Days passed as Jiang Chen secluded himself in the valley, tirelessly cultivating the Ninefold Scorched Heaven Art. Each breath he took seemed to ignite a firestorm within, refining his flesh, tempering his bones, and expanding his meridians beyond their previous limitations.

The first stage of the technique—Flame Tempering—required him to endure his own fire, letting it refine his body through suffering. He sat in the heart of a burning rock formation, torrents of scorching energy tearing into his skin. Agony racked his entire being, yet he gritted his teeth and endured.

The second stage—Ember Fusion—forced him to absorb the world’s latent fire essence, fusing it into his dantian to strengthen his flame affinity. He meditated beneath a lava waterfall, inhaling the thick, fiery mist, pushing his body to its utmost limits.

With each trial, his strength grew exponentially. His muscles became denser, his reflexes sharper, and his flames more ferocious. Yet he knew that true power lay not just in cultivation, but in battle.

A shadow loomed in the distance. Jiang Chen’s eyes snapped open as he sensed the presence of a spirit beast—a Crimson Fang Wolf. Its scarlet fur glowed ominously as it prowled toward him, eyes filled with primal hunger.

A test had come. Without hesitation, Jiang Chen rose to his feet, flames swirling around his fists. "If I am to rise, then let my fire consume all who stand in my way!"

The beast lunged, fangs bared. Jiang Chen met it head-on, his fists blazing like miniature suns. The valley ignited in an inferno of battle, flames and claws colliding in a dance of life and death.

The battle was fierce, the wolf's speed unmatched, but Jiang Chen's newfound strength surged within him. With each strike, his flames grew wilder, his control sharper. And then, in one decisive moment, he unleashed a punch imbued with the essence of the Ninefold Scorched Heaven Art—

Boom!

The wolf let out a final, agonized howl before its body was engulfed in an explosion of flames, reduced to nothing but ashes.

Breathing heavily, Jiang Chen gazed at the scorched ground where the beast once stood. He had won. And this was only the beginning.