To acquire the Mystic Ember, Xiao Yan and his mentor ventured into a snake‑laden wasteland, provoking the serpent clan"s chief, Yue Mei. When Xiao Yan teetered on the brink of death, a masked Combat Master appeared and rescued him. It turned out he was also in pursuit of the Mystic Ember. The serpent clan refused to surrender the Ember to the Combat Master, yet when he assaulted the clan"s queen she revealed herself as a mere husk; the true sovereign plotted to absorb the Ember and ascend as the God of Combat. The serpent clan struck down anyone who dared oppose their queen, while Xiao Yan tracked the Ember"s remnants amid chaos and hunted the true ruler. Despite the peril, Xiao Yan"s resolve hardened; he recalled his teacher"s teachings on harnessing inner flame and vowed to protect the Ember from corrupt hands, knowing that its power could either heal or doom the realm. He set out at dawn together.
