Chapter 271: The Cat That Stole the Fish

Jii! The invisible fire serpent suddenly emitted an excruciatingly sharp hiss, a wave of invisible sound waves instantly spreading out and slamming hard against the surrounding energy barrier, causing the barrier to ripple violently.

The piercing hiss gradually faded; the invisible fire serpent opened its massive maw, and instantly, a vast torrent of invisible flame erupted forth!

"Hold on!"

"Grand Elder! We're about to give out! The seal at the heart of the earth is weakening rapidly!"

Seeing the dark energy membrane weaken, the invisible fire serpent hissed again—but this time, even the Grand Elder and others could hear the delight in it; immediately, the Heartfall Flame redoubled its efforts, spewing forth its terrifying, unmatched invisible flame at breakneck speed.

At that moment, a tiny speck, like a black ember, slowly pierced through the protective barrier and dripped into the lava.

As the saying goes: a thousand-li dike collapses from an ant's hole; once the barrier developed a minuscule crack, spiderweb-like fissures rapidly spread from it.

"Damn it, the seal on the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta is about to break." Even with Su Qian's composure, his face was pale with shock, his voice sharp.

"Grand Elder, what do we do now?" one Elder hastily asked; they all knew the consequences if the Heartfall Flame broke free.

Su Qian's expression flickered uncertainly; after a moment, he sharply waved his hand and barked: "All Elders, follow me out of the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta immediately! The seal here can't hold much longer—we must use the sealing array left by the Dean, channeling the Inner Court's Earth Vein, and try to reseal it!"

The Grand Elder waved his hand, and all the Elders appeared around the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta via a spatial teleportation array.

In the sky, dozens of figures surrounded the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta, their Dou Qi wings spread wide as they hovered aloft, variously colored wings trembling faintly, vivid and striking.

These figures stood scattered across the sky, their positions seeming casual, yet subtly revealing strange patterns!

Faint, multicolored energy enveloped these figures; thin, nearly invisible strands of energy quietly extended.

"It's breaking." As if sensing it, Xiao Yan gazed toward the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta and murmured softly.

No sooner had the words left his lips than a deafening, earth-shattering explosion ripped through the sky; instantly, the incredibly sturdy tip of the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta shattered violently, and a column of scorching lava erupted forth, spewing into the air before the horrified gazes of distant onlookers.

Sensing the commotion, Mei Du Sha glanced over, then turned to Xiao Yan and asked: "Did you do something?"

"What do you mean 'do something'?" Xiao Yan shot her a look and declared solemnly: "I'm about to leave the Academy. If I leave and the Flame erupts, the Inner Court is finished. I'm doing this for the Inner Court's sake."

"Hah, rationalizing." Mei Du Sha almost laughed; no one could spin a conspiracy into such a noble excuse—only Xiao Yan could.

Now free from the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta's seal, a sharp, exultant hiss erupted from the lava flow like thunder; instantly, lava sprayed everywhere, and wherever it fell, fierce flames roared up; within moments, dozens of meters around the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta had become a Sea of Fire.

As lava rained down, a massive invisible fire serpent, dozens of zhang long, shot forth from within; feeling the long-lost freedom, its enormous triangular eyes blazed with unmistakably human-like ecstasy.

"All Elders, form the Thousand-Layer Sealing Array!" The instant the Heartfall Flame appeared, Grand Elder Su Qian roared.

As Su Qian's command echoed, the dozens of Elders from the Inner and Outer Courts hovering in the sky responded in unison; their potent Dou Qi surged forth, interweaving at lightning speed, then, like refracted light, reflecting countless finer strands of energy that twisted together—within moments, a tightly woven energy net formed above them.

This multicolored energy net kept refracting, layer upon layer, resembling a thousand stacked layers—its defensive power astonishing.

The Thousand-Layer Net pulled at the Heartfall Flame, trying to drag it back into the lava-filled depths.

Watching the powerful Thousand-Layer Net struggle against the Heartfall Flame, gradually being overwhelmed, Mei Du Sha asked: "Now, team up with those old fools to subdue the Spirit Flame?"

Xiao Yan slowly shook his head: "Don't underestimate the Spirit Flame—it's not time yet. Besides, have you ever seen a cat that doesn't steal fish?"

Mei Du Sha furrowed her brows, unsure what Xiao Yan meant.

"The cat that steals fish has arrived." Xiao Yan smiled enigmatically, gazing toward the distant horizon—countless dark dots were speeding toward them.

In the Black Horn Region, anyone who catches even a whiff of blood will come running.

"Heh, I didn't know the Inner Court still hid such a Spirit Flame. Grand Elder Su Qian, you've kept this well hidden."

As the light laugh faded, the clear sky suddenly rippled; a large group of figures stepped forward, finally hovering in the air—immediately, a bloody aura engulfed the Inner Court's skies.

Before the Elders could even recover, countless students stared in stunned confusion at the sudden crowd in the sky, utterly bewildered by the situation.

Su Qian's face darkened as he stared at the group that had breached the Inner Court's barrier; his gaze slowly settled on the man leading them, clad in Alchemist robes. His eyes narrowed coldly as he sneered: "So it's you—Han Feng, the Alchemist King of the Black Horn Region."

Han Feng smiled thinly. "Grand Elder, you flatter me. That title was merely a jest from friends in the Black Horn Region—it's hardly official."

"Han Feng, this is Jia Nan Academy's territory. You've intruded without invitation—what do you want?" Vice Dean Hu Qian's face turned grim as he rose slowly behind Su Qian and barked at Han Feng.

"He's Han Feng, third on the Black Horn Blacklist, the strongest Alchemist in the Black Horn Region?" Xiao Yan frowned at the name; his powerful Soul Force sensed something hidden within Han Feng's body.

Han Feng smiled gently. "Spirit Flames are rare treasures of heaven and earth. To seal one here is cruel. As an Alchemist, flame is almost a faith to us. So, Han Feng humbly asks Grand Elder to release this Spirit Flame—don't imprison it."

Hearing Han Feng's words, Su Qian laughed bitterly with rage: "You speak well, Han Feng. I recall you yourself refined a Spirit Flame. Do you not fear being laughed at saying this?"

"If you want the Spirit Flame, just say so outright. Jia Nan Academy will take it."

"Heh, since Grand Elder speaks plainly, I'll be direct too. If you hand over the Spirit Flame, Han Feng will repay you handsomely." Han Feng bowed respectfully, smiling.

"Had your master, the Alchemy Sovereign, asked this, I might have considered it. But you? Go cultivate for another few decades. Jia Nan Academy has stood for centuries on the Dou Qi Continent—not on empty reputation. Prepare to fight!" Grand Elder Su Qian roared.

Half the Elders remained to maintain the seal and prevent the Heartfall Flame from breaking the Thousand-Layer Array; the rest faced Han Feng and his group.

Seeing Jia Nan Academy's Elders draw weapons to fight, Han Feng's gentle expression vanished, replaced by a cruel smile: "Then don't blame me for being ruthless."

As he spoke, a deep blue flame, like liquid, surged from his body, radiating intense heat.

"That's… the Fifteenth-ranked Sea Heart Flame? Strange—if one possesses two Spirit Flames, they explode. No ordinary person could ever hold two."

"Han Feng's strength is only Dou Huang Peak—he couldn't possibly control two Spirit Flames like Xiao Xuan Ancestor did…"

Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened as he stared at Han Feng, engulfed in blue flame. His instinct told him Han Feng was no ordinary man; if he came to steal a second Spirit Flame, he must already control two.

Aside from overwhelming force, the only way to control two Spirit Flames is the Burning Scripture.

At this moment, not only the Academy's Elders, but also Inner Court powerhouses like Liu Qing, Lin Xiuya, and Lin Yan stepped forward, standing with the Academy.

"Mr. Gold and Mr. Silver, Su Qian is a Dou Zong. I need you two to hold him off while I seize the Spirit Flame—I'll give you the Elixir you require." Han Feng shouted to the sky; two figures appeared mysteriously—one in golden robes, one in silver.

Seeing the Gold and Silver Elders, Su Qian's eyes flashed coldly as he sneered: "Heh, I've heard the top two on the Blacklist, the Gold and Silver Elders, are twins who together can rival a Dou Zong. Let's see if you truly have that power!"

The golden-robed Elder sneered: "We won't deny your strength, Su Qian—even the two of us couldn't defeat you. But without you, who in Jia Nan Academy can stop the Dou Huangs from Skull Tomb, Earth Flame Sect, and Eight Gates?"

Su Qian gritted his teeth. Without the Heartfall Flame, the Inner Court had several Dou Huang Elders—Hu Qian himself was Dou Huang Peak.

But now, many were tied up by the Heartfall Flame.

Su Qian's face turned icy; he refused to waste words further. His palms rotated slightly, and vast Dou Qi erupted from them, shaking the very space.

"Grand Elder Su Qian, I'll ask you one last time: will you hand over the Spirit Flame—or not?" Han Feng's patience had worn thin; he gazed at Su Qian's group coolly.

Before Su Qian could answer, a voice rang from afar: "Hand over your damn head!"

A pair of blood-red Dou Qi wings blotted out the sky; Xiao Yan stood alone behind Han Feng's group, radiating the aura of one man surrounding them all.

(End of Chapter)