His smile faintly. "So this is the Enlightenment Domain."
Little Water stood there calmly, his sleeves rippling despite the blistering heat that surged through the air. The sky above had darkened, not with clouds, but under the forceful presence of the domain. Crimson flames surged like wild beasts across the sky, and the lava below hissed and bubbled like the breath of an ancient volcano.
"This place... it no longer belongs to the mortal realm," whispered the sect leader, Su Ling Long, his eyes wide, sweat dripping from his brows.
The Grandfather of Spirit Fairy, still radiating fiery majesty, narrowed his eyes. His Domain of Blazing Fire had overwhelmed many enemies. The heat would melt weaker flesh in seconds. He expected Little Water to be on his knees.
Yet, Little Water stood still, his robe barely fluttering, untouched by the flames.
"You haven't answered, brat," the old man thundered. "Who are you really? Split Soul Middle Stage? Ridiculous! You're standing inside my Enlightenment Domain as if it were a warm spring!"
Little Water did not reply immediately. He raised his right hand slowly. As his fingers moved in circular gestures, droplets of water began to form in the air. They didn't hiss or evaporate under the heat. Instead, they shimmered with a serene blue light and hovered like pearls of tranquility amidst the inferno.
"I asked if this is your Enlightenment Domain," Little Water spoke again, his voice calm, unshaken. "Because I wish to understand the limits of what cultivators can shape when they finally touch the essence of Heaven."
The Grandfather gritted his teeth. "You're provoking me."
"I'm not. I'm learning."
From afar, Su Ling Long clenched his fists. He didn't dare interfere. Between these two, even the vibration in the ground felt like it could collapse mountains.
The lava that had started bubbling earlier now surged toward Little Water, summoned by the Grandfather's finger. The attack was simple—raw force, molten destruction, and divine pressure combined.
Little Water flicked his wrist.
A curtain of water spun up like a cyclone and caught the lava mid-air. The two forces met with a roaring clash. Steam exploded, blocking vision for a moment, but when it cleared—
Little Water was still there.
Unburned.
Unshaken.
The ground below him remained green, somehow untouched.
Even the Grandfather took a step back, his eyes narrowing. "This technique of yours... it doesn't just resist my fire. It absorbs the essence."
"Correct," Little Water nodded. "But more importantly, I want to know how your domain came to be. What law governs it?"
The old man raised an eyebrow. His pride was injured, but his curiosity, long dormant since his younger years, stirred. "Fine," he said. "You want a lesson?"
The Domain of Blazing Fire contracted slightly, forming a ring of fire behind him. Within the ring, symbols glowed—they weren't formations, but ancient flame sigils tied to the law of destruction.
"The foundation of my enlightenment," he explained, "is not just fire. It is destruction—raw and complete. Not chaos, not anger. Purposeful destruction. The kind that clears space for new life to bloom."
Little Water smiled. "Interesting."
He raised his foot and stepped forward. As he did, a ripple passed under his feet—and then, for just a moment, water bloomed like a flower in the lava, cooling it into obsidian.
"And my path is flow," he said, eyes glinting. "Not stillness or chaos, but flow—movement with purpose. Water that wears mountains, reshapes lands, flows into hearts and souls."
The Grandfather watched him for a while.
Then, to everyone's shock, he dispelled his domain.
The flames vanished. The lava sank back into the ground. Even the temperature returned to normal.
Su Ling Long let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"You're not of this world, are you?" the old man asked.
"Does that matter?" Little Water replied gently.
The Grandfather chuckled. "Only if you become our enemy."
They stood there in mutual silence, two cultivators who had tasted the heavens and survived its flavor.
A ripple passed through the sphere behind them. Little Water's head tilted, sensing something. Su Ling Long turned too.
From the sealed water sphere behind them, a sudden pulse of spiritual energy burst out. Not threatening, but potent.
"Their dual flame is stabilizing," Little Water said calmly. "The vow is being completed."
The Grandfather turned his head sharply. "What vow?"
Little Water gave a subtle smile. "One that connects desire and restraint, warmth and chill, in balance."
The sphere shimmered, and for a moment, through its translucent edges, one could glimpse two faint silhouettes holding hands, wrapped in intertwined spiritual flames—one blue, one orange.
Su Ling Long's heart softened, but his pride remained tangled. "So... now what?"
Little Water turned to him. "Now you have a son-in-law who might one day surpass you. Teach him everything. You owe your daughter that much."
The Grandfather raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes. "And who taught you to speak like a sage, brat?"
"Life," Little Water replied. "And death. And everything in between."
The old man snorted. "Fine, fine. Let them have their flame. But you'd better explain this to the Elders back at the sect."
Just then, another figure approached from the distance—an elder of the Fire Clan who had earlier objected to Little Fire.
"Sect leader! Grand Elder!" he called, panting. "We found traitors fleeing with some of our cultivation scrolls. They used teleportation charms."
The Grandfather sighed. "Always something."
Little Water stepped forward. "Allow me. I will trace the water traces left in space by their movement."
He waved his fingers. A circle of faint mist bloomed at his feet, then spread in a pattern of glowing lines across the field.
"There," he pointed. "That way. Two hundred kilometers. They're headed toward the Western Hollow."
The Grandfather blinked. "You can trace teleportation?"
Little Water gave a modest nod. "Only through spatial water resonance. A little trick."
Su Ling Long looked at him. "Will you be leaving soon?"
"Eventually," Little Water said. "But not before I ensure they are both safe."
He turned to the sphere. It pulsed once more—this time, not with spiritual flame, but with warmth. A slow hum spread through the air, calming even the distant insects.
The Grandfather, quiet now, turned to his son. "We will discuss everything in the council. But that boy... he better prove himself."
Su Ling Long nodded. "He will. He has to."
Little Water murmured to himself, barely audible: "He doesn't have to prove himself to anyone but her."
And then, he sat down on the ground cross-legged, his eyes closed.
Behind him, the sealed sphere dimmed slowly.
Night fell.
Stars shimmered.
And in the distance, the faint echo of merging flames crackled like a vow whispered into the universe.
---[To Be Continued]---