Chapter 233: Here It Comes

"Red Fire Energy Card! Who is this person?!"

Seeing Xiao Yan pull out the red Fire Energy Card, Han Yue was greatly startled and began studying him, speculating about his true identity.

Obtaining a red Fire Energy Card doesn't require strength—only six hundred Fire Energy is needed to exchange for it. Fire Energy can be traded; thus, if you possess precious Elixirs, Treasure Weapons, or even Cultivation Methods, you can acquire vast amounts of Fire Energy.

"Hehehe, if I'm not mistaken, you're Xiao Yan," said Liu Elder, walking over from the entrance with a smile.

Liu Elder scrutinized Xiao Yan up and down; though initially uncertain, seeing the crimson Fire Energy Card confirmed it beyond doubt.

Shortly after Xiao Yan entered the Inner Court, Su Qian, the chief Elder overseeing the Inner Court, informed all Elders of Xiao Yan's identity.

Especially the Elders in charge of the Fentian Lianqi Tower were explicitly warned about Xiao Yan, for he possessed an Alien Flame, and they feared his Alien Flame might form some unexpected connection with the Heartfall Flame.

Xiao Yan smiled and bowed respectfully. "Student Xiao Yan, greetings, Elder Liu."

Liu Elder nodded amiably at Xiao Yan, then turned and smiled at the silver-robed woman. "Little Yue, which level are you planning to enter this time?"

"The sixth level," the silver-robed woman hesitated slightly before replying.

"The sixth level?! That's only accessible after reaching Six-Star Dou Ling! Has Han Yue Senior already reached that level?!" Her answer instantly triggered a wave of shocked murmurs from the surrounding crowd.

"Huh?" Liu Elder was also slightly surprised by Han Yue's reply. His sharp eyes slowly swept over her, then he sighed. "It seems in just a few years, you'll be qualified to run for Elder position in the Inner Court. Such cultivation talent and speed is truly astonishing."

"It's all thanks to the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta. If I trained alone, I'd barely have reached Dou Ling by now," Han Yue shook her head.

Liu Elder turned to Xiao Yan. "And you, boy—what level are you aiming for?"

Xiao Yan frowned in thought for a moment. "I'll go to the sixth level too."

?!

Liu Elder's pupils flickered, revealing a look of keen interest. Han Yue's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she stared at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan immediately shook his head, smiling wryly. "Senior, please don't misunderstand—I already have someone I care for. I'm going to the sixth level because I believe I can handle it, not because I'm following you."

Liu Elder, who knew Xiao Yan's true strength and background, smiled. Given Xiao Yan's power and possession of an Alien Flame, entering the sixth level was entirely reasonable.

Normally, a Two-Star Dou Ling would be best suited for the fifth level, but Xiao Yan, with his Alien Flame, was even more suited for the sixth.

"If anyone else had Six-Star Dou Ling power, I'd never allow a New Student into the sixth level. But you, boy, are an exception." Liu Elder didn't hesitate—he approved Xiao Yan's request.

Hearing Liu Elder confirm Xiao Yan's status as a New Student, even the usually serene and detached Han Yue's eyes widened in shock.

A New Student?! A New Student entering the sixth level right upon arrival?!

"H-He's a New Student?!"

"Impossible! How could a New Student enter the sixth level and possess a crimson Fire Energy Card?!"

Several senior students who had planned to descend to the next level began whispering among themselves; the academy was vast, and many focused solely on cultivation, unaware of Xiao Yan's "glorious reputation."

Seeing the crowd grow larger, Liu Elder waved to Xiao Yan. "I'll show you around the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta first, then take you to the sixth level."

"Thank you, Elder Liu," Xiao Yan bowed slightly, his manners impeccable—clearly the scion of some noble family.

"Hehe, no need for such formalities."

Within the circular interior of the tower, training chambers of varying sizes were arranged. As Xiao Yan slowly walked from east to south, he noticed that all the high-level chambers clustered near the tower's center, while medium-level chambers surrounded them, and low-level chambers lay farthest out.

"In the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta, these high, medium, and low-level chambers are generally claimed by strength—the stronger you are, the better your training conditions; the weaker, the farther out you must go," Liu Elder said, pointing to a chamber marked with a high-level sign.

Xiao Yan nodded slightly, then suddenly halted his steps. Following his gaze forward, he realized they had reached the tower's very center.

"This is…?"

Staring in astonishment at the bottomless black hole before him, Xiao Yan took two cautious steps forward, reaching the edge. He peered down warily—the abyss stretched into utter darkness, swallowing all light. This unnatural, lightless void made his head spin slightly.

This black hole seemed to pierce the entire Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta; had it not been capped by the tower's peak, the abyss might have been visible from the sky.

Within this dark pit, upon careful sensing, one could detect that the air here was far hotter than elsewhere—as if something at its very bottom continuously emitted heat, feeding the entire tower.

Xiao Yan reached out and grasped a handful of scorching air—and something within him suddenly surged.

"Could it be down there?!"

His throat bobbed. Xiao Yan leaned forward slightly, eyes locked on the endless darkness. After a long moment, his pupils flickered with Black Flame.

As the Black Flame surged into his eyes, the boundless darkness below began to subtly warp. Then, these warped spaces twisted like invisible serpents, surging upward at terrifying speed toward the hole's mouth.

"Xiao Yan, step back!"

Xiao Yan's Soul Force was stronger than Liu Elder's. Before Liu Elder could act, Xiao Yan had already exploded backward, putting distance between them.

The next instant, a transparent Sea Giant Python emerged from the black hole, fixing its gaze on Xiao Yan.

"Heartfall Flame!" Xiao Yan's heart jolted!

Meow!! A voice suddenly echoed in Xiao Yan's mind—Mao Wu confirmed his suspicion. This wasn't just an ordinary Alien Flame—it was an Alien Flame that had developed sentience!

Just like Mao Wu!

"It sensed my Alien Flame and came to investigate?" Xiao Yan understood—the relationship between Alien Flames was strange, perhaps even antagonistic.

The Heartfall Flame, now possessing sentience, had awakened from slumber upon sensing Xiao Yan's presence.

The next instant, an ancient, terrifying aura slowly rose from the black hole, then erupted like a lightning bolt tearing through night—spilling forth from the endless, profound darkness.

The space two meters above the hole's mouth had become grotesquely distorted—a Space Seal, personally crafted by a Dou Zun, designed to imprison the Heartfall Flame.

After frantic struggling for a long while, the invisible fire serpent finally grew exhausted. It let out a furious, thunderous hiss, then the space twisted violently once more—the serpent dissolved back into invisibility and slithered into the dark abyss.

Feeling the temperature around them drop, Liu Elder exhaled deeply. "That was close… but why did it awaken suddenly?"

Then Liu Elder glanced at Xiao Yan—he seemed to understand why.

Xiao Yan coughed twice. "Elder Liu, you're not going to revoke my right to train in the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta because of this little incident, are you?"

Liu Elder's eyelid twitched, his expression helpless. Indeed, Xiao Yan possessing an Alien Flame was his own affair—he had no grounds to deny him entry.

"Sigh… I'll inform the chief Elder. Wait here."

After Liu Elder entered a nearby Elder training chamber, Han Yue's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she turned to Xiao Yan. "Was this disturbance caused by you?"

"This… time?"

"Such disturbances happen periodically—it's nothing unusual."

Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with delight—he thought: "Could it be… am I this lucky? Is the Heartfall Flame about to break free?"

"But if this sealing can still hold for several more years—or even ten years—does that mean I have to wait ten years in the Inner Court?"

"I wonder if Mao Wu has a way to break this seal, so I can slip in and refine the Falling Heart Flame."

Not long after, Liu Elder returned and said, "Xiao Yan, you may enter the sixth level for cultivation."

Following Liu Elder for nearly five minutes, Xiao Yan finally felt him slow his pace; he looked ahead and saw, just around the corner ahead, a spiral staircase entrance—it must be the access to the next level.

"This area is protected by a Space Mirror. Since you're heading to the sixth level, follow Han Yue down the stairs—you'll reach it." Liu Elder hurried to the staircase entrance and said.

Liu Elder reached out, removed the Class Badge from his chest, and carefully pressed it into a hidden recess on the nearby wall.

As the Class Badge made contact, the space before them suddenly rippled faintly; within just a few blinks, Xiao Yan noticed the distortion in the space had vanished entirely.

"Everywhere here bears the marks of a Dou Zun. If I'm not mistaken, this Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta was built by a Dou Zun."

"Remember, if you can't endure the Heart Fire's scorching in the sixth level, find a place to rest."

"Hehe, understood. Thank you, Liu Elder." Liu Elder's thoughtful warning made Xiao Yan nod with a smile, bow again, then flashed forward, following Han Yue into the spiral staircase corner—and vanished.

Each level's staircase entrance is guarded, primarily to check Fire Energy Cards—only those with the corresponding rank may proceed to the next level.

Stepping into the sixth level of Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta, Xiao Yan gazed at the chamber, wider and more open than the previous levels, and silently sighed: "Such an environment and privilege—no wonder only the Inner Court's top experts are allowed here."

The sixth level's space was vast, yet nearly deserted; Xiao Yan looked around and saw only a handful of figures scattered across the enormous area—vastly different from the crowded scenes of the upper levels.

"Then let's part here," Han Yue said coldly.

Xiao Yan smiled. "Thank you, Senior Sister Han Yue, for guiding me."

As Xiao Yan stepped forward, the murmurs in the chamber fell silent; piercing, sharp glances—seemingly calm but laced with edge—shot from all directions and settled on Xiao Yan's body. Then, all paused slightly, low murmurs of confusion rising.

"Two-Star Dou Ling? When did someone this weak gain entry to the sixth level? Has the Inner Court lowered its standards?"

Xiao Yan ignored the idle gossip and walked into the outermost cultivation chamber. The sixth level's chambers outnumbered the cultivators, so each was largely private—and the outermost ones were naturally the least desired.

As the door opened, a pale red, intense light surged out, forcing Xiao Yan to instinctively squint; after a moment, he slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the room's interior—astonishment deepening on his face.

"Tsk tsk tsk, the Fire Attribute Energy here is terrifying—but too impure. If used directly for cultivation or refinement, it'd be a nightmare."

At the center of the chamber stood a black Stone Platform, with a small recess before it. Like drawing water at university, inserting a Fire Energy Card would summon purified Heart Fire for cultivation.

*Ding. * Six Soul Points were deducted from Xiao Yan's Fire Energy Card. First level: one point per day, second level: two, and so on.

*Whoosh. * A large mass of invisible Heart Fire rose gently near the vortex. Xiao Yan, following the Burning Scripture, channeled vast streams of Dou Qi continuously through his Meridians, pouring it inward.

When the Dou Qi passed through the Heart Fire and reemerged, it had shrunk from the thickness of a thumb to a fine thread—translucent, like a strand of hair.

"This refining speed!"

Xiao Yan's heart trembled. Cultivation Methods absorb external Dou Qi and must continuously refine it—the higher the Cultivation Realm, the more extreme the refinement, and the slower the progress.

That's why Cultivation Methods matter so much. If a Dou Ling still used a Yellow Class Method, it might take ten years to advance one star; a Profound Class Method, one or two years. But Xiao Yan's was Earth Rank!

A Dou Ling with an Earth Rank Method is driving an F1 car!

"I thought it'd take over half a month to reach Three-Star Dou Ling. Now, with this Heart Flame aiding refinement, maybe I can advance a star in less than two days!"

Xiao Yan had other plans, but seeing the Heart Flame's refining speed, he could no longer hold back—he immediately sat cross-legged and activated the Burning Scripture to its limit!

Other attribute cultivators usually absorb massive amounts of energy first, then come here to refine with Heart Fire. But Xiao Yan is Fire Attribute—he doesn't need to go elsewhere. This chamber is brimming with Fire Attribute Energy, and with Heart Fire helping, impurities aren't a concern.

The dense energy in the room now swirled like a vortex, violently rushing into Xiao Yan at its center!

His astonishing absorption rate even emitted a sound like an engine; the Heart Fire masses visibly dwindled, while the stream of Dou Qi, refined by the Heart Fire, transformed into countless glistening, hair-thin threads.

In cultivation, time vanishes; one day passes in the blink of an eye. Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, exhaled a turbid breath, and glanced at the number on his Fire Energy Card.

"Twelve Soul Points deducted. More than a day has passed."

"Earth Rank Method combined with Heart Flame is incredible! If I refine the Origin Flame Seed of the Falling Heart Flame and the Burning Scripture evolves to Heavenly Rank!"

Xiao Yan's eyes gleamed with boundless greed—he couldn't imagine that speed! Would he leap to Peak Dou Ling in half a year, then become a Dou Wang with just one Pill?!

Moreover, the Dou Qi refined by the Falling Heart Flame was incredibly pure and dense, never weak or unstable—it was a perfect cheat!

"Calm down, calm down. The more excited you are, the less you should rush. To obtain the Falling Heart Flame, I must solve two problems."

"First: the Falling Heart Flame is sealed by a Dou Zun's Flame Sealing. How do I break it?"

*Meow! * The space trembled—a small black cat emerged from the Void, pointing at itself.

"You mean to coordinate with the Falling Heart Flame from inside and out? You tear a gap, and it might break the seal on its own?" Xiao Yan asked.

~o(=∩ω∩=)m

Mao Wu nodded, confirming it was exactly so.

Xiao Yan stroked his chin, murmuring: "Using the Falling Heart Flame's own power... that's not a bad idea."

"Second problem: after breaking the seal, how do I subdue the Falling Heart Flame? Though a Dou Zun's seal isn't as strong as the Dou Zun himself, even that seal is barely holding it back—so the Falling Heart Flame's power must be at least Dou Zong."

"Refining a sentient Falling Heart Flame with Dou Zong power... that's difficult."

The other Infernal Flames Xiao Yan had refined had no sentience—they were merely extremely hot, hard to approach, and lacked offensive capability.

But the Falling Heart Flame is different. Sentience means it's like a living being—it can attack!

"Ask a Guardian from the Soul Hall? Not only do they charge at least thirty to forty thousand Soul Points per service—I don't have that many. Even if I could pay, letting Soul Hall people into Jia Nan Academy wouldn't be help—it'd be outright theft."

"Vice Dean Hu Qian is already at Dou Huang Peak, and there's a rumor the Grand Elder has Dou Zong power. Plus those two mysterious Librarians—could the Black Horn Region's branch even compete with Jia Nan Academy?"

Xiao Yan and Mao Wu both sighed deeply, at a loss for a solution.

At that moment! Xiao Yan's storage ring suddenly shot out a green glow—the Green Lotus slowly floated into the air. As it slowly opened, a Seven-Colored Divine Light shot forth.

Dressed in a magnificent robe, the Medusa Queen stepped onto the Green Lotus, surveyed the surroundings, furrowed her elegant brows, looked down at Xiao Yan, and said coldly: "When will you restore my body?"

Xiao Yan's heart surged with joy—this Dou Zong-level power had arrived!

(End of Chapter)