FALLEN HEAVEN: RISE OF FAIZI TIAN
Episode 3: First Step on the Path of Cultivation
Darkness.
Silence.
The only thing Faizi Tian could feel was the heat inside his chest — deep, burning, alive.
He didn't know how long he had been unconscious. The last memory burned into his soul was his mother's scream, his father's blood, and the explosion of light that saved him. But now, there was only fire. Endless fire, dancing within him like a storm sealed in flesh.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes.
He was lying in a shallow cave within Blackflame Forest. The air was dense, thick with spirit energy, and faint embers floated around his body like fireflies. His chest throbbed, glowing faintly through his torn clothes.
He sat up slowly, holding his head.
"What… is this place?"
Then a voice echoed — not from outside, but inside him.
"You who carry the Flame Soul… awaken."
"Who's there?!" Faizi shouted, heart racing.
The flame in his chest blazed suddenly, and from the air above, a figure of pure fire appeared. It was translucent, ancient-looking, shaped like a man wearing robes made of flame.
"I am the Remnant Spirit of the Eternal Flame Sect," the figure said calmly. "Thousands of years ago, we guarded the secret flame that could burn even the heavens. But we were destroyed… by demons."
Faizi's fists clenched. "Demons… They killed my parents… my entire village!"
"Then you and I share the same enemy."
The spirit floated closer, its eyes locking with Faizi's.
"The Flame Soul Stone inside you was never meant to be found by mortals. But it chose you. Your blood… your soul… are worthy."
"What do I need to do?" Faizi asked.
"Cultivate. Master the Nine Realms of Flame. And when the time comes… bring fire back to this cold world."
Faizi lowered his head. "I don't know anything. I've never trained. I'm just…"
"You are no longer just a boy. You are the bearer of flame."
With a wave of his hand, the spirit sent a stream of glowing light into Faizi's forehead. In an instant, knowledge flooded his mind — about **meridians**, **spiritual energy**, **flame veins**, **inner worlds**, and the first technique:
**Infernal Flame Breathing – First Realm: Ember Root.**
His body began to glow. He sat down cross-legged. He focused.
The forest responded.
Spirit energy flowed toward him. His body trembled, then heated, then burned. But he did not scream. He did not run.
This time, Faizi Tian embraced the fire.
Hours passed.
The air around him cracked with heat.
Finally — a deep rumble echoed through his chest. His veins pulsed with power. His eyes opened, glowing red.
He had reached the **first level of cultivation** — a step that many took years to reach.
But he was no ordinary child.
He was chosen.
From the shadows outside the cave, demonic scouts moved silently. Their red eyes blinked as they sensed the power rising from inside.
"The flame… It's awakening," one of them hissed.
"Kill him before it matures."
Faizi Tian stood, sensing their presence.
This time, he didn't run.
He picked up his father's broken wooden sword, held it tightly, and said softly:
"If you came for me... I'm ready now."
And as the first demon stepped into the light, Faizi Tian took his first step forward — not as a helpless boy, but as a cultivator.
His journey had begun.