Chapter 70: Ashes of Ambition
The dawn painted the sky of the Western Region with shades of orange and purple when Han Feng arrived at an ancient crypt hidden among the Yinlian Mountains. His body still bore the scars of the previous battle, and although his expression remained serene, his eyes revealed the weight of weariness and contemplation.
He had defeated elite hunters. Survived a direct confrontation with Nie Qing. And, most importantly, he had escaped the direct gaze of the Celestial Corpse Sect... for now.
Inside the crypt, an ancient and dense energy circulated. The place exuded a kind of ancient power, as if echoes of past generations still whispered among the ruins.
— This is the place... — Han Feng murmured, observing the symbols carved into the broken pillars.
According to the fragments of a map he had collected months earlier, this was one of the forgotten sanctuaries of the Cult of the Nine Flames. They said that great Gu masters had hidden treasures here before the collapse of the sect.
But that wasn't the only reason he was there. Han Feng needed to advance. After so much confrontation, his cultivation was close to breaking through the Rank 4 barriers.
Carefully, he activated a Gu of Spiritual Illumination, revealing hidden passages among the ruins. He traversed narrow corridors, avoiding archaic traps and shadowy creatures left behind as guardians of the place.
Finally, he arrived at a sealed hall. In the center, an altar of obsidian glimmered faintly. Above it, rested a Celestial Fire Gu — a small creature with flaming wings and eyes as golden as the sun.
Han Feng approached. The Gu reacted to his presence, emitting a warm, non-hostile buzz. It seemed to recognize something in him. Maybe the remnant of the Crimson Tear, maybe the pure desire to ascend...
Without hesitation, Han Feng sat down in a meditative position. He placed the Celestial Fire Gu on his palm and began the fusion process.
Intense light flooded the hall. Spiritual flames enveloped his body as his energy stirred like a raging sea. The other Gu within him began to vibrate, resonating with the change.
Crossing the threshold from Rank 4 to Rank 5 was not simple. It required power, understanding... and unwavering will.
Images of his struggles surfaced in his mind — his youth in the Southern Region, the massacre in the village, the solitary rise, the deaths he had caused, the enemies left behind.
— I am not a hero. I never was. — he murmured, the flames climbing up his arms. — But I won't be anyone's pawn either.
The altar trembled. The energy exploded. And at that moment, Han Feng broke through the barrier.
His body shone in scarlet and purple hues. The Gu inside him evolved, gaining new traits, new abilities. The Blood Vortex Gu became the Crimson Whirlwind Gu. The Gu of the Abyssal Shield now formed a spectral armor. And the Shadow Shift Gu gained the ability to split into two momentary clones.
He was now a Rank 5 Gu Master.
Breathing heavily, Han Feng stood up, feeling the energy overflow from his body.
But his progress did not go unnoticed.
At the entrance of the crypt, eyes were watching. An old man in a purple tunic and a face as pale as wax whispered to a black talisman.
— Confirmed. Han Feng has advanced... and is in the Refuge of Flames. Inform the Patriarch of the Deep Shadows Sect. The hunt is not over yet.
Meanwhile, Han Feng, unaware that he had been discovered again, gazed at the horizon. The battle against Nie Qing was just the beginning. Now, he needed to advance to more dangerous regions. The Celestial Corpse Sect, the Deep Shadows, and other hidden forces were on the move.
— Central Region... the time is coming — he whispered.
With his renewed Gu, amplified power, and even stronger determination, he set off. His silent footsteps echoed through the mountains.
The predator had awakened. And the world... trembled in anticipation.