Jia Nan Academy

A faint, pale white light shimmered ahead. Zhang Nian seized the moment, his palm aimed at the brightness in front of him as he flicked it casually.

The light expanded rapidly, and the two of them flew out, greeted by the sight of an endless sky and three elders with the hair of cranes and the complexions of children.

As it turned out, Zhang Nian's positioning this time was incredibly precise; upon exiting the spatial rift, he had arrived directly above the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy. Sensing the powerful spatial fluctuations, the Qian and Bai Elders and First Elder Su Qian had been forced to bite the bullet and ascend into the sky to greet this sudden Dou Sheng powerhouse for the sake of the academy's safety.

The three of them bowed respectfully, performing a formal salute:

"Greetings, Saint. May we ask what important business brings you to Jia Nan Academy?"

The three raised their heads to look at Zhang Nian, only to freeze in surprise when they saw Medusa behind him. Their hearts were filled with utter astonishment: What is this? A Snake-Person!

Is she a handmaiden, or something else entirely?

Zhang Nian sized the three up. At this moment, the Qian and Bai Elders were still eight-star Dou Zong, and Su Qian appeared to have only recently broken through to the Dou Zong realm. Thinking that Zi Yan must have been picked up by now, he decided to brazenly speak his mind:

"I seek one person and one object."

His vague words left the three staring at each other in confusion. This...? The object is understandable enough, but what is meant by 'one person'?

"We ask that the Saint clarify..."

"Ahem."

Covering his mouth, Zhang Nian coughed twice and said in a clear voice:

"I intend to take Zi Yan as my disciple; that is the first thing. Secondly, I wish to take the Fallen Heart Flame. However, I will use spatial techniques to leave behind a seed flame. Its effects will be slightly weaker than the original, but you may come to find me every year to collect a new seed flame."

Shock!

The Fallen Heart Flame was the very foundation upon which Jia Nan Academy stood, but... the person saying he wanted to take it was a Dou Sheng powerhouse... and then there was the matter of taking Zi Yan as a disciple...

The three exchanged glances, suddenly finding themselves in a difficult position. They didn't fully understand Zi Yan's true form, but through long-term observation, they had reached one conclusion: she was undoubtedly an extremely powerful magical beast. If a Dou Sheng came to take her away now, and her clansmen came looking for her in the future...

"Lord Saint, we have no objections to you taking the Fallen Heart Flame. Such heavenly treasures belong to those capable of wielding them. Furthermore, since you are leaving us a seed flame, we will naturally comply. However, that girl Zi Yan is only staying at our Jia Nan Academy; her clansmen will eventually come to take her back, and we cannot make that decision for her."

Hearing this, Zhang Nian smiled faintly. It seemed they had agreed to the matter of the Fallen Heart Flame, but as for taking Zi Yan as a disciple, they were clearly afraid of her clansmen coming to Jia Nan Academy to cause trouble. It was quite amusing; these three old men had no idea what Zi Yan's true form was, yet they were spinning lies with such ease.

"Very well, I understand your concerns. I reside long-term in the Jia Ma Empire and am known as Great Saint Qinglian. You may come there to find me for the seed flames in the future."

Uh...

The three were stunned, expressions of struggle appearing on their faces. Perhaps having stayed in the Black-Corner Region for too long, they were inherently suspicious of human nature. Who could say for sure if the place he mentioned would actually exist? Besides, they weren't exactly familiar with him...

"Hmm?!"

Watching the countdown in his mind, their wavering attitude finally exhausted his patience. He flipped his hand and pressed down, causing space to tremble. A cubic frame appeared around each of the three, trapping them firmly within.

Is this the power of a Dou Sheng...

Medusa's eyes widened. With just a single, unremarkable movement, he had played three Dou Zong like puppets in the palm of his hand.

"Saint, I will go and bring Zi Yan out immediately!"

Su Qian understood the principle that those who know the times are heroes. The other party was clearly losing patience; if he were to truly anger him, the entire Jia Nan Academy might cease to exist. Besides, the Dean wasn't even in the academy right now, and thinking of this, he felt a wave of resentment.

Every time the Dean goes out on a journey, he stays away for decades... I carry too much on my shoulders (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡).

Su Qian vanished in an instant, seemingly off to find Zi Yan. To avoid wasting time, Zhang Nian lifted the restriction and looked calmly at the Qian and Bai Elders.

"Since you have already agreed, I shall take the Fallen Heart Flame now."

With that said, Zhang Nian instantly appeared before the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower. With the Qian and Bai Elders at his side, the elders responsible for guarding the tower naturally dared not speak a word. He reached the ninth floor and smiled slightly as he looked at the spatial barrier below.

Not bad. Judging by the technique, it was set up by a peak Dou Zun. It won't be difficult for me to break it now. It seems Mang Tianchi hasn't broken through to the Ban Sheng realm yet.

He pushed his palms out, the formless energy causing the space to blur. The barrier below began to tremble violently, and soon, cracks spread across it like a spiderweb.

"Crack~"

With a crisp sound, the barrier shattered. The scorching flames erupted like a floodgate opening, resembling a fire python.

"Hmph, as if I would let you run wild!"

With a cold snort, he retracted his hand toward the void and clenched his fist. The fire python seemed to be gripped by an invisible giant hand, unable to move a single inch.

Seeing this, Zhang Nian swept his right palm horizontally. A gust of wind whistled past, causing even the space itself to tremble. The fire python was instantly crushed, leaving only a wisp of colorless flame drifting in the air. It darted left and right, but it was as if it had hit a wall, unable to move.

From breaking the seal to resealing it, only a blink of an eye had passed. The three behind him were left wide-eyed and tongue-tied. The Qian and Bai Elders were particularly shaken; they knew how much effort the many elders of the Inner Academy had put into locking this flame away...

Thinking of this, they couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at having survived a disaster. It's a good thing we agreed...

Separating a wisp of the seed flame, Zhang Nian used a more sophisticated spatial technique to create a new spatial barrier. He placed the seed flame beneath the magma; with the environment here and the unripened seed already beneath the magma, perhaps in a few decades, a new Fallen Heart Flame would be born.

"Very well, I have finished what I promised. Let us head out."

Perhaps in a good mood, Zhang Nian naturally took Medusa's slender hand and walked upward.

The latter's face flushed slightly. This was the first time she had been touched by a man, and she felt an indescribable sensation in her heart—it didn't seem entirely unpleasant.

No, it must be because he is too strong! How dare he hold this Queen's slender hand! I'll kill you!

Wait, he's a Dou Sheng powerhouse...

Should I make a move while he's sleeping...

Do Dou Sheng powerhouses even need to sleep?

Hmm, that is a profound question...

In a daze, the group arrived outside the tower, only to see Su Qian holding the hand of a girl in white who barely reached his waist. Her pale purple hair cascaded down to her waist, and her cheeks were incredibly fair and delicate, giving her an adorable, doll-like appearance. A pair of dark, watery eyes blinked slightly as she looked at Zhang Nian, and in that instant, his heart felt as if it had been struck by lightning, leaving him tingling.

Su Qian pointed at Zhang Nian and said gently:

"Zi Yan, I've found you a master. If you follow him, you might be able to grow up quickly."

After sensing her aura carefully, he realized that Zi Yan had not yet reached the Dou King realm, barely managing to reach the Dou Spirit level. However, he was still shocked by her growth rate, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly: As expected, the herb vault of Jia Nan Academy really knows how to nourish people.