The ruins of the Misty Cloud Sect were still smoldering when Xiao Chen made his decision. While the Jia Ma Empire was in a state of shock, he knew that the Hall of Souls would eventually come looking for the reason behind Yun Shan's fall. To protect the Xiao Clan, he couldn't stay in Wu Tan City. He needed to be stronger—fast.
"Yan-er," Chen said, standing on the balcony of the Xiao estate. "The Jia Ma Empire is too small. If you want to find the ingredients to restore Yao Lao's body, and if I want to find the next Flame, we need to go to the Black-Corner Region."
Xiao Yan nodded, his expression serious. "Master said the Jia Nan Academy is the best place to build a foundation. But Chen... the Black-Corner Region is a den of monsters."
Chen let out a short, dry laugh. "Monsters? They haven't met us yet."
The Black-Corner Region: The Lawless Land
After a month of travel across the Great Plains, the air began to change. The orderly laws of the Empire were replaced by a chaotic, bloody aura. This was the Black-Corner Region—a place where Alchemists were kings and killers were commoners.
They entered Black-Mark City, a bustling hub of black markets and auction houses. Every person they passed had a blade at their waist and a predatory glint in their eyes.
"System," Chen whispered, pulling his cloak tighter. "Analyze the local energy."
[Infinite Doubling System]
Status: High concentration of 'Violent Qi' detected.
Observation: Most cultivators here have unstable foundations due to forced cultivation.
Current Multiplier Status: 8x active.
Next Milestone: Dou Zun (16x Multiplier).
Requirement: Capture the 'Falling Heart Flame' and achieve a 'Perfect Fusion'.
"Two birds, one stone," Chen mused. "The Academy uses that flame to train their students. I'll use it to double my existence."
The Auction House Conflict
To get into the Jia Nan Academy, they needed to pass through the Black-Corner Region's Inner Gate, which required a high-level recommendation or a display of immense wealth.
They headed to the Eight-Sect Auction House. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of rare medicinal herbs and expensive wood.
"The next item," the auctioneer shouted, holding up a shimmering blue fruit. "A Grade 5 Water-Spirit Fruit! Perfect for those practicing Water-attribute Dou Skills!"
"100,000 Gold Coins!" a voice barked from the VIP box. It was the young master of the Blood Sect, Fan Ling. He was notorious for his cruelty and his 5-Star Da Dou Master strength.
Xiao Yan looked at the fruit. "Teacher says that fruit is a key ingredient for your 'Frost-Bone Pill', Chen."
Chen didn't even look at the box. "200,000."
The auction hall went silent. Fan Ling leaned over the balcony, his eyes red with rage. "Who dares compete with the Blood Sect? Kid, do you have a death wish?"
Chen looked up, his emerald eyes flashing with a cold, 8x-multiplied pressure. "I have the coins. Do you have the strength to keep talking, or are we here to auction?"
"300,000!" Fan Ling roared.
"500,000," Chen said calmly.
The fruit was knocked down to Chen. As they left the auction house, the atmosphere turned cold. They were being followed. Not just by Fan Ling's men, but by several independent assassins.
The Midnight Ambush
In a dark alleyway on the edge of the city, twelve figures dropped from the rooftops. Fan Ling stood at the center, his bloody longsword unsheathed.
"Hand over the fruit and your storage rings, and I might leave your corpses in one piece," Fan Ling sneered.
Xiao Yan stepped forward, his Heavy Xuan Ruler ready, but Chen placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yan-er, your training is for the Academy. These... 'insects' are just trash for me to sweep."
"Insects?!" Fan Ling lunged, his Blood-attribute Qi turning the air metallic. [Skill: Blood-Shadow Slash]!
Chen didn't move until the blade was an inch from his throat. With his 8x Neural Processing, the attack was as slow as a crawling snail. He raised two fingers and caught the blade.
Cling!
The high-grade steel blade shattered.
"8x... Life-Drain."
Chen grabbed Fan Ling's wrist. Instead of burning him with fire, he used his Wood-attribute Qi to do the opposite—he inverted the life-flow. In the Black-Corner Region, life was cheap, and Chen decided to treat it as such.
Fan Ling's skin began to wither. His Dou Qi was sucked into Chen's palm, filtered by the System, and converted into raw energy.
"Stop... please..." Fan Ling wheezed, but within seconds, he was nothing but a mummified husk.
The other assassins fled in terror, but they didn't get far. Chen waved his hand, and a wave of 8x-Multiplied Gravity slammed them into the ground, crushing their internal organs instantly.
The Arrival at Jia Nan Academy
A few days later, after crossing the "Deadly Wasteland," they reached the peaceful borders of the Jia Nan Academy. The contrast was staggering. Here, the air was clean, and the students wore proud uniforms.
At the registration desk, an elderly teacher looked at the two of them. "Names?"
"Xiao Yan. 17 years old. 9-Star Dou Zhe."
The teacher nodded, impressed. "A fine genius. And you?"
"Xiao Chen. 12 years old."
"And your rank?"
Chen didn't want to cause another mountain-level explosion, so he suppressed his aura to the very limit. He let out a puff of Qi that made the testing stone glow a steady, solid blue.
"Dou Shi... 1-Star?" the teacher whispered, his eyes wide. "A twelve-year-old Dou Shi? Which clan are you from?"
"The Xiao Clan," Chen said, looking toward the giant tower in the distance—the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
He could feel it. Deep underground, a heart of fire was beating. It was the Falling Heart Flame, and it was calling to his 8x-foundation.
"Soon," Chen thought. "Once I hit the 16x Multiplier... even the Hall of Souls will be nothing more than a footnote in my history."