Chapter 145: Ten Days
With one wave of probing, Yao Yan was able to understand the level of the Fallen Heart Flame, around the level of a seven or eight-star Dou Huang. Of course, this level did not include the heart fire that it emitted. As a heavenly phenomenon, the heavenly flame did not need to cultivate like humans. It simply needed to accumulate energy to continuously enhance its power.
However, the current Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower had restricted its growth, turning the energy it had accumulated into cultivation resources for the Jia Nan Academy students, which had effectively slowed down its growth by countless times.
This might also explain why the Fallen Heart Flame was so violent. No intelligent creature would enjoy being trapped in a small cage, constantly having its energy drained. That feeling was more painful than being confined like livestock.
In contrast, the Three Thousand Yan Flame, sealed in the stars, was undoubtedly much happier, though this also related to the nature of the two types of flames.
The Three Thousand Yan Flame didn't have the ability to assist in cultivation like the Fallen Heart Flame. Before it was refined, it was almost useless to anyone.
"Hiss~"
After suffering a heavy blow, the invisible fire serpent, which was over ten meters long, became even more violent, like a mad beast. It lunged towards Yao Yan's soul force position, seemingly intent on burning everything in its path. Its savage posture twisted the space around it as it burned.
It wasn't until it crashed into a spatial seal that it was knocked back heavily. Enraged, it continued to emit invisible flames from its body, indiscriminately burning everything in its vicinity.
However, these actions had little to do with Yao Yan now. He had already retracted his soul force. The spatial seal below wasn't perfect, and over the years, the continuous burning from the Fallen Heart Flame had caused many cracks. Yet, Su Qian and others hadn't noticed, perhaps because they didn't think the Fallen Heart Flame could break through Mang Tian Chi's seal.
"Did you notice?"
At that moment, a figure appeared behind Yao Yan. The voice, aged and filled with a hint of surprise, asked.
Xiong Zhuang, upon seeing the newcomer, hurriedly cupped his hands and greeted, "Elder Liu!"
Elder Liu waved his hand, signaling Xiong Zhuang to leave. He took over the position and looked down at the bottomless black hole. The darkness that could even swallow light made his heart shiver.
When Xiong Zhuang had moved a little further away, Elder Liu spoke in a soft voice, "The Grand Elder mentioned you to me yesterday, asking me to keep an eye on you after you entered the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower... Since you have a heavenly flame, you must have sensed its presence."
As he spoke, Elder Liu's gaze was focused and firm on Yao Yan.
"I had some guesses when I first entered, and now it's confirmed. The seal down there should be the Fallen Heart Flame."
Yao Yan did not deny it and frankly admitted, "Since I have the Qinglian Earth Heart Fire in me, how could I not sense the Fallen Heart Flame's presence? Denying it would be ridiculous."
"Mmm, when the Dean sealed it here, Jia Nan Academy was established, and now, hundreds of years have passed. It seems to be getting more and more violent…" Elder Liu gently stroked his white beard, his gaze lowering, and he murmured to himself.
Did the people of Jia Nan Academy really not know that the seal had been burned through?
Clearly, they knew.
But what could they do? The seal had been left by Mang Tian Chi, a semi-saint, and the spatial power within it was solidified. Outsiders couldn't repair it, and even a Dou Zong expert wouldn't be able to. All they could do was add reinforcement from the outside and wait for the day the Fallen Heart Flame broke through the seal, at which point they would reseal it.
"Because heavenly flames are extremely violent, filled with destructive power, sealing it here in Jia Nan Academy wasn't a wise choice. Sooner or later, it will break free."
Yao Yan pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.
Elder Liu turned to look at Yao Yan and smiled lightly, "If that day comes, Jia Nan Academy will handle it properly. For now, the Inner Academy still needs it... I'm one of the elders responsible for the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower. The Grand Elder has already told me about you. If you want to cultivate here, you can enter the bottom floor. There's no need to compete with the students for a spot."
He clearly cares about the students… Yao Yan understood the underlying meaning of these words. The Grand Elder, Su Qian, clearly didn't want him interacting too much with the students in the Inner Academy.
"Then, thank you, Elder."
Yao Yan didn't refuse and followed the Elder toward the lower floor's cultivation rooms. He planned to spend a few days in closed-door cultivation, to adapt to the sensation of the Fallen Heart Flame's burning and prepare for the eventual refinement of it. After experiencing this, he could get down to business.
His main purpose for coming to Jia Nan Academy was not to be a teacher; influencing Su Qian to deal with the Mo Yan Valley was one of his goals.
Secondly, it was to get the Earth Core Refining Milk!
…
The heart fire level in the lower floor cultivation rooms was undoubtedly much stronger than the upper floors. These rooms were specifically for Dou Wang and Dou Huang level instructors. Furthermore, the distance from the Fallen Heart Flame was shorter here, and the two were separated by only a layer of seal.
"There are a few things to be aware of, but you can cultivate in peace. If you want to leave, just turn the nearby wrench," Elder Liu spoke softly.
"Alright."
Yao Yan nodded, then entered the secret room. With the turn of the wrench, the door closed behind him.
Elder Liu looked at the closed door, stroked his beard, and murmured, "A Five-Star Dou Wang under eighteen, a Five-Rank Alchemist, with a heavenly flame… truly a monster. Is this what the major forces in the Central Plains are cultivating? Terrifying. This is the first time I've seen such a freak after so many years!"
He sighed deeply and shook his head, not wanting to think about it anymore. Comparing the students of Jia Nan Academy to him was meaningless.
…
Inside the secret room.
Yao Yan sat cross-legged, his pitch-black eyes unusually calm. He silently pondered. He had already felt the rejection from Jia Nan Academy. Clearly, as a "new" teacher, he hadn't been fully accepted yet. There was still some distance between them.
But this was fine. It was much easier than hiding his cultivation and being discovered later. This way, he felt quite relaxed.
After all, humans were emotional creatures. He wasn't as cold-blooded as Xiao Yi Xian.
"Let's just cultivate for now."
Yao Yan glanced at the floor in front of him. His fingers lightly struck out with Dou Qi, pushing a small raised object aside. Immediately, an invisible flame erupted from it. Compared to the upper floors' heart fire, this one was much stronger and more concentrated. In an instant, a massive amount of invisible flames surged within him, beginning to burn his Dou Qi.
He didn't resist and allowed the heart fire to burn inside him, letting go of his suppression of the magical poison marks. Instantly, black energy poured out of his limbs, and the odor was so strong that even his body emitted a nauseating stench. If any student had been nearby and smelled it, they'd likely drop dead on the spot.
Even a Dou Wang level expert wouldn't dare to touch it.
However, for Yao Yan, who had a powerful body and domineering bloodline, this poison was not too deadly. His bones, infused with the essence of the Dou Sheng, couldn't be affected by the magical poison marks. Even though it was troublesome, it wouldn't endanger his life, as the poison couldn't infiltrate his jade-like bones.
Yao Yan had only discovered this recently. Previously, he had noticed his bones were harder than the rest of his body. He had attributed this to the effect of the Dou Di bloodline, but now he understood that his bones had an unusual nature. They emitted a jade-like glow, especially when under threat. When his bones faced danger, the jade light grew so intense that it seemed to envelop them.
Jade bones… These were a hallmark of a Dou Sheng.
This was clearly related to the experiments from Xiao Yi Xian, though she never fully explained it to him. Xiao Yi Xian had always been like that. Even when teaching him alchemy, she would only provide the basics, and how far he got depended entirely on his own comprehension.
When it came to teaching, Xiao Yi Xian was clearly far less patient than Yao Lao.
But this made sense. Someone like Xiao Yi Xian, who had once betrayed her own teacher, didn't care about passing on legacies.
As a Dou Sheng, her lifespan spanned thousands of years, and to her, such a long life was almost like immortality.
"Shh~"
As Yao Yan released the suppression, the magical poison marks fought back more fiercely, but under the burning influence of both heavenly flames, it had no chance. It was continuously refined into pure energy, flowing into his limbs and enhancing his Dou Qi.
The breakthrough he had made not long ago wavered again, pushing him toward the Six-Star Dou Wang.
"…Just a bit longer."
Yao Yan felt his Dou Qi growing stronger and opened his eyes slightly. His gaze was filled with eerie green flame, adding to his already stunning appearance. There was a touch of anticipation in his expression, as the burning desire for the heavenly flames after cultivating the Burning Decision had become almost instinctual, just like the need for food and water.
He was getting hungry!
He even felt that his cultivation speed was too slow.
…
After about ten days, Yao Yan reluctantly left the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower, as it would close for maintenance and inspection on certain days each month. This was to ensure the safety of the academy, as the Fallen Heart Flame's seal was no longer complete and could cause some unnecessary accidents.
"It seems that the bottom-floor cultivation room has had some effect on you," Elder Liu said, watching Yao Yan, whose aura had become much more vigorous, with a light smile.
Yao Yan smiled and nodded, not refuting him. He couldn't very well say that he had spent the time refining the magical poison marks instead of cultivating, as it would be foolish to waste his external treasures when he could be refining them. Moreover, the heart fire didn't provide as much of a boost for Dou Wang level cultivation. Had he cultivated on his own, his progress in these ten days would have been a fraction of what it was now.
"Come back in three days. It will open again then."
Elder Liu said, then turned and entered the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower, slowly closing the door behind him.
The elders who were responsible for the tower would remain here year-round, not just for cultivating in seclusion but also to keep an eye on the Fallen Heart Flame to prevent it from causing any upheavals.
"Three days, that should be enough."
Yao Yan mumbled to himself. He planned to use the next few days to obtain the Earth Core Refining Milk. It was one of the key materials for crafting the Seven-Rank Ice Heart Pills. If he wasn't mistaken, that place should be in the rear mountain of Jia Nan Academy, guarded by a Snow Magic Ape, which was at the fourth or fifth tier and easy to deal with.
At that moment, someone approached from behind.
The person was tall and broad-shouldered, resembling a gorilla, but his face bore a silly grin. "Teacher, you're finally out."
"You've been waiting for me?"
Looking at the person, Yao Yan was surprised. He didn't expect Xiong Zhuang to be waiting outside for him.
"I was worried you might need something, Teacher. You must be new to the Inner Academy and unfamiliar with everything. If you need anything, just ask me. Old Xiong knows the Inner Academy like the back of his hand!"
Xiong Zhuang slapped his chest, promising.
"…Actually, can you help me find if there's a Snow Magic Ape around here? I need its magic core for making a pill," Yao Yan pondered for a moment and spoke.
"Teacher is an alchemist too?!"
Xiong Zhuang's silly eyes immediately flashed with a glimmer of light, surprised by the question.
"Yes."
Yao Yan answered briefly, not going into further explanation. He hated trouble. Explaining to Hu Qian and Su Qian was just to boost his own standing. If Xiong Zhuang knew, there would likely be many complications. After all, the students at the academy were numerous, and the attraction of a Five-Rank Alchemist would be terrifying.
Xiong Zhuang suppressed his curiosity, deciding to first show his worth and then ask for a reward. After all, he was a teacher at the Dou Wang level, so a bit of a 'goodie' leaking through his fingers was enough for himself.
(END CHAPTER)
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