Vel'Tharuun trembled.
It wasn't the flame. Not this time.
Above the shattered sky, a rift tore open—not a portal, not spirit travel.
A command from the Immortal Realm.
Bo Ren's eyes went wide. "That's no gate. That's a Decree Rift."
Yue muttered, "They're sending someone."
Zhao Kai's fingers sparked unconsciously. "Didn't think we'd attract attention this fast."
But Jiang Han already knew.
He'd felt the gaze for hours.
He turned just as the figure descended.
---
The being floated effortlessly, his feet never touching ground. Clad in ivory robes etched with golden constellations. No visible weapon. No visible threat.
But he radiated divine pressure—as if every step he took rewrote the rules of the world around him.
A silver circlet hovered above his head—spinning slowly.
A halo of law.
> "I am Envoy Zhenyan," the man spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed across the valley.
"By decree of the Immortal Realm's Celestial Hall, I come bearing judgment."
Bo Ren whispered, "Celestial Envoy… he answers directly to the Council of Heaven."
Tian Xue trembled as the man's aura washed over her—pressing down like eternity.
Jiang Han stepped forward.
"I carry no crime."
Zhenyan's head tilted. "You carry what should not have returned."
He raised a single hand.
A scroll of stars unfurled.
> Heavenly Edict 471-Q.
Subject: Jiang Han.
Charge: Possession of Forbidden Flame.
Sub-Charge: Interruption of Sovereign Vessel Protocol.
Status: Existential Threat. Pending Erasure.
Yue drew an arrow. "You want to erase him? You'll have to go through—"
> "Enough."
Zhenyan didn't raise his voice. But the air thickened instantly. Yue fell to one knee, blood from her nose. Zhao Kai's sparks sputtered. Bo Ren was frozen in mid-step.
Only Tian Xue and Jiang Han remained standing.
Jiang's flame rose around him—Sovereign Emberfang pulsing with defiance.
> "You're scared," he said flatly. "You came not because I broke law—but because I lit a flame you can't control."
Zhenyan's eyes glimmered faintly.
"Control is the only law in the Immortal Realm."
---
The Flame That Knelt to No God
With a flick of his fingers, Zhenyan created a ring of light that surrounded Jiang Han.
> "You will surrender the Sovereign Embers."
"You will bind your soul to the Hall."
"Or you will be undone."
Jiang Han exhaled slowly.
And stepped out of the ring.
It shattered.
Zhenyan's expression tightened. "You would refuse the heavens?"
Jiang lifted his blade.
> "I remember the heavens."
"They watched as Sovereigns died."
"They wrote scrolls while stars burned."
"They let mortals suffer, then punished those who rose to save them."
His eyes burned gold.
> "I don't kneel to cowards in clouds."
---
The Battle Begins
Zhenyan moved.
A ripple passed through reality—pure speed, compressed divine intent. He struck not with weapon but concept.
> Judgment Palm: Weight of Law.
It hit Jiang like a falling star—slamming him into the ground with enough force to crack the mountain.
But Jiang stood.
Blood on his lip. Fire around his heart.
> "I forge my own law."
He activated Eternal Kindling—his flame reignited instantly, dancing along Sovereign Emberfang's edge.
> "Flame Throne Art: Break the Decree!"
He slashed upward.
Fire screamed.
Zhenyan actually took a half-step back.
> "You shouldn't be able to do that," the Envoy muttered.
> "I shouldn't be alive," Jiang said. "And yet—here I burn."
---
Clash of Realms
The two forces met again and again.
Jiang's strikes began syncing with the awakened Sovereign Flame within Tian Xue—whose silent chant empowered his blows through flame resonance.
Bo Ren, free now, summoned spirit bindings to isolate the battle zone, shielding the others.
Zhao Kai shouted, "He's pushing him back!"
Yue wiped her mouth. "No—he's holding the heavens off. That's worse."
---
Turning Point
Zhenyan raised both hands.
> "Heavenly Seal: Absolute End."
The sky tore open above Jiang, revealing a celestial brand, descending fast.
A strike designed to erase flame-born souls from the fabric of the world.
Jiang Han grit his teeth.
> "You want to erase me?"
His flame roared.
> "Then I'll leave a scar."
He slammed Sovereign Emberfang into the ground.
> "Flame Throne Mark: Pillar Ascendant!"
A tower of flame shot upward, intercepting the brand.
There was silence—
Then a shockwave that knocked the clouds into spiral motion.
When it cleared, Zhenyan floated above, breathing harder now.
He looked down—and saw Jiang Han still standing.
Burned.
Exhausted.
But unbroken.
---
Zhenyan's voice quieted.
"You are not ready."
> "But you are… becoming."
He turned.
And vanished into a beam of lawlight.
---
Aftermath
Tian Xue ran to Jiang's side, catching him just as he collapsed.
Lin Yao followed, tears in her eyes. "He challenged a god…"
Bo Ren whispered, "And survived."
Zhao Kai sat down hard. "Next time, I vote we hide."
Yue gave a broken laugh. "Next time, there won't be one."
Jiang Han stirred, voice hoarse.
> "Yes there will."
> "There's still eleven flames to find."