Obtaining the Falling Heart Flame; Killing Venerable Qinghai! Explosive Rise in Strength

[Your every move left Yao Chen utterly amazed.]

[Along the way, you seemed to possess the ability to foresee the future. Not only did you know the whereabouts of every fragment of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map.]

[You even knew that the Xiao Family of Wu Tan City was the Xiao Clan, one of the Eight Ancient Clans from thousands of years ago.]

[However, he did not understand why you had not taken the Tou She Ancient God Jade for yourself, instead offering it to the Soul Clan.]

[He began to speculate about your true identity.]

[You neither knew nor cared about his speculation.]

[When Su Qian saw you, he discovered that you had actually broken through to a Three-star Dou Ancestor! His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets!]

[After reaching the Dou Ancestor realm, advancing by even one star was as difficult as ascending to the heavens!]

[Yet in just a few short months, you had actually advanced two stars!]

Ye Hao: "Showing off is like the wind—it is always by your side."

Still, this bit of showing off could not receive full marks; it lacked the finer details.

[In the blink of an eye, a year passed.]

[During this time, your true strength had reached the peak of the nine-star Dou Ancestor realm.]

[To the outside world, you were merely a four-star Dou Ancestor.]

[Every day, you would patrol the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower together with the other elders.]

[One day, while the Inner Academy was holding an alchemy tournament.]

[You appeared as an instructor and prepared to refine a Seventh-grade Saint Ancestor Pill.]

[As long as a Dou Ancestor expert consumed this pill, there was a ninety percent chance of directly advancing one star, and a fifty percent chance of advancing two stars.]

[Su Qian's eyes went blank with astonishment.]

[Su Qian transmitted his voice: Old Ye, you have to give me that pill. I've longed for a breakthrough for many years.]

[You smiled and nodded: Of course. I refined it for you from the very beginning.]

[You controlled the Green Lotus Core Flame and began refining the pill!]

[Deep within Jia Nan Academy, a trace of envy and excitement surfaced in the eyes of the Thousand Hundred Elders.]

[They saw hope of breaking through to the Dou Zun realm!]

[They decided that once this alchemy tournament ended, they would ask you to refine two Venerate Breaking Pills.]

[However...]

[Half a day after the Green Lotus Core Flame appeared, an abnormal disturbance occurred in the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.]

[The Falling Heart Flame within the tower began madly assaulting its seal.]

[The elders could no longer hold on.]

[You hastily ended the pill refinement and worked with the elders to evacuate the students from the tower.]

[Though Su Qian found it deeply regrettable, there was nothing he could do.]

[The Falling Heart Flame had already taken the form of a gigantic Fire Python.]

[You did not rush to act. Instead, you had Su Qian, Hu Gan, and the others go ahead while you remained behind to evacuate the students.]

Ye Hao guessed.

He must have tampered with it during every patrol of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

Then, when he refined the pill this time.

The moment the Green Lotus Core Flame appeared, the Falling Heart Flame sensed it and erupted into chaos!

[The Falling Heart Flame had already fully formed, and its strength was extremely terrifying. Even with dozens of elders joining forces to cast sealing techniques, they still could not subdue it.]

[They were drenched in sweat as they gritted their teeth and held on.]

[Seeing that the time was right, you also rushed out and used the Green Lotus Core Flame to join the sealing effort!]

[However, once the Green Lotus Core Flame entered, the Falling Heart Flame became even more violent and directly shattered the seal!]

[Despair appeared on Su Qian's face: "We're finished!!"]

[You rushed forward and used the Green Lotus Core Flame to contend with the Falling Heart Flame.]

[You said to Su Qian: "Great Elder, I'll lure it underground. Take this chance to set up another seal!"]

[Su Qian was horrified: "But once the seal is completed, even with your Dou Ancestor strength, I'm afraid you won't be able to escape!"]

[You merely smiled, then led the Falling Heart Flame into the lava world beneath the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.]

[Su Qian immediately gathered people to restore the seal.]

[The seal was completed.]

[You arrived in the lava world and set up another barrier.]

[The Falling Heart Flame roared at you. Its enormous maw, filled with several massive fangs, let out an ear-splitting hiss.]

[It seemed to be showing off to you, while also telling you that you were as good as dead.]

[You smiled faintly. "Who's as good as dead is still uncertain!!"]

[You charged into the Fallen Heart Flame's body, found its origin, and seized it.]

[Opening your mouth, you swallowed it in one bite!]

[You immediately circulated the Fen Jue and began refining it!]

[The Fallen Heart Flame's resistance was utterly useless against you.]

[Two months later.]

[You successfully refined the Fallen Heart Flame.]

[Your Fen Jue evolved to Earth Tier Low-grade.]

[Your strength reached the Two-star Dou Venerate realm.]

[Your Soul Power reached the Spirit Realm Mid-stage.]

[When Old Yao saw this, he was so envious he nearly exploded on the spot!]

[For an ordinary person, obtaining a single Heavenly Flame was already an enormous stroke of fortune!]

[But what about you?]

[Not only had you found two Heavenly Flames yourself, you had also obtained one from Han Feng. And his Bone Spirit Cold Flame was already within your grasp.]

[Old Yao had begun looking forward to just how far the Fen Jue could evolve in the end.]

[You did not immediately leave the tower. Instead, you plunged headfirst into the magma!]

[Old Yao was completely dumbfounded!]

[Old Yao hurriedly asked, "What are you doing?!"]

[You did not explain.]

[You arrived in that otherworldly space and obtained the young Fallen Heart Flame.]

[Yet you did not find Heavenly Fire Venerate's remnant soul. It had most likely vanished into thin air.]

[When Old Yao saw the Young Fallen Heart Flame, he was petrified.]

[He thought you intended to give this Fallen Heart Flame to Jia Nan Academy as compensation.]

[Without another word, you directly swallowed and refined it on the spot.]

Ye Hao: "Now that's more like it. Why should something you earned through your own abilities be given to them?"

His purpose in coming here had been the Fallen Heart Flame from the start.

No matter how small it was, even a wisp would become part of his strength!

Heaven destroys those who do not look out for themselves!

[Your cultivation method did not advance again.]

[Just as you had expected.]

[Within this otherworldly space, you also discovered an enormous skeleton.]

[It had massive wings, like a great bird.]

[You burned it with Heavenly Flames and obtained several drops of Essence Blood brimming with immense energy.]

[You guessed that it might be the remains of a Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan member. You did not absorb it, instead putting it away, while already forming a plan for how to use it.]

[You continued descending through the magma, killing many Lizardmen and obtaining hundreds upon thousands of fire-attributed beads.]

[You recalled that you had not seen Zi Yan in the Inner Academy, and Su Qian had not encountered her either.]

[You had wanted to continue descending to see whether Zhu Kun was below, but when you remembered that he was at the Nine Star Dou Saint Late-stage, you abandoned the idea.]

[You only had one chance. If you were caught, you would be as good as dead.]

[You returned to the surface layer of the magma world.]

[You refined those fire-attributed beads, and your strength rose to the Four-star Dou Venerate realm.]

[You tore through space and left Jia Nan Academy from the underground magma world.]

[At this moment, everyone at Jia Nan Academy still believed that you had perished together with the Fallen Heart Flame for the sake of Jia Nan Academy.]

[Su Qian found the Thousand Hundred Elders. Since they too could not sense either your or the Fallen Heart Flame's aura, they accepted the claim that you had perished together.]

[Su Qian decided to erect a statue of you in the Inner Academy to commemorate your heroic sacrifice for the academy.]

[He would let every generation of students know that you were the academy's hero.]

[You did not care about this. In this life, you had only one goal!]

[To become a Dou Emperor!]

Ye Hao: "Once the deed is done, I brush off my sleeves and leave, concealing my merit and fame."

[You returned to Heavenly Burial Ravine.]

[You found the atmosphere exceedingly delicate.]

[It turned out that a Venerable Elder named Qing Hai Venerate had arrived.]

[Ye Hao, as the Hall Master of our Soul Hall's Branch Hall on the Northwest Continent, how dare you neglect your duties!! Do you know how long this old man has been waiting for you here?]

[Qing Hai Venerate glared at you and sternly questioned you, his tone rather icy.]

[You detected a hint of jealousy in Qing Hai Venerate's voice.]

[It couldn't be helped. You had grown too quickly, making him feel threatened.]

[Bronze Protector quietly told you that Qing Hai Venerate had been here for nearly two months, waiting all this time for you to appear.]

[Qing Hai Venerate noticed Bronze Protector's little move. His fury surged to the heavens as he flashed in front of Bronze Protector and raised his hand to strike him with a palm.]

[He was trying to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys and establish his authority.]

[At the critical moment, you appeared beside Bronze Protector. The Green Lotus Core Flame erupted, instantly engulfing Qing Hai Venerate.]

[Only then did Qing Hai Venerate discover in horror that you had also become a Two-star Dou Venerate!]

[Moreover, you had mastered a rare treasure like the Green Lotus Core Flame.]

[With such terrifying strength, he could no longer defeat you alone.]

[Qing Hai Venerate hurriedly cupped his fists, seeking to reconcile with you.]

[However...]

[He wanted to establish his authority, but didn't you as well?]

[You publicly slew Qing Hai Venerate. At the same time, you captured his soul, erased his consciousness, and tossed it into a soul storage pouch, intending to hand it over to the main hall together.]

[All the Protectors present were utterly stunned!]

[No one had expected you to attack Qing Hai Venerate!]

[What they had expected even less was that after leaving for merely a few months, you had returned as a Two-star Dou Venerate!]

[After giving a few instructions, you left once more.]

[This time, you traveled the Northwest Continent with Old Yao, honing your skills and continuously increasing your strength while improving your alchemy.]

[In the blink of an eye, three years passed.]

[You became a Seven-star Dou Venerate and an Eighth-grade Junior Alchemist. You prepared to return to the Central Continent and carry out the next step of your plan.]

[After returning to the Central Continent, the first thing you did was inquire about its current situation...]