The morning sky above the Fire Clan shimmered in soft hues of amber and gold. The mountain peaks burned with dawn's light, their tips glowing as though the heavens themselves carried eternal embers. Little Fire stood quietly on the balcony of his temporary courtyard, a thin mist of flame qi swirling around him like a living aura.
His smile faintly curved. "So this is the Enlightenment Domain," he murmured to himself. The air trembled slightly at his words. The faint flicker of destructive intent shimmered through the flame around him — power barely contained, chaos within serenity. Yet something was missing — an incomplete rhythm, a pulse without a beat.
Behind him, a voice carried like wind through gentle fire. "You've been standing here since dawn," Spirit Fairy said softly, stepping closer. "The sun might burn you more than your own flame."
Little Fire chuckled, glancing back. "You forget, Fairy, I was born from fire."
Her eyes curved with amusement. "Then don't turn to ashes before I learn to refine pills from you."
He laughed quietly and turned toward her. "Then, shall we begin?"
Refining Lessons
The next few days were peaceful. For the first time in months, the Fire Clan seemed calm. Spirit Fairy's father and grandfather — both masters of refinement — took Little Fire under their guidance. Though they were cautious at first, the young man's natural comprehension soon silenced all doubts.
"Feel the breath of the flame," said Spirit Fairy's father, holding his palm above a red-hot furnace. "Control comes not from strength, but from harmony."
Little Fire imitated his gesture. Flames danced in response, bending to his will. The heat surged, but instead of pain, he felt resonance — as if the fire itself whispered secrets.
Spirit Fairy stood beside him, handing him herbs and minerals. Sometimes she leaned closer to explain, her voice a quiet melody. "Too much essence will cause the pill to burst. Balance it, like breathing between two hearts."
He smiled. "Two hearts?"
She blushed lightly. "I—I meant two flames."
Their laughter broke the quiet tension of the hall.
Day by day, they refined together — pills, small weapons, and arrays. Spirit Fairy's father observed them, nodding quietly. Her grandfather, the ancient Grandmaster of Refining, watched from a distance. Though his face was calm, there was a flicker of recognition in his old eyes — something hidden deep, as if the young man before him reminded him of a promise long buried in flame.
A Hidden Flame
One evening, Spirit Fairy and Little Fire stayed behind after everyone had left. The golden furnace before them burned with a soft, rhythmic pulse. They were refining a delicate soul-nurturing pill — something even high elders rarely attempted.
As Little Fire guided the flame, the furnace began to hum. Spirit Fairy added the final essence with careful fingers. Their spiritual auras intertwined — his destructive flame and her gentle spirit light. For a heartbeat, the world seemed to still.
"You always control fire as if it's alive," she whispered. "Not as a tool, but as a friend."
"It is alive," he replied. "Every flame remembers who lit it."
Her eyes softened. "Then... do you remember who lit yours?"
He looked at her, and for a long moment, silence filled the air — thick, heavy, but not empty. "I think I'm learning to," he said quietly.
The pill formed perfectly — radiant gold, fragrant with life. Yet neither of them spoke for a while. The warmth in the room was no longer just from the fire.
The Inheritance of Fire
The next day, Spirit Fairy's grandfather summoned Little Fire to the deepest chamber of the Fire Clan. In the center of that sacred room stood the Crimson Furnace of Origin, ancient and alive. Strange inscriptions glowed faintly along its edges, and the very air seemed to ripple around it.
"This is the heart of our lineage," said the Grandmaster slowly. "Only Once, it chooses successor — a true refiner of flame."
Little Fire bowed respectfully. "Senior, I do not seek to steal from your legacy. I only wish to learn."
"That humility," the old man smiled faintly, "is what makes flame kneel before you. Sit, and let it test your heart."
Spirit Fairy watched nervously from the side as Little Fire sat cross-legged before the furnace. He closed his eyes and extended his hand toward it. His flame qi touched the ancient furnace, and instantly, an unseen power surged.
The furnace trembled — softly at first, then violently. The runes on its surface flared with light. Spirit Fairy's expression changed. "Grandfather… something's wrong!"
Before they could react, a torrent of consciousness erupted from the furnace — a roaring, ancient will. It filled the hall like a storm of burning intent.
A voice echoed, deep and commanding. "So you are the one who dares To Challenge me and Take my legacy."
The flames around Little Fire rose higher, wrapping him in an inferno. The old man's eyes widened. "This… this is the Ancient Refiner's Will!"
The consciousness tried to merge with Little Fire's body, its voice thunderous. "Your vessel is strong. You shall be my new shell!"
Little Fire gritted his teeth as his spiritual sea burned. Pain lanced through his veins; the fire within him screamed.
Spirit Fairy's eyes filled with panic. "No! Let him go!" She rushed forward, her own aura bursting out — gentle yet fierce, pure spirit energy radiating like moonlight through flame.
"Spirit Fairy, stop!" her father shouted. "That's not a will you can fight!"
But she didn't stop. Instead, she reached for Little Fire's hand. Her spiritual flame — the pure essence of her being — intertwined with his burning destructive fire. The two flames met, merged, and blazed brighter than ever before.
The invading consciousness roared. "What—what is this power?!"
Their combined flame surged — red and silver, chaos and serenity, destruction and life — and devoured the ancient will from within. The furnace shook violently, runes cracking, the entire hall trembling.
The Refinery's phantom appeared for a brief moment, eyes filled with awe. "So… you've completed what I could not. The Flame of Balance… true Refinement." And then, he vanished — leaving only silence and the scent of burning light.
Aftermath
When the tremors faded, Little Fire collapsed into Spirit Fairy's arms. His skin glowed faintly with traces of runic light; his breath was shallow but steady.
"Little Fire!" she called out, tears welling in her eyes. "Wake up! Please…"
He didn't answer. His body was warm but peaceful, his soul exhausted. Her father and grandfather approached, awe and worry mixed in their eyes.
"He's alive," the elder said softly, "but his consciousness is deeply immersed. He fought an inheritance and won. Such a feat… even I never imagined."
Spirit Fairy clutched his hand tightly, her tears falling onto his palm. "He Inherited the Legacy… even the furnace listens to him now."
The Grandfather placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "He holds something greater than flame — a heart unbroken by power. Let him rest. He will awaken when the fire within him settles."
For seven days, Little Fire remained unconscious. The Fire Clan watched in silence as faint streams of red and silver light surrounded his body — flames breathing in unison with the world. Spirit Fairy rarely left his side, her presence a soft beacon beside him.
Sometimes, she whispered softly to him, brushing his hair aside. "You fool… You said fire remembers who lit it. Then remember me too."
Outside, dawns passed and nights fell. The mountain winds carried songs of peace. The furnace, once wild, now burned calmly — its glow pulsing to the rhythm of Little Fire's heart.
And in that stillness, deep within his soul, a new power quietly took root — The Complete Art of Refining, an inheritance beyond grade or origin.
But neither Spirit Fairy nor anyone else knew that far away, a presence stirred — a woman cloaked in wind — traveling toward the Fire Clan, drawn by a trace of aura she could no longer ignore.
----Waiting---