The Academy's Request

Zi Yan sat there for almost a whole day.

Qin Yu and his two companions didn't go far and rested nearby.

Qin Yu inventoried the contents of Fang Yan and Xie Zhen's Storage Ring. There were two volumes of Earth Tier Dou Skills, including the Earth Tier Mid-Rank Dou Technique, the Flame Manipulation Formula.

Fang Yan, the Flame Manipulation Formula in Fang Yan's possession is an incomplete version, and there are still significant drawbacks to its cultivation.

Moreover, Qin Yu didn't have any Beast Flames, so it wouldn't be of much use to him.

What remained were some scattered pills and materials, nothing rare, but better than nothing.

Just as Qin Yu finished putting things away and disposing of the two Storage Ring, he heard a commotion coming from Zi Yan's side.

Zi Yan let out a long breath and opened her eyes.

She first looked down at her hands, then stood up and jumped twice, before suddenly turning around and running excitedly toward Qin Yu.

"Qin Yu! Look, look!"

She ran up to Qin Yu, straightened her back, and tilted her chin up.

Qin Yu glanced down at Zi Yan, then at Yun Yun beside her. In comparison, the girl had indeed grown a little taller.

Previously, when Zi Yan stood in front of Yun Yun, her head only reached her chest; now, her entire head is above Yun Yun's chest.

Compared to her previous tiny self, Zi Yan's progress has been quite remarkable.

"Yes, it has indeed grown."

"That's it? Can't you say something nicer?"

Zi Yan was clearly not satisfied with his reaction, but she couldn't help but smile, after all, he had indeed grown taller.

After her initial excitement subsided, Zi Yan sat down again, swinging her legs; she was clearly in a good mood.

"In which direction is the treasure trove in Demon Flame Valley that you discovered before?"

Zi Yan blinked, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then pointed her finger in a direction:

"Over there, in a rather secluded mountain hollow. If it weren't for my keen sense of smell, I really wouldn't have found it."

Qin Yu silently memorized the location.

He really wanted to get his hands on the Heavenly Demon Puppet Refining Method.

Since studying Formation before, he had developed a great interest in this kind of Daoist technique that was rarely passed down in the world.

Puppetry should be quite interesting.

But there's no rush now; the treasure trove isn't going to grow legs and run away.

When Su Qian arrived yesterday, she privately told him that she hoped he could come back to the academy when he had time, because she needed his help with something.

Qin Yu didn't ask any further questions at the time, only responding with a nod. Now that things here are temporarily settled, it's a good time to go back and take a look.

"Let's go back to the Jia Nan Academy."

"Great! I haven't been back in ages!"

The Inner Academy of the Jia Nan Academy, the residence of the High Elder.

Su Qian sat behind the desk, listening to Qin Yu briefly recount the events of the past few days.

Upon hearing that Fang Yan from Demon Flame Valley and Xie Zhen had been dealt with, Su Qian remained silent for a moment.

"The Earth Demon Old Ghost won't let this go easily in Demon Flame Valley, so be careful."

"I know, but he'll have to be able to find me first."

Su Qian nodded, not continuing the topic, and changed the subject to get down to business.

"I called you back this time because there's something I need your help with."

Qin Yu leaned back in his chair, gesturing for him to continue.

"The Fallen Heart Flame at the bottom of the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower has been getting increasingly unruly lately."

"That thing has been sealed at the bottom of the tower for many years, and in recent years it has been attacking the seal more and more frequently. Several elders from our Inner Academy have to go and reinforce the seal every few days, but the effect is getting worse and worse."

At this point, Su Qian sighed:

"Among the elders of the Inner Academy, only I have reached the Dou Zong realm; the rest are still at the Dou Emperor level."

"Even with the addition of Hu Gan from the Outer Academy, they are still somewhat overwhelmed in the face of the Fallen Heart Flame's counterattack."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yu's expression became somewhat subtle. "Reinforce the seal on the Fallen Heart Flame, huh?"

It seems the time for Xiao Yan to subdue the Fallen Heart Flame will have to be postponed.

However, this thought only flashed through Qin Yu's mind for a moment before he dismissed it.

It's Xiao Yan Xiao Yan's business to subdue the Fallen Heart Flame; he doesn't need to always rely on other people's opportunities.

"Sure, but it might not be safe enough for me to do it alone. Yun Yun can lend a hand too."

Upon hearing this, Su Qian visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Moreover, Su Qian was overjoyed to hear that Qin Yu was willing to invite Yun Yun along.

With the addition of two more Nine-Star Dou Emperor, the reinforced seal should last even longer!

"However, I need the academy to help me collect some materials."

What material?

Qin Yu took out a list he had prepared beforehand from his Storage Ring and handed it over.

Su Qian took a look, her brows first furrowed slightly, then gradually relaxed.

The list contains a wide variety of items, ranging from ores and Magic Core to some special animal bone medicinal materials.

The quantity is not small, but it's not some extremely rare item that's hard to find anywhere in the world.

Given the resources of the Jia Nan Academy, gathering these items would take some effort, but it's not impossible.

What do you need these things for?

"I've recently become quite interested in studying Formation, and I need some materials to explore them."

Without anyone to teach him, Qin Yu can only learn about Formation on his own for the time being, and he needs to prepare more materials.

Su Qian put the list away and nodded:

"Alright, I'll take care of it."

Qin Yu hummed in agreement, secretly planning his next move.

Su Qian tucked the list into her sleeve, glanced up at Qin Yu, and suddenly chuckled.

"You're quite the ladies' man, aren't you?"

Qin Yu's thoughts were interrupted, and he was slightly taken aback:

"What?"

Su Qian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and wore an expression of someone who had been through it all.

"Next time you go out, will you bring one more person back with you?"

Qin Yu gave him a disgruntled look:

"Elder, if you used your gossip skills on cultivation, you would have broken through to the Dou Venerable long ago."

Su Qian was taken aback by his words and glared at him, saying:

"I'm just worried about you!"

"Then thank you."

Qin Yu waved his hand and added, half-jokingly:

"If you're really that free, why don't you find me some information about Formation? Ancient books or fragments are fine, anything is better than nothing."

He was just saying it casually, not expecting Su Qian to have anything to offer, since Formation weren't exactly a popular skill on the Dou Qi Continent.

The Jia Nan Academy was able to retain some of the sealing Formation was mostly to deal with the Fallen Heart Flame at the bottom of the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.

But to everyone's surprise Su Qian fell silent after hearing this, her brows furrowing slightly as if she were deep in thought.

Upon seeing this, Qin Yu sat up a little straighter.

Really?

"Elder?"

Su Qian pondered for a long time before slowly speaking, but her tone wasn't entirely certain:

"Now that you mentioned the fragments... I think I remember."

"There might actually be such a thing in the academy."