Beauty and Might: Heavenly Flames

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his sharp mind already processing the details. ”And what do you want in return for this offer?” he asked, voice steady.

The celestial lady smiled, calm and knowing. ”Clever. I expected nothing less from someone carrying the wisdom of another life.”

”Rest assured, what I seek is not harmful to you. In fact, it will greatly benefit you. This agreement is a mutual exchange.”

Her cryptic response only deepened his curiosity. ”What could a being of such immense power possibly want from me? What could I offer that she could not simply take?”

His doubt must have shown on his face, because she chuckled softly. ”I see the confusion in your eyes,” she said gently. ”Let me explain…”

The celestial lady began to speak, her voice carrying the weight of countless years. ”My existence spans nearly a million years. I was born as a flame in a secluded place known as Immortal Blossom Valley (Xiān Huá Gǔ).”

Li Yan was surprised to hear her words as the celestial lady’s gaze drifted, as if she were reliving memories etched into eternity. ”When I matured, I inherited the memories of my predecessors. Only then did I begin to understand the vast abilities I possessed.”

A faint smile touched her lips, but it was tinged with melancholy. ”Yet despite all that power, I found myself… curious. For centuries, I tested fragments of my abilities. At first, it amused me. But eventually, the novelty faded, leaving only silence and boredom.”

Her tone shifted, carrying a subtle weight. ”But there was one ability I could not ignore. A forbidden gift that only awakened when the right conditions were met—an ability called Eighty-Two Heavenly Flames Dominion.”

Li Yan’s brows furrowed slightly as he listened.

”With this ability,” she continued, ”I discovered the existence of at least eighty-two Heavenly Flames apart from myself. This ability allows me to copy the form and power of each, but only if I obtain a thread of their flame essence.”

Li Yan’s breath caught, his eyes widening. ”Eighty-two others… plus her?”

That meant there were eighty-three Heavenly Flames in total. And she—the being before him—wasn’t just powerful; she could use the powers of others.

”Wait… you said at least Eighty-two? Does that mean there could be more?”

”Eighty-two that I’ve known from my inherited memories — but the heavens are vast, and not even my predecessors and I can claim to have seen all their depths.”

His mind spun with possibilities. What kind of unimaginable strength could be gained by mastering all flames? He recalled the different flames she had already displayed since his awakening. So that was the reason.

Before he could stop himself, the question burst from his lips. ”Have you copied all eighty-two?”

The celestial lady chuckled softly, the sound laced with irony. ”What a dream that would be.”

Her gaze hardened, her voice low. ”No… not even close. Following my inherited memories, I waited more than a hundred thousand years before finally unlocking the ability to take human form. Only then did I leave my birthplace.”

”I wandered across the world, seeking out the Heavenly Flames, hoping to gather their essence threads and fulfill the true potential of my ability.”

Li Yan was stunned. She had waited longer than entire civilizations survived, then spent lifetimes wandering… all for this single pursuit. ”What kind of being was she?”

But her next words hit him harder than anything so far.

”Yet, despite scouring this world countless times, leaving no corner unexplored… I found only five.” Her voice tightened, frustration seeping through her calm tone. ”Just five, out of eighty-two.”

”Can you imagine such disappointment?”

Li Yan blinked in disbelief. ”Only five?” His heart thudded. ”Then what about the other seventy-seven?”

The celestial lady’s eyes deepened, her voice carrying the weight of the heavens themselves. ”The other seventy-seven remain elusive, scattered across the vast universe, according to my knowledge.”

”Because each has unique powers, it is natural for them to be born in different environments. Some lie hidden within perilous domains guarded by beasts, beyond mortal reach. Some are bound by nature itself, others are already claimed by powerful cultivators.”

”Many are sealed within dimensions only accessible through portals or deep-space travel.”

Her words made Li Yan’s pulse quicken. Seventy-seven Heavenly Flames, each one unique, each one capable of reshaping the balance of power in the world.

And if even she, an ancient existence, could barely find them, then they were nearly impossible to reach. If she had only obtained five after a million years… then how rare—how terrifying must the others be?

Almost as if she had pulled the thought straight from his mind, the celestial lady continued. ”Do not mistake their rarity as the only obstacle. Each Heavenly Flame has its own soul, consciousness, and intelligence. The laws of heaven itself bind us in some matters.”

”To gain their essence is to overcome not just obstacles in the world but the will of the flame itself. Many flames refuse to show themselves… or refuse to be claimed.”

Li Yan exhaled slowly, his heartbeat loud in his ears. A realization dawned on him, sharp and undeniable.

This wasn’t just a story. It was a request. His sharp instincts told him what she truly wanted.

He lifted his gaze to meet hers. ”And you want me to help you find the remaining Heavenly Flames… don’t you?” he asked, his voice low, laced with both curiosity and a tinge of awe.

The celestial lady’s lips curved into a small smile. ”Exactly. But I’m not asking you to do this without gain. As I told you before, my Eighty-Two Heavenly Flames Dominion allows me to copy the power and form of any Heavenly Flame—so long as I obtain a thread of its essence.”

Her eyes glimmered with quiet conviction. ”If you help me collect these flames, I will guide you to each one. With every flame we find, you will also gain the ability to harness its power.”

”Then, you won’t only wield all nine elements—you’ll command the might of the Heavenly Flames themselves. This is a mutually beneficial pact. Each time you succeed, we will both gain what is important for us.”

Li Yan sat in silence, the weight of her words pressing against him. The temptation was overwhelming—an improved superior body, guidance from a being who had lived nearly a million years, and the chance to master Heavenly Flame… even more than one… a dream far beyond any cultivator’s reach.

For him, once just a mortal businessman before transmigrating into this world a while ago, this type of offer was nothing but a dream; he dared not imagine it before.

Yet the road ahead was equally daunting. Tracking down the Heavenly Flames would mean walking a path filled with unimaginable danger and unknown worlds.

”But why me?” Li Yan finally asked, his tone even but his eyes sharp. ”I can see how much I would gain from this. But why would a being as powerful as you need someone like me? You’ve existed for hundreds of thousands of years. Surely, you could do this alone.”

The celestial lady’s expression softened. ”Perceptive, indeed. Though I am powerful, my influence is limited by the heavens in this realm. I cannot leave this planet and travel freely across all realms or other worlds where these flames exist—not without a vessel.”

Her tone deepened, carrying a quiet weight. ”I have seen the strongest cultivators of this planet, yet none of their bodies could withstand even a single thread of my essence. Not one among them was worthy to become my vessel.”

She paused, her gaze steady on him. ”But you… you are different. Your soul’s transmigration, your potential to awaken all nine elements, and the special body I can forge for you if you agree… together, they create a path that no one else in existence can walk.”

Li Yan’s mind reeled. Slowly, the truth settled over him: he wasn’t just a cultivator with potential. His transmigrated soul made him a bridge to realms and opportunities that even she couldn’t grasp on her own.

Li Yan’s brow furrowed, unease flickering in his chest. ”So… you mean I have to become your human vessel?”

The celestial lady chuckled softly, amusement threading her tone. ”No. Even if I created your special body now, its strength would still be far from sufficient to withstand my essence. I say this not from pride but from experience, and from the memories I inherited.”

Her voice grew solemn. ”Instead, I will shape your body so that it can subdue and refine all Heavenly Flames. With it, you will be able to collect them one by one.”

”In return, you will provide me with a single thread of their essence.”

Li Yan’s heartbeat quickened. He drew in a slow breath, steadying himself. ”Then… what exactly does this journey entail? What will it take to find them? Are these flames even still in existence after all this time?”

The celestial lady’s eyes gleamed, both solemn and filled with anticipation. ”You need not fear that. I will give you the knowledge and abilities to seek them out.”

”Also, each Heavenly Flame has its own cycle of birth. They are born again in precise conditions, within rare environments. This means multiple flames of the same type can exist simultaneously.”

Her tone sharpened. ”But make no mistake—this will not be easy. You will face formidable foes, human and otherwise. There will be times when you question your resolve, when even survival will seem impossible.”

She paused, her words sinking deep before she added, ”But if you endure, the rewards will be greater than anything you can imagine.”

Li Yan’s emotions swirled—curiosity, apprehension, and a dangerous spark of ambition. Slowly, he spoke, testing the weight of the thought forming inside him. ”And when we’ve gathered all eighty-two… what then?”

The celestial lady’s smile deepened, her expression carrying the weight of millennia. A glimmer of boundless ambition flickered in her eyes.

”When that time comes,” she said softly, ”you will ascend to heights no cultivator in history has ever touched. And I…” Her voice dropped into a whisper that seemed to shake the very air. ”I will finally fulfill my dream—to wield the full force of all eighty-two Heavenly Flames.”

Li Yan could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him. The promise of immense power, the chance to uncover the mysteries of the universe—it was tempting beyond belief. But as he had learned in his previous life, every deal came with risks.

This was no different.

He drew in a slow, steady breath. The opportunity before him was one cultivators would kill for, yet it was also a gamble. By agreeing, he would be tying his fate to this ancient being and walking straight into the unknown.

Yet the lure of power, of knowledge beyond what Yan Tian or anyone else on this planet could fathom, was irresistible.

After a long silence, Li Yan looked up, locking eyes with the celestial lady. His voice carried a calm certainty. ”I’ll accept your offer,” he said. ”But on one condition.”

Her lips curved faintly, an eyebrow lifting in interest. ”Oh? And what might that be?”

Li Yan’s expression hardened with determination. ”I want your full cooperation. No secrets, no hidden motives. If I’m to help you, I need the truth—no half-truths, no games.”

For a heartbeat, silence lingered.

Then the celestial lady’s smile deepened, tinged with amusement and respect. ”Very well. Aside from matters bound by karmic law and the restrictions of heaven’s will, which I cannot reveal before the right time, I agree.”

”From this moment forward, we are partners.”

Li Yan thought on her words, the warning about karmic restraints echoing in his mind, but he gave a firm nod. ”Good. Then tell me—what should I call you from now on?”

Her expression softened, her posture easing as though the formality of the moment lifted. ”Whatever you wish. My true name is Radiant Resurrection Flame. Some have called me the Inferno of Purity.”

Li Yan tilted his head thoughtfully. ”So you don’t have a human-like name. In that case… how about Fu Yan, or perhaps Yao Fuhuo?”

A flicker of surprise crossed her serene features—it was the first time anyone had ever given her a human-like name. Slowly, a gentle smile spread across her lips. ”Yao Fuhuo… I like that one.”