“Great Elder, the Heavenly Flame in the Heart-Fire Ignition Tower is indeed gradually weakening. At this rate, it might completely disappear soon.” In a spacious hall, Su Qian listened to the results of an elder’s investigation, and his expression became complex. He turned to look at Xiao Yan, who was smiling sheepishly, and gritted his teeth. After a moment, he helplessly sighed, inwardly bemoaning that while the flame hadn’t been taken by others, it had been directly refined by this fellow.
The importance of the Heart-Fire Ignition Tower to the Inner Academy was substantial, which was why Su Qian and others had vowed to protect it. However, with the fading of the Fallen Heart Flame, its effect of enhancing cultivation speed would also diminish and eventually dissipate, rendering the tower meaningless.
Without the Heart-Fire Ignition Tower, the Inner Academy’s proud system for cultivating strong practitioners might be disrupted, with serious consequences.
The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat somber. Seeing the Great Elder’s mournful expression, the other elders were also helpless. Now that the Fallen Heart Flame was refined by Xiao Yan, it was impossible to make him spit it out again. Moreover, if Xiao Yan were an enemy, forcibly extracting the flame would be feasible, but the most vexing part was that he had done the Inner Academy a great favor two years ago. Without Xiao Yan defeating two Battle Emperors, the Inner Academy would have suffered severe losses in that battle.
Feeling the tense atmosphere, Xiao Yan felt somewhat awkward. To be honest, he did feel some remorse towards Su Qian. Ever since he entered the Jia Nan Academy, he had set his sights on the Fallen Heart Flame. Though he seemed to aid the Inner Academy in the battle, his underlying goal was to increase his chances of obtaining the flame.
“Great Elder, are there any other ways to salvage this situation?” Xiao Yan asked cautiously. Requiring him to hand over the Fallen Heart Flame was not possible, but letting the Inner Academy suffer such significant losses also made him feel uneasy.
“Sigh, it seems the only option now is to artificially create a Fallen Heart Flame. Otherwise, the Heart-Fire Ignition Tower will lose its effectiveness entirely,” Su Qian sighed after a long silence, sounding somewhat helpless.
“Artificially created Fallen Heart Flame?” Xiao Yan was taken aback. Could this strange flame be replicated?
“Creating this isn’t too difficult. The Dean left behind a backup container for the Fallen Heart Flame before he departed. We just need to pour some of your refined Fallen Heart Flame into it, and the Heart-Fire Ignition Tower will still enhance cultivation, though not as effectively as before,” Su Qian explained, looking at Xiao Yan. “We need your help. Can you divide some of your refined Fallen Heart Flame and give it to us?”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan heaved a quiet sigh of relief and nodded. The Fallen Heart Flame had been refined into its primal form, and as long as his Dou Qi didn’t run out, he could continuously produce and use it. Separating some would consume some Dou Qi, but overall, it was a satisfactory solution.
“However, the summoned Fallen Heart Flame has many restrictions. Once my infused Dou Qi disperses, the flame will automatically vanish…” Xiao Yan hesitated, recalling a detail.
“Don’t worry about those issues; the container was made by the Dean himself. But it can only delay the inevitable, so you might need to come back to the Inner Academy intermittently to replenish the flame,” Su Qian mused.
“Intermittently return to the Inner Academy?” Xiao Yan was caught off guard. “Is there a specific time frame? I can’t come back every half a month or so after I leave.”
“I’m not certain, but I think as long as you leave enough flame for us to store, it should last a year or two,” Su Qian pondered.
“That’s fine…” Xia Yan sighed, smiling. “Alright, I’ll follow the Great Elder’s suggestion.”
“Sigh, you sure got lucky. Han Feng never managed to get that flame, yet you did. Our Inner Academy protected it all these years, only to have you take it.” Su Qian rolled his eyes, his tone slightly bitter. He knew the benefits of the Fallen Heart Flame, and with Xiao Yan refining it, his already terrifying cultivation speed would skyrocket, a huge temptation for anyone.
Xiao Yan smirked, then frowned. “Han Feng… is he still in the Black Corner Region?”
“Yes.” Su Qian’s eyes narrowed, flashing with a cold gleam, remembering the incident when Han Feng gathered powerful cultivators to attack the Inner Academy.
“Good, it’s time to settle some old scores,” Xiao Yan said, fingers interlaced, a hint of menace in his smile. He needed to deal with his “elder brother” before he could explain to the sleeping Pharmacist Elder.
“Your strength has greatly increased, but you alone might struggle,” Su Qian shook his head, thinking. “Han Feng established the ‘Black Alliance’ in the Black Corner Region, attracting many powerful forces. The Inner Academy has tried to interfere several times, but the Black Alliance repelled them.”
“Black Alliance?” Xiao Yan tapped his fingers on the table, then asked, “Does the Great Elder want to reclaim lost ground?”
Eyes flashing with a fierce light, Su Qian said, “Of course, we can’t let the Inner Academy’s reputation wane on my watch. What would I tell the Dean when he returns?”
“Alright, gather your forces. I’ll set out for the Black Corner Region in three days,” Xiao Yan said, standing up.
“Agreed. If you’re up for it, the Inner Academy will join you!” Su Qian slapped the table, laughing heartily. With Xiao Yan’s formidable combat power, they could turn the tables against the Black Alliance.
“In three days, I’ll assemble our forces, and we’ll finally resolve our grievances with the Black Alliance!” Xiao Yan smiled and nodded.
“But…” Su Quan frowned. “Before that, you should deal with the Battle Sect who’s targeting you. Her involvement in the battle would be detrimental. You know how powerful a Battle Sect is. If she joins the Black Alliance, we’ll suffer heavy losses even if we don’t lose entirely.”
“She won’t join the Black Alliance,” Xiao Yan assured, sighing. “Alright, I’ll resolve her issue first.”
“Do you need help?” Su Qian asked after a pause.
“No, it’s something I must handle alone,” Xiao Yan replied, bowing. “If that’s settled, I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait,” Su Qian stopped him, pausing. “I think I should tell you something.”
“What?” Xiao Yan turned, puzzled.
“Your second brother, Xiao Li, is in the Black Corner Region, right?” Su Qian asked, and Xiao Yan’s aura immediately flared. Su Qian, surprised, raised his head, seeing the young man’s face turn grim.
“What happened to my brother?” Xiao Yan’s voice was icy, emotionless.
“Nothing yet,” Su Qian waved his hand, suppressing his shock. “After the Fallen Heart Flame dragged you underground, I sent people to protect him. For the first six months, he was stable, but a year later, he was pursued into the deep mountains during a hunt. Two months later, he reappeared, having bizarrely surged to the Dou Wang level. I don’t know what happened in the mountains, but intelligence says he formed a mysterious organization that targets the Black Alliance, killing their members. It’s clear he’s avenging you.”
Xiao Yan’s face calmed, and he nodded. But as he did, Su Qian’s next words brought a grim shadow over his face.
“His relentless attacks have infuriated the Black Alliance. Several powerful forces have begun to target him and his organization. His situation is not good.”
The young man’s face was chilling, bordering on vicious, and his voice was filled with murderous intent. “Do you know where he is?”
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