Chapter 212 – Jie Jie Jie
Seeing the Fallen Heart Flame vanish so mysteriously, Xiao Yuan immediately sensed something was wrong. Having learned from Han Feng's earlier mistake, he quickly realized that the true body of the flame had likely merged into the surrounding sea of invisible fire.
Whoosh!
With a flap of his wings, Xiao Yuan shot through a gap before the fire net could fully close around him.
The moment he escaped, he felt a surge of violent energy behind him. Glancing back, he saw ripples in one part of the flame sea, where the massive body of the fire serpent flickered in and out of visibility.
"Screee!"
A piercing screech erupted from the skies as the invisible flame serpent reemerged from the fire, its eyes filled with human-like rage. With a snarl, it unleashed a stream of invisible fire toward Xiao Yuan.
Feeling the sudden heat behind him, Xiao Yuan—already on alert—spun around. His palms flipped, and a surge of black and white flame shot from his hands, colliding head-on with the serpent's fire under countless watching eyes.
"BOOM!"
Another deafening explosion roared through the sky. The clash of energy caused the already stifling air to grow even hotter, as if the entire world had turned into a scorching desert.
Thanks to his Yin-Yang Dual Flame, Xiao Yuan blocked the attack that would've made most Dou Wangs retreat in terror. But before he could counter, he felt the sky above shift—the elemental energy in the heavens roiling with violent motion.
He looked up and sucked in a breath. The once-clear sky was now filled with floating invisible flames, all suspended around the fire serpent like soldiers waiting to strike.
"Screee!"
Another shriek burst forth—and the sky came crashing down in a rain of fire. The burning hail roared like missiles falling from the heavens, giving everyone watching a sense of impending doom.
Faced with this apocalyptic attack, Xiao Yuan didn't dare take it head-on. His wings beat rapidly, and he unleashed his Three Thousand Lightning Movement at full power. Streaks of blue lightning flashed through the sky as he dodged the fiery barrage.
Against a Heavenly Flame that had slumbered and grown in power for countless years, even an elite Dou Wang like Xiao Yuan was utterly dwarfed.
If only he were a Dou Zun… taming this thing wouldn't be so hard.
But he wasn't.
While Xiao Yuan danced between death and flame, dodging for his life, the Inner Academy Elders were stunned.
They hadn't expected Xiao Yuan to be this strong.
The Black-Corner Region's experts, however, looked deeply troubled.
They had just seen this Dou Wang youth take down Fan Lao in open combat, then trap and eliminate Han Feng with a sneak attack. Now, despite being under siege from the Fallen Heart Flame, he was still holding his own.
What baffled them even more was: why had he trapped Xiao Yan along with Han Feng? Did that black-robed Dou Ling really have the power to endure Han Feng's dying counterattack?
Of course, they didn't know that Xiao Yuan's strike had already sealed Han Feng's fate—and that Yao Lao, with his fully restored soul power, had effortlessly erased Han Feng's final retaliation.
Now, with Han Feng gone and Xiao Yuan's strength laid bare, none of the remaining Black-Corner Region fighters dared to confront him directly—except perhaps the Gold and Silver Elders.
For a moment, the invaders were lost.
Their leader was dead. What now?
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuan continued to struggle. Though his five Qi palaces gave him incredible endurance, he knew he couldn't outlast a millennia-honed Heavenly Flame in a battle of attrition.
But… he wasn't about to play to the flame's strengths.
The serpent's massive body held immense power, but its core—its essence—was much smaller and likely hidden.
If he could wound that core, the Fallen Heart Flame would be weakened, and the rest would be easier.
That thought turned into action.
While weaving through the firestorm, Xiao Yuan's eyes darkened. The black and white flames around him flared, and his pupils shifted—becoming twin interlocking yin-yang fish.
With these Yin-Yang Eyes, he could see beyond illusions—straight to the essence of things.
And there it was.
Just beneath a single scale under the serpent's massive jaw—a white flame shaped like a snake, glowing softly.
He smiled. The serpent didn't like that smile.
Lightning burst beneath him. The thunderclap boomed across the sky as Xiao Yuan moved, leaving behind a fading afterimage.
Tsshh! Tsshh!
Stunned onlookers watched as he danced through falling fire, his figure flickering from gap to gap, closing in on the giant beast.
In a matter of moments, he was almost there.
The world blurred. Only the glowing essence beneath the serpent's jaw remained in sharp focus.
"Haaa!"
With a roar like thunder, Xiao Yuan's hand shot forward. The Yin-Yang Dual Flame roared to life, forming a black-and-white flame spear—its body writhing like a dragon.
He drove it forward—straight into the serpent's core scale!
"Foolish brat! Courting death!"
From afar, the Black-Corner Region fighters sneered. They had fought the serpent before, and knew how tough it was. Even with everyone working together, they couldn't harm it. What could Xiao Yuan do alone?
Even Su Qian frowned slightly, preparing to leap to Xiao Yuan's rescue.
But then—
The serpent shrieked.
Its massive head flung back in agony, its scream echoing across the heavens. Its body flickered—becoming translucent. And then… a strange fire gleamed beneath the wounded scale—visible, tangible, radiant.
"Screee!"
With another cry, all the surrounding flames vanished—gone as if they had never existed.
The suffocating heat faded.
Every eye turned toward the sky—where a half-meter-wide flame floated, glowing faintly. Though formless, everyone could feel its presence.
This… was the true body of the Fallen Heart Flame.
Without hesitation, Xiao Yuan surged forward.
The Inner Academy didn't stop him. After all, a sentient Heavenly Flame had become a dangerous ticking time bomb. If a student could tame it—it was a win.
But the Black-Corner Region didn't agree.
This flame had been meant for Han Feng! If Xiao Yuan took it, they'd lose everything Han Feng had promised.
They rushed to intercept.
"Stop them!"
Su Qian, always alert, shouted.
The Elders, having regained some strength during the chaos, sprang into the sky, cutting off the Black-Corner Region's charge.
The skies erupted in battle once more.
Su Qian's eyes turned cold as he faced the Gold and Silver Elders.
"Heh heh, Elder Su… is this little flame really worth dying over?" the gold-robed twin said with a grin. His silver-robed brother cackled beside him.
Su Qian didn't reply. His eyes burned with fury.
"Looks like we've been too lenient with the Black-Corner Region. Time for a reminder. Let's start with you two."
As his voice dropped, spatial ripples burst around him. A storm of terrifying energy erupted from within his body.
Sensing this pressure, the Gold and Silver Elders tensed. They joined forces to hold him off—but even then, they barely managed. Though they were said to rival a Dou Zong together, against a real one, they were still at a disadvantage.
As shockwaves rolled through the sky, Xiao Yuan reached the flame.
Even standing nearby, its heat distorted the air. Xiao Yuan was forced to use his own flame to shield himself.
He looked at the floating fire—so close now—and surprisingly, felt no excitement.
Without the Flame Mantra, attempting to absorb this flame would be suicide.
But that wasn't why he was here.
This was his chance—to fully awaken his Shaoyin Sovereign Fire!
The Yin-Yang flames coiled around his arm, forming black and white patterns as he reached out.
Then, suddenly—his face contorted in pain. His entire body froze.
A white-hot flame burst from his heart, surging through him like a wildfire, threatening to incinerate everything.
This wasn't like any other time he'd used Heart Flame.
This wasn't refining—it was pure destruction.
But Xiao Yuan had expected this.
He activated the Chi Flame Qi Palace, flooding the Heart Flame with his own orange-red fire, suppressing the backlash.
But just as the academy fought to hold their ground, and Xiao Yuan grappled with flame and soul—
A wave of black mist tore through the sky.
A horrible, bone-chilling laughter echoed across the heavens:
"Jie jie jie… Now this is a party."
(END CHAPTER)
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