Little Loli Zi Yan

Hearing the voice, everyone turned to look and saw a cute little purple-haired girl standing there, chewing on an unfamiliar medicinal herb in her hand.

She wore a white dress and looked no more than twelve or thirteen. Her pale purple hair fell to her waist, and her delicate, doll-like features made her utterly adorable.

Yet the instant everyone saw the little girl, their hearts trembled. Fear spread across their faces as they hurriedly moved aside, clearing a path for her.

Seeing this, the purple-haired girl curled her lips slightly, lifted her little chin, and skipped through the crowd straight toward Su Qian.

"Old Man Su, what happened? Why is everyone gathered here?" The little girl leaned closer, blinking her large eyes curiously.

Looking at her, Su Qian's eyelids twitched. Somewhat helplessly, he said, "Zi Yan, if Elder Hao finds out you've stolen his herbs again, he'll be furious enough to die."

"Finding them myself is such a hassle. Why wouldn't I eat ready-made ones?" As she spoke, Zi Yan took another bite of the herb, stuffing her cheeks until they puffed out.

Su Qian shook his head and was just about to scold her when he suddenly sensed an unfamiliar aura and an intense spatial fluctuation.

His expression changed. Instinctively, he stretched out an arm to shield Zi Yan and the students behind him, his nerves instantly tensing to their limit.

Following the spatial disturbance, he saw a rift tear open out of thin air beside the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower. A handsome young man stepped out from within.

The young man stood suspended in the air, holding a cluster of invisible flame in his hand.

"That in his hand is... Fallen Heart Flame!" Su Qian frowned deeply, his expression turning ugly at once.

Su Qian had dealt with Fallen Heart Flame for countless years. He recognized at a glance that the flame was indeed Fallen Heart Flame.

At that moment, seeing Jia Nan Academy's Heavenly Flame in someone else's hands, it was impossible for Su Qian not to feel furious.

However, the person before him was unfathomably powerful, and the headmaster was absent. For the safety of the academy and its students, Su Qian could only suppress his anger and dare not act out.

Suppressing his anxiety, Su Qian cautiously asked, "May I ask why you have come to Jia Nan Academy, sir?"

Tang Chen walked up to Su Qian with a gentle smile on his face. "You must be Grand Elder Su Qian, I presume?"

"Y-yes." Su Qian looked startled as he answered nervously.

Only after Tang Chen drew closer did Su Qian truly understand how terrifying he was. Su Qian had felt that sort of pressure only from the headmaster; even the Thousand Elders, both peak Dou Zongs, were far inferior.

"Grand Elder, there is no need to be nervous. I mean no harm. I merely sensed signs that the Heavenly Flame was about to riot as I passed by, so I suppressed it in passing." Tang Chen's smile did not fade as he spoke softly.

As he spoke, he directly handed the infant Fallen Heart Flame in his palm back to Su Qian.

Su Qian accepted Fallen Heart Flame. The flame was now extraordinarily docile in his hand, a stark contrast to its previous ferocity.

Still, a question could not help rising in Su Qian's heart: Why had Fallen Heart Flame become so weak?

Yet he did not ask further. This outcome was already excellent. Though Fallen Heart Flame had weakened, it would be easier to control. With careful nurturing, not only would it no longer riot, it might even form a bond with the academy and become one of its guardians.

"Thank you for your assistance, sir!" Su Qian said gratefully from the bottom of his heart.

Had Tang Chen not intervened, Fallen Heart Flame might very well have broken through its seal in the future. When that happened, the Inner Academy would likely have suffered devastating losses.

"No need for thanks. I happen to know your headmaster, Mang Tianchi," Tang Chen said, waving a hand and casually making up an excuse.

Mang Tianchi was not here anyway, so no matter what he said, Su Qian had no way to verify it.

"So you are a friend of the headmaster. I have been disrespectful." Hearing this, Su Qian believed him a little more, and his attitude grew increasingly respectful.

"A friend of the headmaster? Then you must be very strong, right?" Zi Yan's childish voice rang out as she came before Tang Chen and asked playfully.

She had understood Tang Chen and Su Qian's conversation as well. Knowing Tang Chen was very powerful, she wanted to ask whether he knew what kind of magical beast she truly was.

"Zi Yan, do not be rude."

Su Qian hurriedly stopped Zi Yan, then turned to Tang Chen apologetically. "I am truly sorry. Zi Yan is still young and curious about everything."

Tang Chen did not respond to Su Qian. Instead, he looked at Zi Yan and immediately put on a surprised expression.

Zi Yan's little eyes instantly lit up. Somewhat excitedly, she asked, "You recognize me? Do you know what kind of magical beast I am?"

This time, Su Qian did not stop her, because he knew Zi Yan had always desperately wanted to learn the truth of her origins.

"You don't know yourself?" Tang Chen continued to look surprised as he asked in return.

"When I was little, I accidentally ate a Humanoid Transformation Herb and became like this. Later, Old Man Su brought me back to Jia Nan Academy, and I haven't changed since," Zi Yan explained.

"So... do you know what kind of magical beast I am? I want to find my family and learn why they left me here all alone." Zi Yan looked up at Tang Chen, her small face filled with pleading and sorrow.

Zi Yan had lived in the Magical Beast Forest since birth. She had suffered endless bullying as a child, with no family by her side, and could only keep running away.

The reason she kept eating medicinal herbs was also because she hoped to grow up faster, so she could uncover her origins, find her family, and ask them in person why they had abandoned her.

Looking at Zi Yan like this, Tang Chen could not help raising a hand and gently patting her little head.

Zi Yan did not dodge and silently accepted his touch. She suddenly felt that having this handsome fellow pat her head was actually rather comfortable.

"Actually, your true form is an Ancient Void Dragon," Tang Chen said directly, without beating around the bush.

"I'm an Ancient Void Dragon?" Zi Yan had far too little knowledge. This was the first time she had heard that name, and her little face was full of confusion.

"Zi Yan is actually an Ancient Void Dragon!" Su Qian exclaimed in shock.

"Old Man Su, you know about Ancient Void Dragons?" Zi Yan asked eagerly.

"I know a little. I have heard that they are an extremely mysterious magical beast clan, incomparably powerful. Along with the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan and the Nine Nether Deep Earth Python Clan, they are known as the three great magical beast families."

With a grave expression, Su Qian recounted everything he had learned from the academy's ancient records about Ancient Void Dragons. As for anything deeper, he knew nothing.

"There is one more thing," Tang Chen added at the right moment. "Ancient Void Dragons are naturally skilled at treasure hunting. They possess an instinctive sense for all kinds of heavenly treasures, and their spatial talent is exceptionally high. They can ignore restrictions and find many hidden treasures."

"Treasure hunting... ignoring restrictions..." Zi Yan's eyes lit up as she murmured softly.