Come Inside with Me!

Zi Yan's hands, imbued with terrifying purple Dou Qi, hovered in mid-air. The excited fighting spirit on her small face froze instantly, replaced by an unbelievable sense of frustration.

The thick air around her seemed to freeze for a moment at her declaration of defeat.

"Huh???" Zi Yan's voice rose eight octaves, her big, dark eyes widening in frustration and dissatisfaction at being abruptly interrupted. "Xiao Yan, what are you doing! We were having such a good time fighting!"

She stomped her foot angrily, and the rocks beneath her feet cracked open with a spiderweb-like fissure before shattering into a pile of small pebbles.

The condensed purple Dou Qi, like a punctured balloon, dissipated unwillingly around her, creating a whirlwind of energy that made her pale purple hair fly wildly.

Xiao Yan leaned on the Heavy Profound Ruler, breathing slightly heavily.

His clothes were torn in many places, and the exposed skin had a faint reddish jade-like luster. There were bruises and abrasions in many places, and the blood from the split between his thumb and forefinger had congealed. There was also a trace of blood left at the corner of his mouth.

However, his eyes were unusually bright, even carrying a hint of cheerful laughter.

"Happy?" Xiao Yan grinned, which aggravated the wound at the corner of his mouth. Of course, this ticklish pain wouldn't bother him, but if he were to fight again, he would really be injured. So he had to exaggerate, "Hiss... My little aunt, you almost tore my newly promoted Dou Ling to pieces in your impulsive act. If I took another punch from you, I'm afraid I'd be bedridden for ten days or half a month. How would I be able to refine pills for you then?"

He released the Heavy Profound Ruler, leaving it diagonally embedded in the ground, and stretched his aching, swollen muscles and bones, which felt like they were about to fall apart. He quietly circulated the Flame Mantra within his body, and wisps of warm current from the Azure Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire flowed throughout his body, working in conjunction with the powerful self-healing ability of the Great Sun Separation Fire Body to quickly repair the minor damage.

He could clearly feel that after this intense battle, especially after withstanding so many attacks from Zi Yan that contained the power of the Ancient Void Dragon, his control over his own Dou Qi had finally returned to a level he could accept, and his physical body had become more compact and resilient in the impact.

The residual medicinal power of the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk, which remained in the body, began to be absorbed deep into the cells.

"But... but I didn't even use my full strength..." Zi Yan pouted, her toes unconsciously grinding against the pebbles on the ground, making a crunching sound.

As she looked at the rapidly fading bruises and wounds on Xiao Yan's body, her delicate nose twitched involuntarily. The pure life energy aura and the rich fragrance of the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk on his body were an irresistible temptation to her, even more attractive than the pills on the table.

She swallowed hard and muttered softly, "And... you smell so delicious... you seem to have so much energy..."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan rubbed his temples, feeling both amused and exasperated. It was quite a strange feeling to be remembered as "delicious" by a little girl who could kill an ordinary Dou Ling with a single punch.

Just then, an old and mocking voice suddenly rang in Xiao Yan's ears:

"Tsk tsk tsk, Little Yanzi, it seems your reputation as a 'humanoid elixir' is well-deserved. Even the Ancient Void Dragon is eyeing a bite out of you. In all my years of life, this is the first time I've ever seen anything like it."

"Teacher, please stop making fun of me."

Xiao Yan said helplessly to himself.

"Hehe, to be able to fight against Zi Yan, whose true form is Fifth Tier Ancient Void Dragon, your physical strength is practically inhuman; you're almost a humanoid ferocious beast!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan lowered his head, clenched his fist, and felt the explosive power contained in his muscles and the solidity emanating from deep within his bones. A confident smile appeared on his lips.

Although what the Old Yao said was an exaggeration, there was indeed nothing wrong with it.

A powerful physical body will be the fundamental foundation for him to fight beyond his level, withstand the backlash of powerful Dou Technique, and even devour and refine Heavenly Flames in the future!

He will only continue down this path with unwavering determination.

"A humanoid beast it is then," Xiao Yan said, his eyes gleaming. "As long as I can become stronger, the form doesn't matter. Besides..."

He looked towards the Inner Academy, his gaze seemingly piercing through space, seeing the invisible and intangible Heart Fire deep within the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

"With this physique, it's time to venture deeper and experience even fiercer fire. Others only Heart Fire can be used to cultivate Dou Qi, but in my opinion, using the Heart Fire to temper the body and increase resistance to the Fallen Heart Flame might make it easier to devour and refine it. This is the greatest opportunity I've had since coming to the Jia Nan Academy."

Hearing Xiao Yan say this, Old Yao suddenly understood.

This kid's idea might actually be feasible!

At this moment, Xiao Yan was also eager to return to the Inner Academy to improve his strength.

Looking around, the mountaintop was a scene of devastation after the recent "sparring"—huge craters, cracked ground, charred trees...

This mountain, in the end, could not escape his wicked hand...

"Alright, we can't stay here any longer. The commotion is too great. Let's go back to the Inner Academy first. I also need to go to the deep inner chambers of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower for a while to improve my cultivation and, while I'm at it, use the power of the Fallen Heart Flame to cultivate some more."

"Oh... okay."

Zi Yan knew that although her bloodline had a significant suppressive effect on ordinary magical beasts, it also made her a target for high-level magical beasts. Therefore, although the Back Mountain was full of medicinal herbs, it was also quite dangerous for her. She had made too much noise just now and might have alerted some Sixth-Rank Magical Beast. For safety's sake, she should indeed go back.

Moreover, unlike herself, Xiao Yan couldn't improve his strength by consuming medicinal herbs. The Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower wasn't a good place for her, but it was indispensable for Xiao Yan.

"Let's go, Zi Yan, back to the Inner Academy. I'll make you some new flavored pills when I come out of seclusion."

Xiao Yan could tell that Zi Yan was somewhat reluctant, but he had been away on his training for quite some time and should go back to check on her. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good for the Student Union president to just sit back and do nothing all day.

"Yay!" Zi Yan pure and innocent foodie, cheered upon hearing about the new flavor of the pills, instantly forgetting all her worries. Her purple Dou Qi Wings unfurled with a "whoosh," and she exclaimed, "Let's go! I can't wait!"

Xiao Yan smiled, and the Purple Cloud Wings on his back popped out, cobalt blue Dou Qi rose up, and he and Zi Yan transformed into two streams of light, one blue and one purple, which streaked across the sky and sped toward the Inner Academy of the Jia Nan Academy, leaving behind only a devastated mountain peak.

Because they had traveled too far, it took Xiao Yan and his companion about two days to fly back to the Inner Academy.

After sending Zi Yan back to the courtyard where the Great Elder resided, Xiao Yan changed his clothes and prepared to return to the Student Union's residence.

The Great Elder seemed to be busy and was not present, which was a bit of a disappointment for Xiao Yan, as he really wanted to have a chat with the Great Elder Su Qian.

After all, if he were to obtain the Fallen Heart Flame later, the Great Elder's help would undoubtedly be of great benefit to him.

In the spacious and brightly lit conference room, a dozen elderly men sat around a round table. Under the light, the elder badges they wore on their chests were clearly visible, indicating that the elders of the Inner Academy were all present.

Although the conference room was large, the atmosphere was somewhat somber. After a long while, Great Elder Su Qian, who was seated at the head of the table, coughed softly, breaking the silence in the room. His aged voice slowly echoed throughout the room:

"These past few days, that thing has started to become unstable again..."

Upon hearing his words, the other elders all frowned.

"After observing it for some time, I've noticed that the fluctuations it emits are much more intense than before, and judging from the emotions it exudes, it's becoming increasingly volatile..." The aged voice continued, still talking to itself, "Judging from this situation, it will likely launch a major counterattack within ten years. If anything unexpected happens, it could cause considerable losses to the Inner Academy!"

"How about we join forces to reinforce the defenses again? If that doesn't work, we should notify the deans of both the Outer Academy. This thing can't be exposed, otherwise, those guys from the Black Corner Region will probably rush over to snatch it. Although our Inner Academy is located deep in the mountains, it's not far from the north of the Black Corner Region. If something happens, those old guys who have been keeping an eye on the Inner Academy will immediately come upon hearing the news. With their experience, the seal on this Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower won't escape their notice..."

An elder pondered for a moment.

"The defenses definitely need to be reinforced... but the Headmaster has been traveling for many years, and no one knows where he is now." Su Qian slowly shook his head, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "Elders, from now on, let's make things as convenient for Xiao Yan as possible. When the Fallen Heart Flame erupts in the future, this child may be able to solve the problems we face!"

After all, such wondrous objects, born from the essence of heaven and earth, possess destructive power. If not handled carefully, the Inner Academy might face annihilation."

Su Qian looked worried, sighed, and said.

"Yes!"

The dozen or so elders below, who were greatly respected by the Inner Academy students, all stood up and respectfully responded.

"Alright, everyone disperse. Oh, and remember to keep an eye on the movements of the major powers in the Black Corner Region to the north, especially those few guys. After the Blood Sect Fan Lao died, the Black Corner Region was reshuffled, and many old powers have been strengthened. This is not good news for us."

Su Qian waved his hand and said in a deep voice.

The elders nodded slightly, and then dispersed...

Soon, the Student Union headquarters, formerly the freshman dormitory area, came into Xiao Yan's view.

I was gone for a few months, and when I came back, the place had changed so much!

Although it can't be considered building a skyscraper from scratch, it has already constructed quite a few buildings, just like the other forces in the Inner Academy. The style is rather ancient, but the buildings stand in a well-organized and orderly manner, making them look quite nice.

As Xiao Yan strolled leisurely towards the gate of the encampment, the two guards at the entrance immediately bowed with their right arms crossed over their chests and greeted him excitedly.

"Hello, President!"

"Haha, hello everyone, nothing happened while I was away, right?"

Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, then asked.

"It's nothing major. It's just that under the leadership of our vice presidents, our Student Union is thriving and has attracted many strong members from the Inner Academy. We're now one of the top five forces within the academy."

One of them quickly spoke up as well.

"Okay, I understand."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded.

That would be quite nice.

He then entered the compound and easily found his way back to the small attic.

Back in the attic, Xiao Yan had just pushed open the door when a figure jumped down from upstairs and landed beside Xiao Yan.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Shi Xuanxuan, exuding a capable and efficient aura. However, before Xiao Yan could even greet her, she hurriedly spoke, her words filled with eagerness:

"Come on, come inside with me!"

Before Xiao Yan could react, he was grabbed by that slender yet strong wheat-colored hand, which then exerted force and dragged him upstairs.

"Huh? Wait a minute!"

It wasn't until they reached the third floor and were pulled into Shi Xuanxuan's room that Xiao Yan came to his senses. Like a little girl who had been forcibly taken away, he looked at her blankly and asked in confusion, "Senior Sister Shi?"

"You promised to help me refine my Dou Qi every now and then, but you've been gone for months. I'm going to the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower to cultivate this afternoon. Since you're back, let's get started!"

Shi Xuanxuan skipped the usual pleasantries and went straight to the point.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan recalled that he had indeed agreed to this matter before.

"Oh, is that so? It's just that I got a little too absorbed in practicing Dou Technique this time."

Xiao Yan touched his nose and explained.

"Huh?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Xuanxuan seemed to have noticed Xiao Yan's change as well. She moved closer and then brought her nose close to Xiao Yan's body, taking a gentle sniff.

"It smells quite good, not like spices, more like some kind of rare and precious herb..." As she spoke, she thought for a moment, took out a bottle of pills from her Storage Ring, and handed it to Xiao Yan, "Eat this."

Xiao Yan was taken aback when he heard this, but seeing Shi Xuanxuan's matter-of-fact expression, Xiao Yan didn't think she would harm him. So he took out a pill from the bottle and put it in his mouth.

It's cool and a little bitter.

"What kind of elixir is this?"

After they had finished eating, Xiao Yan finally asked about the effects of the pills.

"It's used to cover up your scent. You've made good progress in body tempering, but you haven't reached the point where you can perfectly conceal your aura. So you're like a walking, breathing medicinal herb. If you go back to the Back Mountain, you'll easily attract some high-level magical beasts, which isn't safe."

Shi Xuanxuan explained.

"Oh, thank you so much, senior!"

Xiao Yan laughed.

The next moment, Shi Xuanxuan reached out and pressed on his pectoral muscles, even pinching them.

Um?

Xiao Yan was puzzled.

"Good results. It seems you've endured a lot of hardship these past few days."

Shi Xuanxuan nodded, appearing calm on the surface, but her heart was in turmoil.

If her senses are accurate, Xiao Yan's physical abilities are now at least on par with hers!

What exactly did this guy do in just about three months?

"Yes, I did suffer a bit, but I'm very grateful for my senior's body-refining experience; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to improve so much."

Xiao Yan's words weren't just empty flattery; he had indeed gained a lot of experience and inspiration from it, and benefited greatly from it.

"That's good!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Xuanxuan nodded, and then began to take off her clothes...

???

"Help me refine my Dou Qi first. We can talk about these things later while I'm recuperating. That will save more time."

That familiar, smooth, wheat-colored back was once again displayed before his eyes without reservation. Xiao Yan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and then he got into bed with practiced ease, reaching out to press his hand against Shi Xuanxuan's supple skin.

"Senior, I'm about to begin."