Battle Through the Heavens: Rise Begins at Canaan Academy

When the last medicinal ingredient was tossed into the wooden tub, the once-clear water had already turned brilliantly multicolored. Qin Chen removed his clothes, took a deep breath, and jumped in.

The moment the liquid touched his skin, Qin Chen felt waves of piercing pain. He shook his head, forcing himself to calm down, then formed cultivation seals with his hands and compelled himself into a cultivation state.

Moments later, that pure and vast energy seemed to be drawn by some force, surging into Qin Chen's body in a frantic rush.

This energy was exceptionally immense, crashing wildly through Qin Chen's body until it permeated every part of him, and then...

Then Qin Chen knew nothing else. He only felt the pain growing worse and worse...

There was nothing he could do except endure it by force.

As the immense energy was completely absorbed into Qin Chen's body, the colorful liquid in the wooden tub became crystal clear at a visible rate, while the mist that had once lingered above it gradually dispersed.

When the final wisp of energy entered his body, Qin Chen's aura abruptly surged. The diamond-shaped battle crystal within him had transformed into a battle crystal sea urchin, and a powerful aura erupted from his body, instantly shattering the wooden tub beneath him.

Fortunately, the materials used to build the cultivation room were extremely sturdy and remained unaffected by the impact. That was also why Qin Chen had not chosen to advance at his residence.

Grand Elder Su Qian

Qin Chen tried moving his body and immediately felt unprecedented strength welling up from his limbs and bones. The battle qi within him had also become purer and more condensed than before. He could clearly sense that his path toward becoming a Battle King was now completely unobstructed. The Earth Core Tempering Milk truly deserved to be called a heavenly treasure formed by the earth over countless years.

Although he had successfully advanced, Qin Chen had not fully absorbed the energy within his body, and quite a bit remained. Thus, after his breakthrough, he did not immediately leave the cultivation room. Instead, he took out his Fire Energy Card from his storage ring, inserted it into the slot, sat cross-legged on the ground, and began circulating his cultivation method to continue cultivating.

Time slipped quietly by in cultivation. When the final trace of energy was refined into his body, Qin Chen slowly opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed through them before vanishing. The energy spikes on his battle crystal sea urchin had changed from nine to eight, which meant that he had successfully advanced to a two-star Battle Spirit!

Feeling the power within him, now stronger than before, Qin Chen nodded in satisfaction. This time, he had truly gained a great deal. Not only had he successfully advanced to the Battle Spirit realm, he had also broken through a minor realm in the process.

When Qin Chen opened the door to the cultivation room, he ran into Zi Yan, who had been waiting for a long time. The little girl stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at him angrily, before letting out an "hungry dragon roar." "Bastard! Why did you cultivate for so long this time? I'm starving to death!"

"Hehe..." Qin Chen smiled awkwardly. He had not expected this cultivation session to last so long either. Then he took out the Sky Luo Fruit he had possessed when he first met Zi Yan and said with a smile, "To make up for my mistake, this time I'm treating you."

"But... isn't this a keepsake left behind by your father?" Although Zi Yan was angry, hesitation appeared on her little face when she saw the fruit. She knew how much it meant to Qin Chen.

"Hahaha."

Qin Chen rubbed her little head, which felt remarkably pleasant to the touch, and laughed. "My father once said that good friends should share with one another. If he saw this from the underworld, he would surely be happy for us too."

"Let's go."

With that, Qin Chen stuffed the fruit into Zi Yan's arms, then took her little hand and headed toward the courtyard where he lived.

Under the sunlight, Zi Yan allowed Qin Chen to hold her hand. As they walked, she studied his profile, and the corners of her lips unconsciously lifted slightly.

The night was as dark as ink, like an endless swath of black silk draped over the entire Battle Qi Continent. The moon had been hidden behind clouds, and only scattered dim stars gave off faint light.

At that moment, in Qin Chen's courtyard.

Having consumed too much energy, Zi Yan had fallen asleep from being overly full. Looking at the little girl before him, Qin Chen shook his head, then carried her to his bed. Though it was unnecessary, he still thoughtfully tucked her beneath the blanket.

After leaving the bedroom, Qin Chen returned to the courtyard, intending to study some medicinal knowledge. However, the moment he stepped into the courtyard, his footsteps abruptly halted and his brows furrowed slightly.

An old man in a black robe sat there. His hair and beard were already gray-white, while the cold gleam in his eyes was as sharp as a blade. He was seated on the stone stool Zi Yan had occupied earlier, expressionlessly examining Qin Chen.

Qin Chen's heart tightened. If he was not mistaken, the man before him should be Grand Elder Su Qian of the Inner Academy.

With that thought, Qin Chen cupped his hands respectfully toward the old man. "Elder, may I ask what brings you here so late at night?"

At his words, the cold gleam in Su Qian's eyes receded. He pointed to a nearby stone stool, signaling Qin Chen to sit, and smiled. "There is no need to be nervous. I did not come here late at night to trouble you. I merely heard that your strength has improved considerably recently, so I came to see for myself."

"That old fellow Huo once said that you were a genius rarely seen in Canaan Academy. At first, I thought he was exaggerating, but after seeing you today, I feel that the old man's words were far too restrained."

"You have only been in the Inner Academy for a few months, yet you have already broken through to the Battle Spirit realm."

Qin Chen naturally did not grow arrogant because of this and maintained a respectful posture. "Grand Elder, you flatter me. This student merely broke through by luck. Compared to the many senior students in the Inner Academy, I am still far behind."

Seeing how steady Qin Chen was, a trace of approval flashed through Su Qian's eyes. Then he changed the subject. "You need not be overly modest either. Since those old fellows in the Outer Academy think so highly of you, you naturally possess exceptional qualities. Besides taking a look at you, I came today because there is another matter I wish to discuss with you."

At that moment, Su Qian abruptly asked, "Qin Chen, what do you think of Zi Yan?"

So it really is because of Zi Yan...

Qin Chen's heart stirred. He had known that the Grand Elder would not seek him out without reason.

After pondering for a moment, he answered, "Zi Yan is lively and adorable. Though she can be mischievous at times, she is not bad by nature, and spending time with her is quite enjoyable."

After a pause, Qin Chen added, "I like that adorable little girl very much."

That was indeed Qin Chen's true feeling. To others, Zi Yan might be a brute-force king or a troublemaker, but in his eyes, she was not only obedient and well-behaved, she had also helped him quite a lot.

Su Qian's expression did not change after hearing this, but inwardly, he was extremely satisfied with this student. He could tell that Qin Chen genuinely treated Zi Yan as a friend. Setting everything else aside, Qin Chen had even specially prepared medicinal meals for Zi Yan.

Alchemists were generally proud and aloof. When speaking with others, they usually carried an air of arrogance, whether obvious or not. Some practically wished they could point their noses at the sky, let alone ask them to cook. To them, that was simply an insult.

Especially when it came to educating Zi Yan, Qin Chen had been far more successful than the Inner Academy elders. Ever since Zi Yan became friends with Qin Chen, no one had come to him to complain about that mischievous little girl again.

He normally had to constantly monitor the Fallen Heart Flame, so he had no spare time to discipline Zi Yan. Moreover, the little girl had always treated his words as though they went in one ear and out the other. Now that Zi Yan had changed so much, Qin Chen had undoubtedly done him a great favor.

Thinking of this, Su Qian gently stroked his gray-white beard and slowly said, "The favor I wish to ask of you concerns Zi Yan."

"You have spent several months with Zi Yan, so you should know that while this child possesses tremendous brute strength, she does not know how to use it skillfully. Every time she attacks, she only knows how to charge and strike fiercely, making it very easy for her to expose openings."

"Since you can make her restrain her temperament somewhat, I presume you can also teach her battle techniques. I know this is asking a great deal, but after thinking it over, you are the only one in the Inner Academy who can make that mischievous little girl willingly listen."

As he spoke, Grand Elder Su Qian took out a brown scroll from his storage ring and handed it to Qin Chen. He continued, "This is a battle technique I have treasured for many years. It should suit Zi Yan well. Rest assured, I will not make you work for nothing. If you need anything in the future, you may speak freely."

Two Years of Progress

Qin Chen accepted the scroll, cupped his hands toward Su Qian, and accepted the request. "Rest assured, Grand Elder. Zi Yan's affairs are my affairs. This student will certainly do his utmost."

"With those words, I can rest easy. Very well, I will not disturb your cultivation any longer." Grand Elder Su Qian waved his hand. Then his figure flickered, and he vanished into the night like a ghost.

The moment Su Qian left, Qin Chen spread open the scroll in his hand. It was a low-tier Earth-class battle technique. Soon, the three words "Mountain-Splitting Fist" slowly came into view, followed by the cultivation formula and a detailed explanation of its power.

A moment later, Qin Chen had made up his mind...

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, two years went by.

During those two years, Qin Chen did nothing but cultivate and refine medicine.

Oh, right. There was also the time he spent with Zi Yan, whether making food for the little girl or teaching her battle techniques.

Thanks to being an alchemist, Qin Chen never lacked fire energy or cultivation resources through selling medicinal pills, allowing his realm to advance at an astonishing pace.

In two years, he not only successfully advanced to the Battle King realm, but also replaced his beast flame with a sixth-tier one. His alchemy skills improved by leaps and bounds, allowing him to become a sixth-tier alchemist.

Because the Heaven-Burning Qi Refining Tower tempered his battle qi, and because he fought magical beasts in the deep mountains of the Inner Academy, Qin Chen's foundation was exceptionally solid. There was no issue of unstable battle qi whatsoever.

The reason Qin Chen was able to make such tremendous progress was mainly due to Zi Yan.

Under normal circumstances, new students from the Outer Academy entered the Inner Academy at no more than the Grand Battle Master realm. Faced with old students far stronger than themselves, they could not possibly secure advanced cultivation rooms in the Heaven-Burning Qi Refining Tower. Some even lacked sufficient fire energy and could only occasionally squeeze into low-level cultivation rooms while waiting for the older students to graduate.

Naturally, Qin Chen was no exception. Although he had advanced to a two-star Battle Spirit shortly after entering the Inner Academy, he still could not defeat all those veteran students who had long dominated the academy and claim a place in the top ten of the Strong Ranking.

Yet Qin Chen was extremely tempted by the cultivation effects of the Heaven-Burning Qi Refining Tower. What was he supposed to do?

Of course, he cultivated in the exclusive cultivation room of the Strong Ranking's number one. As a magical beast, Zi Yan already disliked the scorching environment of cultivation rooms. Besides, every time Qin Chen went to cultivate, he prepared a huge pile of delicious food for her. She wished Qin Chen would cultivate there every single day.

Battles between life and death were the best way to unleash the potential within one's body and an excellent method for rapidly increasing strength.

Although Canaan Academy students had many means of increasing their strength that outsiders did not possess, they experienced far fewer life-and-death battles than people in the outside world. This was also a major factor hindering their growth in strength.

It was not that they lacked opportunities to experience life-and-death battles. It simply was not worth it.

Take entering the deep mountains to fight magical beasts, for example. If the magical beasts were too weak, there would be little effect. But if they were too strong, even if one ultimately won, the person who fought them would often be seriously injured.

One had to know that not everyone was an alchemist like Qin Chen. If they suffered such injuries, they would need a long time to recover.

Besides, even if Qin Chen truly could not win, Zi Yan, a Battle King, was right beside him. Even if he fell into danger, Zi Yan could resolve the crisis in an instant.

A low growl containing dragon might could make savage magical beasts lose focus for a brief moment.

This way, Qin Chen could temper himself at the edge of life and death without worrying about recovery after serious injuries. Naturally, his strength grew as rapidly as if he were riding a rocket.

Others could do the same, of course, but what expert would be willing to sacrifice their cultivation time and lower themselves to become a weaker person's sparring partner?

Over those two years, Qin Chen also became acquainted with quite a few Canaan Academy students from the original story, such as Liu Qing, Lin Xiuya, Han Yue...

By now, his goals at Canaan Academy had largely been achieved. Xiao Yu had also enrolled, and all that remained was to be ready at any time to depart for the Jia Ma Empire.

And during these two years, in Wutan City of the Jia Ma Empire.

Because it stood beside the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the city possessed a geographical advantage that allowed it to barely rank among the empire's major cities, though only at the very bottom...

Resources were abundant here, which also meant competition was fierce. Open and covert struggles between the various forces had never ceased.

Among them, the Xiao Clan, Jia Lie Family, and Oba Family were the strongest. They were known as Wutan City's three great clans, and they had fought openly and secretly for decades without determining a victor.

You might ask why they had fought for decades without suffering any real consequences. Why had no Battle Spirit expert appeared even after so long?

Perhaps some Potato wanted Xiao Yan to show off. After all, Xiao Yan was only a Grand Battle Master when he wiped out the other two clans.

Ahem...

Back to the point, cities as ordinary as this one were as numerous as stars in the Northwestern Continent. There was nothing worth paying attention to.

But if one were to speak of a city that gathered the Gu Clan, Yao Clan, and Xiao Clan, three ancient clans, then not only was there no second place like it in the Northwestern Continent, there was nowhere else like it in the entire Battle Qi Continent.

No, the Hun Clan should be included as well, since their lackeys were here too.

And today, in this special city, the unwilling roar of a youth whose engagement had been annulled rang out, filled with unyielding resolve and towering fury.

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! Never mock a poor youth!"

Deep in the mountains of Canaan Academy.

Two figures, one large and one small, faced each other in midair. Both had somewhat disordered auras, clearly having fought fiercely for quite some time.

The smaller figure was naturally Qin Chen. After two years of unceasing cultivation, his realm had now reached the four-star Battle King level.

Facing him was an enormous magical beast. Its earthy yellow fur glinted with a metallic luster beneath the sunlight, while the dark brown "King" pattern on its forehead further emphasized the beast's ferocity. A pair of broad fleshy wings grew from its back, allowing it to stand in the air. Every flap of those wings stirred up gusts of wild wind.

Its tiger eyes, as large as bronze bells, were fixed firmly on Qin Chen, while deep growls continuously rumbled from its throat.

The Heavenly Dipper Earth Tiger was a second-tier magical beast at birth, with a growth limit of the sixth tier. If fortunate enough to receive some special opportunity, it could even grow into a seventh-tier magical beast.

The Heavenly Dipper Earth Tiger currently fighting Qin Chen had already reached the peak of the fifth tier. With just one more step, it could advance to the sixth tier and become a powerful magical beast capable of rivaling a Battle Emperor.

"Eight Wastes Burning Heaven Palm!"

With Qin Chen's low shout, battle qi burst from his body. Blazing flames condensed into a palm imprint above his palm, and the scorching heat distorted the surrounding air.

Sensing a fatal threat, the Heavenly Dipper Earth Tiger's ferocity was thoroughly aroused. It let out an enraged roar, its sharp claws tearing through the air with a piercing screech as it pounced fiercely at Qin Chen.

Qin Chen's gaze sharpened as he pushed the Earth-class battle technique to its limit. The palm imprint shot toward the magical beast like a miniature sun.

The flaming palm imprint crashed violently into the Heavenly Dipper Earth Tiger's massive body. With a thunderous boom, berserk energy surged in every direction, kicking up dust that filled the sky and blasting the nearby trees into fragments.

Clear Aperture Soul-Nurturing Lotus