Chapter 238: Black Seal City
"Joining forces with the Gold and Silver Elders to severely injure Elder Su Qian?"
Even with Xiao Yan's calm demeanor, he couldn't help but be momentarily stunned upon hearing this.
"Indeed," Ruo Lin replied, noticing his reaction. Without holding anything back, she continued:
"Last year, Han Feng came to Jia Nan Academy. At first, we thought he was a blessing sent to us. After all, he's a Dou Zong powerhouse and a Tier 7 alchemist a figure of great renown in Jia Nan Academy and across the entire Northwest Continent.
The academy welcomed him warmly, even inviting him to serve as the head elder of the inner court's alchemy division.
But over time, the other elders began noticing something strange. Han Feng didn't seem interested in teaching at all. Instead, he constantly fixated on the academy's treasured Heavenly Flame, the 'Fallen Heart Flame.' He rarely mentored students and avoided responsibilities.
Eventually, the other elders uncovered his hidden agenda and decided to expel him from the academy. But instead of leaving quietly, Han Feng brought in the Gold and Silver Elders and launched an attack on the Fallen Heart Flame Tower.
Thankfully, Elder Su Qian arrived in time to stop them. However, their combined strength overwhelmed him. If it weren't for the academy's hidden protectors stepping in, Elder Su Qian the academy's only known Dou Zong would likely have been killed."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan began piecing together the events.
Han Feng had indeed infiltrated Jia Nan Academy, biding his time to steal the Fallen Heart Flame. After months of waiting, his plans were discovered, leading him to join forces with the Gold and Silver Elders in an attempt to kill Su Qian.
Unfortunately for Han Feng, the academy's protectors intervened and repelled the trio. However, the incident left Su Qian severely injured.
"Does the academy have any information on Han Feng's current whereabouts?" Xiao Yan asked, his gaze fixed on Ruo Lin.
"I doubt it," Ruo Lin replied, shaking her head helplessly. "I'm just an outer court teacher. My rank and strength are lower than some of the inner court students. Matters involving high level decisions are beyond my reach."
Xiao Yan nodded, realizing that if he wanted solid information on Han Feng, he'd have to meet Su Qian in person.
"Let's keep moving," Xiao Yan said lightly.
"Understood," Ruo Lin nodded, turning to guide the students.
As they continued their journey, Ruo Lin found herself stealing glances at the small jade bottle Xiao Yan had given her.
She couldn't help but marvel at the youth's generosity. He had casually gifted her a Tier 5 pill something that was an absolute treasure for anyone with water affinity Dou Qi like herself.
What puzzled her even more was his attitude. Though Xiao Yan occasionally cast brief, suggestive glances her way, his behavior didn't seem to betray genuine interest.
This only deepened her curiosity about his identity and power.
As the group pressed onward, the dark dot on the horizon steadily grew until it became a looming black city. Built entirely from black stone, the massive city's gates were swarmed with people, bustling like ants.
As they approached the gates, three large characters came into view:
Black Seal City.
Seeing the name, Xiao Yan's expression turned thoughtful.
"Black Seal City…" He muttered. "Why does that sound so familiar?"
Suddenly, a flash of memory struck him. He recalled why the name resonated:
In the original story, Black Seal City was where he clashed with Fan Ling and obtained a fragment of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame's map.
Although in this timeline the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame had long since been seized by Xiao Xuan and brought to the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan couldn't shake the feeling that the map fragments still held some deeper secrets.
As they neared Black Seal City, the sky darkened further.
"Senior Yan Xiao, why don't we rest here for the night?" Ruo Lin suggested, glancing uneasily at the looming dusk.
"Very well. I'll follow your lead," Xiao Yan replied with a faint smile.
Hearing his agreement, Ruo Lin exhaled in relief. While Xiao Yan could undoubtedly travel for days without rest, her students most of whom were mere Dou Zhes were visibly fatigued.
Once inside Black Seal City, the atmosphere buzzed with activity. Xiao Yan quickly noticed the excitement among the students and overheard snippets of conversation.
"What? There's an auction in Black Seal City tomorrow?"
The news seemed to ignite the students' enthusiasm. Even Ruo Lin's face lit up with a trace of anticipation.
Black Seal City might not be the most powerful faction in the Black Corner Region, but it was still far superior to Blood Sect. Its ruler was a top ten ranked expert on the Black Ranking. The auctions hosted in the city often featured high grade items, including Earth tier Dou Techniques and Tier 7 pills.
The younger students were clearly eager to witness such a grand event.
"Senior Yan Xiao, would you like to attend the auction tomorrow?" Ruo Lin asked, her tone tinged with hope.
Xiao Yan neither agreed nor refused, simply replying, "Let's find a place to rest first."
While the students were slightly disappointed by Xiao Yan's indifference, they understood his position. He had already done them an immense favor by escorting them. To ask for more would be presumptuous.
Unbothered by their reactions, Xiao Yan followed the group into an inn. Compared to his experiences in the Xiao Clan, Jia Nan Academy, and the Flame Alliance, this auction held little appeal.
Even the top tier events hosted by Black Seal City couldn't compare to the auctions held by the Flame Alliance, let alone those by the Xiao Clan or the Pill Tower.
Instead, Xiao Yan's focus remained on the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame map fragments.
Later that evening, as the city quieted, Xiao Yan summoned two invisible presences into the room.
"Wen Lao, Wu Lao," Xiao Yan addressed them. "Any findings?"
"Master," one of the shadowy figures replied respectfully, "the fragment of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame's map is not currently in Black Seal City."
Xiao Yan nodded thoughtfully. It made sense according to the original timeline, the fragment wouldn't appear here for another two years.
Still, Xiao Yan felt compelled to investigate. With a wave of his hand, his powerful spiritual sense swept through the entire city.
His search eventually stopped at a grand hall, where a figure was… engaged in vigorous activity atop a bed.
The man abruptly froze, his senses heightened.
"Who's there?" Black Seal City's ruler, Black Seal Emperor, grabbed his spear and looked around cautiously.
Before he could act further, the space in the room rippled, and a black clad youth stepped out.
"You must be the Black Seal Emperor," Xiao Yan said with a faint smile.
(To be continued...)
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