As Shen Yuan started reading, he saw that there are three stages of erasure in this void fire technique. The first step was physical erasure, second step was Spiritual erasure and for the final third step it was the Akasha erasure.

After reading through the scroll, Shen Yuan had a different shine in his eyes as he smiled.

He tucked the scroll in his robes and sat down on the floor cross legged, as he started to cultivate, the room started to heat up though he was having a hard time with the yang energy of the void fire’s first step. The new yang energy and his yin energy were fighting for dominance!

His first attempts had been almost dangerous. As he tried to shape Void Fire’s energy, it lashed back, testing his focus and resolve. He could feel it burning in his veins, searing his senses until he was at the edge of his limit. While the Yin energy was freezing. But Shen Yuan only smirked in response, his determination to conquer this power unwavering.

He then made a sign, “must create…., harmony!”

With some more signs a dark energy flowed from him, becoming the medium for the yang and yin energy, as his body finally stabilized.

The temperature in the room became cold and hot, if one was to enter his adobe, they would feel cold on one side and hot on the other.

In the Hellfire Temple.

Some senior disciples were murmuring about Shen Yuan. “Did you hear about the new kid, who got chosen to practice the void fire?”, One of the senior disciples spoke.

“He’s a fool if he thinks he can master Void Fire,” another muttered, shaking his head. “I’d give him a week before he either burns out or dies by getting his body erased.”

“Not even that,” another one scoffed. “Void Fire is no technique for a show-off. He’ll fail soon enough. All that cocky confidence will be the end of him.”

“Should’ve kept him out of the Hellfire Temple,” sneered a third, leaning back with a smug smile. “The temple master, Lian Huoyan thinks he’s special, but she will realize he’s just another overambitious newcomer.”

Their voices dripped with envy, each one subtly trying to reassure the other that Shen Yuan’s rise would be short-lived. As they laughed, a shadow crossed the hall, stopping just behind them.

Feng Yanqing stood there, arms crossed, eyes blazing with irritation. She let them finish their grumbling before stepping forward with a deliberate clearing of her throat. The seniors turned, their smug expressions faltering when they saw her.

“Oh, so the great seniors of the Hellfire Temple are sitting around whispering like novices?” she mocked, her voice sharp with disdain. “Quite the achievement, really murmuring in shadows instead of actually facing him if you’re so convinced he’ll fail.”

The first disciple flushed, stammering as he tried to brush off her comment. “We were… simply discussing his arrogance, that’s all.”

“Oh, were you?” Yanqing shot back, a smirk playing on her lips. “Well, from where I stand, it seems like he’s got something you all don’t, courage. He didn’t flinch at Void Fire, and he’s facing its power alone. What about you? You can’t even handle his presence in the same hall.”

They shifted uncomfortably, her words striking true. She leaned in, crossing her arms with a look of amusement.

“You know, for seniors, you talk big, but you’re the ones trembling here. If Shen Yuan’s that unworthy, why don’t you take him on directly?” Her tone was laced with challenge, her eyes glinting as she looked at each of them in turn.

The seniors exchanged uneasy glances, but none stepped forward. Yanqing’s smirk grew, and she let out a soft laugh.

“Just as I thought. Afraid of what you might find if you try him?” She tilted her head, her voice taking on a mocking edge. “If he’s bound to fail, why waste your breath? Or is it that you’re more nervous than you’d like to admit?”

They glowered at her, but no one dared answer. Yanqing turned with a flick of her fiery hair, giving them a final glance over her shoulder.

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“You know, real cultivators don’t need to slander others to prove their worth. They let their actions do the talking.” Her voice dropped, almost a whisper, but her words cut through the hall like a blade. “Might want to keep that in mind before you embarrass yourselves further.”

With that, she left the hall, her presence leaving the seniors in silence. Her words had stung, and they knew it. For all their pride, none dared cross Shen Yuan, and they couldn’t deny the truth behind Yanqing’s mockery.

As Yanqing returned to her path, she allowed herself a slight smile, feeling a strange satisfaction as she thought of Shen Yuan. He had entered the Hellfire Temple without fear, and unlike the murmuring seniors, he was taking on the temple’s power directly, just as she respected in a true cultivator.

And as far as she was concerned, that was worth much more than empty whispers in the dark.

Weeks slipped by, and the once-muted curiosity in the Hellfire Temple grew into open speculation. Shen Yuan’s closed-door cultivation had stretched into a full month, and with no sign of him emerging, a new wave of rumors began to take root among the disciples.

“He’s been in there so long, he must have failed,” one whispered, glancing nervously at the door to Shen Yuan’s chamber.

“Afraid to face the truth, more like,” another scoffed, leaning back against a pillar with a self-satisfied smirk. “Void Fire wasn’t meant for him—he bit off more than he could chew, and now he can’t admit it.”

The murmurs spread like wildfire, feeding the egos of those who had once whispered about Shen Yuan’s supposed arrogance. Some whispered of his potential downfall, others delighted at the thought that he’d finally met his match, that he’d be humbled by his own ambition.

But not everyone shared their eagerness to assume the worst.

In the grand hall of the founder’s quarters, a deep silence prevailed, broken only by the soft clink of a jade cup being placed on the carved armrest of a throne. Gui Zuwang, the founder of the Gui clan, sat atop his seat of power, his posture relaxed as he took a sip of dark wine, his eyes half-closed yet alive with a glimmer of awareness.

His gaze drifted past the elaborate tapestries adorning the hall and settled into the distance, a faint smile curving his lips. His voice, deep and resonant, echoed softly, a murmur to himself and the empty hall.

“So, the Child of Darkness has begun his journey with Void Fire…” Gui Zuwang’s words lingered in the air, carrying an edge of satisfaction. “And they all think he’s failed, that he’s hiding.” He let out a soft laugh, amused by the short-sightedness of the others.

As he swirled his wine thoughtfully, Gui Zuwang’s eyes glinted with something more than amusement—anticipation.

“Fools, all of them,” he murmured. “Shen Yuan doesn’t fear the Void Fire. It’s in his nature to devour what others deem impossible. This is just the beginning.”

Taking another sip, Gui Zuwang leaned back into his throne, his gaze far and intent, as though he could see into the very flames that Shen Yuan struggled to master.

“He will emerge,” he said, his voice a low, reverent whisper. “And when he does, he will bear the mark of true power. The darkness he wields will not only silence his doubters but will shape the Hellfire Temple itself.”

With that, Gui Zuwang’s laughter filled the grand hall, echoing through its pillars as he raised his cup in a silent toast to the young disciple who, he knew, would surpass them all.

With that, three months had passed since Shen Yuan had entered closed-door cultivation. The silence surrounding his secluded abode had only fed the growing rumours, turning idle gossip into something darker. The whispers among the senior disciples had turned triumphant; some were eager to confirm his failure, their envy inflamed by the idea of him faltering. Yet, among them walked Feng Yanqing, her gaze fixed, and her mind filled with a worry she tried to suppress.

As they made their way to his abode, the seniors chuckled among themselves, exchanging sneers.

“Think he’ll be in there, cowering?” one of them mocked.

“Or already dead from his own arrogance,” another said, smirking.

Feng Yanqing’s eyes narrowed at their taunts, though she kept silent, determined to see for herself if Shen Yuan was truly alright.

Just as they neared the entrance, a sudden gust of wind burst from the abode, carrying a raw, powerful energy that made the air hum. The disciples staggered back, eyes widening in shock as the door creaked open. From the shadows, Shen Yuan stepped out, his gaze calm but intense, his presence carrying an undeniable weight, his purple eyes shining with an intense glow.

One of the senior disciples, attempting to hide his unease, forced a mocking smile. “Oh, so you finally emerged. Thought maybe you had given up—”

Before he could finish, Shen Yuan raised his hand, and in an instant, a dark flame ignited at his fingertips, swirling with an ominous, cold light. He turned his gaze to a nearby tree, his expression unflinching. With a flick of his wrist, the Void Fire leapt forward, consuming the tree in a silent blaze. The flames shimmered, then vanished, leaving not even ash—only empty air where the tree had stood moments before.

The seniors fell silent, their mockery dying on their lips as they stared in stunned horror. Shen Yuan’s gaze swept over them, his silence more potent than any retort.

In the stillness, Feng Yanqing stepped forward, her face lit with a smile of admiration. “Incredible, Shen Yuan. To have mastered the first step of void fire in three months, while being an yin cultivator.”

Shen Yuan met her gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips. Feng Yanqing felt a warmth rise to her cheeks, unable to contain a slight blush, as he held her gaze a moment longer.

Without a word to the silenced disciples, Shen Yuan turned, his presence now one they would no longer dare to challenge, his power a testament to his resolve.

He went straight to the Hellfire Temple.