"It seems he has broken through!"
Just then, Qing Ming seemed to sense something and looked towards Jiang Yun, a slight smile gracing his lips, his eyes filled with relief.
"Rumble—"
At this moment, within the underground magma space, a burst of energy roared out of nowhere, and then the energy in this heaven and earth violently fluctuated.
Accompanied by a rumble, the surrounding energy in heaven and earth, as if drawn by an invisible force, began to frantically surge towards the two figures sitting cross-legged.
And with that, the tremors in this heaven and earth became more and more intense, and rich streams of energy continuously permeated from heaven and earth, ceaselessly flowing towards Jiang Yun and the other person.
At the same time, the aura of the two was also rapidly soaring; from a distance, almost the entire underground magma space was enveloped in somewhat colorful and violent energy, forming two huge energy whirlpools, an extremely spectacular sight.
As the Sea Heart Flame was refined, the clone resonated with the main body, and a vast, pure energy poured into Jiang Yun's body, causing his cultivation to rise at an even faster rate.
The energy of the Heavenly Flame was extremely vast; although the Sea Heart Flame had already been refined once by Han Feng, for Jiang Yun, a Dou Wang, it was still a decent 'tonic'.
Six-star Dou Wang, Seven-star Dou Wang, Eight-star Dou Wang… all the way to Nine-star Dou Wang, Jiang Yun's rapidly increasing cultivation finally began to stabilize.
Suddenly, two similar figures simultaneously erupted with fire in their eyes; at this moment, the strength of Jiang Yun and the Heavenly Flame clone reached the peak of Nine-star Dou Wang.
To break through to Dou Huang in one go was still a bit short; the power required for a Dou Wang to break through to Dou Huang was simply too immense, and the used Sea Heart Flame was still not enough to push Jiang Yun's strength further.
Feeling the power within his body, Jiang Yun stood up tall and asked Yun Yi, who was beside him, "How does it feel?"
"There's nothing unusual; the Sea Heart Flame has completely transformed into nourishment for the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame," the two shared a mind, and Yun Yi immediately understood what Jiang Yun meant, shaking his head as he spoke of his feelings.
The Holy Heavenly Demon Flame's absorption of Heavenly Flames is completely different from Flame Mantra; Flame Mantra is more like a container, fusing various Heavenly Flames while retaining their inherent characteristics.
However, the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame is extremely overbearing, using myriad flames to nourish one, completely devouring the opponent to achieve its own growth and forge the strongest flame.
"That's good!" Jiang Yun breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this; unlike the previous Fallen Heart Flame, which only devoured the energy accumulated by the opponent over countless years, this time he thoroughly refined the Sea Heart Flame.
There was still some difference in the difficulty, and Jiang Yun was worried about any mishaps, but fortunately, the Holy Heavenly Demon Flame was quite reliable.
"We've been in seclusion for quite some time; it's time for us to go out, otherwise Zi Yan will be anxious!"
Looking up at the spatial barrier above, as if thinking of Zi Yan's anxious expression, a soft light flickered in Jiang Yun's eyes.
Nodding, Yun Yi said expressionlessly, "When you're ready to start the plan, I'll come out again!"
Yun Yi was merely an anomalous fire spirit possessing some of Jiang Yun's memories; the emotions Jiang Yun possessed, he did not. Jiang Yun certainly didn't want to be a 'cuckold' in some sense.
When severing his will, Jiang Yun deliberately pushed the other party towards the darker side of his inner self, so he was an absolutely rational 'Jiang Yun'.
After speaking, Yun Yi's figure flickered, and he immediately transformed back into a black flame, entering Jiang Yun's Dantian.
Qing Ming witnessed the entire exchange between Jiang Yun and Yun Yi; he offered no comment on Jiang Yun's actions, believing that time would provide the answer.
"Call me if anything happens!" After leaving a sentence, Qing Ming's figure slowly dissolved into nothingness, eventually disappearing completely.
The surroundings once again returned to an eternal silence. Jiang Yun looked at the black token in his hand, pondered for a long time, and then a look of determination slowly appeared in his eyes.
"Soul Palace."
Bang!
A sound of breaking air came, startling the two Elders guarding the fire well.
Both were shocked, and when their gaze fell upon Jiang Yun, they simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. However, when they sensed Jiang Yun's even more mysterious aura, they couldn't help but gasp in unison.
If they remembered correctly, Jiang Yun had just broken through to Six-star Dou Wang, right? How was it that after four months, his strength seemed to have surged again?
Are young people nowadays so outrageous? How were these seniors supposed to live?
"So it was Elder Li and Elder Wen, both Elders have worked hard." As soon as he exited the cave, Jiang Yun clearly saw the faces of the two Elders guarding the entrance and called out their names.
"You… you broke through?"
"Just by luck!"
Meeting their gazes, Jiang Yun nodded, and the two couldn't help but gasp again.
After striking a blow to the two Elders, Jiang Yun bid them farewell and, in a short while, returned to his own dormitory.
Back in the courtyard, Jiang Yun followed the aura and walked towards Zi Yan's room. Inside the room, purple light was dense, and a beautiful figure sat cross-legged on the bed. At this moment, sharp, thick purplish-gold scales appeared on her fair skin.
The densely packed scales, layered like metallic armor, left no one in doubt about the power and defense they contained.
The scales covered half of her charming and heroic face, adding three points of nobility and dominance to her appearance.
As if sensing something, Zi Yan slowly opened her purple eyes, and seeing the newcomer, joy surged in her eyes, almost unable to restrain herself from crashing into Jiang Yun's arms.
However, remembering that this guy had abandoned her again and gone into seclusion for so long, a wave of resentment suddenly welled up in her heart, finally transforming into a soft shout.
"Jiang Yun, take my punch!"
Jiang Yun's smile froze. In his perception, the spatial power in the room was violently surging. He only felt a blur before his eyes, and a figure appeared in front of him.
"Great Void Severing Claw!"
Purple light surged and flickered, and Zi Yan's two fair arms instantly transformed into a pair of purplish-gold dragon claws. The dragon claws gleamed with cold light, and their slender appearance seemed sharper than any divine weapon.
The surrounding spatial barriers cracked little by little, small fissures appearing and gradually widening before him.
Jiang Yun had no doubt that, combined with Zi Yan's physical strength, this claw would leave no one below a Five-star Dou Huang unscathed.
"Naughty!"
Suddenly, Jiang Yun's eyes narrowed, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his eye. Jiang Yun's palm shot out quickly, spatial power surging on it, and he precisely gripped Zi Yan's wrist.
"Bang—"
A loud bang resonated. Jiang Yun felt a massive force strike his palm, and he couldn't help but retreat half a step.
And at this moment, a mischievous smile flashed in Zi Yan's eyes.
"Buzz—"
From the purplish-gold dragon claws, several invisible spatial blades suddenly appeared, slashing towards various parts of Jiang Yun's body.
In Jiang Yun's perception, the power of these air blades was not great, only enough to tear some clothes; clearly, Zi Yan just wanted to make him look foolish!
But how could Jiang Yun let her have her way!
Looking at the smile in Zi Yan's eyes, Jiang Yun chuckled, "I've been waiting for you!"
As his voice fell, the space around Jiang Yun twisted, and the air blades Zi Yan had launched strangely changed direction, scattering in all directions.
"Chirp!"
Tiny cracks appeared on the surrounding walls. Zi Yan's triumphant expression froze, and she looked at Jiang Yun with a pout, shaking off Jiang Yun's hand and saying playfully, "Not fun, not fun! Xiao Yun didn't even let me win once!"
"I waited for you for so long, you're such a 'heartless man'!"
Jiang Yun heard this and said with a wry smile, "Alright, it's all my fault for making our Zi Yan wait so long." As he spoke, Jiang Yun raised his hand and stroked Zi Yan's head.
Her soft hair brushed against his fingertips; the sensation was simply wonderful, and Jiang Yun felt somewhat reluctant to let go.
Feeling the large hand on her head, Zi Yan's cheeks flushed slightly. Now that her bloodline had initially awakened, after breaking through to Dou Huang, she roughly had the appearance of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old human.
And Jiang Yun, though only fifteen, was very tall, already over 1.7 meters, roughly the same height as Zi Yan. This caused Zi Yan, when she looked up, to see the doting affection in Jiang Yun's eyes.
This made Zi Yan feel sweet but also a little flustered!
"Since you're out of seclusion, shouldn't we be able to set off!" Suppressing the unusual feeling in her heart, Zi Yan suddenly said excitedly.
Jiang Yun shook his head, and under Zi Yan's disappointed gaze, slowly said, "It is indeed time to leave, but before we go, I still have a gift to give to the Great Elder!"
Hearing Jiang Yun's words, Zi Yan's disappointment immediately faded, her eyes brightening. She nodded and said seriously, "Old Su has indeed worked hard these past few years, he deserves it. But what are you going to give him?"
Looking at Zi Yan, who was full of curiosity, Jiang Yun smiled without speaking, keeping her in suspense, and led her towards the Great Elder's residence.
"Hmph—so mysterious!" Not getting an answer, Zi Yan pouted behind Jiang Yun, but quickly regained her cheerful expression, stepping forward, hooking her arm through Jiang Yun's, and walking quickly.
"They're leaving, huh—"
Su Qian looked at the young man and woman before him with a hint of melancholy. The children who were once tiny tots had now grown into powerful individuals on the continent. Time, ah, it truly flies!
"Young eagles always have to spread their wings and soar, Great Elder. You should be happy for Zi Yan and me. If we were to stay in the Inner Court forever, you would probably find us an eyesore again!"
The sadness of parting was diluted by Jiang Yun's teasing words!
Su Qian pointed at Jiang Yun and cursed with a smile, "You brat, hurry up and go, go cause trouble elsewhere. Ever since you two arrived, the rats in my Inner Court's warehouse have all disappeared. What a disaster!"
"Old Su, I didn't eat that much!" Su Qian's words immediately drew Zi Yan's displeasure. Did she eat that much?
"Heh heh!" Su Qian just quietly watched Zi Yan, and his gaze made her feel a little uneasy.
Feeling his hand being pinched, Jiang Yun knew it was his turn to speak, but he hadn't expected this girl to have moments of timidity.
"Before leaving, I still have a gift to give to the Great Elder!"
"Oh? What is it?"
Jiang Yun's words piqued Su Qian's curiosity. Considering Jiang Yun's previous displays, each time he presented something exceptionally precious. Even Su Qian couldn't help but feel a little anticipation.
Facing Su Qian's gaze, Jiang Yun took out a scroll and handed it to Su Qian. The latter opened it with some doubt, and after seeing the contents, Su Qian stood up excitedly, trembling as he spoke.
"You, you can refine it?"
"My soul power had a small breakthrough during this seclusion, so I have a good chance of refining it!"
Looking at the confident expression on Jiang Yun's face, the words of refusal ultimately remained unspoken.
"What medicinal ingredients do you need? The academy will gather them for you!"
"No need, our Medicine Emperor has quite a rich family fortune, and he just happens to have two sets of ingredients. The Great Elder just needs to wait!"
It must be mentioned here that Han Feng's big gift package was quite substantial; decades of accumulation meant that Han Feng's family fortune was comparable to some long-established Seventh-Rank Alchemists.
"Then can I invite students to observe?"
"Of course!"
Jiang Yun readily agreed to Su Qian's suggestion, considering it a small way to repay the academy.
This time, Jiang Yun was going to help Su Qian refine a Di Yuan Pill, which could allow a Dou Zong to raise one star level without any side effects, placing it among the high-grade Seventh Grade Pills.
After breaking through to the Spiritual Realm Soul, logically speaking, Jiang Yun could already refine Grade 8 Pills, but he still lacked experience and materials.
However, Jiang Yun was confident in refining Seventh Grade Pills!
In just one night, the news that Jiang Yun was going to refine a Seventh Grade Pill spread throughout the entire Inner Court as if it had grown wings.
And under this shocking news, the Inner Court immediately erupted in commotion. A Seventh Grade Pill!
In this Inner Court where Fourth Grade Pills were already considered peak, one can imagine the immense shock brought by a Seventh Grade Pill.
Even the students from the Central Plains were stunned speechless at this moment; even in their families, a Seventh-Rank Alchemist was a revered guest.
More often, they would curry favor with the other party. Now, you're telling me that a student from our current batch can refine a Seventh Grade Pill? How is that not terrifying?
They were, after all, geniuses from various cities, otherwise they wouldn't have been recruited to Jia Nan Academy. However, compared to a Seventh-Rank Alchemist, it was like striking a rock with an egg; the gap was too vast, like the difference between clouds and mud.
Moreover, the name Jiang Yun was both familiar and unfamiliar to them.
Later, under the popularization of omnipotent passers-by, they finally learned about this senior named Jiang Yun.
He was the first freshman to clear the Fire Energy Capture Competition, defeating an Eight-star Dou Ling as a Dou Grandmaster, and also, something about reaching a Rank 5 Alchemist in one year, and so on.
Too many of Jiang Yun's deeds were uncovered, but the people of the Inner Court grew more and more confused the more they heard; it felt like bragging, didn't it?
Is there such a monstrous person in the world?
He can have both cultivation and alchemy Techniques; does he have that much energy?
Jiang Yun's deeds became more and more exaggerated, which led to this alchemy session attracting even more attention from everyone. Finally, this highly anticipated alchemy session began the next day.