The sun rose blood-orange over Azure Sky Arena.
Bo Ren scanned the spirit screen, wide-eyed.
> "It's a dungeon-mode round. But not just any dungeon."
Yue read the notice aloud.
> [Match Format: Team vs Team – Elemental Dungeon Gauntlet]
Participants: Team Dawnflame vs Team Goldspire (Seed #1)
Dungeon Zone: Stellar Root Hollow – Classified as Ancient Site: Celestial-Class Restriction Seal Detected
Special Tag: "Flame Altar – Unknown Signature Detected (Fragmented Authority: Long Chen)"
Tian Xue clutched the Phoenix Egg tightly. "We're walking into a piece of him."
Jiang Han stared at the screen, fire already crackling in his hands.
> "Then let's make him proud."
---
Entering the Dungeon
The Stellar Root Hollow formed like a falling star: a world of jagged floating islands, crystal bridges, and rune-carved asteroids circling a shattered core.
> "This isn't natural," Lin Yao whispered.
"This was built… around something sacred."
Goldspire Team stood at the opposite gate—elite cultivators in gold-etched battle robes. Their captain, Zhang Rui, held a dual-blade flame spear and smiled coolly.
> "You've fought well, Jiang Han. But this is the summit."
> "Then you'll see what lies beyond the summit," Jiang replied.
> [Dungeon Activated – Zone Lock Engaged]
Flame Altar Signature Awakening in 4:00 minutes...
---
Phase One: Crystal Field Clash
Goldspire moved fast.
One of their Soul Pets—Stellar Golem Tiger—launched a barrage of crystal spears that shattered the bridge behind Jiang's team.
Bo Ren countered with a reflective runic barrier.
Tian Xue supported with Twilight Pulse, reinforcing the team's flame output and shielding Yue's sniping line.
> "Watch their backliner—she's carrying a mystic array scroll!" Yue called.
> "Already on it," Zhao Kai grunted, slamming through a blast of comet-light and drawing fire from three opponents at once.
Tempest darted through the air like a silver bolt, disrupting enemy formations.
Jiang Han wove through flames, his sword singing with lightning, flame, and resolve.
Then the system chimed—
> [Flame Altar Signature Has Awakened. Access Pathway Opening.]
---
Phase Two: Altar of the Fallen Star
The dungeon split open near its core.
A stairway of cracked obsidian led down into a chamber lined with ancient silver flames, dormant but not dead.
Bo Ren paused. "This isn't in the arena system."
Yue: "This is off the grid."
Tian Xue: "This is his."
Jiang stepped down alone.
> [Identity Recognized: Jiang Bloodline – Rebirth Echo Confirmed]
"Flamebearer of a broken world, you now stand where Long Chen once bled."
"If you dare inherit what he left behind…"
> "Burn your name into the Altar."
He drew Emberfang.
And cut his palm.
His blood struck the flame-etched altar—
And it lit.
---
Long Chen's Memory
A vision bloomed around him.
Long Chen stood in the center of the same chamber, battle-torn and furious.
> "The world's too small for the fire I carry."
> "So I'll leave behind a path for someone bigger than me to walk."
He turned—and looked straight into Jiang Han's eyes.
> "Burn brighter than I ever did, kid."
The vision shattered.
And Jiang Han's aura ignited.
> [Inheritance Fragment Acquired – Flame Art: Heavenbreaker Echo]
Skill: A fusion technique forged in flame collapse. Usable once every 7 days.
Passive: +12% all flame resonance
Flame Type Boost: Legacy Amplification triggered (for Jiang bloodline only)
---
Final Clash – Heavenbreaker Echo
Jiang Han returned to the battlefield, the mark of Long Chen's fire on his back.
> "You're glowing," Yue called.
> "Good," he replied.
Zhang Rui launched his ultimate: Solar Flame Annihilation.
Jiang raised Emberfang, Trithrone active, Tempest at his side.
> Flame Art: Heavenbreaker Echo – Sync Surge Initiated!
A spiral of flame, lightning, and inherited will erupted from Jiang, splitting the enemy's formation in half and reducing their strongest defense to ash.
The Goldspire team surrendered.
---
System Announcement
> [Victory: Team Dawnflame]
Top 8 Advancement Confirmed
New Ranking: #4
Special Note: Legacy Art "Heavenbreaker Echo" Registered in Academy Record – Credit: Jiang Han (Jiang Clan)
The crowd exploded.
Bo Ren stared at him like he was a myth.
Zhao Kai whooped. "You have to teach me that."
Tian Xue just smiled, eyes misty.
> "He left something behind for you."
Jiang Han looked skyward.
> "And I won't waste it."