Kael stared at the black water.
His reflection was gone.
Only darkness remained.
Then the surface moved.
Splash.
A hand slowly rose from the well.
Kael immediately stepped backward.
Golden Qi gathered around his fist.
“Who are you?”
The hand disappeared.
Silence returned.
Kael's heartbeat became louder.
Then a voice came from beneath the well.
“Put your hand on the water.”
Kael froze.
“Why?”
“If you want answers.”
Kael narrowed his eyes.
That was exactly the kind of thing he shouldn't trust.
But he had come here for answers.
He slowly approached the well.
“Are you the person my father mentioned?”
A quiet laugh came from below.
“Your father still remembers me.”
Kael placed his hand above the water.
Before touching it, he stopped.
“Did you know him?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know Jian?”
The voice became silent.
That silence told Kael enough.
“You do.”
“No.”
The answer came quickly.
“I knew the man Jian used to be.”
Kael's eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
“You ask too many questions.”
“And you give too few answers.”
Another laugh echoed from the well.
“You really are his son.”
Kael touched the water.
BOOM!
A powerful force pulled him forward.
He fell into the well.
Cold.
That was the first thing Kael felt.
Cold water surrounded his body.
He tried to swim upward.
But there was no surface.
No matter how far he moved, the darkness continued.
Then—
A blue light appeared.
Kael followed it.
His feet touched stone.
He looked around.
He was standing inside a massive underground chamber.
An old man sat beside a small fire.
His clothes were worn.
His hair was white.
But his eyes were sharp.
Kael immediately sensed something terrifying.
The old man's cultivation was far beyond his understanding.
The old man looked at him.
“You're weaker than I expected.”
Kael frowned.
“That's a nice way to greet someone.”
The old man chuckled.
“Good.”
“Good?”
“You still have a sense of humor.”
Kael crossed his arms.
“My father sent me here.”
“I know.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
The old man's smile disappeared.
“Which truth?”
Kael hesitated.
“My past.”
The old man stared at him.
“That's not something you should learn all at once.”
Kael's expression hardened.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“Because you're not ready.”
“I don't care.”
“You should.”
The old man pointed toward Kael's palm.
“Your Human Flame is still unstable.”
Kael looked down.
The golden mark was faintly glowing.
“You know what this is?”
“I know enough.”
“Then teach me.”
The old man stood.
“That's why your father sent you.”
Kael's eyes sharpened.
“What exactly am I supposed to learn?”
The old man walked toward him.
“How to survive.”
The old man raised one finger.
A small stone floated into the air.
“Cultivation isn't simply gathering Qi.”
The stone cracked.
“It's controlling it.”
The stone shattered.
“Your body is weak.”
Kael frowned.
“Thanks.”
“Your meridians are damaged.”
Kael's expression changed.
“Damaged?”
“Yes.”
The old man pointed toward his chest.
“Your Human Flame has been forcing open paths your body cannot handle.”
Kael remembered his recent breakthroughs.
Second Layer.
Third Layer.
The power had come suddenly.
He had thought it was a gift.
Perhaps it was also a danger.
“If I keep cultivating like this?”
“You will eventually destroy your own body.”
Kael became silent.
“How do I fix it?”
The old man smiled.
“Finally, a useful question.”
He pointed toward the center of the chamber.
A stone platform appeared beneath the blue light.
“Sit.”
Kael walked over.
“What's going to happen?”
“Pain.”
“That doesn't answer my question.”
“It is the answer.”
Kael sighed.
Then sat down.
The old man placed two fingers against his forehead.
“Close your eyes.”
Kael obeyed.
“Feel your Qi.”
At first, there was nothing.
Then he felt it.
A faint current flowing through his body.
“Good.”
“Now control it.”
Kael tried.
The Qi immediately became chaotic.
Pain shot through his chest.
He gritted his teeth.
“Don't force it.”
Kael slowed his breathing.
The Qi became calmer.
“Again.”
He tried.
Again.
And again.
Minutes passed.
Then hours.
Kael's forehead became covered in sweat.
But slowly—
The golden energy became easier to control.
The old man nodded.
“You learn quickly.”
Kael opened his eyes.
“What's my cultivation?”
“Third Layer Body Tempering.”
“That's all?”
“You wanted answers.”
Kael stared at him.
“Yes.”
“Then understand this first.”
The old man's expression became serious.
“Your cultivation isn't special.”
Kael frowned.
“What?”
“Your strength isn't special either.”
The old man pointed toward Kael's heart.
“What is special is the thing inside you.”
The golden mark glowed.
“The Human Flame.”
Kael stared at it.
“What is it?”
The old man looked toward the darkness.
“A power that should have disappeared a very long time ago.”
Kael's heart began beating faster.
“Why?”
The old man didn't answer immediately.
Then he said,
“Because the last person who possessed it…”
He looked directly at Kael.
“…destroyed an entire sect.”
Kael's expression changed.
“Who?”
The old man turned away.
“That's a question for later.”
Kael stood.
“No. You can't keep doing this.”
The old man smiled.
“You want everything immediately.”
“Yes.”
“Then here's your first lesson.”
He pointed toward a stone wall.
“Break that.”
Kael looked at it.
“With my fist?”
“Yes.”
Kael gathered his Qi.
He punched the wall.
BOOM!
Nothing happened.
Kael shook his hand.
“Ow.”
The old man laughed.
“Again.”
Kael punched.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
His knuckles began bleeding.
Kael gritted his teeth.
“Why isn't it breaking?”
“Because you're using strength.”
“Then what should I use?”
The old man smiled.
“Control.”
Kael stared at the wall.
He closed his eyes.
He remembered the battle with the Bloodfang Beast.
He had won because he stopped fighting blindly.
He remembered Jian's teachings.
He remembered the strange voice from his memories.
Don't fight strength with strength.
Kael took a slow breath.
He gathered his Qi.
Not more.
Better.
The golden energy moved from his palm into his fist.
He opened his eyes.
BOOM!
A crack appeared in the stone.
Kael stared.
The old man's smile disappeared.
For the first time, he looked genuinely surprised.
“That shouldn't be possible.”
Kael looked at him.
“What?”
The old man walked toward the cracked wall.
He touched it.
His expression became serious.
“Your Human Flame is already learning.”
Kael frowned.
“Learning what?”
The old man looked back at him.
“Everything.”
Before Kael could respond—
A tremendous explosion shook the underground chamber.
BOOOOOOM!
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The old man's expression changed.
“They found you.”
Kael stood immediately.
“Black Lotus?”
The old man shook his head.
“No.”
He looked toward the ceiling.
“Something worse.”
Kael's hand tightened.
“What is it?”
The old man picked up an ancient sword.
For the first time, Kael saw fear in his eyes.
“The person who has been waiting for your eighth life…”
He looked at Kael.
“…has finally arrived.”