Dawn broke over the Bonefire Mountains, the rising sun casting a dull gold glow over snow-draped pines. In the heart of a silent forest cave, Lin Yan opened his eyes.
His breath steamed in the cold air, but inside his body, a warmth pulsed. Not the cruel burning of being drained, but a steady, comforting fire—his own qi. The **First Flame**, born through torment, now fed on purpose.
He looked at his palms. The spiritual energy within him was still faint, but it obeyed him. **For the first time, his body was his.**
Mei Qingxue entered the cave without a word, her boots silent in the snow. She glanced at him and immediately sensed the change.
"You've stabilized," she said. "You didn't scream this time."
Lin Yan gave a faint, weary smile. "Didn't have the strength to scream."
A pause.
"Good." She turned and tossed a rolled parchment to the ground in front of him. "Your next step isn't cultivation. It's closure."
Lin Yan unrolled it.
A name was scrawled at the top in red ink:
> **Jian Lu – Outer Elder of the Cauldron Hall**
Lin Yan's pupils shrank.
"Do you remember him?" Mei Qingxue asked, arms folded.
He did.
Jian Lu was one of the first to 'train' him. A smug, arrogant cultivator with a twisted sense of humor. He never touched Lin Yan himself—but he was the one who sold him to the inner sect like livestock. He had laughed when Lin Yan cried. Called him a 'blessed vessel.'
"He's in a small outpost near Fallen Echo Valley," Mei Qingxue said. "Alone. He retired two years ago."
Lin Yan clenched his fists, emotions surging—rage, fear, doubt… and a hunger.
"You want me to kill him?" he asked, voice low.
"I want you to choose," she said simply. "This is your path, not mine."
---
By nightfall, Lin Yan had made his decision.
He left the cave with nothing but his cloak, his dagger, and the flame burning in his soul.
---
**Fallen Echo Valley** was as lifeless as its name.
The small outpost stood alone between cliffs, an abandoned shelter for aging cultivators. There were no guards—just the soft sound of wind moaning through broken trees.
Inside, Jian Lu sat before a fire, grumbling as he sipped bitter wine.
He never saw the blade coming.
Lin Yan pressed the dagger to his throat before the man could even turn.
"Wha—?! Who—?!"
Lin Yan stepped into the firelight, hood falling away. His face had changed, matured, but there was no mistaking those eyes.
"You…" Jian Lu whispered, paling. "Impossible... you were broken. Sold. You were nothing!"
Lin Yan's hand didn't tremble.
"You were wrong," he said quietly. "I'm not a furnace anymore."
---
That night, Lin Yan returned to the cave. His dagger was stained red. His heart was heavy—but unshackled.
Mei Qingxue said nothing. She simply handed him a bowl of water and sat beside the fire.
After a long silence, Lin Yan whispered:
"He begged. I didn't expect that."
"Power makes cowards brave," she replied. "But when they lose it, they remember fear."
He nodded.
For the first time, Lin Yan didn't feel like prey.