The King Wasn't Trying to Help You!

In early spring, March, the deep valley was still covered in a blanket of white snow.

The pool was frozen solid, and the entire valley was covered in ice and snow, a stark contrast to the lush greenery outside.

"Click... snap..."

A tiny yet remarkably clear crack appeared without warning in the center of the crystal-clear ice surface.

Immediately afterwards, the cracks spread rapidly like a spider web, emitting a dense and crisp cracking sound.

The snow covering the valley trembled slightly at this moment, and tiny ice crystals and snowflakes fell softly.

"Boom!"

A muffled thud erupted from beneath the ice, and the thick ice sheet was violently ripped apart from the inside out by an immense force. Huge chunks of ice shot into the sky, where they were instantly sublimated by a burst of intense heat, transforming into billowing white mist that filled the crisp early spring air, refracting a rainbow of colors.

The spring sunshine pierced through the dissipating cold mist and shone on the pool where the water level had dropped by more than half.

The cold pool was deep and secluded, with a light mist rising from its surface.

A tall figure slowly rose from the center of the pool, and the water gradually began to boil, with bubbles surging.

At this moment, Xiao Yan's entire body was enveloped in a thin layer of sky-blue flames.

The flames did not appear violent; rather, they were gentle and agile, emanating a strange, tranquil, and profound energy as they rose.

Xiao Yan suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes.

"Laugh!"

Two condensed, almost tangible, sky-blue flames shot out from his eyes, tearing through the air and leaving two bottomless, charred holes in the mountain rock dozens of feet away.

A powerful aura, like a dormant volcano awakening, burst forth from his center.

An overwhelming pressure swept across the entire valley. The powerful Dou Qi of Five-Star Dou Wang was released without reservation, causing the remaining snow and ice shards at the bottom of the valley to flutter and the surrounding trees to sway violently without wind.

Feeling the surging, powerful Dou Qi within his body, far surpassing what he had experienced before his seclusion, and the sky-blue flames coursing through his meridians, Xiao Yan's lips slowly curved into an uncontrollable smile.

He extended his palm, facing upwards, and a thought flickered in his mind.

The sky-blue flames on his body instantly receded, transforming into a continuously rising flame in his palm.

This is the new Heavenly Flames he created after successfully fusing the Myriad Beast Spirit Fire, the Green Lotus Core Flame, Fallen Heart Flame: the Myriad Beast Lotus Heart Flame.

Xiao Yan activated the Flame Mantra Technique, and the energy of heaven and earth surged forth!

"Hehe, mid-level Earth Tier!"

Xiao Yan said with some excitement.

He could clearly feel that the quality of his internal Dou Qi and the speed of his cultivation technique had both undergone a qualitative leap.

Just then, as if sensing something, he turned his gaze to the edge of the icy pool.

He saw a voluptuous, alluring figure with her back to him, her long black hair cascading down to her waist, her aura as unfathomable as a deep pool.

Xiao Yan quickly changed his clothes and then went to Queen Medusa's side, smiling as he said, "Thank you for your help during this time."

Upon hearing this, Queen Medusa's alluring face remained aloof. Her long, narrow eyes did not look at Xiao Yan, but a barely perceptible ripple flickered deep within them, only to be replaced by indifference in an instant. She then turned her head to look at Xiao Yan.

Their eyes met.

Queen Medusa parted her red lips slightly, her tone still cold and arrogant:

"Hmph, I didn't help you. If you want to thank someone, thank that stupid snake."

She turned her head slightly, seemingly not wanting Xiao Yan to see the other emotions in her eyes.

Xiao Yan smiled slightly upon hearing this; the Medusa's only redeeming quality was her stubbornness.

"Any plans for now? I have to go back."

Xiao Yan looked towards the Inner Academy and said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm tired, I'm going back to sleep for a while."

After Queen Medusa finished speaking, her body shimmered with seven-colored light, and in an instant, she transformed into a Seven-Colored Snake.

"Hiss!"

The Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python hadn't come out to get close to Xiao Yan for almost a year, and it missed him terribly. As soon as it regained control of the body, it moved closer to Xiao Yan, nuzzled his forehead with its small head, and then flew back to Xiao Yan, opening its mouth.

"Haha, here, take it."

Seeing this, Xiao Yan took out a bottle of diluted Earth Core Body Tempering Milk and handed it to the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python.

The Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python bit the jade bottle and drank it all in one gulp. Then it returned the jade bottle to Xiao Yan, nuzzled him affectionately, and then put it back on his wrist.

Xiao Yan smiled, and then sky-blue fire wings popped out from his back, flying towards the Inner Academy.

Without disturbing too many people, Xiao Yan went directly to the courtyard where Su Qian lived.

The next moment, Great Elder Su Qian appeared in front of Xiao Yan.

The usually composed old man now wore an expression of barely concealed surprise and eagerness.

"Xiao Yan! You've finally emerged from seclusion!" Su Qian looked Xiao Yan up and down, and couldn't help but nod. "Five-Star Dou Wang? Your aura is also very refined. It seems that refining the Heavenly Flames has really benefited you a lot."

"Haha, Great Elder, you jest. My meager strength is best left unmentioned. I just wonder how long I've been in seclusion."

Xiao Yan said with a smile.

"Hmm, it's been about eight months."

Great Elder Su Qian responded.

Eight months?!

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was startled.

Although he knew this seclusion would take a long time, he never expected it to last so long.

He subconsciously looked in the direction of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower. Great Elder Su Qian had said before that the Heart Fire inside could only last for about half a year.

"Yes, it will be exactly eight months in ten days!"

The excitement on Su Qian's face was quickly replaced by solemnity. He followed Xiao Yan's gaze to the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower, and his tone became urgent.

"After you went into seclusion, I used the Origin Heart Flame stored in the Inner Academy to keep the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower running as planned. However, those reserves are ultimately limited. It was only because I restricted the opening time of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower that it lasted a few more days. But at most, it can only last for another three to five days before the accelerated cultivation effect of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower will completely disappear!"

Su Qian frowned, her tone filled with worry.

Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, and he immediately understood Su Qian's implied meaning. He quickly said:

"Rest assured, Great Elder! Since this matter arose because of me, it is naturally my responsibility to resolve it."

Upon hearing this, Su Qian's worry lessened slightly, but she still asked with some concern:

"Are you confident? That Underground Magma World is extremely dangerous; even I couldn't stay there for long."

Xiao Yan smiled confidently upon hearing this, interrupting Su Qian's worries:

"My breakthrough this time is not just about an improvement in my Dou Qi cultivation. Great Elder, just take me to the bottom of the tower, and leave the rest to me."

"Okay, come with me!"

Upon hearing this, Su Qian grabbed Xiao Yan's shoulder, and then the two of them vanished in an instant.

Nowadays, the popularity of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower has also decreased significantly due to the depletion of the Heart Flame.

Therefore, eager to solve the problem, Xiao Yan and Su Qian headed straight for the bottom of the tower. Along the way, they encountered many students cultivating there. When they saw Su Qian, they all hurriedly bowed. Some of the newly enrolled students were curious about Xiao Yan, who was able to travel with Su Qian.

About ten minutes later, the two appeared on the ninth floor of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower. In the past, due to the Fallen Heart Flame, the door to the tenth floor had always been tightly sealed. Later, after Xiao Yan subdued the Fallen Heart Flame, the defense of this bottom floor was no longer as tight as before, but it has never been opened and has remained sealed until now.

"Without the Fallen Heart Flame, although it brings a lot of inconvenience, at least we don't have to live in fear anymore. Before, we were always worried that that beast might suddenly erupt one day, which made everyone uneasy." Su Qian removed the seal on the iron gate, turned his head to Xiao Yan and smiled, "So your ability to subdue this thing has saved us a lot of trouble."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded silently. He understood that Su Qian was saying this to prevent him from feeling too much pressure because he had subdued the Fallen Heart Flame of the Inner Academy, and also to discourage him from forcing himself to risk entering the magma to search for the Fallen Heart Flame.

However, Xiao Yan knew his own situation and naturally felt no pressure, so he smiled and said:

"Great Elder, rest assured. As long as I don't go too deep, I can swim directly in the lava without getting hurt."

Upon hearing this, Su Qian was also somewhat surprised. Even with his powerful Dou Qi, he dared not easily touch the magma, yet Xiao Yan was able to ignore it to a certain extent, which was quite astonishing.

However, with Xiao Yan's words, Su Qian felt much more at ease. She pushed open the heavy door, and a scorching aura rushed towards her!

He waved his hand lightly in front of him, and even with Su Qian's strength, he felt somewhat uncomfortable. He cautioned, "The energy here is already so intense; I can't even imagine how terrifying the temperature must be beneath the magma. I know you're confident in your abilities, but you still need to be careful."

Xiao Yan spread his hands, took a deep breath of the intense heat, and smiled with a satisfied expression:

"This intense heat is not harmful to me. With the protection of the Heavenly Flames, the Fire Poison within is nothing to fear. Great Elder, please rest assured."

"What a little monster."

Hearing this, Su Qian shook his head helplessly, muttered something, and then slowly walked into the last floor of the extremely spacious Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

Xiao Yan followed closely behind.

The tenth floor was shrouded in a faint crimson light, and the brightest light was emanating from the huge, deep hole in the center, which was about ten feet wide. The crimson light spread out from it, dispelling all the darkness in the area.

Xiao Yan walked straight towards the deep cave in the center, and the surrounding air became increasingly hot, while the fire-attribute energy contained within became increasingly pure and violent.

"Comfortable!"

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, savoring the moment.

The rich energy of heaven and earth is so abundant that just one breath makes you feel completely comfortable.

Moreover, he could sense that the Fallen Heart Flame within his body had become more active after he arrived at the cave entrance.

"Great Elder, I'll be going now."

Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together, somewhat impatient.

"Okay, go ahead."

Upon hearing this, Su Qian smiled, nodded, and waved.

Xiao Yan nodded and jumped down.

The instant Xiao Yan jumped into the deep cave, he immediately sensed a very faint summoning intent.

"Have you sensed the Fallen Heart Flame within me?"

Xiao Yan was not surprised by this. He simply smiled and then his Blue Fire Wings instantly popped out, and he flew downwards.

After flying for a full three minutes, Xiao Yan's vision finally opened up, and a Magma World stretching as far as the eye could see appeared before him.

From within the magma, enormous bubbles surged forth and burst open, releasing a scorching heat accompanied by wisps of white smoke. Xiao Yan leaned closer and inhaled, discovering that the smoke contained a potent Fire Poison; if an ordinary person were to inhale it, it would certainly cause considerable trouble.

However, Xiao Yan, who was protected by three different types of Heavenly Flames, was not worried about this.

Once the Heavenly Flames is activated, no poison can withstand it!

After a moment's thought, Xiao Yan took out the Heavy Profound Ruler, marked it with his soul, and stuck it into a nearby mountain wall. Then, he enveloped his entire body in the Myriad Beast Lotus Heart Flame and plunged into the magma.

Upon entering the magma, intense heat and immense pressure surged from all directions, but for the owner of the Fallen Heart Flame, who possessed three Fused Heavenly Flame, this place was actually quite comfortable.

He flicked his finger, and an invisible flame rose from his fingertip.

As soon as the Fallen Heart Flame appeared, it suddenly became scorching hot and bright. Then it shifted and stretched downwards, looking like an indicator. Seeing this, Xiao Yan quickly flew towards the direction the flame was pointing.

Twenty minutes later.

Amidst the azure flames, Xiao Yan frowned slightly. The place where the Venerable Skyfire had fallen was quite a distance away...

Although the deeper he went, the higher the temperature and the greater the pressure, he didn't feel too much discomfort because of the protection of the Heavenly Flames and the Great Sun Separation Fire Body. His internal Dou Qi was not consumed much. But he knew that there was an entire race of Flame Lizardman in this magma!

If he were discovered by those guys before finding Venerable Skyfire, it wouldn't be a good thing for him.

Fortunately, after descending for another ten minutes, the surrounding magma changed from crimson to dark red, and the Fallen Heart Flame, which resembled an indicator on the fingertip, actually detached itself and floated downwards.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan's spirits lifted immediately, and he followed.

Suddenly, a faint flame burst forth, shining like a lamppost onto a patch of dark lava not far below. Then, the lava began to slowly rotate, and a transparent halo emitting a faint glow emerged from the vortex.

Xiao Yan looked over and saw a skeleton, long since turned to white bones, sitting in the halo. It emitted a faint glow, and in its palm, an invisible flame rose up and circled around the skeleton in a very regular pattern.

At the same time, the Heavenly Flames within Xiao Yan's body began to fluctuate, while the Origin Flame of the Fallen Heart Flame reacted even more strongly. If Xiao Yan hadn't deliberately controlled it, it probably would have already broken out of his body!