After one night.
Xiao Jie bid farewell to Shi Jian, then set out for the Black-Corner Region with Qing Lin, Hai Bodong, and Bai Ya, the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor.
The Black-Corner Region was a special area located outside Jia Nan Academy. It was filled with chaos, slaughter, and conflict. Although many people on the continent wondered why such a disorderly place, so utterly at odds with the academy's atmosphere, existed outside Jia Nan Academy—
No matter what, anything that existed in this world had its reasons. Despite years of suppression, the Black-Corner Region continued to expand at an unimaginable rate. Its cockroach-like resilience, impossible to kill off, left the forces seeking to suppress it feeling powerless.
The Black-Corner Region now covered an extremely vast area. After so many years of expansion, it had practically become a clearly defined small nation. The only difference from other empires was that those empires all had supreme rulers, while this region fought amongst itself, composed of countless forces large and small. For their own interests, those forces constantly competed and slaughtered one another, leaving the place as chaotic as a pile of loose sand.
Yet it was precisely because of this that the Black-Corner Region had been able to grow strong in the heart of the Northwest Continent. Otherwise, no force would simply watch this highly destructive special region expand so rapidly and become a threat to them. Though they did not interfere much, they still suppressed it from time to time, keeping this chaotic region within a controllable range.
Although the Black-Corner Region's chaos was famous throughout the Northwest Continent, the high-level cultivation methods, Dou Skills, medicinal pills, and rare treasures flowing through it attracted many experts from across the Northwest Continent. Even experts from other continents occasionally came here, whether to resell goods, dispose of stolen property, or flee from pursuit.
After all, such things were necessities that made people covet them. If they could obtain a cultivation method or Dou Skill superior to what they practiced, they could take another step on the path to becoming stronger. For experts, that temptation was undoubtedly the most alluring—and deadly.
It was also because of the chaos here that the Black-Corner Region became like a bottomless pit that could never be filled. Countless heavenly treasures and high-level rare items flowed into this place through various channels, then were auctioned off at sky-high prices, drawing endless competition.
Xiao Jie's group did not speak much along the way. Xiao Jie kept pondering how he could successfully obtain Han Feng's Sea Heart Flame and Jia Nan Academy's Fallen Heart Flame in the Black-Corner Region.
He had not entered Jia Nan Academy as a student, so he could not openly go to the bottom of the Heaven-Burning Qi-Refining Tower and collect the Fallen Heart Flame.
Trading was also impossible. The Fallen Heart Flame was the foundation of Jia Nan Academy. Without it, Jia Nan Academy would lose all its advantages. Even if he went to propose a trade, he would certainly be refused.
Even if he told them that a young Fallen Heart Flame might exist underground, Jia Nan Academy's elders would likely not believe him. Even if one truly existed and they believed him, the chances of them taking it out for trade were slim.
After all, the Fallen Heart Flame was practically their lifeblood. If they obtained another Fallen Heart Flame, would it not be better to build a second Heaven-Burning Qi-Refining Tower and expand the academy?
There was no need to say that Jia Nan Academy could protect one Heavenly Flame but might not be able to protect two. Jia Nan Academy recruited students from across the entire Dou Qi Continent.
Countless students graduated from the academy each year. Over the years, those accumulated connections would naturally include people who grew into high-level experts. When the time came, a single call to arms would bring numerous experts rushing over.
Moreover, the Fallen Heart Flame was only ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It was known for accelerating cultivation, while its flame power could only be considered average among the Heavenly Flames.
Its Heartfire Body Tempering was not especially useful to those above the Dou Venerate level. Thus, there was no need to offend all the teachers and students of Jia Nan Academy over a Heavenly Flame that was not particularly useful to oneself, thereby inviting hidden trouble and danger. After all, not everyone cultivated the Burning Mantra, a technique that evolved by devouring Heavenly Flames.
Those who desired the Fallen Heart Flame, meanwhile, lacked the strength to suppress Jia Nan Academy and could only hold back. That was why Jia Nan Academy had been able to stand firm for so long despite possessing a universally known Heavenly Flame.
In the academy's early days, it had no great network of connections, but it had Mang Qianchi, a Half-Saint, holding the fort. With such a powerful Half-Saint present, let alone in the Northwest Continent, even on the Central Plains Continent there were few forces that dared offend him. Furthermore, Mang Qianchi was an elder of the Thunder Clan, one of the Seven Ancient Clans.
It was precisely because of such strength that Jia Nan Academy had been able to develop smoothly during its early years. Once the academy possessed the strength to protect the Fallen Heart Flame, with Qian and Bai Elders within the academy and Su Qian, a Dou Zong, publicly overseeing it, Mang Qianchi left Jia Nan Academy and returned to the Thunder Clan. He had not returned since.
So trading would not work. Perhaps he could follow the approach from Life Simulation: drive the tiger to devour the wolf, then secretly take away the Fallen Heart Flame's Origin Flame Seed.
However, before that, his strength had best reach the peak of the Dou Emperor level. Otherwise, if Qian and Bai Elders or a Soul Hall Protector intercepted him while he was escaping, he would be finished. This was not a simulation—if he died, he would truly die. He had to improve his cultivation and combat strength as much as possible.
As long as he reached the peak Dou Emperor level, he could activate the third transformation of the Heavenly Fire Three-Mysterious Transformation with the three Heavenly Flames he currently possessed. Combined with the mid-tier Earth-class movement Dou Skill, Lightning Flash Thunder Sound, he would have no problem protecting himself and escaping even from a high-level Dou Zong.
Still, it would be best to cultivate the mid-tier Earth-class flying Dou Skill, Nine Wild Goose Sky Wings, that he had obtained from the Simulator. Hmm, he needed to find the wings of a high-level flying magical beast to cultivate it. That would count as another layer of insurance.
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