Elder Qian and Bai Take Action!

The scorching flow of magma shot straight up from the tip of the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower like a pillar of fire. In that instant, the energy between heaven and earth throughout the Inner Academy erupted into violent turmoil.

Having broken through the seal of the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower, an excited, piercing shriek burst from the magma flow like thunder. Immediately afterward, magma rained down in every direction.

Wherever the magma fell, fierce flames surged up. Thus, in that brief span of time, the area within several dozen meters of the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower had turned into a sea of fire.

As the magma scattered, the Formless Fire Python, several dozen zhang long, shot out from within. Feeling that long-lost freedom, its enormous triangular eyes brimmed with an intensely humanlike ecstasy.

"Haha, that beast came out on its own!"

Seeing the Formless Fire Python break through the seal, the black shadow within the dark clouds laughed wildly and stepped out from the clouds, staring down below.

Soon, a figure whose entire body, aside from his face, was concealed beneath a black robe emerged.

At this moment, after the fire python broke through the seal of the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower, Black Robe immediately ceased his attacks on Su Qian.

Su Qian, who had retreated to the side, narrowed his eyes. He had originally planned to use the grand formation to seal the fire python once the seal was broken, but Black Robe's arrival had completely disrupted his plans. It was already far too late to gather people and form the formation now.

Moreover, after exchanging only a single move with Black Robe, Su Qian had realized the terrifying gap between them. He could sense that Black Robe had held back greatly, as though he had no intention of killing him.

"Could he be wary of something?" Su Qian muttered softly.

The next moment, the Formless Fire Python that had charged out of the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower did not choose to flee immediately.

Faced with the place that had imprisoned it for countless years, it wanted to vent the fury in its heart.

The Formless Fire Python raised its enormous head, and its long tail swept directly toward the body of the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower.

Boom!

The fire python's massive tail slammed fiercely against the black tower. Countless chunks of stone immediately fell from the tower's exterior, and an enormous crack appeared across its body.

As the black tower shook violently, streams of magma spouted from its tip and spread in all directions.

After doing this, the Formless Fire Python's pair of white triangular eyes suddenly fixed upon the Inner Academy disciples a thousand meters away.

Not good!

Realizing this, Su Qian immediately shouted, "All students, withdraw from the Inner Academy at once!"

After shouting those words, Su Qian and the other Inner Academy elders, including Gu He, swiftly rushed before the Formless Fire Python. Dozens of extremely powerful streams of multicolored energy blasted toward it.

Amid a thunderous explosion, the attacks unleashed by dozens of Inner Academy elders finally collided viciously with the charging Formless Fire Python. At once, an enraged, strange shriek roared across the sky!

Under that shriek, invisible flames that instantly twisted the surrounding space quietly spread forth. As the flames swept over them, even though everyone protected themselves with Battle Qi, they still felt searing pain. The heat of the Fallen Heart Flame was not so easily blocked.

Although this heart flame caused Gu He no harm whatsoever, he still put on a somewhat strained appearance.

Though the combined full-force strike of all the Inner Academy elders did not inflict much damage on the fire python, it did halt its charge for a moment, sending its huge body crashing toward the ground. This bought the Inner Academy students behind them more time to evacuate.

Seeing the Formless Fire Python forced back, several elders revealed delighted expressions. However, before that joy could spread, an even more terrifying and scorching energy fluctuation suddenly surged up from below.

They looked down in alarm to see the Formless Fire Python's massive body rising from the ground once more. Its enormous triangular snake eyes radiated a scorching heat, as though it intended to melt every person standing in its way.

"Stop it!"

Seeing the Formless Fire Python pounce again, Su Qian's expression changed slightly as he shouted sharply.

As his shout fell, the surrounding elders hurriedly mobilized their Battle Qi once more. However, before they could launch their attacks, the Formless Fire Python's savage jaws suddenly opened, and a seemingly invisible pillar of flame that instantly distorted the entire space shot forth!

The invisible pillar of flame tore through the void. Everywhere it passed, the air was completely vaporized, leaving behind a clearly visible trail in the sky that filled everyone with dread.

"Move aside!"

Feeling the terrifying temperature contained within the flame pillar, Su Qian shouted anxiously.

The flame pillar was as fast as lightning. The instant Su Qian's shout ended, it carried unmatched force as it shot fiercely into the crowd formed by Jia Nan Academy's many elders.

Thanks to Su Qian's warning, the elders barely managed to evade when the flame pillar arrived. Even so, the pillar of flame grazing past them still sent waves of intense pain across their skin.

After the first flame pillar was avoided, the Formless Fire Python unleashed a second one.

Unfortunately, the second flame pillar was aimed directly at Gu He.

"Elder Gu, be careful!"

"Elder Gu, move!"

Seeing Gu He in that position, seven or eight Inner Academy elders immediately cried out in alarm to warn him.

Suddenly, two gray-robed figures appeared in the space around Gu He without any warning. Two withered hands landed on Gu He's shoulders, and in the blink of an eye, they pulled him out of the flame pillar's range.

Several Inner Academy elders who happened to be watching Gu He also noticed the existence of those two mysterious gray figures, and all of them froze.

Su Qian seemed to suddenly remember something. Wild joy quickly surged into his eyes as he muttered softly, "Those old monsters... they finally decided to act."

"Grand Elder, who are they?"

Behind Su Qian, several Inner Academy elders asked in bewilderment. Though they could not sense any powerful force from the two mysterious gray figures, they somehow felt an unusual pressure weighing upon their hearts and the depths of their souls.

"Jia Nan Academy's Guardians," Su Qian said slowly. "But unless Jia Nan Academy faces a crisis of life and death, they will never take action..." By the end, a trace of lingering fear appeared on Su Qian's face.

"Guardians?" The many Inner Academy elders stared blankly at the two gray figures, murmuring the word under their breaths.