Departure, Black-Corner Region

After one night.

Xiao Jie bid farewell to Shi Jian, then set off for the Black-Corner Region accompanied by Qing Lin, Hai Bodong, and the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor, Bai Ya.

The Black-Corner Region is a unique territory located outside Jia Nan Academy. This land is rife with chaos, slaughter, and strife. Many on the Dou Qi Continent have long wondered why such a chaotic region, so fundamentally at odds with the atmosphere of the academy, is allowed to exist right on its doorstep.

Regardless, whatever exists in this world has its reasons. Despite years of suppression from various sides, the Black-Corner Region has continued to expand at an unimaginable rate. Its "super-cockroach" ability to survive anything has left those factions intent on crushing it feeling utterly powerless.

The Black-Corner Region now spans a vast area. After years of expansion, it has effectively become a distinct, small nation. The only difference between it and other empires is that while others have a supreme leader, this region is a collection of various large and small factions fighting for their own interests. They are locked in constant conflict, slaughter, and chaos, scattered like loose sand.

Yet, it is precisely because of this that the Black-Corner Region has been able to grow in the heart of the Northwest Continent. Otherwise, no major power would sit idly by while such a destructive, unique zone expanded rapidly and threatened their interests. While they do not interfere directly, they do periodically suppress it to keep the chaos within a controllable range.

Although the chaos of the Black-Corner Region is famous throughout the Northwest Continent, the high-level cultivation techniques, Dou Skills, medicinal pills, and rare treasures that flow through here attract many experts from across the Northwest Continent—and occasionally even from other continents—to trade, fence stolen goods, or hide from pursuit.

After all, these items are objects of intense desire. If one can obtain a cultivation technique or Dou Skill superior to their own, it could propel them further along the path to becoming a stronger expert. For those powerhouses, such temptation is undoubtedly the most lethal attraction.

Because of this chaos, the Black-Corner Region acts like an insatiable bottomless pit. Countless heavenly treasures and high-level oddities flow through various channels into this place, only to be auctioned off at sky-high prices, sparking fierce competition among countless people.

Along the way, Xiao Jie's group spoke little. Xiao Jie spent the time contemplating how to successfully obtain Han Feng's Sea Heart Flame and Jia Nan Academy's Fallen Heart Flame once they reached the Black-Corner Region.

Since he was not a student of Jia Nan Academy, he could not simply walk into the Heaven-Burning Qi-Refining Tower to collect the Fallen Heart Flame.

Trading was also out of the question. The Fallen Heart Flame was the foundation of Jia Nan Academy; without it, the academy would lose its greatest advantage. Any attempt to negotiate would certainly be rejected.

Even if he told them that a juvenile Fallen Heart Flame might exist deep underground, the elders of Jia Nan Academy would likely not believe him. And even if they did, the chances of them trading it away were slim.

After all, the Fallen Heart Flame was their lifeline. If they found a second one, wouldn't it be better to build a second tower and expand the academy?

One shouldn't assume that because Jia Nan Academy could protect one Heavenly Flame, they couldn't protect two. The academy recruited students from across the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Countless students graduated every year, and the connections accumulated over time meant that some would inevitably grow into high-level experts. With a single call, a multitude of powerhouses would rally to their side.

Furthermore, the Fallen Heart Flame only ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It was famous for accelerating cultivation, but its raw destructive power was considered average among Heavenly Flames.

Its "heart fire" body-tempering effect was of little use to those above the Dou Zun realm, so there was no need for others to offend the entire faculty and student body of Jia Nan Academy—and invite potential danger—for a flame that wasn't particularly useful to them. After all, not everyone practiced the Burning Mantra, a technique that evolved by devouring Heavenly Flames.

Those who truly craved the Fallen Heart Flame were deterred by their inability to suppress Jia Nan Academy. This was why the academy could stand tall for so long despite possessing a well-known Heavenly Flame.

When the academy was first founded, it lacked such connections, but it had the backing of Mang Qianchi, a Half-Saint. With such a powerful figure present, few factions—not just in the Northwest Continent, but even in the Central Plains Continent—dared to offend them. Moreover, Mang Qianchi was an elder of the Thunder Clan, one of the seven ancient clans.

It was this strength that allowed Jia Nan Academy to develop smoothly in its early days. Once the academy had the power to protect the Fallen Heart Flame, with the Qian and Bai Elders in the academy and Su Qian, a Dou Zong, acting as the public face, Mang Qianchi left for the Thunder Clan and had not returned since.

Therefore, trading was not an option. Perhaps he could do as he did in the simulator: drive the tiger to eat the wolf, then secretly spirit away the source flame of the Fallen Heart Flame.

However, he would need to reach the peak of the Dou Emperor realm first. If he were intercepted by the Qian and Bai Elders or a Soul Hall Protector while trying to escape, it would be game over. This was not a simulation; death here was permanent. He had to maximize his cultivation and combat power.

As long as he reached the peak of the Dou Emperor realm, he could activate the triple Heavenly Fire Three-Mysterious Transformation using his three Heavenly Flames. Combined with the Earth-tier intermediate movement technique Lightning Flash Thunder Sound, he would have no trouble protecting himself and escaping from a high-level Dou Zong.

It would be best to also master the Earth-tier intermediate flight technique, Nine Wild Goose Sky Wings, which he had obtained from the simulator. He would need to hunt for the wings of a high-level flying magical beast to cultivate it, but that would serve as an extra layer of insurance.