Ashen Fangs Compound – Outer Sector, West Exclusion Zone.
Under the pale light of a dying moon, Lin Yue stood at the edge of a cliff that overlooked the enemy stronghold. It was an underground fortress disguised as a mining outpost — but the faint crimson mist rising from its chimneys betrayed its true purpose.
Experimentation. Soul extraction. Cursed refinement.
He clenched his fists.
Behind him, the wind carried the scent of steel, incense, and burning spirit roots.
The Trial of the Phoenix Gate — their first coordinated raid against the Ashen Fangs — would begin at dawn.
But first… the Guild would face its own fire.
Scene Break: Training Under the Fire Dome
Inside the mobile cultivation array known as the Ash Nest, five core guild members knelt in meditation.
Lin Yue had activated the Phoenix Gate Trial — a spiritual construct passed down in the remnants of the Nirvana Codex. Once triggered, it created a shared soul chamber — a trial space that forced those within to face their deepest fear, forge resonance, and awaken their dormant talents.
Only bonded allies could survive.
Only trusted hearts could ascend.
"Synchronize qi flow," Lin Yue instructed. "Release fear. Let the flame decide."
Jian Mu's twin axes floated before him, glowing with unstable fire. "Tch. I like punching things, not hugging my trauma."
Beside him, Xu Lian adjusted his glasses and smirked. "Then prepare to be emotionally punched."
Lian Rou chuckled. She sat across from Lin Yue, her ring glowing crimson. "Let's do this, Yue-ge."
Then it began.
The dome pulsed once—and the world inside their minds collapsed.
Trial Realm: Phoenix Gate – Spirit Forge Sequence
Each guild member found themselves alone in illusion.
Jian Mu relived the night his village was razed by raiders — the smell of burning homes, the sound of his little brother's voice screaming for help. But this time, Lin Yue appeared in the vision, cutting through the smoke with a calm, glowing blade.
"I couldn't save him," Jian Mu whispered.
"You weren't alone," Lin Yue answered, offering a hand. "You just didn't have me yet."
Jian Mu grasped it — and fire erupted from his body. His bond flared.
Bond Rank Up – Jian Mu
Realm: Core Formation (Peak)
New Skill Unlocked:Twin Asura Wheel – Axe Variant
Flame Alignment: Inferno Combat Lineage
Bonded Perk:Unbreakable Front (+15% defense boost when Lin Yue is present)
Xu Lian faced his father's disdain — the rejection of a clan that prized brute strength over scholarly cultivation. As phantom blades pierced his soul, a figure in red stood beside him, shielding him with transparent runes.
"Knowledge is power," Lin Yue said. "You forged your own path. Now walk it proudly."
Bond Rank Up – Xu Lian
Realm: Golden Core (Low)
New Skill Unlocked:Phoenix Prism: Thought-Forged Illusions
Flame Alignment: Crimson Light Scholar Path
Bonded Perk:Rapid Calculation Matrix (Boosts strategy-based outcomes in battle)
Lian Rou stood atop a cliff of bones — the night her clan was annihilated by rogue cultivators. This time, she didn't scream or run.
She burned.
And Lin Yue stood beside her.
"You're not a survivor," he told her. "You're the beginning of everything new."
Her fire bloomed like a second sun.
Bond Rank Up – Lian Rou
Realm: Core Formation (Peak)
New Skill Unlocked:Crimson Phoenix Lance: Final Bloom
Flame Alignment: Bloodline Resonance – Dual Heart Ignition
Bonded Perk:Flame Sync (Advanced) – Allows co-casting Phoenix-type techniques with Lin Yue for fusion effects.
They returned from the trial… stronger.
Breathless. Changed. United.
The Phoenix Gate dome dissolved, leaving a radiant glyph behind — a mark on each of their rings that only appeared after full synchronization.
Lin Yue looked at them.
"All of you… passed."
"And now," he said, his voice colder, sharper, "we burn their sins to ash."
Scene Break: Side Novella – Ming Yushu: Crimson Ledger
In the enemy's secret archive beneath Green Pearl University, Ming Yushu moved like a shadow. Her infiltration had already yielded three volumes: soul transfer rituals, mutated beast designs, and names.
Names of kidnapped cultivators.
She paused at one particular name.
"Li Qingmei – Spiritual Healer, Golden Core. Status: Cursed Vessel Project."
Her eyes narrowed.
That name…
Wasn't she the younger sister of one of Lin Yue's early recruits?
Yushu activated a spatial recording talisman.
"Target confirmed. Extraction plan required. Estimated conflict in 48 hours."
Then she slipped away, unseen by the patrols — until she turned a corner and froze.
Yin Xiulan stood there, her porcelain mask cracked at the edge. Smiling.
"Ming Yushu. I was wondering when you'd show your fangs."
Visual Map: Current Mission Zones
West Exclusion Zone – Ashen Fangs Outpost Alpha – [Active – Raid Mission]
Status: Phoenix Gate Trial completed. Raid commencing at dawn.
Goal: Destroy soul transfer labs. Rescue cultivators.
Green Pearl University – Underbelly Archives – [Covert Infiltration]
Status: Ming Yushu detected. Escape sequence initiated.
Cursed Ravine – [Locked]
Status: Requires Tri-Bond Flame Synchronization
Crimson Bell Mountains – [Available]
Status: Lost relics reported by civilians
Difficulty: Mid
Enemy Status Update – Ashen Fangs Mercenary Group
Commander: Lu Bai – Not Yet Revealed
3rd Captain: Yin Xiulan – Engaged in Counter-Spy Hunt
Elite Guard Units: Soul Forged Sentinels (Mutated Cultivators)
Known Operations:
Human experimentation
Spiritual soul farming
Phoenix blood trafficking (Target: Lin Yue)
Final Raid Scene: Trial's End, War's Beginning
The guild stood before the hidden entrance of Outpost Alpha.
Lian Rou wore new armor — red-enameled flame plates, designed by Xu Lian himself. Jian Mu cracked his knuckles. Xu Lian activated his illusion grid. Behind them, two new provisional recruits carried talismans and support scrolls.
Lin Yue stepped forward.
His cloak billowed. The mark of the phoenix burned on his ring.
"Today we do more than destroy an enemy," he said. "We prove that rebirth begins with flame."
He raised a single finger.
"Ashfall Sky."
The heavens ignited.
To be continued in Chapter 13 – Raid: Soul Furnace.