Hearing the old and resounding voice in his ear, Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, then he quickly sat up from the stone platform, hastily retrieving the Fire Crystal Card from the slot, and murmured with astonishment, “What happened?”
“The energy within the tower has become much more agitated, likely due to the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart,” Elder Medicine’s voice, tinged with a hint of joy, sounded in Xiao Yan’s mind.
“Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart?” Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was immediately stunned, and incredulously asked in his mind, “Wasn’t it said that there are still several months left? Could the outbreak have been brought forward?”
“From the looks of it, it hasn’t completely erupted yet; it’s probably just a significant disturbance from the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart,” Elder Medicine chuckled, saying, “However, judging by the intensity of the disturbance, it confirms what I said. In no more than half a year, or as little as two to three months, the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart within the Heavenly Flame Pavilion will completely erupt, and at that time, our opportunity to seize the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart may finally come.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, and his heart silently became much more heated, but now wasn’t the time to think about it. The agitated energy within the tower was no longer suitable for cultivation, so he decided to leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, if something unexpected happened and he got caught up in it, it would be quite embarrassing.
Leaping down from the stone platform, he rushed out of the Number One Cultivation Chamber. As soon as he stepped out, a burst of agitated, scorching energy hit him, making his face burn with pain. The corridor was somewhat chaotic, with doors to various cultivation chambers being opened, and students with confused expressions spilling out, looking at each other with furrowed brows. This situation was a first for them.
“Hey, Xiao Yan, are you alright?” Not long after Xiao Yan came out, the door to the Number Nine Cultivation Chamber also opened, and Lin Yan darted out like a quick fox. He looked around and, upon seeing Xiao Yan, shouted, “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” Smiling at Lin Yan, who had darted over, Xiao Yan shook his head.
“We don’t know what happened. The Heavenly Flame Pavilion has never had such a situation before,” Lin Yan scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.
Xiao Yan shook his head slightly, but suddenly turned and looked towards the large, black iron door at the end of the corridor. At that moment, he could feel the Earth Lotus Heart Flame within his body rapidly beating. As the flame flickered, green flames surged into Xiao Yan’s eyes, instantly turning his dark pupils into a pair of emerald fire eyes.
As the green flames rose, Xiao Yan felt a warm sensation in his eyes. Then, to his surprise, he discovered that the darkness behind the iron door was gradually dissipating under the gaze of his green fire eyes. Thus, the movements deep within the darkness began to appear in his vision.
It was a distorted space, within which invisible flames, like mischievous spirits, writhed madly. Suddenly, a very strange roar echoed, followed by the invisible flames erupting like a volcano, surging straight towards the top of the tower!
“Seal the Small Space Boundary!”
Several low, elderly voices rang out in the darkness, and a vast, powerful energy surged forth, forming a colorful light curtain above the distorted space. The invisible flames crashed heavily against the light curtain, causing both to tremble violently. Ripples of force strong enough to stun a Dou Master spread out rapidly, hitting the black walls on all sides and slowly dissipating.
Under the impact of the invisible flames, the surface of the light curtain rippled like water, constantly undulating. It seemed on the verge of shattering, but it never actually dissipated into nothingness. For a moment, it managed to hold its ground against the terrifying invisible flames.
“You youngsters, ignorant of your place! Grand Elder has already ordered you to leave the tower immediately, so why are you still lingering here?” Just as Xiao Yan was intently watching the fierce clash between the two, a sudden low shout caused his vision to blur. The green flames in his eyes instantly faded, and the darkness beyond the iron door returned, making it impossible for anyone to see the intense confrontation inside.
“That invisible flame should be the true form of the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart, and its power is indeed terrifying. If it weren’t restrained, it might tear down the entire Heavenly Flame Pavilion… And that light curtain must be a joint effort of the tower’s elders. It’s unbelievable that they can forcibly seal such a natural wonder, but it’s a pity that we can’t keep watching the confrontation. If we could, it would give us some advantage when we confront the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart in the future.”
Sighing regretfully, Xiao Yan turned to see an elder, his face full of urgency, standing at the corridor’s exit, shouting at the remaining students to leave.
Hearing the elder’s shout, Lin Yan shrugged, didn’t argue, and grabbed Xiao Yan’s arm, leading him out. The energy in the tower was becoming more and more agitated, and staying there made him feel uneasy.
Glancing back at the iron door one last time, Xiao Yan reluctantly followed Lin Yan, quickly leaving the increasingly restless Heavenly Flame Pavilion.
…
Following the crowd, Xiao Yan and the others emerged from the Heavenly Flame Pavilion. The entrance was now packed with people, and the din and the mass of black heads made Xiao Yan feel as if his eardrums were about to burst.
The people at the entrance were clearly fleeing from the tower, discussing the earlier changes with a mixture of panic and anxiety. This was their first experience with such an event, and it left a lingering fear in their hearts.
Xiao Yan did not join the meaningless discussions and simply gazed at the tower’s peak, which jutted out of the ground. Perhaps due to the seals on the tower, the sense of energy agitation faded to near imperceptibility as soon as they exited. However, with the connection between the Earth Lotus Heart Flame and the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart, Xiao Yan could still sense the intense clash of seals and counter-seals inside the tower.
“I wonder if the Inner Academy’s elders can suppress this outbreak of the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart. If they can, I might still have some preparation time. But if they can’t… I might have to act now, though the success rate would be low in such a rush,” Xiao Yan frowned deeply.
He knew that if the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart broke through the Heavenly Flame Pavilion, he would have to act immediately. Otherwise, the flame, now possessing intelligence, would go into hiding, and finding it again would be nearly impossible.
“Don’t worry, the current outbreak of the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart isn’t very strong, and the Inner Academy’s elders are no pushovers. With the Grand Elder overseeing, it will be difficult for the flame to break through the seals,” Elder Medicine comforted Xiao Yan, whose heart was tightly strung.
Hearing Elder Medicine’s words, Xiao Yan breathed a small sigh of relief.
“Let’s go, Xiao Yan. There’s no point staying here. The elders will handle this,” Lin Yan suddenly said, oblivious to the intense struggle within the tower due to the spatial seal.
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly. He couldn’t possibly leave now, so he found an excuse to get away.
Seeing that Xiao Yan wasn’t willing to leave, Lin Yan could only smile wryly and say, “If you want to stay, stay. I need to go back. Remember, the Strong Ranking Competition starts in four days. If we meet in the competition, don’t expect me to hold back.”
Despite his nervousness, Xiao Yan still smiled at Lin Yan and watched him disappear into the crowd before turning his attention back to the Heavenly Flame Pavilion.
As time passed, the number of people outside the tower dwindled, and soon the area was empty except for Xiao Yan, who stood on the tip of a tree, sensing the incredible clash within the tower.
Though he could sense the energy disturbances within the tower with the help of the Earth Lotus Heart Flame, he couldn’t see the clash as clearly as before. When the deadlock persisted until the setting sun, he finally sensed the gradual weakening of the violent energy within the tower.
“It seems the elders have gained the upper hand for now,” Xiao Yan sighed with relief, sensing the calm of the Heavenly Flame of Falling Heart. With the delay provided by the Inner Academy’s elders, he could prepare himself adequately.
Smiling lightly, Xiao Yan, with a heavy weight off his shoulders, turned to return to the Stone Gate. But as he turned, he suddenly froze, staring in shock at a black-robed elder hovering nearby.
The elder wore a black robe, with white hair and beard, and his eyes were as sharp and cold as a blade. A single glance made Xiao Yan’s pores contract. What shocked him most was that this man was the same old man who had been drawn to the spiritual pill Elder Medicine had refined in the mountains last time!
Xiao Yan’s throat moved slightly, and he tried to suppress the fluctuations in his emotions. Any slight change in front of such a powerful person would be noticed. After a while, he managed to stammer, “Elder, may I ask why you are stopping me?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage