Venerable Skyfire!

After absorbing the Fallen Heart Flame, Xiao Ze did not leave immediately; instead, he headed toward the deeper, more intense molten magma.

Unlike the magma beneath the Tagor Desert, the temperature and the volatility of the energy here were far more dangerous.

Even an ordinary Dou Zong would struggle to venture this deep, but as he was now a Dou Zun powerhouse, he felt no fear at all.

Finally, after some searching, amidst the otherwise unremarkable magma, a transparent ring of light emitting a faint glow emerged from a magma vortex.

Inside that ring of light lay a skeleton that had turned to white bone, and floating above the remains was a wisp of flame.

This flame was entirely transparent, appearing almost formless; others might find it unfamiliar at first glance.

But Xiao Ze was exceptionally familiar with it, for this flame was none other than the Fallen Heart Flame!

If his assumptions were correct, this flame was the nascent form of the Fallen Heart Flame.

As for the skeleton, it should be Venerable Skyfire.

Just as he reached out to retrieve the nascent Fallen Heart Flame, a scorching gust of wind suddenly shot toward him in a bizarre, erratic manner!

Xiao Ze narrowed his eyes, remaining unmoved.

Only when the attack was right before him did he raise his hand.

"Space Rend!"

His low shout struck the surface of the magma sea like a heavy hammer, and the entire expanse of molten lava suddenly froze, as if caught in an invisible, giant net.

The next moment, crisscrossing spatial cracks appeared like a spiderweb staining the firmament.

The scorching magma was sliced into countless tiny specks of light, and the so-called magma creatures were shredded by the power of space before they could even touch him.

Looking at his handiwork, Xiao Ze nodded with satisfaction.

One had to admit, the power of space was truly useful.

After dealing with the magma creatures, Xiao Ze reached out and took the nascent Fallen Heart Flame.

Just as he secured the nascent flame, a sudden anomaly occurred; a phantom, elderly figure abruptly appeared.

The figure wore white robes, his hair and beard were snow-white, and his face was aged, with faint glints of light flickering in his calm eyes.

"The Fallen Heart Flame? I never expected... that it would be subdued by someone after all..." The phantom figure glanced at Xiao Ze and spoke slowly.

His voice carried an indescribable tone.

"Old man, how about we make a deal?" Xiao Ze ignored the other's sentimentality and began to calculate.

The man had been a Dou Zun powerhouse in his lifetime; if he could be recruited into his own camp, it would be a great advantage.

"Heh, I am merely a soul fragment; what could I possibly have to trade with you?" The old man chuckled at the words.

"However, why is it that I cannot seem to see through you?"

Logically, he had been a Dou Zun powerhouse in his past life and had always possessed a sharp eye for people, yet this person before him left him completely baffled.

"It would be a miracle if you could understand me." Xiao Ze rolled his eyes.

He then continued, "I can reshape a physical body for you, but I need fifty years of your service, during which you must obey my commands."

"The conditions sound tempting, but what makes you think you can reshape a body for me?" The old man laughed, treating it as if the other were joking.

He did not know how many years he had been dead; if not for the protection of the Fallen Heart Flame, his soul fragment would have long since dissipated into this world.

"Because I am a Dou Zun!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the old man stared at him in a daze, thinking, Is he joking with me?

Since when did the Dou Qi Continent have such a young Dou Zun?

"Believe it or not, my patience is limited. I will give you three breaths to think about it." Xiao Ze did not give the other a chance to hesitate and immediately prepared to return to the surface.

Seeing that the other was about to leave, the old man grew anxious. "Little friend, please wait! I agree!"

Such an opportunity was once in a millennium; if he truly missed this, his soul fragment might not last until the next person arrived.

"Then follow me." Xiao Ze reached out, grabbed the soul fragment, and brought him out of the magma depths.

"I am Yao Tianhuo; others sometimes call me Venerable Skyfire. May I ask your name?"

As he was being carried away, Yao Tianhuo had never imagined that he would one day see the light of day again.

"My name is Xiao Ze, from the Xiao Clan."

"Rest assured, following me will not leave you at a disadvantage."

With that, Xiao Ze had already brought Venerable Skyfire to the bottom level of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

However, before leaving, he left the nascent Fallen Heart Flame behind to serve as the carrier for the fire energy of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

As the fire energy recovered, the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower regained its body-tempering function.

"It's restored?"

Outside the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower, the elders looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what had happened.

Logically, without the Fallen Heart Flame, the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower should have lost its purpose, unless the Fallen Heart Flame had not been taken away.

"That little fellow couldn't have died inside, could he?"

"This, surely that can't be right? He is, after all, a Dou Zong powerhouse."

The elders discussed the matter in hushed, chaotic tones.

How could someone who managed to dominate the majority of the Black-Corner Region in a mere half-month die so easily?

First Elder Su Qian remained silent, his gaze fixed intently upon the entrance of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

Finally, after a brief moment of contemplation, a youthful figure quietly appeared before the crowd.

Seeing that familiar gaze, the heavy weight finally lifted from the First Elder's heart.

If something had happened to him, that girl Xun Er would surely have come to settle the score; fortunately, everything had ended without mishap.

"Young friend Xiao Ze, how did it go?" the First Elder stepped forward to ask.

"Everything went smoothly. The Fallen Heart Flame has been devoured by me, and I even found a juvenile Fallen Heart Flame inside. I expect it won't be long before it reaches its full potential," Xiao Ze explained.

"There was actually a second one?" Hearing this, the First Elder wore a look of astonishment.

After all, spiritual objects born of heaven and earth like the Fallen Heart Flame were rare in this world; to have two appear at once truly caught him by surprise.

"First Elder, since I have taken the Fallen Heart Flame, it is time to fulfill my promise."

Seeing that all the elders of the Inner Academy were present, Xiao Ze laid out his conditions.

"First Elder, how about this: once I take down the Black Emperor Sect and the Demon Flame Valley and unify the Black-Corner Region, ten percent of all profits from the region will belong to Jia Nan Academy."

"Furthermore, the Xiao Sect will guarantee the safety of your students throughout their entry and exit of the Black-Corner Region, allowing them to train without worry."

"Take down the Black Emperor Sect and the Demon Flame Valley..."

Hearing this, the corners of the elders' mouths twitched involuntarily.

As long-standing factions of the Black-Corner Region, both sects were protected by Dou Zong powerhouses; only he would dare to speak such arrogant words.

Jia Nan Academy had stood in the Black-Corner Region for hundreds of years without ever daring to dream of unification, yet a little fellow from Wutan City dared to make such a bold declaration—he was truly... ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.

Faced with their disdain, Xiao Ze remained unmoved, instead releasing a faint aura belonging to a Dou Zun. In an instant, the faces of the elders stiffened, their hearts churning with turbulent waves.

"A, a Dou Zun powerhouse?"

"Now, do you believe me?" Xiao Ze's expression remained unchanged.