Mystique Soul: A Cultivator's Flame
Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Chapter 84

The space within the ring was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the ever-blooming spiritual herb garden. Mo Tianze moved swiftly through the space, his ears twitching as he followed the familiar pulse of spiritual energy. He knew where he would find Huang Jin De, near the herb bed, where the vermillion bird often cultivated in silent meditation.

As expected, Huang Jin De sat cross-legged in the midst of the thriving greenery, his crimson robes barely shifting in the faint breeze. The air around him pulsed with heat, an ever-present reminder of his fiery nature. Golden eyes flickered open, sharp and knowing, before settling on the approaching youth, seeing that it’s just him, Huang Jin De went back to cultivating.

Mo Tianze immediately bowed deeply. "Senior Huang, please train me more. I want to be stronger. Can you... please help me be stronger faster!" He kowtowed.

Huang Jin De slowly opened his eyes, their ember-like depths scrutinizing the young demibeast. A small smirk tugged at his lips. "You wish to be stronger?"

"Yes," Mo Tianze replied without hesitation.

"Then tell me, why?" Huang Jin De’s gaze sharpened. "To be strong is not merely to wield power, but to understand why you seek it. Without purpose, strength crumbles at the first sign of doubt."

Mo Tianze clenched his fists, his tail flicking slightly in agitation. He had thought about this many times. He had been weak before, powerless to change his own fate. But now...

Huang Jin De studied him for a moment, his gaze searching, weighing. "To be stronger, you must know why you seek strength, and hold on to that reason."

Mo Tianze didn’t hesitate. "I don’t want to be a burden to Sister." he admitted, his voice quiet but resolute. "She saved me. She treats me like I matter, not like a tool or a pet. I don’t want to always stand behind her, relying on her strength. I want to stand beside her and protect her, too."

A low hum of approval left Huang Jin De’s lips. He stood, his robes billowing slightly as his heat stirred the surrounding air. "Very well. We begin now."

"Wh-what?!" Mo Tianze asked at the suddeness.

Without another word, Huang Jin De already moved and the world around them changed.

the air around them ignited as Huang Jin De flicked his wrist, sending a wave of fiery pressure crashing toward Mo Tianze. The young fox barely had time to react before he was forced to leap back, his body rolling across the ground. He gritted his teeth and scrambled to his feet.

"First lesson," Huang Jin De’s voice rang clear. "You hesitate, you die."

Mo Tianze’s heart pounded. There was no room for second-guessing. He lunged forward, his instincts flaring as he aimed a strike toward Huang Jin De’s side, but before he could even land a blow, his opponent vanished, appearing behind him in a blur of speed. A sharp burst of heat scorched past his cheek as he dodged just in time, feeling the intense heat radiate against his skin.

"Your senses are decent," Huang Jin De acknowledged, "but still too slow."

Mo Tianze growled lowly, his fox ears twitching as he sharpened his focus. He had spent his life adapting, surviving. He would not fall here so easily.

They clashed again. Huang Jin De attacked relentlessly, his movements fluid yet unyielding. Mo Tianze countered, dodging and striking where he could, his body learning with each failed attempt. He refused to let frustration take hold. Every mistake was a lesson, every wound a reminder to be better.

Minutes stretched into hours as their battle raged across the training grounds. Sweat dripped from Mo Tianze’s forehead, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but his resolve never wavered. He was improving, slowly, steadily, but undeniably.

The training grounds within the space ring were vast, an expanse of earth surrounded by jagged stone formations. The ground, though seemingly stable, bore the marks of past battles, deep scars and cracks, remnants of scorching heat and overwhelming force.

Huang Jin De stepped forward, and with a flick of his wrist, the air ignited. Flames burst into existence around him, curling and twisting like living creatures. "Your beast blood grants you speed and agility, but that is not enough. If you wish to grow, you must embrace your instincts."

Mo Tianze’s tail bristled slightly at the sudden change in atmosphere, but he steeled himself. He had asked for this.

"Come at me again" Huang Jin De ordered.

Mo Tianze sprang into action. His body moved on instinct, swift, precise. His claws extended as he lunged, his golden eyes narrowing as he aimed for the older man’s blind spot.

But before he could reach him, heat surged.

A wall of fire erupted between them, forcing Mo Tianze to twist mid-air, barely avoiding the scorching flames. He landed in a crouch, his heart pounding. But before he could recover, a streak of red flashed in his vision.

Huang Jin De was on him.

Mo Tianze barely had time to react before a forceful blow aimed for his chest sent him skidding backward. He dug his claws into the dirt, stopping himself just before he slammed into a rock formation.

"Too slow," Huang Jin De said calmly, his golden gaze assessing. "Again."

Mo Tianze gritted his teeth and pushed off the ground, this time weaving unpredictably. His movements blurred as he utilized his demi-beast agility, darting from side to side, closing the gap between them. His claws flashed in the dim light as he swiped but again, he met only air.

Huang Jin De moved like a phantom, untouched by the assault. "Your speed is impressive, but it means nothing if you cannot anticipate."

Flames surged again. This time, they came in waves, forcing Mo Tianze to dodge, to leap, to twist his body in ways that tested his limits. Sweat gathered at his brow, his breath quickening. The heat was relentless, his muscles strained but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t.

Then, without warning, the flames shifted converging on him from all sides.

Mo Tianze’s eyes widened. There was nowhere to dodge.

Instinct roared within him. His beast blood surged.

Instead of retreating, he leapt toward the flames, calling upon the beast within him. His nails sharpened further, his movements growing wilder, more feral. He twisted mid-air, barely grazing past the fire, landing low before launching himself straight at Huang Jin De, this time, with a force that sent cracks spidering beneath him.

And finally, his claws met flesh.

Or so he thought.

The moment his attack landed, Huang Jin De’s form wavered, then vanished entirely. Mo Tianze’s eyes widened in realization, but it was too late. A heavy force landed against his back, slamming him down into the dirt.

"You are improving," Huang Jin De said, standing above him, completely unscathed. "But not enough."

Mo Tianze coughed, pushing himself up, his body screaming in protest. His breath was ragged, but his golden eyes burned with determination.

He wasn’t done yet.

"Again" he growled, wiping the sweat from his brow.

A smirk flickered across Huang Jin De’s lips. "Good."

The training continued, the night stretching endlessly within the space ring. Again and again, Mo Tianze rose, battered but never broken. And with every fall, with every failed attack, his movements sharpened, his instincts grew stronger, his resolve unshakable.

He had made a vow to himself. To be strong, to stand beside Feng Jiao Xue, to never be left behind again.

And he would make that vow a reality,no matter how long it took.

Just as Mo Tianze prepared to counterattack, the air shuddered with a strange ripple, sending a pulse of energy through the training ground. Both he and Huang Jin De froze, their instincts sharpening as they turned toward the spiritual herb garden.

Something was happening.

Beyond the swaying stalks of spirit herbs, a figure stood bathed in a soft, luminous glow. Yin Xiao’s usual snow-white coat now shimmered like freshly fallen frost beneath the moonlight, each strand of his silky mane flowing as though stirred by an unseen wind. His antlers, once a muted icy jade, had become something more, crystalline and impossibly clear, refracting light with an almost divine brilliance.

But it was the wings that truly stole their breath.

From his back, they unfolded in slow, deliberate grace, vast, pristine, and edged with streaks of silver, as if woven from the very essence of winter itself. They did not merely unfurl; they commanded the air around them, bending the qi as though the heavens themselves recognized his ascension.

Feng Jiao Xue arrived just as the transformation reached its peak, her breath catching at the sight. A surge of raw power pulsed outward from Yin Xiao’s form, rustling leaves and stirring the surface of the nearby pool. Even the qi in the air seemed to bow in reverence, drawn irresistibly to the being he was becoming.

Yin Xiao lifted his head, his usual serene gaze now gleaming with something ancient, something boundless. He flexed his wings once, just a slight movement, but the force of it sent a whispering gust through the grove, scattering petals and shaking the very ground beneath them. His presence no longer belonged merely to the earth; it was something greater, something untethered.

Mo Tianze, still breathless from training, could only stare. "Sister," he murmured, awe threading his voice. "He’s..."

"Yes," Feng Jiao Xue whispered, a rare, knowing smile ghosting her lips. "He has ascended."

Yin Xiao took a step forward, lowering his head slightly, not out of submission, but acknowledgment. The silent understanding between them remained, yet there was an undeniable shift. He was no longer just a companion, no longer simply a guardian of their journey.