The valley trembled again.
Rumble—
Gu Chen steadied himself against the cliff.
Below him, the stream of Fire Spring Water had completely changed.
The once-clear mineral liquid was now crimson.
Bubbles continuously rose to the surface.
Each one carried an intense concentration of fire-attributed World Energy.
Gu Qing looked upward.
"Gu Chen!"
"I'm fine."
Gu Chen descended carefully.
He didn't use Flame Phantom Step recklessly this time.
Instead, he relied on the protruding rocks along the cliff.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he immediately looked toward the spring.
The Ember Scripture was still reacting.
A burning sensation flowed through his meridians.
It wasn't painful.
It felt more like—
a summons.
Something beneath the valley was calling to the inheritance.
Gu Chen's expression became serious.
He had never experienced anything like this before.
Gu Qing approached him.
"What's happening?"
Gu Chen remained silent for a moment.
"The fire energy beneath this valley changed."
Gu Qing frowned.
"Changed?"
Gu Chen nodded.
The explanation was deliberately vague.
He couldn't tell Gu Qing that the Ember Scripture itself was reacting.
Gu Qing walked toward the crimson spring.
"Could there be an underground fire vein?"
"Possibly."
Gu Chen looked around.
The entire valley was surrounded by steep cliffs.
The spring flowed from a narrow opening between several large rocks.
That opening hadn't been there before.
Gu Chen was certain.
The tremor had caused part of the ground to collapse.
Revealing something hidden beneath.
Gu Chen approached the opening.
A wave of scorching heat emerged.
Gu Qing immediately stopped him.
"Wait."
Gu Chen turned.
"This doesn't feel normal."
Gu Qing pointed toward the darkness below.
"An ordinary fire vein doesn't suddenly erupt like this."
Gu Chen knew he was right.
But his curiosity had already been awakened.
More importantly—
the Ember Scripture continued pulling at his consciousness.
He looked down.
The opening was large enough for a person to enter.
A faint crimson light illuminated the stone passage beneath.
"I want to take a look."
Gu Qing's expression immediately changed.
"Inside?"
"Only the entrance."
"That's what people always say before walking into an ancient beast's nest."
Gu Chen smiled faintly.
"Then stay here."
Gu Qing stared at him.
"You know I'm not letting you go alone."
Gu Chen didn't argue.
He took out several stones and threw them into the opening.
They fell for several seconds before finally striking something.
The sound echoed from far below.
Not shallow.
Gu Chen's expression became serious.
He drew his sword.
A faint crimson glow appeared along the blade.
"Stay behind me."
Gu Qing sighed.
"I was about to tell you the same thing."
The two entered.
The passage was narrow.
At first, the temperature was merely uncomfortable.
But as they continued downward—
it increased.
The rocks around them gradually changed color.
Dark gray.
Then red.
Then almost black.
Thin crimson lines ran through the stone walls.
Gu Chen touched one.
His fingers immediately felt warmth.
"Fire crystals haven't formed yet," Gu Qing said.
"But the concentration is high."
Gu Chen nodded.
They continued.
After nearly fifteen minutes, the narrow passage finally opened into an enormous underground cavern.
The sight before them caused both to stop.
A crimson river flowed through the cavern.
Not water.
It was liquid filled with dense fire-attributed World Energy.
Several massive stone pillars rose from the river.
Above them, crimson crystals illuminated the darkness like stars.
Gu Qing slowly whispered.
"What is this place?"
Gu Chen didn't answer.
His attention was somewhere else.
The Ember Scripture was reacting more intensely than ever.
His heartbeat accelerated.
He could feel it.
The thing calling to him was nearby.
"Don't move."
Gu Qing suddenly spoke.
Gu Chen immediately stopped.
"What?"
Gu Qing pointed toward the river.
Gu Chen followed his gaze.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then—
a bubble appeared.
Another.
The crimson liquid began moving.
Something enormous was beneath it.
Gu Chen slowly raised his sword.
The river suddenly exploded.
BOOM!
A massive creature emerged.
Gu Qing's face turned pale.
It resembled a serpent.
Its body was covered in crimson scales.
Several parts of its body appeared to be made from hardened volcanic stone.
Flames burned within the gaps between its scales.
Its enormous eyes opened.
The pressure descending upon the cavern made Gu Chen's body stiffen.
This was not a Rank 1 magical beast.
Gu Chen immediately understood.
It wasn't even Rank 2.
"Run."
Gu Qing whispered.
Gu Chen didn't argue.
Neither of them could face such a creature.
They slowly stepped backward.
But then—
the serpent moved.
Its enormous head turned.
Its burning eyes landed directly on Gu Chen.
The Ember Scripture within Gu Chen suddenly erupted.
BOOM!
A wave of flame energy burst from his body.
Gu Chen's crimson-golden eyes became brighter.
Several dark-red strands in his hair began to glow faintly.
The serpent froze.
Gu Chen froze as well.
For several breaths—
no one moved.
Then something unexpected happened.
The massive serpent slowly lowered its head.
It didn't attack.
Instead—
it stared at Gu Chen.
Gu Qing looked between them.
His voice barely audible.
"Why isn't it attacking?"
Gu Chen didn't know.
But the Ember Scripture was no longer reacting with urgency.
It had become calm.
Almost—
recognizing.
The serpent slowly moved aside.
Behind its enormous body was a small stone platform.
At the center of the platform—
a single object rested.
Gu Chen's breathing stopped.
It was a fragment.
No larger than his palm.
It appeared to be made from some unknown crimson material.
Ancient patterns covered its surface.
The moment Gu Chen saw it—
he knew.
The Ember Scripture had brought him here.
Gu Qing grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
Gu Chen stared at the fragment.
"I have to."
"You don't know what that thing is."
"Neither do I."
"Then why—"
Gu Chen didn't answer.
Because there was no answer he could give.
How could he explain that an inheritance inside his body was calling toward that object?
He gently removed Gu Qing's hand.
"Wait here."
Gu Qing looked furious.
"Gu Chen."
"I'll be careful."
He stepped forward.
The serpent watched him.
But it didn't move.
One step.
Then another.
Gu Chen crossed the edge of the crimson river.
The heat became increasingly intense.
His Flame Demon Physique automatically circulated.
His body absorbed traces of the surrounding fire energy.
Finally—
Gu Chen stood before the stone platform.
He reached forward.
The moment his fingers touched the fragment—
BOOM!
The entire cavern shook.
Gu Chen's consciousness was pulled into darkness.
When he opened his eyes—
he wasn't inside the cavern anymore.
He stood in an endless world of crimson flames.
There was no sky.
No earth.
Only fire.
A voice echoed from somewhere beyond the flames.
Ancient.
Distant.
Yet impossible to ignore.
"The ember has found its path."
Gu Chen's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?"
No answer came.
Instead, the endless flames gathered.
They formed five enormous seals before him.
Gu Chen immediately recognized them.
The five chapters of the Ember Scripture.
The first seal was already open.
The remaining four were closed.
But something had changed.
The second seal flickered.
A faint crack appeared across its surface.
Gu Chen stepped forward.
His heartbeat accelerated.
The second chapter was reacting.
But before he could approach—
the ancient voice returned.
"Strength without foundation is borrowed power."
The crack disappeared.
The seal became still.
Gu Chen's expression changed.
Then—
the world of flames shattered.
Gu Chen opened his eyes.
He was back inside the cavern.
His hand still rested on the fragment.
But the object had changed.
The ancient crimson patterns were disappearing.
One after another.
They transformed into tiny particles of light.
Then entered Gu Chen's body.
BOOM!
The Ember Scripture appeared within his consciousness.
The first chapter glowed.
Then—
the second seal trembled.
A new line appeared beneath it.
Chapter Two — Incomplete Awakening
Unlock Requirement: Reach Rank 2, Middle Level or above.
Gu Chen stared.
The fragment hadn't unlocked the second chapter.
But it had confirmed something.
The Ember Scripture truly had a connection to ancient objects hidden throughout Tianyuan.
Perhaps the five chapters weren't simply locked by cultivation.
Perhaps—
there were other pieces waiting somewhere in the world.
Gu Chen slowly opened his eyes.
The massive serpent was still watching him.
But something was different.
The creature lowered its head.
Then slowly returned to the crimson river.
Gu Chen stood silently.
Gu Qing rushed toward him.
"What happened?"
Gu Chen looked at his empty hand.
The fragment was gone.
"I found something."
Gu Qing stared at him.
"I can see that."
Gu Chen smiled faintly.
"But I don't understand it yet."
That, at least, was the truth.
The two stood in silence.
The underground cavern gradually returned to calm.
But Gu Chen's heart wasn't calm.
He looked toward the crimson river.
That enormous serpent had guarded the fragment.
Yet it hadn't attacked him.
Why?
Was it connected to the Ember Scripture?
Had someone left the fragment here intentionally?
Or—
had the creature recognized something within his bloodline?
Gu Chen didn't know.
But he knew one thing.
The Falling Flame Mountains contained secrets far greater than he had imagined.
And somewhere in the vast world of Tianyuan—
the other mysteries of the Ember Scripture were waiting.
Gu Chen slowly turned toward the exit.
"We're leaving."
Gu Qing looked surprised.
"That's it?"
Gu Chen nodded.
"We've found enough trouble for one day."
For once—
Gu Qing completely agreed.
The two figures disappeared into the underground passage.
Behind them, the crimson river continued flowing.
Deep beneath its surface—
the enormous serpent opened its eyes.
And watched the direction Gu Chen had disappeared.
For a long time—
it didn't move.