The Soul Flame School was quiet.
But not still.
Because something was changing again—not in fire, not in scripture…
But in intention.
In the central courtyard, beneath the ancient Echo Tree planted from Xu Shen's ashes-of-memory, two boys knelt on opposite ends of a newly carved forge circle.
Wei Lin, bearer of Remembrance Flame.
Shen Tai, reformer of the Hollow Path.
Between them: a blank soulwheel slate.
No laws.
No inscriptions.
No founder's mark.
Just potential.
They were not building a new sect.
They were starting something smaller.
And something far more dangerous:
A path with no master.
A path no one could inherit.
Only one they could choose.
Around them gathered twenty students.
Then fifty.
Then one hundred.
None of them carried inherited titles.
Most had never been chosen for anything.
They came because of what they saw during the duel:
Two flames that clashed…
And chose to stand beside each other anyway.
Wei Lin looked up from the forge slate.
"We're not here to prove who's stronger."
Shen Tai added:
"We're here to prove flame doesn't need to take shape to matter."
They both pressed their hands to the blank slate.
And whispered a name:
"Coalspark."
A new path.
Not Devourer.
Not Reclaimer.
Not Absolute.
Not Echo.
Just the beginning of a fire still learning to burn.
Above them, across distant mountain peaks, Xu Shen watched from silence.
He did not interfere.
He did not guide.
He simply smiled.
And said:
"Good."