Outer Academy Assembly, Depart for Fallen Fire Sect

Outer Academy Plaza.

By the time Qin Han arrived, a dense crowd had already formed up in neat ranks.

The force heading to the Fallen Fire Sect Ruins was not large, but it could be called an elite unit.

At the very front of the group stood two figures with entirely different presences.

On the left was a man in loose gray robes. His beard and hair were gray-white, yet his complexion was ruddy. He was none other than Hu Gan, the Vice Dean of the Outer Academy.

On the right stood Wu Tianlang, dressed in a fitted suit of deep black.

Merely standing there, he naturally radiated a cold, ruthless aura forged through countless battles. The pale scar slashing diagonally across his left cheek and brow made him appear even more ferocious.

At the peak of the Dou Wang realm, he was considered the strongest member of Jia Nan Academy on this expedition aside from Hu Gan.

Behind them stood four elderly men with deep, powerful auras. Two were from the Outer Academy, and two from the Inner Academy. All of them were mid-stage Dou Wangs.

Further back was a group of around twenty people dressed in uniform white attire.

Zi Yan stood near the front of the group, looking thoroughly bored as she occasionally tossed a couple of Pills into her mouth.

"Sorry, I'm late, Vice Dean."

The moment Qin Han landed, he stepped forward and cupped his fists toward Hu Gan and Wu Tianlang.

Hu Gan chuckled and waved a hand. "Not late, not late. The timing is just right. You brat, your aura has become increasingly steady."

Before he could finish speaking, Wu Tianlang had already stepped forward.

His sharp gaze settled on Qin Han as he carefully sensed him for a moment. A faint trace of pleasure, rare on his usually stern face, flickered across his expression.

"Hm. Your Dou Wang realm has already stabilized. Not bad."

"Elder Su Qian and I have yet to make a final decision on the new captain of the Enforcement Team. For this expedition, the Enforcement Team will remain under your command."

"Yes!"

Zi Yan had already grown impatient. "When are we leaving? All the good stuff will be snatched away!"

Seeing this, Hu Gan chuckled again and called out, "Now that everyone is here, let's set off!"

With a wave of his hand, several clear bird cries rang out from one side of the plaza.

Several enormous four-winged Griffins were led over by Beast Tamers.

Although the main force of the group had already reached the Dou Wang realm and could fly through the air, the Enforcement Team members responsible for guiding the way, keeping watch, and scouting the situation were still Dou Lings. They lacked the stamina for long-distance flight.

"Board the Griffins!"

"Destination: the Fallen Fire Sect Ruins, northeast of the Black Corner Region."

"Move out!"

At the command, the Griffins spread their massive four wings, whipping up fierce gusts as they carried everyone slowly into the air before vanishing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye...

The Back Mountain of Jia Nan Academy was utterly silent, with only the rustle of mountain wind brushing through the treetops.

At the edge of a steep cliff, a young figure clad in black robes silently appeared.

"Teacher," Xiao Yan softly said in his heart, "there seems to be quite a disturbance at the Fallen Fire Sect Ruins. The academy's team has set out. Should we go join the excitement too?"

After a brief silence, an aged phantom of a soul slowly drifted out and hovered beside him.

"The Fallen Fire Sect..." Old Yao slowly began. "I had heard of this name when I traveled across the continent in my younger days.

A hundred years ago, it was a first-rate force that ranked among the best in the Black Corner Region and its surrounding areas, especially renowned for its fire-control techniques and artifact-refining methods.

Its sect's core, the Myriad Fire Furnace, was said to be extraordinarily profound. If its ruins have truly reappeared, then the items left behind within would be greatly beneficial to any fire-attributed cultivator, including you. There would be no harm in taking a look."

A glint flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes, but Old Yao's next words made his heart tighten slightly.

"However," Old Yao narrowed his illusory eyes, "you must not take this matter lightly.

A sect that once stood at the height of prosperity was wiped out overnight, with a simple claim of natural disaster hastily used to close the matter. That explanation might fool ordinary people."

"Teacher, you mean...?" Xiao Yan frowned slightly.

"I'm afraid it wasn't a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity."

Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment, his fingers lightly rubbing his Storage Ring.

He naturally understood the risks.

But the path of cultivation was inherently a struggle against fate, always accompanied by danger.

"Teacher, is this trip truly so dangerous?"

A helpless smile appeared on Old Yao's illusory face. "If you want to go, then go. With me here, even if we truly encounter some major trouble beyond our expectations, I am still confident I can get you out safely."

With Old Yao's promise as reassurance, Xiao Yan immediately stopped hesitating.

"Understood, Teacher!"

He lightly stamped on the rock at the cliff's edge. Majestic Dou Qi surged from within his body, and with a bang, purple Wings spread open behind his back.

"Go!"

With a low shout, Xiao Yan's figure turned into a blurry stream of azure-purple light and shot into the sky...

Above them, the wind howled past their ears.

Rather than staying at the relatively comfortable front, Qin Han remained in the middle of the Griffin's broad back alongside the Enforcement Team members.

"Boss."

A seasoned Team Member with a sharp, capable face moved closer and reported in a low voice, "The latest intelligence from the Fallen Fire Sect Ruins has been compiled."

"How is it?"

"Lively."

The Team Member's tone was grave. "Nearly every notable faction in the Black Corner Region has sent elites over.

The Luocha Gate, Blood Sect, Eight Gates... and those are only the ones with names known to all.

There are even more lone Strong Experts, as well as small and medium-sized factions that usually keep a low profile. There are even Strong Experts from outside the Black Corner Region mixed in.

At the ruins' perimeter, there are probably already more Dou Wangs than can be counted on two hands. As for how many Old Monsters are hiding among them, that remains unclear."

Qin Han raised his brows slightly. The scale of this was even greater than he had expected.

The Fallen Fire Sect's reputation back then truly held astonishing appeal.

"And when will the seal be broken? What does the Earthflame Gate have to say?" Qin Han asked.

Another Team Member took over. "The Earthflame Gate wants to act like the owner, claiming the ruins are dangerous and outsiders must not enter until they can break the seal safely.

But no one is paying attention to them.

Over the past two days, several groups have already tried to force their way through the remaining seal, only to be badly injured by the Sect Protecting Formation's backlash.

Even after being weakened by the passage of time, the Fallen Fire Sect's Sect Protecting Formation is no joke.

As for the precise time it will be broken, the Earthflame Gate has been evasive.

But judging by the Energy Tide fluctuations and the observations of the spies we planted, within three to five days at the latest, the core sealing light barrier will weaken to its lowest point. That will be the best opportunity to enter."

Qin Han understood.

The Earthflame Gate could barely be considered a successor sect of the Fallen Fire Sect. It had been established by disciples who had been away on missions during the Fallen Fire Sect's calamity and had thus narrowly survived.

However, they were ultimately only a surviving branch. The Earthflame Gate was now merely a second-rate faction in the Black Corner Region, and its Sect Leader, Yan Zhen, was only a Three-Star Dou Huang—not one of the Black Corner Region's foremost experts.

With such strength, they could never protect the Fallen Fire Sect Ruins.

And reality had proven it. The various factions simply ignored them, waiting only for the seal to loosen before swarming in.

A storm was already gathering.