Waves

Everyone who entered the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower for the first time would be scorched by the Heart Flame.

Without an elder stepping in, they would likely be burned to charcoal from the inside out.

As the elder stationed on the first floor of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, he was absolutely certain that today was Xiao Qing's first time entering the tower.

Yet Xiao Qing had cultivated in the tower for an entire day and was still full of life. Judging by the clarity in his eyes, he had clearly not been corroded by fire poison.

"How did this little fellow manage it?"

A trace of bewilderment flashed through the old man's eyes.

Having dealt with the Fallen Heart Flame for half his life, he could not figure out what method Xiao Qing had used to endure the Heart Flame's scorching without suffering the corrosion of fire poison.

Early the next morning,

When Xiao Qing arrived at the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower again, he saw an old man walking toward him from not far away.

"You must be the Xiao Qing Old Su mentioned, right?"

"You are...?"

Looking at the plainly dressed old man before him, Xiao Qing vaguely formed a guess.

"Hehe, I am the tower-guarding elder of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower's first floor. You may simply call me Elder Liu." Elder Liu smiled.

The older students passing by could not help wondering when they saw Elder Liu treating Xiao Qing this way.

Xiao Qing asked curiously, "Elder Liu, what did you need from me?"

Elder Liu looked amiably at Xiao Qing before him, stroking his beard with a smile.

"I had long heard that that old fellow Huo from the Alchemy Department had taken in a disciple. Now that I have met you, you truly are extraordinary. If you need anything in the future, feel free to come find me."

Xiao Qing's eyes lit up at those words. Somewhat embarrassed, he said, "I actually do have something I need Elder Liu's help with."

The smile on Elder Liu's face deepened. He had been worrying over how to build a good relationship with Xiao Qing. Hadn't the opportunity just come knocking?

"Oh? What is it?"

"Could Elder Liu inform the elders on the lower floors and let me cultivate farther down?"

As he spoke, Xiao Qing took out a Green Fire Crystal Card from his Storage Ring.

"Rest assured, Elder Liu. I have a Green Fire Crystal Card that can support cultivation on the lower floors."

Elder Liu chuckled. "Although the Inner Academy has rules stating that new students, no matter how strong they are, must cultivate on the first floor for a week."

"Considering that you can remain undisturbed by fire poison, leave this matter to me."

Seeing the surprise on Xiao Qing's face, Elder Liu explained, "There is no need to be so surprised. As the tower-guarding elder of the first floor, most things that happen there cannot be hidden from me."

Only then did Xiao Qing nod in realization. "I see."

Elder Liu stroked his long beard and chuckled. "Come with me."

With that, Elder Liu took the lead toward the center of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, with Xiao Qing close behind.

The two proceeded down the spiraling stone stairs. At every floor, an elder or instructor came forward to question them, but after Elder Liu gave a few explanations, no one continued to stop them.

They did not stop descending until they reached the fourth floor.

Elder Liu smiled and explained to Xiao Qing beside him, "Normally, entering the fourth floor requires the cultivation of a Dou Ling. However, with your strength, you are qualified as well."

"You can cultivate on the fourth floor for now. Familiarize yourself with it before heading to the fifth floor. Do not worry about anyone stopping you; I have already informed them."

Feeling the dense fire-attributed energy around him, Xiao Qing's face brightened with delight. He cupped his hands toward Elder Liu. "Thank you, Elder Liu."

Elder Liu stroked his beard and waved a hand. "No need for thanks. It is only a small matter. Find yourself a cultivation room and begin. As the first floor's tower-guarding elder, I cannot be away for too long."

Having said that, Elder Liu did not linger. With his hands behind his back, he departed.

Xiao Qing watched Elder Liu's retreating figure until he disappeared from sight, then withdrew his gaze.

Looking at the passageway, which seemed somewhat deserted compared to the previous floors, Xiao Qing headed forward along it.

Entering the area of high-grade cultivation rooms, Xiao Qing swept his gaze across one room after another.

Not many people occupied the high-grade cultivation rooms on the fourth floor, and quite a few rooms stood vacant.

Xiao Qing soon found a high-grade cultivation room with a vacant sign hanging outside. He walked over and pushed open the door.

This cultivation room was clearly intended for a single person. At its center stood only a black stone platform barely large enough for two people to sit cross-legged upon.

Xiao Qing walked over to the black stone platform and sat cross-legged on it.

With a flick of his hand, he took out the Green Fire Crystal Card and inserted it into the card slot. A faint glow flashed, and the number 319 immediately decreased by four units.

Ignoring the deducted fire energy, Xiao Qing formed a cultivation seal with both hands and slowly closed his eyes.

Streams of scorching fire-attributed energy were drawn in from all directions and devoured into his body. Refined by the Heart Flame, they transformed into streams of pure Dou Qi, which flowed under the circulation of his cultivation method into the Dou Crystal within his Qi vortex.

The cultivation room gradually fell into silence.

Time slowly passed. As Xiao Qing immersed himself in cultivation, the Fire Energy Hunting Competition also came to an end.

When the Black Fiend Team returned to the Inner Academy in a somewhat bedraggled state, the older students erupted into an uproar.

After asking around, everyone learned that the Black Fiend Team's five members had actually been defeated one by one by a new student named Xiao Qing.

This result immediately drew countless curious and shocked gazes.

After all, the Black Fiend Team's captain, He Haoran, was a two-star Dou Ling who cultivated an Earth Tier Dou Technique. In terms of combat strength, he could rank near the bottom of the Strong Ranking. What new student could defeat him?

Thus, the older students began asking this year's new students for information about Xiao Qing.

The new students had originally still been brooding over being hunted down by the older students during the Fire Energy Hunting Competition. When they learned that Xiao Qing had defeated all five members of the Black Fiend Team by himself, they immediately felt vindicated.

Each of them straightened their backs and revealed Xiao Qing's information without holding anything back.

When they learned that Xiao Qing was only seven years old, already a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, and had even reached the cultivation of an eight-star Da Dou Shi, all the older students showed amazement.

With merely the cultivation of an eight-star Da Dou Shi, he had defeated all five members of the Black Fiend Team, including He Haoran. That record was truly outrageous, not to mention that Xiao Qing was only seven years old.

Thus, the name Xiao Qing rapidly spread throughout the Inner Academy.

Several factions within the Inner Academy established by Strong Ranking experts also could not remain calm after hearing the news. They began searching everywhere for Xiao Qing, intending to recruit him.

After learning Xiao Qing's exact location from several older students who had personally witnessed Elder Liu lead him into the fourth floor of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, they could only suppress their intentions and wait for Xiao Qing to emerge from seclusion.

At this moment, Xiao Qing, who was cultivating inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, knew nothing of the disturbance he had stirred up outside.

Even if he had known, he likely would not have cared. With his cultivation speed, it would not be long before everyone in the Inner Academy was left behind by him.