The essence of the Flame Flower lies not in the “Flame,” but in the “Flower.”

The key to the Flower is not its form, but its spirit.

Indeed, Bai Lian demonstrated Flame Flowers crafted from white flames during her battle with Ji Xuan on the banks of Qingjiang River. The inspiration likely stemmed from Zuo Guanglie’s Flame Flower Incinerating City.

Jiang Wang initially erred by attempting to sculpt a flower using fire-elemental essence. Thanks to the intricacies of the Essence Manipulation Art, he succeeded. However, the flame flower he painstakingly maintained was ultimately just flame, not truly a flower.

Therefore, it could not “bloom.”

Do not deliberately forge a flower; it should arise naturally.

Jiang Wang silently formed a hand seal, conjuring a spark of fire-elemental essence at his fingertip.

Nourished by his carefully channeled Dao essence, it gradually expanded.

Jiang Wang envisioned himself watering and fertilizing, with that initial spark of fire-elemental essence as the seed of the flower.

Spiritual energy was its nourishment, and the spirit of the Daoist, its vitality.

It grew, strengthened, and sprouted…

Finally, a tiny Flame Flower bloomed upon his fingertip.

Between its petals, faint, almost natural arrays interwove.

Together, they constructed beauty and concentrated immense destructive power.

Each flower possessed its unique beauty.

This Flame Flower differed from Dong A’s, and certainly from Zuo Guanglie’s own. It was a Flame Flower uniquely Jiang Wang’s.

For he had imbued it with “life.”

This was a different form of life.

Though classified as a Grade C Upper-Tier Dao Art, it was unlike any of its peers.

Only such a Flame Flower could develop into the awe-inspiring Flame Flower Incinerating City.

Jiang Wang, having mastered the Flame Flower, felt no pride or arrogance.

Instead, only reverence.

The Flame Flower was merely the foundation of the Flame Flower Incinerating City Dao Art, yet it could attract the attention of a powerhouse like Dong A. And it was said that Zuo Guanglie was only nineteen when he created the Flame Flower Incinerating City, the same age as Ling He now.

What a brilliant and dazzling prodigy!

What did his local dominance in Maple Leaf City’s Daoist academy matter? Or, as Zhen Wudi said, what did it matter if he dominated the Pulse Opening Realm in the Mirage, reaching its peak?

The gaze of a true powerhouse extended far beyond the immediate scenery.

Now proficient with the Flame Flower, Jiang Wang was confident that he could reliably win at least three out of ten battles against Zhen Wudi.

He now possessed a means to threaten Zhen Wudi without needing to close the distance, greatly expanding his tactical options. This was no mere advancement.

Previously, Zhen Wudi could only maintain his advantage by resorting to secret techniques.

There were fewer and fewer areas for improvement in their sparring sessions.

Therefore, upon re-entering the Mirage, Jiang Wang decisively ignored the chubby Zhen and began a new battle match on the Sword Debate Platform.

…

Fang Heling entered the ancestral hall, but instead of the expected trial by the three elders, he found only his father, Fang Zehou.

The man stood facing the ancestral tablets of the Fang family, hands clasped behind his back.

“Father,” Fang Heling called out softly.

Fang Zehou turned, his hand already raised to strike.

*Slap!*

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

Fang Heling’s cheek swelled rapidly, but he did not cry out in pain, nor did he dare to evade.

“I know,” he said.

*Slap!*

“You *know*?” Fang Zehou demanded.

*Slap!*

Another backhand blow.

“You *know*?”

Fang Heling remained silent.

“Do you know the current state of Yun Country? Do you know that the person you allowed the merchant caravan to shelter is likely a fiend from the White Bone Dao, or perhaps even Ouyang Lie himself?”

“Do you know what the White Bone Dao is? Do you know how Little Forest Town was destroyed? Those people are true devils, slaughtering the living, desecrating the dead, capable of anything! You say you know?”

“Do you know the consequences of associating with them? Forget about business in Yun Country, Wei Quji will flay you alive, and it will implicate the entire Fang family! You say you know?”

Fang Zehou trembled with rage, and raised his hand for another blow.

“They poisoned me!” Fang Heling shouted, his voice lowered. “If I disobey, I will die.”

“The mission you took before, the one where your entire team was wiped out?”

“Yes.” Fang Heling explained the events of that day.

“This is a conspiracy!” Fang Zehou roared after listening. “You are a fool, manipulated and deceived!”

“But I have no choice, Father.”

“I listen to you, I strive to catch up to Jiang Wang, I want to prove myself to you. I diligently cultivate, I actively train. I can handle the same tasks that Jiang Wang can! But those people are too strong; my fellow disciples were killed in an instant. How could I not know this was a conspiracy?” Fang Heling said. “But I don’t want to die, Father.”

“No, this won’t do,” Fang Zehou said, shaking his head. “I will find someone to remove the poison you ingested. This matter must be reported to the city lord. The Fang family cannot withstand anything related to the White Bone Dao! Even if your uncle is willing to help, it’s useless; no one in the Fang family can bear it!”

The Fang family of Maple Leaf City did have a powerful figure. He had joined the military early in life and was now the main general of the Maple Leaf City Guard. However, he was born into a collateral line and had not received much family support during his upbringing, so he was not particularly close to the Fang family.

He was utterly loyal to Wei Quji, who had been his benefactor. He might attend to minor requests, but he would never tolerate something like this.

If he had a choice, Fang Zehou would bear this burden for his son. But he knew that it was impossible. Even sacrificing the entire Fang family would not suffice.

“Father, you can’t do that.” Fang Heling took a step to the right, blocking Fang Zehou.

“Get out of the way!” Fang Zehou slapped him again.

But Fang Heling remained standing, simply turning back his struck head to look at his father. “If Wei Quji knows that I’m involved with the White Bone Dao, your son is truly ruined! Dong A will never protect me!”

“You are already ruined!” Fang Zehou roared, sounding weary. “Now, I must protect the Fang family.”

“Father.” Fang Heling suddenly acted, grabbing Fang Zehou and forcing him onto one of the side chairs in the ancestral hall.

“I am not ruined; I am already a Zhou Tian Realm cultivator, and reaching the Tongtian Realm is within my grasp.”

His tone carried a hint of madness.

“Fang Heling! What do you plan to do?” Fang Zehou rebuked.

“Father, you cannot imagine the power the White Bone Dao can mobilize. Countless forces are helping Ouyang Lie escape Yun Country; our merchant caravan is just one of them. He could be in any caravan; he doesn’t need us specifically. But we need the White Bone Dao.” Fang Heling held his father’s shoulders, staring directly into his eyes. “Do you know what they gave me for helping them? A Blood Reversion Pill!”

“I only took one, and I broke through to the Zhou Tian Realm. Do you know what that means?”

“I only joined the inner sect this year. If I cultivate step by step, when will I ever catch up to Wang Changxiang and Zhang Linchuan? Our Fang family will always be beneath others, forced to read their faces!”

“But it’s different now, do you understand?”

“I know they all look down on me. Fang Pengju, Jiang Wang, Zhao Rucheng, even Zhang Linchuan and Shen Nanqi! They treat me like a joke! I know you look down on me too!”

“But it’s different now. Sooner or later, everyone will have to take me seriously!”

“You asked if I know what I’m doing? I know very well. I am just desperately, desperately, trying to prove myself to you.”

Fang Zehou himself did not possess great talent for cultivation, nor did he earn his current position through cultivation.

Therefore, he did not have much power to resist his son.

He had been watching every step of Fang Heling’s progress and had been greatly pleased.

But he had never imagined that the White Bone Dao would intervene, using such a crude test of life and death to shatter his son’s spirit.

He was heartbroken. “You are dealing with a tiger for its skin!”

“Father!”

Fang Heling knelt before Fang Zehou.

“Father, please trust me one last time. Since I was little, I have always followed your arrangements. Now, let me make one decision for myself. I am lucid; I know what I am doing. I don’t want to be anyone’s shadow anymore!

“Dealing with a tiger for its skin… perhaps it can succeed!

Perhaps one day, your son can tear off the tiger’s skin and show it to you.”

“But the prerequisite is having the strength to wrestle the tiger, my foolish son.” Fang Zehou lamented inwardly. But he said nothing aloud.

The doors of the ancestral hall slowly closed.

That day, Fang Zehou was confined to the ancestral hall by his only son, and the power of the Fang family changed hands.