resources could become valuable under the right circumstances.
After all, Gu Chen didn't know when he would next return to the Falling Flame Mountains.
As they continued forward, Gu Chen suddenly stopped.
Gu Qing immediately became alert.
"What is it?"
Gu Chen pointed toward a cliff.
Several plants grew from the cracks.
They looked ordinary.
But each leaf contained faint crimson veins.
Gu Chen's eyes narrowed.
"Fire-vein Grass."
Gu Qing looked surprised.
"That's useful for body tempering."
Gu Chen nodded.
It wasn't as valuable as the Blazing Earth Root.
But it could still be used as a supplementary material for the Flame Demon Physique.
The problem was—
the plants grew halfway up a steep cliff.
Gu Qing looked upward.
"How are you planning to reach them?"
Gu Chen stepped closer.
The cliff was nearly thirty meters tall.
Ordinarily, climbing wouldn't be particularly difficult for a cultivator.
But the surface was extremely smooth.
Gu Chen examined it.
Then smiled.
"Practice."
Gu Qing immediately understood.
"You're going to use your movement technique."
Gu Chen nodded.
He had reached Minor Success in his sword technique.
But the Flame Phantom Step was still at Entry.
The only way to improve—
was to use it.
Gu Chen took a deep breath.
World Energy gathered beneath his feet.
Flame Phantom Step.
BOOM!
His figure shot upward.
Gu Qing watched as Gu Chen stepped against the cliff.
His feet briefly touched the surface.
Then—
another burst.
Gu Chen rose higher.
But on the third movement, his control weakened.
His body tilted.
Gu Qing's expression changed.
"Gu Chen!"
Gu Chen pushed his foot against the cliff.
He twisted in the air.
Then landed on a narrow stone ledge.
He took a deep breath.
"Almost."
Gu Qing looked down at him.
"You call that almost?"
Gu Chen smiled.
Then looked upward.
The Fire-vein Grass was only a few meters away.
This time, he didn't rush.
He carefully activated the technique.
One burst.
Then another.
His movements became more controlled.
Finally, Gu Chen reached the plants.
He carefully collected them.
But just as he placed the final plant inside his storage pouch—
a strange sound echoed through the valley.
Rumble.
Gu Chen froze.
Gu Qing looked around.
"Did you hear that?"
Gu Chen nodded.
It wasn't thunder.
The sound had come from beneath the ground.
Another rumble followed.
This time—
the entire valley trembled.
Small stones rolled down the cliff.
Gu Chen's expression became serious.
The Fire Spring Water below suddenly began bubbling.
Then—
the warm liquid turned crimson.
Gu Chen stared at it.
The Ember Scripture inside his body reacted.
For the first time since entering the Falling Flame Mountains—
it reacted violently.
A powerful heat surged through his meridians.
Gu Chen almost lost his balance.
His eyes widened.
"What is this?"
Deep beneath the valley—
something had awakened.
And the Ember Scripture wanted him to find it.