Finally, it's over. Can't believe that the boy was about to pass.

  Xichen, still sitting admired the sight infront of him. The boy was about to clear the path but Xichen, with a snap of his fingers extended the fiery path. He laughed at the look of bewilderment at the boy's face. And then the boy fell.

  The boy was on his hands and knees, fire covering his whole body. Smoke was rising from him as the smell of burning flesh permeated the air. His eyes were blank, perhaps gone unconscious from the pain and the despair from Xichen's cruel trick.

  Xichen couldn't believe the boy had walked this far. He had clearly evaluated the boy's capability and believed that the boy would give up after suffering from a few burns on his feet. Then the boy would beg him again, at which Xichen would incinerate his sister and then the boy after mocking the boy by saying "He was the one who killed his sister by failing the trial." He was looking forwards to see that pretty face covered with snot and tears.

  But what happened was far different from what he could've ever imagined.

  How could this boy posses such immense mental strength?

  But instead of being impressed, Xichen loathed it.

  How dare you spoil my fun? You are just a low life peasant, a jester for my amusement.

  Now hurry up and burn, burn till your flesh gets charred, your bones melt.

  Burn till nothing but ashes remain of your paltry existence.

  But instead of hearing the boy's screams, what Xichen saw shocked him so much that his mouth remained opened for a long time.

  There with the smoke rising from his back, his body covered in flames, the boy was crawling. Even after his legs has given out, he was still crawling to reach the end, to save his sister.

  What drives this boy? For what reason he is subjecting himself to such hellish pain?

  *****

  At three years old, when the whole clan had gone to the ceremony to mourn the death of the patriarch's wife, his mother, Ling Yun instead was playing with a new born baby left unattended by everyone. Seeing the baby giggling when he poked her chubby cheeks, it brought a smile to his face.

  ***

  At eight years old, during one of his rare free time while playing with Yaoyao, she accidentally burned his left hand. Yaoyao started tearing up.

  "Wuwuu... Big brother.. Yaoyao is sor-" With a gentle smile on his face, Ling Yun shushed Yaoyao with a finger to her lips. Without showing any indication of pain due to burning, Ling Yun went to the healer and then after fixing his hand, he came back.

  "Now where we? I believe it's my turn to catch Yaoyao so run! Big brother will mercilessly tickle you if you're caught." Yaoyao stopped crying and started giggling and running away with Ling Yun chasing after her. Since then Ling Yun always kept burn ointment and some bandages with him at all times.

  ***

  At 12 years old, Ling Yun was in the infirmary watching Yaoyao sleeping. The Fourth Elder had kicked her very harshly. Yaoyao slowly opened her eyes and got up. Ling Yun smiled and reached to caress her face but Yaoyao flinched and moved away from his hand.

  "Big Brother, please don't touch Yaoyao. Stay away. Yaoyao doesn't want to hurt you too."

  "Hurt me? Yaoyao is being silly. How could little Yaoyao with her noodle arms hurt this strong big brother?"

  Ling Yun flexed his arms and tried to joke to ease her but Yaoyao angrily replied. "Big brother stop joking. Don't you see, Yaoyao is a cursed child. Every bad thing is due to Yaoyao. Even big brother is suffering. So please, leave Yaoyao alone. Just like everyone else."

  Seeing his little sister saying such depressing words that no child should ever speak of, Ling Yun couldn't hold it in anymore. He tightly embraced Yaoyao, pushing her deep in his chest.

  Yaoyao started pounding with her little fists trying to push him away but he refused to let go.

  "Yaoyao don't listen to see some stupid elder's words. Those old farts have gone senile. How could cute little Yaoyao be a cursed child? Their eyes must have gone rotten."

  He consoled her lightly rubbing her back. "But big brother, why do you love Yaoyao so much? Everyone else hates Yaoyao, but big brother still remains close. Yaoyao has done nothing but cause trouble for big brother so why? For what reason?"

  Yaoyao lifted her face and looked at him with curious eyes. She had wondered about this countless times when she was alone. Her father, her friends and other family members had abandoned her quickly when her curse manifested.

  But no matter how many times she burned him, how many times father yelled at him or many times other children mocked him, big brother never left her alone, always staying by her side whenever he got free time.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Ling Yun pondered for a moment and then said, "Reason? My love for Yaoyao has no reason. You know ever since I first saw you, I knew I would love and cherish this person for the rest of my life.

  "So Yaoyao don't look for reasons for my love. Just take it all in and don't push me away. No matter what happens, big brother will never stop loving you."

  Hearing his heartfelt declaration, tears started falling from her eyes. Her hands that were pushing him tightly hugged him as she buried her face in his chest.

  "Wuwu.. Yaoyao also loves big brother the most."

  After she had stopped crying, Ling Yun said, "Yaoyao let's leave the main house and stay somewhere else. That way no one else would bother us."

  "Will big brother stay with Yaoyao?"

  Ling Yun pinched her cheeks as till it got red. "Didn't I say before? I will never leave Yaoyao."

  Yaoyao started giggling. She kissed him on the cheek causing his face to blush and started laughing.

  "As long as big brother is with Yaoyao, everything is fine."

  ***

  Yes, remember what you promised. Even as this body turns to ash, as long as there is a single breath left, I will keep moving for her sake.

  Even if I have to crawl, I will drag this charred body as long as I can.

  His vision had gone hazy. Ling Yun couldn't see anything except fire and smoke. He could smell his flesh burning, his whole body crying to die, to be released from this hell. But Ling Yun grit his teeth, gathering last of his spirit and started moving.

  Even though he knew at his time was coming to an end, he never stopped. He kept on crawling when suddenly the flames extinguished.

  Did I pass...

  He could hardly sense what happened as his vision turned dark, his consciousness finally fading ending his struggle.

  ***

  Fen Duanhun landed and took a look at this scene. His stupid nephew was trying to burn a little boy to death, perhaps playing another of his sadistic games

  He, like his elder brother, doesn't have any problem with Xichen killing. It's just that he should focus on his cultivation instead of spending his time tormenting some no name small fries. Xichen had reached Foundation Establishment realm so he should aim for higher peaks, behave maturely instead of rashly.

  And they were supposed to lay low in this region.

  He quickly extinguished the fire a took out a high grade pill and fed it to the boy. He gave his nephew an angry look who was stammering, trying to think of a decent explanation.

  As the wounds on the boy's body healed rapidly, Xichen explained everything that happened, about the boy begging to cure his sister and his 'test'.

  Duanhun shook his head in disappointment.

  Seriously when will he grow up.

  The boy opened his eyes in a daze and blinked a few times, his body sufficiently healed. He got up and stared at him .

  I should settle this matter quietly.

  *****

  Ling Yun stared dazedly at the old man dressed in red robes similar to the young cultivator. He was stroking his grey beard when he smiled and said, "Young man, you have passed the trial. Very good. This old man is impressed. Bring your sister to let this old man have a look."

  Ling Yun quickly bowed in gratitude and went to get his sister. But as he tried to reach her, Yaoyao's curse flared up and her body erupted in flames. They burned for a few seconds and then disappeared.

  Ling Yun turned to the old cultivator to explain the curse but he saw that the old man's eyes were wide open in shock.

  "The Divine Pheonix body. Heaven's it's the Divine pheonix body." The old man started muttering in excitement and quickly he arrived next to Yaoyao and started examining her.

  He turned to Ling Yun, grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "What happened? Why is her vitality so low? Tell me quickly."

  "I don't know Senior. Since she was five flames started coming from her randomly. But it never burned her. But since morning she's suffering from a fever which refuses to go down. Senior please help her. Please."

  The old man started stroking his beard in deep thought.

  The Divine Pheonix Body should provide high resistance to fire but why it's looking like she is burning from inside.

  Is her body unable to handle the true Pheonix flames? But why? Focus on that later and think on how to save this girl.

  What should I do? I'm far from the sect and don't have my spiritual artifacts. Her vitality is too low, she would be consumed by her flames before reaching the sect.

  Consumed by flames.. wait I've got it.

  Fen Duanhun stared at Ling Yun for some time. "Boy, what is your name?"

  "My name is Ling Yun and she is my sister Ling Meiyao."

  "Ling Yun, I see. My name is Fen Duanhun and I am a Core Formation realm elder in the Burning Asura cult. I can save your sister but there are two conditions."

  "Please, whatever the conditions are I will accept. Just save my sister." Ling Yun pleaded.

  "First condition is that I will take this girl away to my sect. There she will become a core disciple. Just listen to me before you say anything.

  "Our founding ancestor had the same physique as this girl. I could guarantee that she is a Nascent soul seed. With her status as a core disciple, no one would dare to bully her. She is destined for greatness in the future."

  Seperating from Yaoyao... Impossible but there is no other way to save her

  "And what's the second condition?"

  The old man met his eyes with a serious expression and said, "You must sacrifice your life for her."

  "What?"

  "Let me explain. Your sister has Divine Pheonix body. But for some reason she can't handle the intensity of the flames. So my solution is to extract some percentage of the true Pheonix flames from her body to the bring it to the level she can handle.

  "But I don't have the apparatus to store the flames. The flames would rush back inside her as soon as I release my control. Since, you both are blood siblings, you have an aura similar to her. I would extract the flames and put them directly in your dantian. Due to similar aura, the flames will settle inside you instead of rushing back and your sister will be saved."

  "So how it relates to me dying?"

  "Your body does not have high resistance towards fire and your cultivation is too low to suppress and assimilate the flames. The chances of you dying from the fire are a 100 percent."

  Fen Duanhun was waiting for Ling Yun to interject. To yell at him saying he was lying, refusing to believe his words. He would surely refuse. Everybody fears death, even Core Formation cultivators like him would do anything to increase their lifespan by a single day.

  But the young boy gave a sincere smile and said, "I agree but I also have a condition. Senior must swear a blood oath to become Yaoyao's guardian and protect her from any harm in the sect."

  Fen Duanhun was so shocked that he couldn't help but ask again, "Are you sure about sacrificing your life? What is the reason for doing this?"

  The young boy, no the young man looked at his sister and gave a beautiful smile as if reminiscing some happy memory from the past.

  He turned to him and said, "Reason? My love for her has no reason."

  Fen Duanhun nodded and then he swore, "I, Fen Duanhun of the Burning Asura cult, promises to become Ling Meiyao's guardian and will protect her with my life. If I go back on this oath, may the Heavens punish me as they see fit.

  "Now let the extraction begin."