Chapter 4: Awakening the Forbidden Flame
The night was silent.
Too silent.
Zhuo Fan sat cross-legged in the shadowy servant quarters, a thin incense burning at his side. His breaths were slow, deliberate—each inhale circulating Qi through the newly refined channels in his meridians.
But his focus was broken.
System Warning:
Spiritual brand resonance detected.
Foreign seal linked to host's soul structure is destabilizing.
Initiating Forced Memory Sync with Host Body.
Estimated Time: 60 seconds
Zhuo Fan cursed softly. "Now?"
He clenched his fists as a sudden wave of vertigo hit him—then came the pain.
Images flashed through his mind: the real Zhuo Fan—this body's original soul—crying as he held the corpse of a young servant girl. Crushed under the boots of guards. Screaming in vain. Powerless.
Then came the branding—cruel fire, runes etched into his chest like a slave. A forbidden mark.
A control seal designed to suppress the soul.
Memory Sync Complete.
Host soul dominance: 95%
You have inherited the Slavemark of Binding Flames
Passive Effect: Suppresses user's Qi beyond Body Tempering Realm.
Quest Triggered: Break the Chain
Objective: Destroy the Slave Seal
Timer: 23h 45m
Reward: EXP Boost +1, Unlock Secret Page 2 of the Nine Secrets
Zhuo Fan opened his eyes—bloodshot, burning.
"So this is why I couldn't ascend before…"
Hidden Underground Chamber – Midnight
Zhuo Fan left his quarters without a word. No one dared to question him now.
He moved beyond the estate walls into the ancient ravine behind the servant quarters. Only he remembered the half-buried door at the ravine's edge—the original Zhuo Fan had discovered it years ago but dared not explore it.
Now, with memories fused and his demonic instincts sharpened, he knew this place had been sealed for a reason.
The iron door opened with a screech.
Inside: darkness… and a flame altar glowing faintly at the far end.
System Scan:
Spiritual Signature Detected: Heavenly Flame Embryo – Level 1
Status: Dormant
Danger Rating: ★★★★☆
Optional Sub-Quest:
Devour the Heavenly Flame Embryo
Warning: 50% chance of death.
Reward: +500 EXP, Unlock Soul-Forged Hollow Flame (Rank 1)
Zhuo Fan stared at the altar. The flickering ember hovered above ancient demonic runes—sealed by blood contracts, untouched for decades.
"Fifty percent?" he murmured, then grinned. "Better odds than last time."
Flame Baptism Ritual – Inner Altar
Zhuo Fan stepped forward. The second his palm touched the seal—
WHOOSH!
Fire exploded upward, wrapping around his body like a tornado. His robes disintegrated. His skin blistered. Muscles tore, then regenerated. His bones cracked—then reforged, etched with dark crimson patterns.
The pain was absolute.
System Alert:
Flame Devouring in Progress…
Soul Compatibility: 71%
Physical Endurance Check: Passed
Willpower Check: Passed
Skill Acquired: Soul-Forged Hollow Flame (Rank 1)
Effect: Can conjure spectral hellfire that burns soul and Qi.
Base Damage: +20 Soul Damage / sec
Duration: 10 sec
Cooldown: 60 sec
+500 EXP
Level Up!
Level 4 → Level 5
EXP: 430 / 1600
HP: 300 → 400
Qi: 95 → 120
New Stat Points: +6
Zhuo Fan collapsed, body steaming—half-dead, but alive. The flame circled his core now, branded in his dantian like a chained beast.
He laughed.
A low, broken laugh.
"I'm no servant anymore."
Elsewhere – Deep in the Empire
Far from the Zhuo estate, in the imperial capital, a white-haired elder opened his eyes in the midst of meditation.
"Hm?"
The temperature dropped.
He gazed toward the southeast skies, brows furrowed.
"Someone… has awakened the Hollow Flame in the Forbidden Zone?" His voice trembled. "But that place was sealed after the Demon Emperor fell…"
A black-robed youth behind him asked, "Should I investigate, Elder?"
"No… not yet." The old man closed his eyes again.
"But prepare the Bloodshade Pavilion. Someone dangerous just took their first real step."
Zhuo Estate – Secret Chamber Exit
Zhuo Fan emerged from the ravine just before dawn. The hollow flame within him simmered, quiet but deadly. His eyes, now tinged with violet, glowed faintly in the early light.
System Notification:
Milestone Unlocked: First Forbidden Skill Acquired
World Awareness: +10
Hidden Factions may now take notice.
Side Quest Chain Updated: Nine Secrets – Page 2 Revealed
Objective: Find the Thousand-Eyed Obsidian Mirror hidden beneath the Royal Alchemist's Tower.
Reward: Secret Page 2, Skill Upgrade Token
Zhuo Fan stood silently, letting the wind brush past his skin. His gaze was clear now.
"The seals are nothing."
"My enemies… even less."
"I will rise again—stronger, crueler, and more relentless than before."
End of Chapter 4