The arrival of Xiao Se, the Little Doctor Fairy, Hu Qian, and the others instantly lifted the spirits of Su Qian and the assembled elders. At the same time, the violent impact of the Fallen Heart Flame against the seal gradually weakened, its furious resistance finally showing signs of suppression.
"Hahaha… good lad!" Hu Qian laughed heartily as he continuously formed seals with both hands, repairing and reinforcing the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower's seal. He cast a sideways glance at Xiao Se and said with clear delight, "I never expected that in less than half a year since entering the Inner Academy, you'd already advanced to the Dou Wang realm. This old man truly didn't misjudge you!"
"It was just luck," Xiao Se replied with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Heh heh," a voice cut in from not far away. "Hu Qian, you old fellow probably don't know yet. He didn't just break through to Dou Wang—he's even successfully refined a sixth-grade pill. And Elder Little Doctor Fairy here has already broken through to Dou Zong. Even that little girl Zhu Zhuqing has reached Dou Ling. After this batch, I'm afraid Canaan Academy won't see students of this caliber again for a very long time."
Su Qian, whose mood had clearly improved after the reinforcements arrived, spoke with a gentle smile on his aged face.
"Hiss—!"
At Su Qian's words, Hu Qian and the many Outer Academy elders he had brought with him collectively sucked in a sharp breath.
A sixteen-year-old Dou Zong.
A fifteen-year-old Dou Wang—and a sixth-grade alchemist at that.
The former possessed the most terrifying constitution on the continent, the Calamity Poison Body, and had also resolved its fatal drawbacks with Xiao Se's help—so her rapid growth could still be explained.
But Xiao Se?
He possessed no special constitution, no ancient bloodline, no innate advantage of any kind. Yet his achievements had already far surpassed the limits of what the word "genius" could describe.
Calling him a monster… was no exaggeration.
A true monster.
"Everyone, put in a little more effort!" Su Qian shouted loudly, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed joy. "The seal is about to succeed!"
The formless fire python formed by the Fallen Heart Flame was slowly dragged back toward the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower. Seeing this, Su Qian's hands flew into motion once more, seals forming rapidly as he let out a commanding roar.
However—
Just as the formless fire python was about to be sealed once again—
A sharp, piercing laugh suddenly echoed from the distant sky.
"Hehe… who would've thought the Inner Academy was hiding an Exotic Flame? Great Elder Su Qian, you really kept this secret well!"
As the laughter faded, the clear sky rippled violently. In the next instant, a large group of figures appeared, flying in from afar before coming to a halt in midair.
In a flash, a heavy scent of blood spread across the skies above the Inner Academy.
"Medicine Emperor Han Feng," Su Qian said coldly, his gaze sweeping over the uninvited guests before settling on the middle-aged man in an alchemist's robe standing at the front. "Are you planning to go to war with Canaan Academy?"
Under normal circumstances, Su Qian would not have feared Han Feng and his group in the slightest. With the Little Doctor Fairy present, the Inner Academy now had two Dou Zong-level experts. Even if Han Feng brought all his forces, they could easily suppress them—perhaps even wipe them out entirely.
But now was different.
The sealing of the Fallen Heart Flame had reached a critical juncture. One wrong move could undo all their efforts, allowing the Exotic Flame to break free. If that happened, the entire Inner Academy would suffer catastrophic consequences.
"Hehe, Great Elder Su Qian, you misunderstand," Han Feng replied calmly, a faint smile lifting his thin lips. "I have no intention of becoming an enemy of Canaan Academy. It's just that an Exotic Flame—a treasure of heaven and earth—is a kind of faith to alchemists. To see it sealed away like this… well, as a fellow alchemist, I find it rather hard to accept."
He paused briefly before continuing in a courteous tone, "So I humbly ask that you show some leniency, Great Elder, and release it."
"Han Feng, you truly have the nerve," Hu Qian sneered coldly. "You actually dare to come up with such a ridiculous excuse. Do you take Canaan Academy for fools? Even a three-year-old child could see through that nonsense."
With a sweep of his arm, Hu Qian maintained the stability of the seal while directing more than twenty elders, each with Dou Qi wings spread wide, to flash forward and confront Han Feng's group head-on.
"So this is Han Feng…"
Standing behind Hu Qian, Xiao Se's gaze locked tightly onto Han Feng. More precisely, his eyes were fixed on the dark-blue storage ring on Han Feng's finger—and the Sea Heart Flame hidden within his body.
This man's collection was absurdly rich.
After ambushing and betraying Yao Lao, Han Feng had seized a storage ring filled with countless rare treasures and high-grade pill formulas. There was little doubt that everything had since been transferred into this Nether Sea Storage Ring.
Given the current situation, if Xiao Se simply guided the Fallen Heart Flame back into the tower, then with Su Qian and the Little Doctor Fairy—two Dou Zongs present—capturing Han Feng would be effortless.
But doing so would make it extremely difficult for Xiao Se to make a move on the Fallen Heart Flame afterward.
If possible, he truly didn't want to become an enemy of Canaan Academy.
The future was bound to be turbulent. The Soul Hall would eventually target the Xiao Clan. Xiao Se didn't care about the lives of others—but Xiao Yu would continue to stay at Canaan Academy.
That was why he had devised a plan that could satisfy all sides.
He would use the Fallen Heart Flame to tie down a portion of Canaan Academy's forces, balancing the battlefield against Han Feng's group. Then, after defeating Han Feng, he would use the Fallen Heart Flame to drag both Han Feng and himself into the depths of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.
There, he would refine both Exotic Flames—the fourteenth-ranked Fallen Heart Flame and the fifteenth-ranked Sea Heart Flame.
The plan was troublesome. Risky. Extremely dangerous.
But it was perfect.
And while he was down there, he could also search for the remains of the Heavenly Flame Venerate—Tian Huo Zun Zhe. The Five-Wheel Li Fire Method was an opportunity he absolutely could not afford to miss.
"Let me ask one last time," Han Feng said coldly, his earlier smile gone. "Are you handing over the Exotic Flame or not?"
"Do you think that's even possible?" Su Qian replied with unconcealed mockery. The Fallen Heart Flame was the foundation upon which Canaan Academy stood. No matter who came asking, he would never agree to hand it over.
"Good. Very good," Han Feng said, not angry but laughing instead.
In the next instant, a deep-blue flame—like the surface of a tranquil lake—burst forth from his body. A scorching heat spread outward, and the sky itself was dyed in a pale blue hue.
"It's an Exotic Flame!"
The moment the flame appeared, shocked cries echoed throughout the sky. Everyone present was at least a Dou Wang—there was no mistaking an Exotic Flame.
"Han Feng," Su Qian shouted sternly, staring at the blue flames surging around him. "This is your final warning. Leave now. Otherwise, when this is over, not a single person here will survive."
"Heh. Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit," Han Feng sneered. "Don't think a Dou Zong is invincible."
He turned his head slightly and spoke respectfully, "Two esteemed seniors, please come out."
"Hahaha! Han Feng, since you've invited us brothers to act today, you'd better be prepared to bleed heavily. Otherwise…"
As his voice fell, the space in the sky rippled violently once more. Immediately after, two figures—one clad in gold, the other in silver—appeared like ghosts, standing side by side in midair.
"The Gold and Silver Elders…" Xiao Se's eyes narrowed slightly. "As expected—they're strong."
Exchanging a glance with the Little Doctor Fairy, Xiao Se nodded subtly.
His plan was about to begin.
"The combined strength of the Gold and Silver Elders cannot be underestimated," Su Qian transmitted mentally to those beside him. "I'll lead the others to hold off Han Feng and the Gold and Silver Elders. Elder Little Doctor Fairy, Hu Qian, Xiao Se—you take the remaining elders and finish sealing the Fallen Heart Flame. Once that's done, come and assist."
Hu Qian and the Little Doctor Fairy nodded in agreement.
But at that moment, Xiao Se suddenly spoke up.
"Great Elder," he said calmly, "with my cultivation level, my contribution to reinforcing the seal is negligible. Rather than waste time there… I might as well join the battle."
The moment those words left his mouth, Su Qian's expression shifted slightly—while deep within Xiao Se's eyes, a carefully laid scheme quietly came into motion.
(End of Chapter)
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