> [New System Notification]
š Hidden Flame Quest Unlocked ā "Shadowbound Truths"
Tier: SS
Type: Secret Dungeon
Status: Unregistered by Immortal Realm
Reward: ??? (Fragment of the Twelfth Flame Path)
Risk: "Shadow-Sovereign Presence Detected"
Bo Ren's jaw tensed as he read the quest window.
> "This isn't just rare," he muttered. "It's forbidden."
Yue leaned over his shoulder. "Shadow Dungeonā¦ Those were sealed before the Flamewheel fractured, right?"
Lin Yao nodded. "They were born when a Sovereign Flame went rogue and fused with void energy instead of cosmic law."
Jiang Han felt his new soul petāTempestācoil tighter around his neck, crackling nervously.
Zhao Kai frowned. "So what do we do?"
Tian Xue looked at Jiang. "If we ignore this, we might never see that part of the Twelfth Flame again."
Jiang clenched his fist.
> "Then we dive into the dark."
---
Journey to the Shadow Rift
The system marked the dungeon's location: the Falling Star Basin, once a battlefield during the first Void War, now a restricted zone buried under the collapse of five minor realms.
As they traveled, Jiang noticed something new: settlements returning.
Villages rebuilding. Merchant convoys forming again. Hunters training soul pets. Andājust on the edge of the Basināa recruitment post for Azure Sky Academy.
Bo Ren approached the announcement board, eyes lighting up.
> "They're reopening in three months."
Zhao Kai grinned. "First-year tournament returns too."
Yue nudged Jiang. "Think we'll finally get back to real life after this dungeon?"
He looked ahead, to where a flicker of darkness pulsed above cracked obsidian ground.
> "Maybe."
> "If we live."
---
Secret Dungeon ā Shadowbound Crypt
> [Entering Instance: Shadow Dungeon ā "Crypt of Forgotten Fire"]
Recommended Level: Sovereign Rank 8+
Team Scaling Enabled (6 Members)
Special Rule: No Light Skills Allowed
Bonus Reward for Completion: ??? + Hidden Soul Beast Encounter (???)
The dungeon formed around them like a nightmare folded into reality.
Twisted pillars of obsidian glowed with flickering purple runes. Shadows moved on their own, whispering in tongues older than the Flamewheel. And at the center, a broken brazier pulsed with crimson-black flame.
Lin Yao gasped. "This isā¦ not pure flame. It's corrupted flame spirit energy."
Bo Ren nodded. "Void-bound. Dangerous. But if purifiedā¦"
> "It could become part of the Twelfth Flame again," Jiang finished.
Tian Xue's hand tightened on his.
> "Then we burn it clean."
---
Trial of Shadows
The dungeon fought back with everything it had:
Shadow Echoes of Sovereigns they had defeated.
Mirror Beasts that mimicked their soul pet abilities.
Darkfire Traps that fed off emotionārage, grief, doubt.
Yue nearly fell during a battle with her own phantom self, whose arrows whispered her worst regrets.
Zhao Kai screamed when a mimic of his old mentor appeared, begging for forgiveness he never asked for.
Bo Ren's old sect master appearedā¦ and turned away from him.
> But Jiang Han? He faced nothing.
> No guilt.
No fear.
Only a childāhimselfāstanding in the center of the shadows, cradling a flickering flame.
The child looked up.
> "You left me behind."
Jiang knelt.
> "I came back for you."
And the shadows shattered.
---
Reward Claimed
At the dungeon's core, a flame hovered above a pool of void-glass.
But instead of rushing into Jiangā¦
ā¦it drifted toward Tian Xue.
She gasped, eyes glowing.
> [SYSTEM NOTICE: Unique Companion Flame Attunement Detected]
Flame Fragment Awakened: "Twilight Sovereign Spark"
ā¢ Grants passive resistance to soul devouring
ā¢ Boosts healing flames by 25%
ā¢ Enables team synergy skill: Twilight Pulse (Cooldown: 12 hrs)
Jiang turned to her, stunned.
> "Youā¦"
She looked terrified. "I didn't mean toā"
He smiled, placing a hand over hers.
> "It chose you."
---
Outside the Crypt
As they stepped from the dungeon's exit, the world felt brighter.
More stable.
The wind carried voices.
The sky no longer cracked.
And in the distance, the banners of Azure Sky Academy fluttered once more.
Bo Ren turned to the group.
> "Let's head to the city."
Zhao Kai cracked his knuckles. "Tournament's in three months. Time to start climbing the ranks again."
Yue grinned. "I want a soul pet with a hat."
Jiang looked at Tempest.
And for the first timeā¦
He felt ready to live again.