Su Qian raised his head, looking at the top of the tower with a deep sense of desolation. "Is Jia Nan Academy going to end in my hands?"
The other Elders also looked desolate; Jia Nan Academy was where they had been nurtured, and it was akin to their home.
The foundation of the Inner Academy was the Fallen Heart Flame. Without the Fallen Heart Flame, the Inner Academy would lose all its appeal, even become mediocre, and eventually fade into the general trend of the world. They naturally did not want Jia Nan Academy to end in their generation's hands.
This problem was very difficult to let go of. If they kept suppressing it, it would explode sooner or later, and then Jia Nan Academy would still not escape its doom. To say "let go" was actually to say they had no choice. No matter what they chose, the Academy would begin its decline. The only difference was that one option preserved the students and the entire Inner Academy, while the other resulted in the direct destruction of the entire Inner Academy.
Su Qian brought Xiao Tian back to his study.
"What do you think we should do to deal with it after it's released?"
After pondering for a while, Elder Su Qian, sitting in his chair, raised his head and asked Xiao Tian.
"The method is simple: at the right time, lift its restrictions and release it. My Pure World Divine Palace can send three Dou Zong to assist you, and finally, my younger brother will deal with the Fallen Heart Flame."
"What? Your Pure World Divine Palace is sending three Dou Zong?"
Upon hearing Xiao Tian's words, Su Qian immediately stood up, his face full of surprise.
He had thought they only had one Dou Zong, the one from last time, but he had no idea there were others. Su Qian even suspected that Pure World Divine Palace had other Dou Zong and wouldn't send them all out. His entire Jia Nan Academy only had three Dou Zong, and two of them were in perpetual seclusion, only appearing when the Academy's survival was at stake.
"Your Pure World Divine Palace seems to have terrifying strength! It seems you are not simple."
Xiao Tian understood the meaning of Su Qian's words and chuckled, "Elder, there's no need to worry. We are allies, and our interests do not conflict."
Su Qian showed a somewhat complex expression upon hearing Xiao Tian's words. After a moment of contemplation, he smiled, then frowned as he looked at Xiao Tian. "Isn't your younger brother only a Da Dou Shi? How can he deal with this Heavenly Flame? Although he also has a Heavenly Flame, it's only ranked nineteenth, which can't compare to the Fallen Heart Flame."
Xiao Tian raised his head to look at Su Qian, his eyes full of confidence. "This is inconvenient to disclose for now. Currently, the only one who can deal with this Heavenly Flame is my younger brother; he is the most suitable person."
Su Qian looked at him deeply. "This matter is too important; I need to discuss it with the Elder Council."
Xiao Tian nodded gently.
"To express the alliance between my Pure World Divine Palace and Jia Nan Academy, I can give you an extra piece of good news concerning the Academy."
Su Qian looked at Xiao Tian with confusion and asked, "What good news?"
"Before, through the Heavenly Flame, I also sensed another Fallen Heart Flame in the magma."
Xiao Tian's words were like a heavy hammer, striking his heart fiercely.
"What did you say? Two Fallen Heart Flames? Are you sure?"
Su Qian stood up, hands on the table, his face full of shock as he cried out.
"Yes, and I am one hundred percent certain."
Su Qian stumbled, falling back into his chair, unable to recover for a long time. One was already difficult to suppress, let alone another.
Su Qian looked at Xiao Tian with a bitter expression. "This isn't good news; it's a terrifying message."
"What if I told you the other one is just unformed?"
"An unformed Fallen Heart Flame?"
Upon hearing Xiao Tian's words, Su Qian's eyes flashed with dazzling light. If an unformed Heavenly Flame could be subdued by the Academy, it wouldn't develop sentience, and they wouldn't have to worry about it going berserk at any time in the future. The Qi Refining Tower could also be maintained indefinitely.
"At that time, we will help you retrieve that unformed flame. How you subdue it will be up to your own abilities. I assume you should have a way, right?"
Xiao Tian smiled, looking at Su Qian.
"We have no way to deal with sentient ones, but for unformed ones, we still have methods left by the previous Headmaster."
Su Qian immediately felt his body relax, and the heavy stone on his heart instantly lightened considerably.
"Thank you very much for your information, young friend. From now on, our Jia Nan Academy and your Pure World Divine Palace will be eternal allies. Also, your Boundless Gate is now officially selling pills in the Inner Academy. I can reduce your fees to a ten-to-one split. Furthermore, young friend, you can also select any five herbs from the Inner Academy's herb repository, and you can freely enter the herb repository to exchange for corresponding fire energy with priority."
Xiao Tian also showed joy upon hearing his words. The Inner Academy's herb repository had centuries of collections, and there were many good things. He could also check if there were any herbs for refining Marrow Cleansing Pills.
Su Qian gave Xiao Tian a black token, telling him that with this token, he could freely enter the herb repository to exchange for any herbs.
Xiao Tian took the token, smiled, chuckled, and then bid farewell to Su Qian. The rest was up to Su Qian's decision.
As for whether the Academy would agree, they had no other choice but to agree. Xiao Tian also did not disclose the exact location of the other one. Even if the Two Elders Qian Bai of the Academy went in, it would be difficult. Without a Heavenly Flame to protect them inside, coupled with the rapid consumption of Dou Qi and the risk of getting lost, going in would essentially be for nothing, not to mention the threat of creatures living inside. Without the guidance of the Fallen Heart Flame's attraction, finding that mysterious space would be a fool's errand.
After Xiao Tian returned to Boundless Gate, he told Xun'er and the others about the reduced fees for Boundless Gate, and everyone cheered. It sounded like a reduction of one-tenth, but for pills, this one-tenth was even more than the total annual profit of other factions. The pill industry was a highly profitable one, and with the various operational methods Xiao Tian taught, sales became even more fervent.
Xiao Tian chatted with Xun'er for a while, then prepared to find Xiao Yan. As for Zi Yan, she also left Boundless Gate not long after Xiao Tian departed. Zi Yan was not one to sit still; she was either wandering around or fighting magical beasts.
Xiao Tian found Xiao Yan and briefly told him about securing the opportunity for him to subdue the Fallen Heart Flame.
Xiao Yan trembled with emotion and excitement on the spot. He had been wondering how to obtain a Heavenly Flame from the Inner Academy. He had long given up on forcibly taking it ever since he saw Yao Lao's appearance and the two old men in the Hidden Book Pavilion; he didn't want to die young.
Now, Xiao Tian's news was like a bolt from the blue for him. "Brother Tian, thank you so much! From now on, just give the orders, and I'll follow them."
Xiao Tian waved his hand. "You and I are brothers; no need for formalities. Our future enemies are very powerful. The stronger you are, the greater our chances of victory. I can create the opportunity for you, but whether you can subdue it depends on yourselves. I cannot help with that."
Xiao Yan clenched his fists tightly, looking at Xiao Tian with determined eyes. "Don't worry, Brother Tian, I will not let down the opportunity you've secured for me."
Seeing Xiao Yan like this, Xiao Tian felt deeply moved. This younger brother, from childhood, had always been very stubborn and determined. Especially after three years of tempering and subsequent experiences, he had developed the heart of a true powerhouse.
"Mm, then you must make sufficient preparations, otherwise there will be life-threatening danger."
Xiao Yan looked straight ahead. "The opportunity is before me. Even if I die, I will have no regrets. If I give up because I'm afraid of death, it would be even more unbearable than killing me."
Seeing Xiao Yan's demeanor, Xiao Tian couldn't help but nod in admiration. This perfectly matched Xiao Yan's crucial personality throughout his life: fearless of death, striving to acquire all resources. Xiao Yan's countless struggles on the brink of life and death, combined with the mysteriousness of the Burning Technique, allowed him to achieve such accomplishments.
"I believe in you."
Xiao Tian patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, then left the room. As he walked down the corridor, he remembered another matter that needed to be arranged. This was something he had decided long ago to arrange for her to enter at the appropriate time.