"Old Su, can we go now? I'm in a hurry to get back and have Jiang Yun make me some pills!"
Just as Su Qian and the grey-robed elder were repeatedly examining the Fallen Heart Flame in their hands, Zi Yan, who was being led by Jiang Yun, grew a little impatient.
"Uh—" Startled by Zi Yan's outburst, Su Qian also realized his lapse in composure, his old face flushing slightly. He cleared his throat and said with a chuckle, "You all have worked hard during this time. Go back and rest well. Cultivation requires a balance of tension and relaxation; don't strain yourselves too much."
"Tch—, I know, I know!" Listening to Su Qian's nagging, Zi Yan shook her head impatiently, much like a bad student listening to a teacher's lecture.
Seeing that Su Qian still had a tendency to keep talking, Zi Yan immediately pulled Jiang Yun and flew towards the outside of the tower.
"This girl—" Su Qian sighed helplessly as he watched the two figures leave.
The elder beside him, however, secretly disdained, 'Elder, please smooth out the wrinkles on your face. You're already smiling like that, yet you're still acting tsundere?'
"Elder."
"Elder Xn"
After Zi Yan and Jiang Yun left, Su Qian and the other elder did not stay long at the bottom of the tower. In a moment, they arrived at the top.
Then... all the elders present crowded around Su Qian. They had already learned about the Fallen Heart Flame from Jiang Yun, who had gone ahead, but this did not diminish their curiosity.
Everyone pushed and shoved, excitedly looking at the quietly burning infant Fallen Heart Flame in Su Qian's palm.
And indeed, they were still a bit unaccustomed to seeing such a large Fallen Heart Flame fire python suddenly become so miniature.
"This is that little thing that makes people both love and hate it? I've guarded it for twenty-three years, let me have a look."
"This old man has guarded it for thirty-eight years! Youngsters, move aside a bit, don't push this old man..."
"Everyone, make way! This old man has a fire-attribute Dou Qi; it's up to this old man to cultivate this 'little fellow'..."
...These Inner Court elders had guarded the Fallen Heart Flame for as many years as they had been tormented by it. Now, seeing the culprit transformed into this appearance, they were incredibly excited... Some elders, still not satisfied with merely looking at the infant Fallen Heart Flame, couldn't help but want to reach out and touch it, brush against it.
The infant Fallen Heart Flame appeared so weak, pitiful, and helpless under the teasing of these academy elders, who were at least Dou Wang (Battle King) experts.
Truly, the tables have turned!
In the past, this little thing 'tormented' them to the point of agony; now it was their turn to be the 'daddy'!
Just as the Fallen Heart Flame could no longer bear it, Su Qian sternly said with a majestic expression, "All of you are so old, what kind of behavior is this?"
Upon hearing this, some elders' actions became more restrained, their smiles somewhat awkward.
"Elder Wang, you still need to preside over the follow-up effects of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower. Student placement cannot be delayed. Elder Su and Elder Li, all of you who are fire-attributed, research a method to cultivate the Fallen Heart Flame. As for the rest, return to your respective duties!"
"Yes!"
Stepping out of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower.
Jiang Yun and Zi Yan saw many students gathered around, observing, among whom were quite a few unfamiliar faces.
Speaking of which, he could now be considered an old student of the Inner Court. The strong individuals from his cohort who were on the Strong Ranking had already successfully graduated and left the Academy.
Sweeping his gaze, Jiang Yun was slightly taken aback, for he saw a few familiar yet unfamiliar figures.
There was a refined young man in a green robe, with a handsome face, always appearing calm and composed.
There was also a man with a long spear on his back, a resolute and domineering expression, exuding a sharp aura from head to toe.
And there was a silver-haired beauty with a cold demeanor, exuding an aloof aura like an icy snow lotus.
Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, Han Yue, Lin Yan... one by one, the characters from the original work began to appear.
Sensing their auras, Jiang Yun judged that they must have just entered the Inner Court not long ago, possessing only the strength of around six or seven-star Dou Grandmaster.
A glint flashed in his eyes, 'Has it already come to this time?'
Without going forward to greet them, Jiang Yun silently led Zi Yan towards the dormitory.
"Eh—, what terrifying two people. Are there still such individuals in the Inner Court?" In the crowd, Lin Xiuya no longer maintained his elegant, smiling demeanor, beads of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
"What's wrong?" Liu Qing, beside him, looked puzzled at the man not far away. As freshmen from the same cohort, he and Lin Xiuya had always been rivals.
Although he disliked the other party's fighting style, Liu Qing had to admit that the other party was indeed a genius, a formidable opponent.
At this moment, seeing the expression on the other's face, he couldn't help but feel curious. One must know that even when facing individuals on the Inner Court's Strong Ranking, Lin Xiuya had never shown such an expression.
Facing Liu Qing's curious gaze, Lin Xiuya wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, glanced into the distance, and finding that the source of the previous sensation had disappeared, he shook his head and said with lingering fear, "Nothing, perhaps it was an illusion!"
Seeing that the other party wouldn't elaborate, Liu Qing didn't bother to press further, reverting to his aloof and cool demeanor.
Lin Xiuya, however, gazed absently at the ground, muttering, "Was it an illusion?"
Proficient in wind attribute, he knew from the information brought back by the wind that two terrifying individuals had just emerged from the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower. He had also seen their two figures from afar.
However, he still couldn't quite believe that the source of his intense sense of danger, even stronger than that from a Dou Wang (Battle King) elder, was actually two young people.
Wait.
Could it be those two guys?
After returning to the dormitory, Jiang Yun refined several batches of pills for the greedy Zi Yan, and then the two returned to their respective rooms to rest.
The prolonged intense cultivation had long left him feeling mentally exhausted. Without overthinking, Jiang Yun immediately fell into a deep sleep the moment his head touched the pillow.
He slept soundly until the third day, when Jiang Yun slowly woke up.
Getting up and walking out of the room, he immediately felt refreshed, and all his mental fatigue was swept away.
He glanced at Zi Yan's room but didn't sense her aura, not knowing where she had run off to play.
Sitting in the courtyard, Jiang Yun pondered for a long time, his eyes flickering.
Although he had fortunately resolved the hidden danger in his body this time and gained many benefits from it, this did not mean that the suppressed Holy Heavenly Demon Flame could be safely absorbed by him.
The will of the Heavenly Demon Emperor contained within it still existed. A complete sub-flame was inherently equivalent to existences like the Nihility Devouring Flame and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. Even if Gu Yuan or Hun Tiandi were to come, they would not be able to remove the imprint within it.
If he continued to absorb it, he would inevitably repeat the same mistake! This was something he could not tolerate, and to give up such a great opportunity was something he was absolutely unwilling to do.
After much thought, Jiang Yun sighed softly, "It seems I still need to get my hands on the Flame Mantra and take a look!"
According to the information left by the Heavenly Demon Emperor, the owner of the Myriad Flames Undying Body once perished on the Dou Qi Continent. His origin scattered across various parts of the Dou Qi Continent, combining with various origins of the Dou Qi Continent, thus creating so many unique Heavenly Flames on the Dou Qi Continent.
Given this, Jiang Yun had reason to suspect whether Flame Mantra, this peculiar cultivation technique, was the cultivation method of the Myriad Flames Undying Body, or at least a part of it.
If his guess was true, then the problem of the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame would also have a solution.
As two of the top fire-attributed peaks in the Great Thousand World, only magic could defeat magic.
Having made his decision, Jiang Yun stood up and slowly walked towards the Elder's office.
It was also time to meet our Medicine Emperor. I wonder if the Medicine Emperor has unraveled the mystery of the Bodhi Transformation Saliva?
Arriving outside the pavilion where the Elder resided in the depths of the Inner Court, the on-duty personnel clearly recognized Jiang Yun. He proceeded unimpeded to the room where Su Qian was on the second floor.
"Elder!" Pushing open the door, he immediately saw Su Qian, who was flipping through a roster.
Jiang Yun's voice caught Su Qian's attention. He looked up and saw Jiang Yun entering. A look of surprise appeared on Su Qian's face, but it was quickly replaced by a smile.
"How are you? Refining the Heavenly Flame wasn't easy, was it? How's your rest?"
Su Qian spoke with concern in his tone. The day he saw Jiang Yun, he had already noticed the fatigue in his spiritual power beneath his mysterious aura.
"Thank you for your concern, Elder. I'm fine now!" Jiang Yun felt a warmth in his heart and said in a gentle tone.
Su Qian nodded upon hearing this. Looking at Jiang Yun, who was gradually shedding his youthfulness and becoming mature, he felt a momentary surge of emotions. "Now that you have entered the Dou Wang (Battle King) realm, there's nothing more the Academy can teach you. What are your plans next?"
Perhaps Su Qian himself didn't realize that when he said these words, his heart carried a hint of melancholy.
Jiang Yun and Zi Yan were both picked up by him from the Magical Beast Forest. Over the years, a deep bond had formed between them. Now, seeing them both grow up and gain the ability to roam the continent, he felt a momentary sense of loss.
There were three parts pride, and a strong sense of reluctance!
He knew that Jiang Yun and Zi Yan's sky did not belong to Jia Nan Academy. They had an even broader world waiting for them to explore. However, at the same time, his heart was also filled with disappointment.
Jiang Yun pondered for a moment, then stated his prepared request, "Jia Nan Academy has its own spies in the Black-Corner Region, right? I'd like to ask Elder to help me inquire if anything major has happened in the Black-Corner Region these past few years, or if there have been any changes in Maple City?"
A sharp glint flashed in Su Qian's eyes. He immediately understood the mysterious meaning behind Jiang Yun's words. He looked deeply at Jiang Yun and said in a solemn tone, "Are you going to make a move on Han Feng?"
He nodded. To deal with Han Feng, he and himself alone would be enough. However, there were many strong experts in Maple City, and they also had to guard against the hyenas of the Black-Corner Region. This would require the help of Jia Nan Academy's power.
And to use the power of Jia Nan Academy, one couldn't bypass Su Qian. Moreover, Jiang Yun had no intention of hiding it from him.
Seeing Jiang Yun admit it, Su Qian cautiously said, "Do you know who Han Feng is?"
Su Qian's tone carried a strong sense of apprehension. Without waiting for Jiang Yun's reply, he continued.
"He is a Rank 6 Alchemist in the Black-Corner Region, and there are even rumors that he has already reached the Rank 7 realm. With his charisma, he can command a hundred responses in the Black-Corner Region. Furthermore, he himself is a peak Dou Huang (Battle Emperor) expert. In the Black-Corner Region, almost no one is willing to oppose him. And these are just the old news; now he himself has changed again."
"I know all of this, but who told him he has something I'm interested in?" Jiang Yun nodded calmly, his tone enigmatic, nakedly stating the law of the jungle in this world.
"You're talking about the Bodhi Transformation Saliva, aren't you!" Su Qian looked deeply at Jiang Yun and said with certainty.
Jiang Yun's eyes flickered. Although his primary target was not the Bodhi Transformation Saliva, since the other party had misunderstood, he did not explain further.
"After all, it's a Dou Sheng (Battle Saint) opportunity, who wouldn't be interested? Moreover, I heard he also has a Heavenly Flame."
Su Qian's heart skipped a beat. Even though he had known about the existence of the Bodhi Transformation Saliva for a long time, mentioning it again still made his heart burn with desire.
That was a Dou Sheng (Battle Saint)!
A true peak expert on the continent!
Looking at the resolute Jiang Yun, Su Qian fell silent for a moment, then stood up and walked to a row of cabinets. After a series of complex spatial manipulations, he took out a scroll from a box.
"This is what has happened in Maple City during this period!"
Taking the scroll handed over by Su Qian, as expected, Jia Nan Academy also had its own intelligence network in the Black-Corner Region, constantly monitoring its movements.
He slowly unrolled the scroll and carefully read the intelligence on it. A moment later, he had it memorized.
Since emerging from the Dou Zun (Battle Venerable ) secret realm, several groups of people had descended upon Maple City, among whom were not a few Dou Huang (Battle Emperor) and Dou Zong (Battle Ancestor) experts.
However, as the owner of Maple City, Han Feng was also very cunning, refusing to show his face for a long time. And these old foxes were also afraid that if they destroyed Maple City, Han Feng would completely flee, and then they would truly be at a loss.
With Maple City still existing, at least they held a glimmer of hope that Han Feng wouldn't abandon such a large foundation and run away. Therefore, no one took advantage of the situation.
However, it was true that people in the Black-Corner Region were openly and secretly searching for Han Feng's whereabouts.
And Han Feng, this guy also managed to hold out, only appearing a year ago.
As soon as he appeared, a battle broke out in Maple City, and Han Feng also exposed his strength. He had already advanced to Dou Zong (Battle Ancestor), and he was accompanied by another Dou Zong (Battle Ancestor).
Two Dou Zong (Battle Sects)—this strength completely suppressed the demons and monsters of the Black-Corner Region. At this time, Han Feng ostentatiously announced his advancement to Seventh-Rank Alchemist.
He even brought out a Rank 7 Instant Qi Pill for auction, and at this, everyone went mad.
The prestige of Maple City also rose to another level, with people coming to Maple City daily to seek medicine.
Han Feng welcomed anyone who came to seek medicine, whether they were Dou Huang (Battle Emperor), Dou Wang (Battle King), or Dou Ling (Battle Spirit). As long as they agreed to join Maple City, he would grant their request and open his furnace to refine medicine.
After a year of aggressively recruiting subordinates, Maple City had developed into the largest force in the Black-Corner Region.
Its momentum was boundless for a time!
Looking at the intelligence in his hand, Jiang Yun's heart sank. Han Feng's advancement to Dou Zong (Battle Ancestor) and Seventh-Rank Alchemist was beyond his expectations.
And there was that unknown Dou Zong (Battle Ancestor)!
The waters of Maple City had grown deeper!