Chapter 147: Tempestas Aeternum-the Eternal Storm Flame

Jiang Feng steadied himself, his breath catching as he glanced at the two spirits. Their tiny heads tilted upward, gazes fixed on the heavens. He followed their line of sight, his hazel eyes—still masked by the Faceless Mask's subtle shift—squinting against the glare. Far above, piercing the cloudless sky, loomed a massive snow-white peak, its summit a gleaming fang against the azure expanse.

It towered over the lesser ridges, a monarch among mountains, its presence both serene and foreboding. Then, as if drawn by an unseen thread, the Golden Crow and Skyforge Fairy shifted their attention westward, their fiery eyes tracing a path he couldn't yet discern.

"What's going on?" Jiang Feng murmured, his voice low, tinged with confusion. His vision blurred at the edges, still adjusting to the sudden surge of qi that had summoned his companions and the still-adjusting effect of his new eyes. The world beyond the steam felt distant, the market's chatter a faint echo as he strained to see what had caught their focus so much.

The Golden Crow's flames flared brighter, its voice a crackle, sharp with urgency. "We've just sensed the presence of one of the top ten flames. It's moving swiftly—too swiftly. It should've felt our presence by now, just as we've felt it, but it's wounded, fleeing from something or someone, it's wilder is hurt as well." The bird's form pulsed, a miniature sun casting long shadows across the snow, its words igniting a spark of curiosity in Jiang Feng's chest.

"What, really?" Shock widened his eyes as he turned westward, where the land dipped into the shadowed sprawl of the Shadowfang Hollows. Huo Tan's words echoed in his mind—a lawless tangle of rogue cultivators and ruthless clans, the Nightshade Wei among them, their blades dripping with treachery. Could such a place harbor one of the legendary flames? His pulse quickened, the possibility stirring the embers of his own ambitions.

The Skyforge Fairy darted upward, her tiny frame a streak of azure blue against the sky. She circled high above, wings humming like a forge's bellows, her gaze sweeping the horizon for what felt like an eternity. At last, she descended, alighting on Jiang Feng's shoulder once more, her voice soft yet resonant, like the chime of cooling steel. "Tempestas Aeternum—the Eternal Storm Flame—is here, in the lower realms. It's close, but slipping away, a tempest bound in chains of injury, its personality is as wild as its name."

Jiang Feng's breath hitched, the name striking a chord deep within him. The Eternal Storm Flame—one of the ten primal fires, a force said to embody the ceaseless fury of thunderheads and the boundless churn of lightning-laced winds, the soul of a storm God. Tales of its power had drifted through the martial world like smoke in the upper realms, whispered by masters and coveted by sects. To think it roamed these peaks, wounded and hunted, sent a thrill racing through his veins. He clenched his fists, the steam still rising around him as the market's bustle faded entirely from his awareness.

"How can that be?" he asked, his tone a mix of awe and skepticism. He glanced between the Golden Crow and the Skyforge Fairy, their flames flickering in tandem with his racing thoughts. "A flame of that caliber—here, in the Azure Peaks? And injured? What could wound something like that?"

The Golden Crow ruffled its fiery plumes, its gaze still locked westward. "Even the mightiest flame can falter under a storm of blades or a trap well-laid. The Shadowfang Hollows breed treachery as that wondering cultivator said—perhaps the Nightshade Wei, or some rogue cultivator, a powerful sect or family, sought to claim it. But it's not dead yet. It flees, and that means opportunity. While in the lower realms, our power is bound by its ceiling."

"Opportunity?" Jiang Feng echoed, his brow furrowing. He rubbed a hand across his chin, the mask's illusion smooth beneath his fingers. Northern Moon tugged at his heart, but this—this was a thread of fate dangling before him, shimmering with promise. To wield a flame like Tempestas Aeternum could forge a path beyond the Peaks, beyond even his own shadowed past.

"I already possess two God Flames, the speed of my cultivation and growth of my strength is shocking beyond measure. Not only that but I also possess other means of strength that make me a formidable warrior. If I could acquire three God Flames, just how strong would I be in the future?" Jiang Feng's eyes shined for a moment before calming down once more.

The Skyforge Fairy fluttered closer, her silver-blue light brushing his cheek. "It's weakening, Jiang Feng. We felt its pulse— erratic like a storm unraveling. If it falls into the wrong hands or fades into the void, its power will be lost until it awakens in the next 100,000 years. But if you claim it..." She trailed off, her meaning clear, her ember eyes gleaming with quiet encouragement.

He nodded slowly, the weight of their words settling into his bones. The market's edge lay just steps away, its stalls a blur of color and motion, but his path now stretched westward, toward the hollows where shadows danced and danger lurked. The Faceless Mask would shield him, its guise a silent ally, but the flames on his shoulders burned with a restlessness that mirrored his own.

"Back to Northern Moon can wait," he said at last, his voice firm, though a flicker of doubt lingered beneath it. "If the Eternal Storm Flame is here, I'll find it. But we'll need to move carefully—those hollows don't sound forgiving, and I'm not the only one who's after it either. We must keep a look out for both sides."

The Golden Crow let out a sharp caw, its flames flaring in approval. "Wise choice. We'll guide you—our bond with the flames runs deeper than sight. Follow the wind's pull, and we'll track its trail."

Jiang Feng took a steadying breath, the steam dissipating as he willed the Golden Crow and Skyforge Fairy back into the recesses of his spirit. Their forms faded, leaving only the faint warmth of their presence within him. The market loomed ahead, a gateway to the trails beyond, and he stepped forward, his cloak billowing in the icy gusts. The Shadowfang Hollows awaited—a peak of peril and promise—and with them, the flickering hope of a flame that could light his destiny anew once more.

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Far beyond the bustling edge of Frosthaven, where the land dipped into a shadowed maze of ravines and twisted peaks, the Eternal Storm Flame roared in defiance, lightning crackling as it filled the sky with explosions. It was a primal force, a tempest of violet and silver, its core a writhing knot of lightning that lashed out in jagged arcs. The air around it crackled, heavy with the scent of ozone and scorched earth, as it streaked through the hollows, a wounded beast fleeing a hunter's relentless pursuit.

Its wielder clung to its power, a figure cloaked in tattered gray, her breath ragged as she vaulted over gnarled roots and ducked beneath overhanging cliffs. Her name was Lin Xue, a rogue cultivator whose fate had intertwined with the God flame three months ago, when she'd wrested it from a crumbling shrine deep in the western wilds.

"Faster!" Lin Xue hissed, her voice a hoarse rasp as she channeled her essence into the flame as much as she could. It flared in response, a surge of stormy light propelling her forward, her boots skimming the frost-crusted ground. Sweat beaded on her brow despite the biting cold, her dark hair plastered against her pale face, streaked with dirt and blood. A deep gash marred her left arm, the wound pulsing with black tendrils of corruption—evidence of the trap that had nearly claimed her life hours before.

The Eternal Storm Flame pulsed within her, its wild spirit thrashing against her control. "I'm not dying here, you hear me?" she muttered, her words half a plea, half a command. The flame snarled back—a soundless roar of wind and thunder reverberating through her mind—its personality as untamed as the storms it embodied. It was no docile servant; it was a god of chaos, a tempest born of the heavens' fury, and it chafed at her weakened hold.

Behind her, the shadows stirred. Three figures darted through the hollows, their movements fluid and lethal, cloaks blending with the dusk-lit ravines. The Nightshade Wei—assassins of the western clans—was hot her trail, their blades gleaming with the promise of death as they closed in on her as swiftly as they could. Their leader, a wiry man with eyes like chipped obsidian, had sprung the trap: a net of shadow-infused chains laced with a venom that gnawed at both flesh and essence energy. The flame had shattered the snare, but not before the poison sank its claws into Lin Xue, sapping her strength with every step she took.

"They're gaining on us," she growled, glancing over her shoulder as a dagger whistled past, embedding itself in a nearby pine with a dull thunk. The flame flared again, a bolt of lightning splitting the air and forcing her pursuers to scatter, but its light flickered—erratic, dimming at the edges. "You're hurt worse than I am," she said, her tone softening despite the urgency. "What did they do to you?"

The Eternal Storm Flame pulsed, its voice a tempestuous howl in her mind. "Chains of the Void—cursed iron from the abyss. They bound me, drained me. I broke free and fled to the shrine, but the wound festers to fast, I need to recuperate quickly." Its words carried a wild edge, a mix of rage and exhaustion, yet beneath it lay a spark of awareness that sounded ancient. "I sense others of my kind—two flames, bright and fierce, God Flames like me. They call to me, from the east. Find them!"

Lin Xue stumbled, catching herself against a jagged boulder as the revelation sank in. "Two flames?" she breathed, her eyes narrowing. She straightened, her grip tightening on the storm-wrought dagger in her hand—a crude vessel for the flame's power. "You mean there's more of your kind out there? Now?"

"Yes," the flame rumbled, its tone shifting, sharper now. "The Golden Crow—sun's wrath made flesh. The Skyforge Flame—steel's heart given wings. They are, stronger than I am now. Their wielder seeks me—I feel his hunger even from this distance, but it's dark, clouded in fog." It paused, a crackle of lightning dancing across its core. "He could save us—or end us."

Her heart thudded, a storm of her own brewing within. "Save us? Or claim you for himself?" She pushed off the boulder, forcing her legs to move despite the ache spreading through her limbs. The hollows twisted ahead, a labyrinth of stone and shadow where death could come at any moment, but she pressed westward, toward the deeper ravines where she might lose her hunters or her life. "You're not exactly charming company—why should I trust him?" Lin Xue added.

The flame's response was a gust of scornful wind, rattling the branches above. "Trust? I trust no one. But I'd rather burn in his hands than rot in theirs." A flicker of violet light traced the gash on her arm, illuminating the black veins creeping toward her shoulder. "The poison is spreading. We're bound, you and I—if I fade, you follow, this is bad."

Lin Xue gritted her teeth, her free hand clutching her wound as a wave of dizziness blurred her vision. "Then we keep running. If this other wielder's close, maybe he'll draw them off—or finish what they started." She forced a bitter laugh, the sound swallowed by the wind. "Either way, I'm not handing you over without a fight."

A low hum vibrated through the flame, almost a grudging respect. "Good. Fight 'til the end, little storm. But beware—the Nightshade Wei won't stop, and the hollows hold even more dangers." Its light dimmed again, a shudder rippling through its form as the poison's toll deepened over them both. "The east calls, bright as a beacon, all flames are connected at the end of the day. If we live, we'll meet them, one way or another!"

She nodded, her resolve hardening even as her body faltered. The hollows stretched before her, a gauntlet of shadowed cliffs and icy streams, the distant howls of her pursuers echoing through the ravines. The Eternal Storm Flame clung to her, its wild spirit battered but unbowed, its awareness of Jiang Feng's presence a thread of hope—or doom—woven into their flight. With a final surge of Qi, she leaped forward, the storm's fading light trailing behind her like a comet's tail, racing against the darkness that hunted them both.

Meanwhile, Jiang Feng pressed deeper into the market, the clamor of Frosthaven a fading whisper as he neared its western edge. The Golden Crow and Skyforge Fairy stirred within him, their warmth a quiet pulse urging him onward. The Shadowfang Hollows loomed closer now, their shadowed ridges clawing at the horizon, and with every step, the pull of the Eternal Storm Flame grew stronger—a tempest's cry echoing across the peaks, calling him into its chaos.