Chapter 32: Warning of Reckless Behavior (V)

That flame was a pure black that should not have existed, an utter contrast to the warm jade-like hue in Ci Mo’s palm.

There was no outer blaze, no inner glow, not even a hint of heat—just a lifeless darkness, black as ink. Flames—how could they possibly be black?

The first lackey rubbed his eyes hard, but the flame was no hallucination. It was truly there.

Though the air wasn’t cold at all, goosebumps broke out all over his skin.

He was terrified.

It was only now, in this moment, that he truly realized—the young man standing across from him was no ordinary person. How else could anyone make a ball of fire float in their palm?

He tried to convince himself it was just a trick.

But the rhythm of the flame’s dance, and the ancient, divine dark light swirling around it, told him this was no illusion.

His legs felt weak. As he thought desperately of escape, the oppressive aura from the youth made even lifting a foot impossibly hard.

Then Ci Mo, black fire leaping in his hand, stepped closer. Without a flicker of emotion, he laid the black flame over the lackey’s head.

The instant it touched, the black fire sprang to life, burning with a strange vitality. But what it consumed was not wood, but something else.

At first, the lackey thought the pain would be unbearable, and he instinctively tried to scream. But once the black fire enveloped him, only a single thought remained in his mind.

So fire… can be cold…

That notion flashed through him, and before he could even cry out, he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Ci Mo did not spare the fallen figure a glance. He simply tossed the black flame in his hand onto the center of the clearing.

“In my name, with this place as the circle; let all that defies the will of the master be consumed!”

The ancient incantation flowed softly from his lips. The black flame, as if receiving its orders, spun swiftly in place and fell precisely on the center point.

Yet, in truth, it never touched the ground. Just before landing, it hung suspended in midair. Then, from its core, black fire spread rapidly through the entire grove!

Under the moonlight, the black flames surged, dyeing the woods into a sinister, chilling shadow—a blackened forest, strange and cold.

Magnificent, intricate, and grand, it was like a formation silently unfolding.

And within it, Ci Mo stood in white robes, silent as a priest stepping from an ancient scroll, calmly watching the unnoticed ritual unfold.

Before long, the burning slowed, returning to a motionless, dead fire.

Seeing the rite nearly complete, Ci Mo reached out, and the black flame obediently shrank into his palm, fading away.

He wiped his hand with a handkerchief to be sure no strange scent remained from striking his foe, then strode off with long steps, vanishing into the darkness.

Meanwhile, Chao Xu, who had left the school grove, had already hurried back to the Chao family residence, quietly climbing through a window.

Landing steadily, she stood and glanced around the empty room, frowning unconsciously.

Hadn’t she told Ci Mo to wait right here for her? Where had he gone?

Since coming to this world, Ci Mo had always clung to her side. Suddenly not seeing him filled her with a strange irritation.

She clicked her tongue, and was just about to climb back out in search of him when a familiar, delighted voice called out.

“You’re back?”