Chapter 205 – Fan Lao: Brat, Today I Will Kill You!
The sudden burst of laughter abruptly halted the thunderous cheers that had filled the arena. Countless students stared up in confusion at the large group of people who had suddenly appeared in the sky, unable to make sense of the situation.
In the air, Su Qian's expression was dark as he gazed at the group that had torn open the spatial barrier. His eyes narrowed as they stopped on the man at the center of the group, dressed in an alchemist's robe. A cold sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"So it's you… turns out it's the Medicine Emperor of Black-Corner Region, Han Feng."
"Hehe, Elder Su flatters me. That title is just something the friends in the Black-Corner Region made up. It's not to be taken seriously," the man called Han Feng said with a light smile, addressing Su Qian.
"Han Feng, this is Canaan Academy's territory. You came uninvited—what's your purpose?" Hu Qian's face had also darkened upon Han Feng's arrival. With a flash of movement, he appeared behind Su Qian and barked at Han Feng.
"He's Han Feng?"
On the ground, upon hearing the name, Xiao Yan was startled. He quickly murmured in surprise, his gaze fixed on the alchemist who could technically be considered his senior.
"Do you feel it? This guy also seems to have a Heavenly Flame in his body," Xiao Yuan said gravely beside him.
"Heavenly Flame?"
Xiao Yan's eyes instantly sharpened upon hearing this. His gaze toward Han Feng changed.
If he could acquire the Fallen Heart Flame and the Heavenly Flame within Han Feng, he would have three Heavenly Flames in total. That would greatly increase the odds of reviving his teacher!
As he thought this, Xiao Yan suppressed his aura almost completely.
After all, the people Han Feng had brought with him were no weaklings. Even one of them would be hard to handle. It was better to stay hidden and wait for his teacher to awaken.
In the sky, Han Feng chuckled lightly, glancing at the shattered tip of the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower. His tone was gentle and smiling.
"Heavenly Flames are miraculous creations of heaven and earth. To seal one like this is far too cruel. As alchemists, fire is practically a sacred faith in our hearts. So I ask Elder Su to release the Heavenly Flame and not imprison it in such a manner."
As Han Feng spoke, not only did Su Qian and the others' expressions turn odd, even those standing behind Han Feng looked at each other strangely. Killing was second nature in the Black-Corner Region—what was this nonsense about "imprisonment"? And besides, what they were sealing wasn't even a person, just a flame with some intelligence.
"What a ridiculous excuse. Do you take the people of Canaan Academy for toddlers?" Hu Qian sneered and waved his hand. A gust of wind roared across the sky as nearly twenty Dou Qi-winged figures darted forward, glaring fiercely at Han Feng's group.
"If you want to steal the Heavenly Flame, just say so. Don't beat around the bush."
Su Qian's eyes swept over the strange-looking people behind Han Feng. His sleeve twitched slightly as he scoffed.
"Heh, worthy of the title 'Medicine Emperor.' You even managed to summon leaders from the Blood Sect, Earth Flame Gate, and Eight Gates. Your influence must be unmatched in the Black-Corner Region."
"Hehe, Elder Su, you're as direct as ever." Han Feng chuckled and sighed. "Since you've guessed my intention, let me be frank. You know how important Heavenly Flames are to alchemists. If you hand it over to me, I'll meet any condition you name to the best of my ability."
A mocking smile tugged at Su Qian's lips. With a wave of his sleeve, he said sarcastically, "If your teacher, the Medicine Sovereign, were here, I might actually consider it. But you? Go train for another few decades. Canaan Academy has stood tall in the Dou Qi Continent not because of an empty reputation!"
The warmth in Han Feng's gaze vanished, replaced by a sinister chill.
"If you won't hand it over, then don't blame me for taking it by force!"
As his words fell, a deep blue flame surged from his body like liquid. An intense heat began to spread.
"Heavenly Flame?!"
The moment the flame appeared, gasps erupted across the sky. With their experience, everyone could instantly recognize the nature of Han Feng's fire.
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight, a sharp breath escaping his lips. "That's... the Sea Heart Flame?"
"Yes, judging by its color and form, there's no doubt," Xiao Yuan nodded, his gaze shifting toward the Black-Corner Region crowd in the sky.
Blood Sect's Fan Lao, Eight Gates' Yuan Yi—familiar faces.
Come to think of it, Fan Lao doesn't seem to have made much progress in his aura. Looks like he just finished recovering from his wounds. Xiao Yuan's eyes turned sly. Now that he had advanced to the Dou Wang level, with the aid of secret techniques, Heavenly Flame, and his own skills, he might just be able to take Fan Lao down.
However, neither Xiao Yuan nor Xiao Yan noticed that while their attention was on the Heavenly Flame and the crowd, the ancient black ring on Xiao Yan's finger emitted a faint glimmer.
"Han Feng, I suggest you leave now. I'll pretend none of this happened. If the dean returns later, none of you will escape!"
Hovering in the air, Su Qian shouted sternly as the deep blue flames surged around Han Feng.
"Hehe, Elder Su, you don't need to scare me. Your dean hasn't shown up for years. Who knows where he's gone?"
Han Feng smiled and looked at the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower with burning desire.
Below, Xiao Yuan's face turned odd. The dean, Mang Tianchi, had already broken through to the Dou Zun level long ago. Even if Han Feng secured the Fallen Heart Flame and reached Dou Zong, he would still be crushed by a Dou Zun.
"Besides, once I obtain the Heavenly Flame, even if he comes for me, the outcome may not be in his favor! So, Elder Su, I advise you again—hand it over. You know the temperament of those from the Black-Corner Region. You wouldn't want the Inner Academy to be reduced to ruins, would you?"
Han Feng's tone carried an unmistakable threat, and his face bore a half-smile.
Su Qian's face turned iron-cold. He took a deep breath and slowly pulled his hands from his sleeves. The space around him trembled violently as he gripped his fists.
"It's been a while since I fought. Let's see if you're qualified to say those words today!"
"All elders, defend the Heavenly Flame with your lives!"
Su Qian's roar exploded like thunder across the sky.
"With our lives!"
The academy's experts roared in unison, and an overwhelming aura surged skyward!
"Stubborn fool. A Dou Zong is indeed powerful, but not invincible. There are still those in the Black-Corner Region who can match you!"
Feeling the pressure emanating from Su Qian, Han Feng stepped back with a cold laugh. Then he turned respectfully and called out, "Misters Gold and Silver, please reveal yourselves."
"Haha! Han Feng, I hope you're ready to pay the price for hiring us. Otherwise..."
Before the sentence finished, two bursts of laughter echoed through the air. The space rippled, and two ghostly figures—one clad in gold, the other in silver—appeared in the sky.
Su Qian and the others' faces changed drastically.
"I didn't expect even you two would be summoned!"
Two nearly identical old men stood in the sky—one in gold, the other in silver. White-haired, white-bearded, and eerily alike, their reputations were well-known, even among the Inner Academy's elders.
They were the infamous Misters Gold and Silver, top-ranking experts on the Black Ranking of the Black-Corner Region. Being twins who cultivated the same techniques, their combined strength could rival a Dou Zong, even though individually they were only at peak Dou Huang level.
"You want to get involved too?" Su Qian asked coldly.
"We were hired. We just want to get what we came for," the gold-robed elder said with a smile.
"Old Su, just hand the flame over. If your dean were here, we wouldn't have taken this job. But unfortunately, he's been missing for years. Dead, maybe?"
The silver-robed elder sneered, his voice eerily matching his brother's.
"Heh, wishful thinking. I've always wanted to see what makes the legendary twin elders so formidable. Even without our dean here, this isn't your playground!"
Su Qian sneered. With a wave of his sleeve, his powerful Dou Qi surged forth, momentarily startling the Black-Corner Region crowd.
"In that case, your Inner Academy doesn't have enough strength," the gold-robed elder chuckled. Though they were outnumbered, their individual strength far surpassed that of the academy's elders. In a true fight, one of them could handle two or even three opponents.
Su Qian's face turned icy. Saying nothing more, he rotated his palms, sending Dou Qi surging outward and shaking the space around him.
"Elder Su Qian, I'll ask one last time. Will you hand over the Heavenly Flame or not?" Han Feng's voice turned cold.
Su Qian remained expressionless. Instead of replying, he simply waved his sleeve, unleashing a powerful beam of Dou Qi toward Han Feng.
"Hmph!"
Han Feng's expression grew grim. With a flick of his finger, a deep blue flame appeared in his palm and clashed violently with the beam of Dou Qi.
Boom!
A muffled explosion erupted. The resulting energy ripple forced Han Feng back a step before he stabilized. Even with the aid of the Heavenly Flame, he couldn't gain an edge against a Dou Zong like Su Qian.
Su Qian didn't pause for even a second. He shot toward Han Feng like lightning.
"Hehe, Old Su, why don't you play with us instead?"
The two old men appeared before Han Feng with grins. With their left and right hands clenched tightly together, a powerful pale green Dou Qi beam shot out.
Dodging the green beam, Su Qian suddenly appeared in front of them. Instantly, the three exchanged a flurry of palm strikes, the air filled with muffled thunderous clashes.
Seeing Su Qian tied down, Han Feng turned to Hu Qian and the others. With a wave of his hand, he smiled at the group behind him. "I'll leave the rest to you. I'm going to break the seal."
"Just a bunch of Dou Wangs. Leave them to us. Besides, I've never tasted the blood of an Inner Academy elder."
Blood Sect's Fan Lao grinned sinisterly at Hu Qian, revealing slightly sharp teeth. Ever since his only son was killed in the Black-Corner Region, Fan Lao's already gloomy personality had turned violent. Rumors said he often killed and drank blood while recovering from his wounds.
"Hehe, thanks to all of you. Once this is done, I'll owe you a big favor," Han Feng said with a cupped fist. With a flap of his deep blue Dou Qi wings, he descended toward the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.
"Stop them!" Hu Qian ordered. Over thirty academy experts surged forward, blocking Han Feng's path.
"Jie jie... your opponents are us."
A dozen figures charged out, reeking of blood, and clashed with the academy experts, instantly dividing them into multiple battle groups.
Above the sky, the sudden outbreak of combat confused the students below. Although they didn't fully understand what was happening, the deafening explosions and waves of energy made it clear—those who had appeared were not friendly.
Some students wanted to help, but the battle was far beyond their reach. All they could do was pray for the elders to repel the intruders.
Meanwhile, Han Feng flapped his wings and appeared above the tower. Just as he prepared to act, a sharp wind howled past his ear.
He quickly dodged and looked up to see Hu Qian glaring coldly at him.
"Don't even think about touching that flame," Hu Qian growled, Dou Qi rapidly condensing in his palm.
"You alone won't be able to stop me."
Han Feng looked surprised that Hu Qian had broken away from the main battle. With the Heavenly Flame's power, Han Feng was almost unrivaled among Dou Huang, and Hu Qian, though at peak Dou Huang, didn't frighten him.
"Let's find out."
Hu Qian sneered and unleashed his Dou Qi, enveloping Han Feng. The two clashed violently, becoming blurred figures in the air.
And so, the sky descended into utter chaos. Everywhere one looked, battles raged. Explosions echoed like firecrackers.
On the ground, Xiao Yan stared in shock. Su Qian was tied down by the twin elders, Hu Qian was fighting Han Feng, and the remaining elders were being held off by sect leaders who could take on two or three opponents at once. The gap between Dou Wang and Dou Huang was simply massive.
Elsewhere in the sky, Fan Lao had already gained the upper hand against three Dou Wang elders. Perhaps because of the psychological scar left by Xiao Yuan, he went all out, placing the trio under immense pressure.
Dizzy from the chaotic battles, Xiao Yan turned to Xiao Yuan with a bitter smile. "Brother, this is bad."
"Yes, the elders can't hold on much longer. Stay safe and wait for teacher's revival. I have to act," Xiao Yuan said, frowning. With a flash, his Dou Qi wings unfolded—black ice crystal wings. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Fan Lao, summoning a swirl of frozen Dou Qi and hurling it forward.
"Scram!"
Blood-red Dou Qi surged from Fan Lao with a furious roar. The three elders were blasted away.
Fan Lao then turned, punching toward Xiao Yuan.
Crack!
With the sound of shattering ice crystals, Xiao Yuan was sent flying backward.
"Black ice Dou Qi?"
Fan Lao froze, recognizing the broken black crystals and the familiar white figure. A memory surfaced of a woman in a white dress wielding a frost spear.
His face darkened as a chilling voice echoed through the sky:
"Brat, today I will kill you!"
(END CHAPTER)
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