Chapter 168: Breaking the Seal
"Boom!"
With a loud explosion of energy, Mo Tianxing quickly retreated, his face filled with shock. He hadn't expected the elder of Canaan Academy, Su Qian, to be so fierce when he got serious. He was almost unable to withstand the force.
Fortunately, he didn't need to defeat the man, just to hold him off. Otherwise, he would truly be unable to cope.
"Damned pest!"
Su Qian, seeing his attack fail, became even more furious. He cursed inwardly, already sensing the destruction of the seal at the bottom of the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. It was clear that Han Feng's men had succeeded. This made him lose his composure.
Luckily, the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower didn't have just one seal. In addition to the original seal placed by the dean, there were several more outside. The question was how long they would hold up against the intruders.
By now, more than half an hour had passed, and the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower, which had been quiet until now, was making Su Qian anxious. He knew that once the Fallen Heart Flame was released, the first to suffer would be the inner academy disciples. And no one knew better than him the destructive power of that thing.
With this in mind, his attacks on Mo Tianxing grew more vicious.
Unfortunately, Mo Tianxing didn't take the hits directly. He was like a slippery eel, never facing Su Qian head-on, always dodging and preventing Su Qian from leaving. From time to time, he would come at Su Qian, making it impossible for him to leave. To completely deal with Mo Tianxing, with his strength as a two-star Dou Zong, was simply impossible.
"Mo Tianxing, are you really going to make an enemy of Canaan Academy? If you leave now, Canaan Academy will remember this favor, and there will be a return in the future. But if you persist, there will be no place for the Black Magic Sect in the Black Corner Domain after today!" Su Qian shouted angrily, condensing a palm-shaped attack with his Dou Qi and sending it toward Mo Tianxing.
Mo Tianxing dodged the attack and, with a fleeting look of hesitation in his eyes, laughed nonchalantly, "If the great elder can present a Breakthrough Pill, I'll leave immediately. If not, I have no choice. People die for wealth, and birds die for food. We who live in the Black Corner Domain can't miss an opportunity. As for the Black Magic Sect... If the elder is truly upset, they can be destroyed."
As long as he was alive, the Black Magic Sect could be established anytime. Su Qian's threat was clearly ineffective. These people wouldn't risk their lives for a few disciples. Everyone else could be abandoned except for themselves.
"Damned!" Su Qian angrily scolded. With a flicker of his body, he covered dozens of meters, appearing above Mo Tianxing like teleportation. His palms formed seals, and an energy shield with spatial ripples surrounded Mo Tianxing, attempting to trap him.
However, as a Dou Zong level expert himself, Mo Tianxing was highly sensitive to spatial forces. The moment Su Qian approached, he immediately shifted away.
For a Breakthrough Pill, he could abandon the Black Magic Sect and make enemies with Canaan Academy, but to risk his life? That was asking too much.
The price Han Feng offered was enough for him to hold off Su Qian, but for anything beyond that... he'd need more compensation!
Not far away, Han Feng was battling with Hu Qian. Compared to the cat-and-mouse game between Su Qian and Mo Tianxing, the confrontation between these two was much more noticeable. The sky above them was covered with their Dou Techniques. Han Feng, surrounded by his Sea Heart Flame, controlled a massive blue fire sea, covering several hundred meters around him as he clashed with Hu Qian.
The dazzling Dou Techniques created a powerful impact, which also reflected the ferocity of their battle. Neither of them was holding back.
Facing a peak Nine-Star Dou Huang, Han Feng dared not be careless. He could not be as slippery as Mo Tianxing and had no choice but to take the hits. Fortunately, his strength was not something an ordinary two-star Dou Zong could compare with, and for now, he was not afraid of Hu Qian.
But compared to Hu Qian, he was more concerned about the situation at the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. It had been so long, yet there was still no movement. What were Han Beng and the others doing? Had they succeeded or failed? At the very least, he expected some response!
If worse came to worst, the Fallen Heart Flame should at least make an appearance, right?
Why hadn't there been a single trace of its presence? It was starting to get confusing.
...
At this moment, inside the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower, Han Beng and the others, whom Han Feng had placed high hopes on, were all lying on the ground. Han Beng, the leader, had his neck firmly gripped by Yao Yan's hand, and Yao Yan was using a brutal method to search his soul. Alchemists had the ability to do this, but it was risky because it could affect the soul, such as polluting memories, etc. That's why most people avoided it, as the reward was not worth the risk.
However, with Yao Yan's current soul level, he didn't need to worry about such effects when dealing with mortal-level souls. Moreover, with the power of the heavenly flame, even any impurities could be purified.
After Yao Yan's brutal soul search, he couldn't help but mutter, "So this is how Han Feng's pet lives. This guy has really lived comfortably these years in the Black Corner Domain..."
A city lord, the number one alchemist in the Black Corner Domain, and countless admirers...
Yao Yan shook his head slightly, then controlled the fire serpent formed by the Fallen Heart Flame to open its large mouth, swallowing Han Beng and the others. Under the purifying fire of its original heart flame, they turned to ash like paper and disappeared into the void, leaving not even a trace of their souls behind.
"Do you have a grudge with them?" The Heavenly Fire Sovereign's voice echoed in Yao Yan's mind, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"Their master has a grudge with the former top alchemist of the Central Plains..." Yao Yan controlled the fire serpent to rush toward the top of the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower, casually explaining to the Heavenly Fire Sovereign. "If things go as expected, you should be able to get along with Pill Master."
"Betrayed by a disciple... Tsk tsk, this fellow's death was much worse than mine. Luckily, I never took any disciples," the Heavenly Fire Sovereign sighed after hearing Yao Yan's explanation. He had always been a loner and had no interest in taking disciples. Now, in hindsight, this seemed like a wise decision.
Training a disciple with such effort, only for them to betray you in the end...
Just thinking about it was unbearable.
A moment later, the Heavenly Fire Sovereign asked about Canaan Academy. It seemed like he hadn't had a proper conversation in a long time, as he eagerly asked about the outside world. Yao Yan, understanding the situation, briefly told him about the changes in external forces, such as the one palace and one tower in the Central Plains.
"I've never heard of the Soul Palace or Pill Tower in my time... the changes in the Central Plains are truly vast," the Heavenly Fire Sovereign sighed longingly, seemingly lost in memories.
Yao Yan didn't interrupt him. He had already broken through the last layer of the seal at the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower, and the night sky was nearly within reach.
...
"Has it come out?!"
Han Feng was undoubtedly the first to notice the change. His soul power was the strongest among those present, and he had been keeping an eye on the changes in the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. After waiting for nearly half an hour, the once silent Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower finally showed signs of change. The twisted space at the top began to turn dark red, and it seemed something was emerging from it.
There was no need for Han Feng to say more. Everyone soon noticed the situation at the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. The intense heat could be felt even from nearly a thousand meters away. The surroundings were rapidly heating up, and only a heavenly flame could achieve such a feat!
Fan Lao's face also showed a serious expression. His cultivation method was extremely yin, and he was severely suppressed by the heavenly flame's power. He was particularly sensitive to its presence. "I didn't expect Canaan Academy to really hide a heavenly flame!"
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. It seemed something was continuously emerging, colliding with the 'portal' below, and the sound grew louder and clearer.
At this moment, Su Qian's face turned pale. He knew that the Fallen Heart Flame had truly broken free from its seal. Even if he rushed over now, he probably couldn't stop it. The outer layers of protective seals would not hold it back for long, and Mo Tianxing wouldn't allow him to suppress the Fallen Heart Flame.
"It's here!"
The Pill Master's voice rang in Yao Yan's mind, feeling the intense energy and heat. He couldn't help but clench his fist. As an alchemist, and with the Bone Spirit Cold Fire in his body, he was no stranger to the power of heavenly flames. He could clearly sense an incredibly violent and vast energy rapidly bursting forth.
Under the gazes of everyone, full of anticipation, fear, and anger, a blood-red, scorching flame suddenly surged from the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. It shot up like lightning, mixed with an angry roar, and slammed into the last layer of the seal.
"Boom!"
A thunderous sound echoed through the heavens.
Everyone's expressions changed as they watched the hot magma spewing from the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. Even though they were separated by the spatial energy barrier, they could still feel the heat, and the temperature was unbearable.
The blood-red magma pillar slammed heavily into the peak of the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. But instead of shattering from the ferocity of the impact, a faint dark energy shield appeared around the tower's peak, stopping the fierce magma pillar.
However, Su Qian didn't relax his expression. In fact, his scalp began to tingle because, beneath them, a massive, vicious head slowly emerged from the magma. It was the enormous fire serpent formed by the Fallen Heart Flame. Its savage snake-like eyes scanned the area, and anyone who met its gaze shivered with fear.
"What... what is this?" someone asked, unable to hold back a gulp, especially the disciples of Canaan Academy's inner academy. They all looked horrified, not expecting such a monster to appear in the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. They had spent months meditating in there and had never sensed its presence.
"Roar!"
The Fallen Heart Flame let out a roar. Its ferocious gaze swept across the crowd, and the terrifying heat released waves of intense heat that spread outward.
"Spirit of the heavenly flame?!" Han Feng's face also revealed shock. He hadn't expected the Fallen Heart Flame in Canaan Academy to have grown to this level. Its form had become almost indistinguishable from a magical beast. Compared to the Sea Heart Flame he had refined, his was nothing more than a little brother. When he had found it, it hadn't even developed enough intelligence, which was why he had been able to tame it.
Su Qian clenched his fist and, not bothering to deal with Mo Tianxing, tried to flash toward the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower to seal the Fallen Heart Flame once again. But Mo Tianxing stopped him.
"Great Elder, it seems a bit too late to go now."
Mo Tianxing, feigning goodwill, advised him. He, too, was somewhat intimidated by the massive fire serpent before them. The energy it radiated was terrifying, probably comparable to a true Dou Zong expert. Combined with the power of the heavenly flame, it was obviously a very tricky opponent. He didn't know if Han Feng was confident he could tame it.
Han Feng, however, chose to retreat, retracting the Sea Heart Flame around him. He waved his hand at Mo Tianxing and said, "Don't stop him. Let's see what happens. It seems the Fallen Heart Flame doesn't have much affection for Canaan Academy."
After saying that, he flashed a faint smile and looked at Su Qian with a playful expression.
With his sharp eyes, he could tell how tricky the Fallen Heart Flame was. Rushing in now would not only fail to tame it, but surviving its assault would be a question. It was better to let Canaan Academy's people waste some of its energy first. Don't forget, this was Canaan Academy's inner academy, and the Fallen Heart Flame had been sealed for so many years. It couldn't possibly hold back all its hatred.
No need to talk about how Canaan Academy cultivated it foolishly. If it had been his own, why would it have been sealed up? The fear of outsiders discovering it was evident.
"Han Feng... I'll remember this!"
Su Qian glared coldly at Han Feng. He knew exactly what the man's intentions were, but just as Han Feng had guessed, Su Qian truly had no choice. He knew how furious and bloodthirsty the Fallen Heart Flame was. It had no reason or rationality. If there had been any chance to communicate with it, he wouldn't have kept it sealed in magma for so long.
Now, faced with this situation, his only option was to deal with the Fallen Heart Flame first.
"Whoosh~"
Su Qian's figure flickered, and he shot toward the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower, but at this moment, the Fallen Heart Flame had already shifted its focus. Its fiery gaze turned back to the dark, blackened peak of the tower, where a thin, curtain-like black energy shield was slowly rotating. This seemingly fragile defense had a terrifying level of protection, like a lid sealing the entire Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower.
(END CHAPTER)
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