A hissing sound, like the flickering of lightning, continuously echoed from the depths of the pitch-black cave. After a moment, the dim surroundings suddenly brightened, and the temperature in the air rapidly rose. An extremely terrifying and ancient aura slowly emerged from the black hole, finally surging out like a bolt of lightning tearing through the darkness, as if breaking free from an endless abyss.
Xiao Yan’s face froze as he gazed at the entrance, his throat involuntarily rolling. At this point, the space about two meters above the entrance was twisted to an extreme degree. Though the space was extremely distorted, nothing could be seen with the naked eye. Apart from the twisted space and the continuous hissing, the entire area felt eerily strange due to this spectacle.
Beside him, Elder Liu’s face was also extremely grave. He continuously pulled Xiao Yan back, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes as he looked at the twisted space. Although he could not see what was there, having been an elder in the tower for so many years, he had heard whispers of certain things. Thus, he knew just how terrifying that thing in the abyssal darkness truly was…
Invisible to the naked eye, but with eyes wrapped in the heartfire of the blue lotus, Xiao Yan clearly saw the terrifying entity that burst out from the black hole. The body, being dragged by Elder Liu, suddenly froze.
In the reflection of the eyes flickering with blue fire, Xiao Yan saw that the thing surging up from the darkness was a massive, invisible fire python, over ten meters thick, but of unknown length. The fire python was entirely enveloped in somewhat twisted flames, its mouth wide open, with fangs as thick as Xiao Yan’s thigh emitting a distorted wave. Its large triangular eyes continuously spewed invisible flames, which were all too familiar to Xiao Yan, as he had once tasted the bitterness of those flames.
Of course, the invisible flame that had appeared in his mind earlier paled in comparison to this giant python seemingly formed entirely of flame. Feeling the intensity of the flames on the python’s body, Xiao Yan did not doubt that even a Battle Emperor, if touched by it, would be reduced to ashes in an instant.
The fire python roared angrily as it burst out from the darkness. However, as it was about to reach five meters above the pitch-black abyss, the surrounding space suddenly fluctuated. With the help of the blue flame, Xiao Yan could vaguely discern that, at this moment, the space around the black hole was strangely twisting to form a spatial cage. Though the invisible fire python made a grand show, when it collided with the spatial cage, it only caused the cage to ripple briefly before having no further effect.
Seeing no hope of breaking through, the fire python became somewhat frenzied. Invisible flames poured out of its gaping maw, continuously burning the spatial cage. Alas, no matter how much it burned, the spatial cage remained firmly in place.
After raging and struggling for a while, the invisible fire python finally grew weary. It let out a screech filled with rage, then, as the space continued to twist, the fire python turned invisible once more, retreating back into the dark abyss.
As the fire python disappeared, the spatial cage gradually faded, eventually vanishing. Feeling the drop in temperature, Elder Liu let out a long sigh, muttering, “That was close, but why did that thing suddenly awaken?”
Beside him, Xiao Yan also gradually recovered from his shock. The blue flames in his eyes quickly receded, and he hoarsely asked, “Elder Liu, what was that thing?”
Startled by Xiao Yan’s question, Elder Liu looked at him with a grave expression, saying, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Students are not supposed to come close to the center of the tower. I was a bit negligent today, but fortunately, it was my turn to be on duty. Otherwise, there would have been some trouble.”
Seeing Elder Liu’s solemn expression, Xiao Yan nodded, innocently spreading his hands, “I didn’t see anything. I just suddenly felt the temperature here rising, and there were some sounds coming from the black hole.”
“It’s best if you didn’t see anything. Some things are better left unknown. In the future, try to avoid coming here. If discovered, even the elder on duty could be implicated,” Elder Liu said, relieved. He did not doubt Xiao Yan, as even he could not see the terrifying thing, relying only on the spatial distortions to judge its shape.
Hearing Elder Liu speak so seriously, Xiao Yan’s expression changed, and he quickly nodded.
“Alright, let’s go…” Seeing Xiao Yan nod, Elder Liu’s expression softened slightly. He glanced warily at the seemingly bottomless abyss one more time, then turned and walked towards the outside.
Xiao Yan nodded again, following him. As they turned, he glanced back at the now silent, bottomless black hole, whispering in a low, awe-filled voice, “What exactly is that thing? That aura… It’s too powerful, and that spatial cage is also very strong. Under the burning of that terrifying thing, it showed no reaction at all. This ‘Heavenly Fire Refining Qi Tower’ is indeed full of mysteries…”
Once they left the central area, Elder Liu regained his composure. He once again took Xiao Yan for a leisurely walk around the first floor of the tower, explaining the rules and other points of caution along the way, just like an ordinary old man.
As they walked, they occasionally encountered some students. When they saw Xiao Yan chatting animatedly with Elder Liu, they were surprised. Due to the identity and strength of these tower guardians, and their strict demeanor, many students both respected and feared them. It was rare for an elder to treat a new student so kindly, except for some exceptionally strong seniors.
These surprised glances made Xiao Yan realize the power and influence Elder Liu held here. Having someone well-connected in the tower would be beneficial, especially as a newcomer. Even with his potential, he was still just a Da Dou Shi. In Elder Liu’s eyes, who was already a Dou Wang, his current level was not worth much.
“Xiao Yan, your Pan Gate has just been established. I suggest that when you enter the Heavenly Fire Refining Qi Tower to train, don’t try to grab any high-level training rooms for now,” Elder Liu said with a faint smile as they reached a less crowded area.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan was taken aback but nodded slightly. He had not thought of doing so. Just entering the Inner Academy, trying to take the best training locations would only create resentment toward their Pan Gate. They would likely be driven out by other forces as soon as they entered.
Compared to the established forces, the current Pan Gate, apart from a few Da Dou Shi like Xiao Yan, did not have the strength to compete. Such a conflict would not be resolved by a few people alone.
“According to the rules in the tower, we elders cannot interfere in the disputes over training rooms among students. So, as long as no one dies, we generally won’t intervene,” Elder Liu pondered for a moment, then smiled. “However, if your Pan Gate can quickly produce a Dou Ling, you will qualify to join the second-tier forces in the Inner Academy. Then, you can participate in the competition for training rooms. I believe, with your potential, that should happen soon.”
“A Dou Ling is only enough to be considered a second-tier force? Then, wouldn’t a first-tier force need a Dou Wang to lead it?” Xiao Yan asked in surprise.
“Hehe, not necessarily. Generally, a force needs three to four Dou Ling to be considered first-tier,” Elder Liu shook his head with a smile.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan breathed a quiet sigh of relief. With Xun Er and the others’ talents, becoming Dou Ling might not take too long. It seemed the Pan Gate needed to stay low-key for a while. Once all four of them reached Dou Ling, everything would improve. For now, they had to stay quiet.
As they chatted, Xiao Yan and Elder Liu returned to the entrance. Wu Hao, who had just woken from his coma, stood there, looking lost. Seeing Xiao Yan, he let out a sigh of relief.
As Wu Hao hurried over, Xiao Yan smiled at Elder Liu and bowed, “Thank you for your guidance, Elder Liu. Let’s stop here for today. I’ll visit you another day when I have the time.”
“Hehe, not planning to train here today?” Elder Liu asked with a smile.
“The Pan Gate has just been established, and I need to help manage it,” Xiao Yan politely declined with a smile.
“Ah, that’s true. A new force is fragile, and you have a lot to do,” Elder Liu nodded with a smile, not insisting. Glancing around, he chuckled, “Next time you bring people here to train, I’ll find you a good mid-level training room. It’s not much worse than a high-level one.”
“Are there different quality levels within the same rank of training rooms?” Xiao Yan asked, somewhat surprised.
“Hehe, of course. It’s just that ordinary students rarely notice, only us tower elders understand,” Elder Liu said with a proud smile.
“In that case, thank you, Elder Liu,” Xiao Yan nodded happily, bowing again before turning to greet Wu Hao, pulling him along as they left.
Watching Xiao Yan and Wu Hao disappear from the entrance, Elder Liu stroked his beard, murmuring, “An Ancestral Flame… I never expected that the rise of the Inner Academy relied on that. Now, a young man under twenty possesses such a wonder. Ah, truly a lucky fellow, one who can’t help but make others envious.”
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