"Bang!"
At a certain moment, as if an inaudible anomaly resounded within his body, Jiang Yun, with the help of the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame, broke through to a Three-Star Dou Zhe.
Xiao Yan's cultivation would skyrocket after devouring a strange flame, but this rule wouldn't apply to others because they lacked a crucial element.
Flame Mantra!
Xiao Yan devoured the essence of strange flames through Flame Mantra, which drove the evolution of his cultivation technique, thus receiving a massive energy feedback that propelled his cultivation advancement.
Jiang Yun's cultivation increase this time also had similarities to Xiao Yan's; he already possessed a special Dou Qi due to the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame, essentially making him a nascent Holy Heavenly Demon Flame himself, improving by devouring a more powerful Holy Heavenly Demon Flame.
Therefore, Jiang Yun advanced from a One-Star Dou Zhe to a Three-Star Dou Zhe!
This was an unexpected surprise!
Looking at the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame at the center of his Dantian vortex, Jiang Yun couldn't help but feel a hint of joy; this was his first step towards reaching the peak.
He believed that as his cultivation improved and as he refined more and more Holy Heavenly Demon Flame, this Great Thousand World's number one flame would also display its splendor on the Dou Qi Continent.
The number one flame on the Dou Qi Continent, who knew who it would be?
Jiang Yun, with some delight, extended his right hand; with a thought, the vortex in his Dantian trembled, and a surge of black and white flames shot out from it, traveling along the meridians in his body to Jiang Yun's palm.
"Whoosh!" Instantly, the black and white flames appeared in Jiang Yun's hand; the black flames were evil and profound, while the white flames were holy and bright.
These two diametrically opposed flames were perfectly combined at this moment—this was the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame. If the Great Thousand World also had a strange fire ranking list, then the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame could definitely contend for the top spot.
Even if the flame in Jiang Yun's hand was less than one ten-thousandth of what Heavenly Demon Emperor held, their essence was the same. Jiang Yun believed that one day he would lead his Holy Heavenly Demon Flame, step by step, to the peak, and stand before the Heavenly Demon Emperor.
"It seems your condition is good." Just then, Qing Ming's voice came, and he was looking at Jiang Yun with a smile and a sense of relief.
"I must also thank Senior Qing Ming for your help!" Jiang Yun retracted the flames and solemnly thanked Qing Ming. If Qing Ming hadn't sealed the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to receive such a fortuitous encounter.
"There's no need to belittle yourself; the opportunity was there. If you weren't capable, it would have been useless. Now that you've succeeded, it means this is what you deserve," Qing Ming said softly, always looking at Jiang Yun with gentle eyes.
"Alright, you should go back, or that little dragon will worry when she wakes up and doesn't see you!"
Jiang Yun's heart stirred. It seemed Zi Yan was also about to emerge from her seclusion. By then, she would be a Fifth-Tier Magical Beast. With the formidable power of an Ancient Void Dragon, fighting against Three or Four-Star Dou Kings would be no problem for her.
After thanking Qing Ming, Jiang Yun exited the Qing Ming Pagoda. Outside, it was already night, with countless stars twinkling in the sky and a bright moon hanging high.
"It seems I spent quite a bit of time refining the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame!"
However, in the future, he wouldn't need to enter the pagoda to refine it. From now on, when he cultivated, the Qing Ming Pagoda would gradually transmit the power of the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame to Jiang Yun from the bottom of the pagoda, strengthening the flame within his body.
Suddenly, Jiang Yun felt the entire house shake. Jiang Yun immediately reacted.
"It seems Zi Yan has succeeded!"
Jiang Yun slowly walked to Zi Yan's room, only to see that the bright purple light cocoon had become somewhat deep. Strange runes were even gradually appearing on the surface of the light cocoon, emitting a faint glow, looking quite mystical.
As the light on the cocoon reached its peak, a faint cracking sound finally echoed.
Immediately, tiny cracks began to appear on the light cocoon, growing larger with time, until finally, it burst open. Countless brilliant purple lights shot into the sky through the cracks. Fortunately, the spatial seal previously set up by Su Qian blocked them; otherwise, with such a disturbance, the entire Outer Court wouldn't have slept tonight.
The cracks multiplied, and eventually, a large piece of the cocoon shell suddenly fell off. With the first piece detaching, the light cocoon seemed to trigger a chain reaction, rapidly exploding.
Then, an earth-shattering dragon's roar emanated from the purple light.
"Roar——"
Jiang Yun immediately plugged his ears with the freshly acquired Holy Heavenly Demon Flame. Just now, even the spatial seal trembled violently. This dragon's roar almost penetrated a spatial seal set by a Dou Zong, showing its immense power.
"This little fellow's race is not simple; she can even rank among the dragon race in the Great Thousand World!"
Qing Ming's slightly surprised voice reached Jiang Yun's ears, clearly even he was astonished by the Ancient Void Dragon's bloodline.
Jiang Yun, at this moment, was not surprised. After all, knowing that the Dou Qi Continent once experienced a Battle of Hundred Emperors, it was conceivable that the Ancient Void Dragon, as a favored being of space, had ancestors who were formidable among the dragon race
"Roar——"
Just then, another dragon's roar echoed from the purple light. The next moment, a purple dragon-shaped light phantom soared into the air. Jiang Yun knew this was Zi Yan's true form as an Ancient Void Dragon.
The dragon phantom slowly dissipated as it reached the spatial seal. At this point, the purple light pillar gradually faded, and moments later, a figure appeared before Jiang Yun.
There she lay, a jade-like body, with a faint purple light lingering around her, making her appear somewhat alluring. Her long, smooth purple hair cascaded down, reaching her perky buttocks.
Her curvaceous, dominant figure was topped by a face that was both youthful and mature, a blend that added three parts allure.
Was she about to enter adulthood? But her figure seemed a bit premature, didn't it?
Zi Yan in the light pillar stretched languidly, instantly highlighting her already alluring curves perfectly. She lazily opened her eyes, looked at Jiang Yun in the distance, and joy flashed in her eyes.
"Xiao Yunzi!"
A clear voice rang out, carrying a hint of allure, like a supreme empress, making people feel subservient.
Before he could think, Jiang Yun felt himself enveloped in a warm, soft embrace, and a sense of suffocation immediately followed.
"Xiao Yunzi, how did you know I was coming out today? Where are my pills? You've prepared them, haven't you?"
Faced with Zi Yan's barrage of questions, Jiang Yun was powerless to answer. At this moment, he had only one thought.
'I wish I could grow up!'
He never wanted to endure this damned embarrassment again!
As if hearing Jiang Yun's inner cry, Zi Yan's body trembled, and then a green light surged out from her. Her body rapidly shrunk under the effect of this green light.
In just a few breaths, a beautiful woman with a graceful figure transformed back into a little sprout the same height as Jiang Yun.
Zi Yan looked at her palms in astonishment and cried out mournfully, "Damn the Transformation Grass!"
Just moments ago, she was immersed in the joy of growing up, but unexpectedly, she was reverted to her original form in the blink of an eye. Zi Yan's tiny eyebrows furrowed in anger.
"I'll find you a Transformation Pill in the future to completely free you from this trouble," Jiang Yun promised softly, averting his gaze.
Although Zi Yan like this was not as alluring as before, her skin, as white and smooth as mutton fat jade, still made Jiang Yun glance at her.
"Then remember it!"
Zi Yan looked at Jiang Yun with burning eyes, cautioning him uneasily. Only after Jiang Yun nodded repeatedly did she relax.
At this moment, Zi Yan also felt a bit cool. She looked down at her toes, pouted, her eyes full of disdain. A flash of purple light, and she instantly transformed back into her adorable appearance.
"Oh, by the way, where are my candies?"
With everything settled, Zi Yan immediately thought of food. Blinking her large purple eyes, she scanned Jiang Yun from head to toe, seemingly wondering where he had hidden the candies.
"Uh—" Jiang Yun was a bit embarrassed at this moment. Seeing Zi Yan's eyebrows slightly furrowing because he hadn't answered, he quickly said, "I didn't know what flavor you liked, so I wanted to wait for you to come out of seclusion and prepare it for you on the spot. That way, you can taste your favorite flavor immediately."
"Hmm." In thought, Zi Yan blinked at Jiang Yun. Her intuition told her Jiang Yun was lying, but looking at his sincere eyes, it seemed to be true. Zi Yan couldn't help but hesitate, but she quickly cast it aside.
"Then let's hurry to the herb repository! Last time I found several herbs I wanted to eat. This time, we'll take them all!" Zi Yan suddenly became excited, a flash of purple light behind her, a pair of purple wings extended, and she grabbed Jiang Yun, about to rush out.
"Wait, wait, wait—" Seeing this, Jiang Yun urgently cried out.
Zi Yan turned her head to look at Jiang Yun in confusion, big eyes, small question marks.
"Last time we went, the Great Elder already knew. It's not appropriate for you to go and steal them so brazenly again this time."
"But I'm hungry! That old man promised to let me eat my fill!" Zi Yan said as if it were a matter of course.
Jiang Yun immediately felt a bit sheepish, and couldn't help but mourn for the Great Elder in his heart. Misfortune comes from the mouth, the ancients truly didn't deceive me.
"Are you coming or not?" Looking at the dawdling Jiang Yun, Zi Yan was growing slightly impatient. Her eyebrows furrowed. If she were in her newly adult form, she would undoubtedly be a domineering empress, but now…
Only cuteness remained!
"Go!"
Faced with Zi Yan's question, Jiang Yun replied decisively. Although he knew this was wrong, in the cave, Zi Yan could defy the unknown Su Qian for him. Jiang Yun could also indulge Zi Yan's whims.
At worst, he would pay them back later!
Giving the Great Elder a cultivation loan wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Looking at Jiang Yun who had agreed, Zi Yan smiled, a very happy smile. At this moment, she once again felt a warmth in her heart, making her feel that she was no longer alone.
In that same corner, Jiang Yun and Zi Yan slowly appeared. At this point, Zi Yan had already advanced to Dou King, and her use of spatial power was naturally much stronger than at the Dou Spirit stage.
What's more, there was also Jiang Yun, who had taken a 'crash course,' and he could help Zi Yan identify and rectify any shortcomings.
At this moment, a small head peeked out from the corner, cautiously looking around. After confirming it was safe, she waved to the back.
The next second, a purple figure flashed past, stopping on the counter. Looking at the Azure Glow Fruit inside, Zi Yan wiped her saliva, quickly extended her small hand, and reached directly towards the light barrier. The seal that had been set up was completely ignored.
Quickly taking out the items, box and all, Zi Yan excitedly turned to meet Jiang Yun's gaze.
The two were like partners who had collaborated for many years, with perfect understanding. They quickly took several more herbs used to refine Third and Fourth-grade pills. The two didn't linger and slowly departed.
The moment the two left, the old figure who had been guarding the pavilion, looking at scrolls, sighed helplessly and slowly walked to the counter where the two had just taken the herbs.
Taking out identical herbs from his storage ring to replenish them, the old man shook his head helplessly. "The Great Elder really values them, letting them cause such trouble. That little girl's strength must be at Dou King, right? She's already at the same level as this old man."
Thinking of the fierce aura he had just felt from Zi Yan, the old man felt a pang of fear. At the same time, he understood why Su Qian was so lenient with her, but...
"You're already at the same level as this old man. I hope you two go to the Inner Court soon. This Outer Court can't withstand many more of your antics."
The old man hadn't noticed when Jiang Yun and Zi Yan entered, but as the herbs continuously disappeared, he became alert.
Although Zi Yan hadn't touched the restrictions, as the elder guarding this place, how could he not have his own methods?
Jiang Yun, fearing to alarm the powerful guardian here, did not use his soul force to be vigilant, and even suppressed his soul fluctuations to the lowest, but this also meant they were discovered without knowing it.
When he first discovered the herb repository had been robbed, the old man was about to act, but fortunately, he quickly realized it was the new students the Great Elder had instructed him about, and he stopped in time.
Otherwise, he didn't know what would happen to Jiang Yun and Zi Yan, but he himself would definitely not escape a punch.
At this moment, he only hoped they would go to the Inner Court soon. He really wanted to see Old Man Hao's expression in the Inner Court.
It would definitely be interesting!
"Quick, quick, quick, Xiao Yunzi, quickly make all these into pills."
As soon as they returned to the dormitory, Zi Yan eagerly dumped all the herbs into Jiang Yun's arms, urging him impatiently.
Jiang Yun chuckled. Only when it came to food would Zi Yan show such an expression.
Nodding at Zi Yan, Jiang Yun activated the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame in his Dantian. With a "whoosh," a white flame appeared in Jiang Yun's palm.
This was the white flame within the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame. Jiang Yun had a sudden idea: the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame was composed of two diametrically opposed flames, so could they be used separately?
He didn't expect it to actually succeed, or rather, it was meant to be used this way.
The moment the flame appeared, Zi Yan, who was beside him, trembled. Her eyes darted around nervously, and she silently took a few steps back.
For strange flames, non-fire attribute cultivators and magical beasts on the Dou Qi Continent were all repulsed by them, let alone Jiang Yun's Holy Heavenly Demon Flame.
"It's okay, don't be afraid!" Jiang Yun comforted Zi Yan, who seemed a little tense.
"Hmph—"
"I'm not scared at all!"
Zi Yan didn't appreciate Jiang Yun's comfort, tossing her head proudly.