"Hahahaha! It really has been a long time, everyone. How did you know I was returning today?"
Mang Tian Chi voiced his confusion. He had not told anyone in advance that he was coming back, so why were so many people here to welcome him?
"Uh... Headmaster, this is what happened..." Su Qian awkwardly explained the sequence of events to Mang Tian Chi.
"Oh~ So that's how it was!" Mang Tian Chi suddenly understood. That explained it—how could those Dou Zongs have known his whereabouts in advance?
Mang Tian Chi walked over to Xiao Li, then circled him several times in a manner unique to Jia Nan Academy.
"You're Xiao Li, right?" Mang Tian Chi asked, his voice rumbling like thunder.
"Yes."
"Hmm~" Mang Tian Chi placed one hand on Xiao Li's shoulder, then burst into loud laughter. "Wahahahaha! At last, there's a promising youngster worth looking at! Ahahahahaha!
Who said geniuses could not be born without that bloodline? You're quite good, kid. Make the most of your talent. You have far more potential than those old geezers."
That was simply Mang Tian Chi's personality—carefree, open, and unrestrained.
Most importantly, Mang Tian Chi was fiercely protective of his own. Back then, a Jia Nan Academy graduate had been adventuring in the Central Continent when he offended a Dou Zong faction. That faction intended to publicly execute him.
At the time, Jia Nan Academy's Great Elder was still Bai Lie. Upon hearing the news, Bai Lie immediately contacted Mang Tian Chi.
On the day of the execution, Mang Tian Chi arrived in a blaze of endless lightning. With a single slap, he wiped out that Dou Zong faction and declared:
"What stray cats and dogs dare bully Jia Nan Academy!"
From then on, Jia Nan Academy, which had been tucked away in the Northwest Continent, became renowned throughout the Central Continent. Many Central Continent clans sent their children to Jia Nan Academy to study.
Mang Tian Chi was very pleased with Xiao Li's talent. At only eighteen, he had reached the level of a Five Star Dou King and was also a Rank 6 Alchemist. What an excellent young man.
"Su Qian said you want to absorb the Fallen Heart Flame, right?" Mang Tian Chi asked.
"Yes, Headmaster."
Mang Tian Chi turned toward the Heavenly Burning Refining Tower, and his cheerful expression immediately darkened.
"No! I do not agree to let you absorb the Fallen Heart Flame." Mang Tian Chi frowned and directly refused Xiao Li.
"Why, Headmaster?" Xiao Li had not expected the Headmaster to oppose his absorption of a Heavenly Flame.
"Yes, Headmaster. The Fallen Heart Flame is like a ticking bomb. If it remains in the Inner Academy, it will explode sooner or later. It would be better to let little friend Xiao Li absorb it." Qian Mu frowned.
"That's right, Headmaster. Little friend Xiao Li has refined quite a few pills for Jia Nan Academy. With such merit, why shouldn't he be allowed to attempt absorbing a Heavenly Flame?" Bai Lie also spoke up.
"Yes, yes." The other Elders chimed in as well. Most of them had taken pills refined by Xiao Li. The Dou Wang Elders had taken Dou Spirit Pills, while the Dou Emperor Elders had taken Qing Yuan Pills, and all of their strength had improved significantly.
"Hey! You lot! I've only been gone for a dozen years, and you're already taking an outsider's side! It's not that I don't want Xiao Li to absorb the Fallen Heart Flame.
It's just that if he absorbs the Fallen Heart Flame now, he will definitely suffer a backlash! The Fallen Heart Flame has already developed intelligence, and its energy has reached the strength of the Two-to-Three Star Dou Ancestor level.
If Xiao Li risks absorbing it, the Fallen Heart Flame will burn him to death!" Mang Tian Chi said seriously.
Mang Tian Chi had just probed the Fallen Heart Flame with his Soul Force and discovered that it was gathering energy. Its energy had already reached the level of a Two-to-Three Star Dou Ancestor, and it had developed a measure of intelligence.
If Xiao Li went to absorb that Heavenly Flame now, he would definitely die.
"Huh? The Fallen Heart Flame is at the Dou Ancestor Level?" Xiao Li was stunned. He had not expected that, even with the timeline advanced by so much, the Fallen Heart Flame would already be at the Dou Ancestor Level.
"Heh, good thing I came back. Otherwise, you would have been burned alive, and Jia Nan Academy would have earned the disgraceful name of killing a genius!" Mang Tian Chi said irritably.
"Then, Headmaster, what should we do?" Qian Mu asked.
"Let me think. If this kid weren't here, I could simply suppress the Fallen Heart Flame with my strength and reinforce the seal. But since he wants to absorb it, I have no way to weaken the Fallen Heart Flame.
Ah! I've got it!"
Mang Tian Chi suddenly thought of a solution and looked at Xiao Li.
"Kid, forget about the complete Fallen Heart Flame. Even ten of you would be burned to death by it. I have a method: I can split off a portion of the Fallen Heart Flame's origin for you to absorb.
I'll separate a Child Flame from the complete Fallen Heart Flame. This Child Flame will carry part of the Fallen Heart Flame's origin. You can absorb it, then nurture it. Perhaps you can raise it into an entirely new Fallen Heart Flame.
That would be much safer than risking absorption of the complete Fallen Heart Flame. And this Child Flame's intelligence definitely won't be high. If you carefully raise it, it will become a great help to you in the future.
The complete Fallen Heart Flame has already developed intelligence. Even if you are lucky enough to subdue it, what if it suddenly turns on you while you let your guard down? Wouldn't you be finished, kid? So, what do you think? My suggestion is pretty good, right?"
Mang Tian Chi laid out his method. It was not impossible to nurture a Child Flame into a complete Heavenly Flame; at the very least, Mang Tian Chi knew someone who had truly done it.
"Fine, I'll listen to you, Headmaster. But could you make the Heavenly Flame origin you split off a little stronger? It would make it easier for me to raise." Xiao Li rubbed his hands together.
He was not being greedy. At most, he would need to spend more effort raising the Heavenly Flame. This was safer, and safety mattered most.
"That won't be a problem. Let me see how much of a Child Flame your physical body and Soul Force can withstand."
Mang Tian Chi placed his hand on Xiao Li's shoulder and used his Dou Qi and Soul Force to assess Xiao Li's condition.
"Heh, I didn't realize your body has some substance to it. You haven't cultivated any body-tempering Battle Skills, but your physical body is quite strong. There's also a large amount of Medicinal Power accumulated inside you.
Emmmm, I think a Dou Emperor-level Child Flame should be about right. Leave the rest to me!"
Mang Tian Chi vanished in an instant, leaving behind only several wisps of blue electricity.
"Old Bai, the Headmaster's cultivation seems to have improved again. His grasp of space has deepened further." Qian Mu had the highest cultivation, so he quickly located Mang Tian Chi. Mang Tian Chi had already reached the area beneath the Heavenly Burning Refining Tower and was suppressing the Fallen Heart Flame.
"Yes, the Headmaster's strength is unfathomable. Sigh, I wonder when we will be able to break through to Dou Zun?" Bai Lie looked somewhat lost. He had no clue how to advance to Dou Zun, and neither did Qian Mu.
"Hehe, I originally thought we would remain stuck at the Dou Ancestor Peak for many more years. Now, though, I think we may break through to Dou Zun very soon." Qian Mu suddenly smiled.
"What do you mean?"
"Hehe, it depends on this kid." Qian Mu pointed at Xiao Li.
"Oh? You mean pills?"
"That's right. The Rank 7 Peak Pill, the Primal Chaos Barrier Breaking Pill, can help those at the Dou Ancestor Peak break through to Dou Zun. I only lack an opportunity now. Once the little fellow's alchemy reaches Rank 7, I'll ask him to make a move for me." Qian Mu stroked his beard and smiled.
"That truly is a good plan."
Before you continue