Two days later.
The sun had barely risen when Long Feng left the Crimson Flame Sect through its eastern gate.
Clad in a reinforced black robe with flame talismans etched into the sleeves, he carried only a storage ring, a concealed pill pouch, and a sealed scroll from Elder Hua Tian—granting him solo entry rights to the Ice-Demon Ridge.
Most sect disciples would never set foot in such a place without a team of ten or more.
Long Feng went alone.
---
❄️ The Ice-Demon Ridge – Border of Death
Ice-Demon Ridge sat at the far edge of the Jadebone Mountain Range, where spiritual winds howled like ghosts and snow never melted—even under the summer sun. It was said that a frozen spirit beast king had once died there, cursing the land to eternal cold.
The trees stood twisted and blackened, their bark coated in frost. Cracked boulders jutted from the ground like jagged fangs. The very Qi of the land was… cold, hostile.
> "So this is where you want me to find it, old man…" Long Feng muttered, eyes scanning the terrain.
His target: the Heavenly Burned Frost Orchid—a rare herb that only bloomed once every 30 years. It needed both ice and fire attributes to mature, making it nearly impossible to cultivate.
Long Feng summoned a wisp of his Vermilion Ember and pushed it through his palm.
The flame crackled but dimmed immediately, suppressed by the intense yin energy of the area.
> "So even my spiritual fire is weakened here…"
He smiled.
> "Perfect."
---
He had only been in the Ridge for two hours when the first threat emerged.
Howls echoed in the distance—deep, guttural, and hungry. Frost scattered as a trio of massive wolves emerged from the mist, their eyes glowing with ghostlight and icicles hanging from their fangs.
Frostfang Direwolves.
Mid–Spirit Core stage.
Too strong for an outer disciple to handle alone.
But Long Feng simply stopped walking, eyes narrowing.
> "One pill. Three beasts. Let's test it."
He pulled a pill from his pouch—a Flame Binding Pill he had crafted using his own custom method. It had never been tested in real combat.
He crushed the pill between his fingers.
The powdered essence scattered into the cold air—and then ignited, forming a flaming seal under his feet.
The wolves lunged.
Long Feng stepped into the flame seal and vanished.
BOOM!
He reappeared mid-air, spinning.
> "Flame Technique: Dragon Hook Palm."
A burst of heat formed into a claw-shaped strike, smashing into the first wolf's skull with divine accuracy.
CRACK!
Its body hit the ground, sizzling.
The second wolf leapt—but was met with a blinding counterspin and a flame-forged blade from Long Feng's ring. He moved like lightning, cutting through bone and ice alike.
The third paused.
It tried to flee.
But Long Feng pointed his finger.
> "Vermilion Ember—Lance Form."
A spear of golden flame exploded forward, piercing the beast through the back.
Silence.
All three lay dead, steam rising from their broken bodies.
---
He continued deeper, marking each turn with alchemy-based flame tags that glowed faintly in the cold. Several times, he found skeletons—old disciples or rogue cultivators who had tried to brave the Ridge.
Their storage rings had long been emptied.
But an hour later, he felt it.
A presence.
Soft. Gentle. Alive.
He moved toward a crystal-covered grove, its interior shimmering with snowflakes frozen mid-air.
In the center stood a single glowing flower—icy blue, surrounded by faint red wisps of Qi. It pulsed gently, as if breathing.
> Heavenly Burned Frost Orchid.
It was real.
Long Feng exhaled.
"I found you."
But as he stepped forward—
A blade flew past his cheek.
---
A man stepped out of the frost shadows, dressed in pale gold robes, the sigil of the Inner Lightning Formation Division on his chest.
He looked elegant… but cruel.
"Well done," he said mockingly. "Tracking the orchid was tricky. But thank you for lighting the path."
Long Feng didn't flinch. "You're late."
"I only needed you to lead me to it," the man replied. "Didn't think you'd kill those wolves alone. But no matter."
He raised his hand. Lightning crackled across his knuckles.
> "Hand over the orchid and your pill ring. I'll let you walk away."
Long Feng stepped forward. Calmly. Fearless.
"I don't walk away from insects."
The man's eyes twitched.
"Fine. Let's see if your flame still burns in the cold."
---
The enemy moved first, a Thunder Palm Seal slicing through the air. Long Feng dodged left, but the crackling energy exploded behind him, shaking the ground.
> "Flame Coil – Spiral Bloom."
Long Feng spun and unleashed a twisting vortex of fire and air, lashing out like a whip. The heat melted snow midair, forcing the man back.
Their battle lit the grove—fire and lightning colliding violently. The orchid pulsed, reacting to both energies, its petals shivering.
Long Feng narrowed his eyes.
> "He's channeling Core Suppression Qi. Mid-tier Inner Disciple… stronger than Bai Mo."
But he had a plan.
He let his opponent charge—then dropped a Reverse Pill Smoke Bomb, blinding the area for 3 seconds.
> "Now."
He activated Dual Flame Flash Step—his movement art—and appeared behind the man mid-strike.
> "Blazing Fang Slash!"
His spirit blade tore through the man's robe, burning his back. The inner disciple screamed, collapsing into the snow.
"Y-you—!"
"Go back to your cave," Long Feng said coldly, kicking the man's ring away. "Before I forget my mercy."
The man scrambled to his feet and ran.
---
Long Feng knelt before the orchid. Its petals seemed to open just for him.
He gently uprooted it and sealed it in a jade flask with temperature-controlled spiritual seals.
He stood.
> "One orchid delivered. Flame Sealing Chamber, here I come."
Behind him, the snow resumed its slow fall.
The Ice-Demon Ridge had claimed dozens before him.
But tonight?
It bowed to the flame.