As the intense battle in Maple City faded into the past, Dark Corner Region gradually settled down. However, as the most powerful alliance in the region, the Black Alliance, was on the verge of disbanding due to disagreements over the division of interests among its members. The members of the Black Alliance were all formidable forces in the Dark Corner Region, and none could truly dominate the others. Before Han Xue’s demise, they respected him for his exceptional alchemy skills, but now that he was gone, the Black Alliance became like a headless fly. Everyone coveted the position of the alliance leader, yet no one was willing to submit to another. This led to several conflicts, even a few battles, causing the situation within the Black Alliance to deteriorate, and it was only a matter of time before it split apart.
Jinlao and Yinlao had the strength to take over, but after Han Xue’s fall, they lost the audacity to challenge the Canaan Academy and thus vanished without a trace on the second day after his death, leaving the chaotic Black Alliance behind. With the strongest member of the alliance fleeing, the Black Alliance was indeed nearing its end. In just five short days, the alliance completely collapsed. Thus, the once mighty Black Alliance, the largest force in the Dark Corner Region, crumbled easily.
With the collapse of the Black Alliance, the Inner Academy finally breathed a sigh of relief. This clash between Aonan Academy and the Dark Corner Region ended with the Inner Academy’s complete victory!
Naturally, Xiao Yan, the greatest hero in this conflict, gained unparalleled fame not only among the students but also among the elders. Even the more senior elders would stop to chat with the young prodigy, impressed by his true strength displayed in the battle, which awed everyone!
Of course, at this moment, Xiao Yan had no interest in the tumult within the Inner Academy. After returning to the Inner Academy, he immediately entered a secret room to recover from his injuries. Although he successfully defeated Han Xue, the injuries he sustained were not light. It took seven full days for his injuries to show signs of healing, and this was largely due to the multiple times his body had been refined by various spirit fluids and flames. For an ordinary person, such injuries would take at least half a month or even a month to fully heal. Moreover, there might be lasting, hard-to-cure side effects.
In a quiet, secret chamber of Gate Pan, the moonlight stones embedded in the walls emitted a faint glow, dispelling the darkness. The warm light shone upon the black-robed youth, who was meditating cross-legged on the bed. His breathing was extremely calm, maintaining a perfect cycle, and each breath brought a robust energy from the world, flowing into his body. The energy continually flowed into the youth’s body, which seemed like a bottomless pit, never overflowing.
The quiet recovery lasted for an unknown duration until, at one moment, when the pale hue on his face was replaced by a healthy flush, the spatial fluctuations around him slowly dissipated. As the fluctuations faded, Xiao Yan’s eyelashes fluttered, and after a moment, he slowly opened his eyes. A pair of black pupils filled with emerald flames, which quickly disappeared.
“Whew…” A long-suppressed breath of impure air was expelled from his throat, slightly grayish. Compared to the highly toxic, pitch-black gas before, this was much better. “It seems that during those two years underground, the ‘Brand Poison’ in my body has been completely cleared.”
Looking at the faintly gray impure air, Xiao Yan was stunned, then said with a hint of pleasant surprise. The ‘Brand Poison’ had always been a thorn in his heart, although the flame restrained it. Now that it was completely gone, he couldn’t hide his joy.
“The injuries have healed; it seems I’ve been in seclusion for quite some time.” Feeling the surging energy within, Xiao Yan smiled, then frowned and murmured, “Unfortunately, I still haven’t felt the barrier to becoming a Douhuang. It seems that while my strength has grown rapidly, it also left some drawbacks.”
Before being dragged underground, Xiao Yan’s true strength was around four to five-star Dou Ling. Due to various reasons, it surged to the peak of Dou Wang. Though it took two years, the speed was still terrifying. And since this was his first experience, there was still a significant gap in his control of power compared to a true Dou Wang. If he had completely mastered the peak Dou Wang power during the battle with Han Xue, he wouldn’t have been so desperate, and he might not have almost killed himself.
Xiao Yan had always advanced step-by-step, solidly, so this sudden surge made him feel a bit lost. Sudden power is the hardest to control, and some unreliable surges can even make a person permanently stagnate. Fortunately, Xiao Yan’s surge wasn’t forced by energy, but rather due to the Fallen Heart Flame and the mixture of all the medicines in Nalan Jie. From a certain perspective, Xiao Yan’s growth wasn’t truly instant but gradually over two years. The difference was that he was in a comatose state and didn’t realize it.
Nonetheless, Xiao Yan’s rapid rise was a fact, and before he fully controlled his Dou Wang powers, he wouldn’t make much further progress. After all, he needed to master his current strength to advance further.
Shaking off his deep thoughts, Xiao Yan sighed. He knew this couldn’t be rushed, and he indeed needed to master many things, such as his control over the ‘Seaheart Flame.’ During the battle with Han Xue, Xiao Yan had to admit that Han Xue’s control was better, partly due to his age and experience. But Xiao Yan didn’t want to be weaker in any aspect. This was a competitive mindset, and he needed to prove he wasn’t inferior to Han Xue in anything, indirectly showing the keen eye of the Pharmacist Elder.
Han Xue’s better control over the Seaheart Flame was partly due to his age and experience, and partly because he focused solely on it. Though he practiced the ‘Fenju,’ he only had partial access, and though his understanding grew, his control over the flame was still far behind Xiao Yan. Thus, he could only rely on the Seaheart Flame, while Xiao Yan, having practiced the complete Fenju and mastered multiple flames, took a more versatile approach. Both approaches had their strengths, but in terms of flame control, Han Xue was a notch above.
“Pfft!” A low sound echoed as a ball of emerald flame emerged from Xiao Yan’s palm. He stared at the new flame, formed by the fusion of two different flames, somewhat lost in thought. This fused flame might not be listed in the Flame Catalog, and since he didn’t know its name, he named it after careful consideration: Safflower Heart Flame!
This simple name excited Xiao Yan, as not many people could name a new flame. Perhaps, when it reached the pinnacle, it would be listed in the Flame Catalog. As for where the Safflower Heart Flame ranked, Xiao Yan wasn’t sure, but he guessed it wouldn’t be lower than the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. After all, it was the fusion of two strong flames, as evident from how it overpowered the Seaheart Flame.
The emerald flame danced on Xiao Yan’s palm, splitting into two different colors and invisible flames. He was satisfied that the new flame could transform back into its original forms. “Looks like I need to practice controlling the flame better. Otherwise, even with the ability to control two flames, I can only use the most basic attacks.”
Looking at the flickering flames, Xiao Yan muttered, feeling his fire attacks were too simple compared to Han Xue’s. His fingers habitually touched the Nalan Jie, and he suddenly remembered something. Tapping the ring, a jet-black, ancient scroll appeared in his hand. The scroll was round, seemingly impossible to open, but the faint, dark light emanating from it hinted at its extraordinary nature. This was the item Xuner had given him when she left, saying it could only be opened with Dou Wang strength. Xiao Yan’s curiosity about it had never wavered.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage