The Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, First Encounter with Zi Yan!

Not long afterward,

In the Inner Academy, in the Alchemy Department's private rest area.

Countless figures in alchemist robes hurried to and fro. At the entrance, students had laid out medicinal ingredients for sale and shouted their wares. Behind them stood rows of separate little buildings, elegant and simple. Faint explosions could be heard within, and the smell of gunpowder mingled with pill fragrances, leaving passersby trembling with apprehension.

As a department of esteemed alchemists, the Alchemy Department had always remained independent of both the Outer Academy and the Inner Academy. In theory, it belonged to neither, but the Inner Academy did possess the marvel known as the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

Thus, the Alchemy Department's grounds had been established in a spacious area within the Inner Academy, close to the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

Most Inner Academy students passed through this area reserved for the Alchemy Department on their way to cultivate in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Whenever they heard the occasional exploding cauldron or furious curses, they would stop to watch with looks of gleeful schadenfreude.

"Junior, we're here. This is where you'll be staying."

"If you need anything in the future, just let me know."

Stopping outside a detached courtyard, the tall, thin senior in third-grade alchemist robes pushed open the gate and explained to Lin Chen:

"The room at the very back is your living quarters. The pill-refining room is on the left, and the medicinal ingredient storeroom is on the right. But be careful, junior. Never store anything too valuable in the room on the right. Recently, Senior Han Xian had a Fifth-Grade Blood Spirit Lotus stolen. The thief left only three Fourth-Tier Magic Cores as payment."

"Although they were worth the same, Senior Han Xian was still heartbroken. He declared that he would catch that little thief and specifically commissioned the academy's enforcement squad."

"Unfortunately, the enforcement squad has been investigating all this time without finding anything."

The tall, thin senior looked at Lin Chen and delivered his warning with a rather solemn expression.

"Do they really have no leads, or do they just not want to investigate?"

At those words, something stirred in Lin Chen's mind, and he asked curiously.

"Ah, junior, listen to yourself. They can't investigate everything, can they? What if they uncover something they shouldn't? The waters run deep in this Inner Academy. You've only just joined the Alchemy Department, so focus on cultivating peacefully for now. If anyone gives you trouble, just mention my name, Tang Hao. I guarantee no one will dare mess with you!"

"Now, about the new students' tribute fee... you should be familiar with that, shouldn't you?"

The tall, thin senior rubbed his hands together rather sleazily, a mercenary look suddenly creeping onto his previously serious face.

"Ah, I understand, I understand. You've worked so hard, senior. As your junior, I should have offered you tribute long ago!"

"It's all my fault for not knowing my manners. Senior, would you care to come in for a cup of tea before leaving?"

Enlightenment dawned on Lin Chen. Then, a trace of his Peak Dou Ling aura inadvertently slipped out as he extended his invitation with a thoroughly sincere expression.

"Hahaha! I could tell you were an outstanding young man, junior. What new students' tribute fee? Did I say anything about that?"

"I just remembered that today seems to be the day the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower opens. I'll take my leave, then. See you around."

The tall, thin senior laughed, fine beads of cold sweat suddenly forming on his forehead. He promptly turned and strode away from Lin Chen, never mentioning the "new students' tribute fee" again.

"The Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower opens today?"

Watching the senior's retreating back, Lin Chen's eyes took on a thoughtful look.

As far as he knew, because the fallen heart flame erupted from time to time, Jia Nan Academy's Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower was not always open. Every so often, it had to be temporarily sealed off while its seals were reinforced.

This was fortunate timing.

"In that case, I'll go take a look at the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower first."

A quarter of an hour later,

At the site of the Inner Academy's Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

An enormous pit sank into the ground, its walls exceptionally smooth. A massive black tower protruded from it, ancient and imposing. Its material was exceedingly unusual, and anyone approaching could feel a coolness seeping out, refreshing the heart and lungs.

Inside, however, it was the exact opposite, blazing hot. Like an incomparable beauty with a cold exterior and a fiery heart, it drew countless students in and out.

Lin Chen strode into the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. The instant his feet crossed the entrance, a strange wisp of Formless Heart Flame appeared inside his body. It spread from his heart, scorching his meridians, bones, muscles, and other organs. His entire body sizzled like meat on a grill, white mist swirling around him and drawing a large crowd of onlookers.

"Tsk, tsk. Another new student who's just joined the Inner Academy, daring to come in without any preparation..."

Before a passing senior could finish his mockery, the white mist dispersed, revealing a handsome, refined face wearing an utterly blissful smile.

"That feels good..."

"So this is the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower's Dou Qi tempering effect. It feels so much better than popping pills. What have I even been taking all this time...?"

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing the subtle changes within his body, and a deeply contented smile spread across his face.

Wherever the Formless Heart Flame passed, his pores opened, as though someone were massaging him with a piping-hot towel. Even some of the impurities left in his body by years of taking pills were cleared away, giving him a feeling of clarity that pills could never provide.

"Sure enough, taking heavenly flames is where the real kick is. Pills are second-rate after all."

Ignoring the astonished looks around him, Lin Chen headed straight for the sixth floor of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

According to the rules, his Blue Fire Crystal Card allowed him to access only as far as the sixth floor. That was where experts above six-star Dou Ling tempered their Dou Qi. Beyond it were cultivation rooms reserved for Dou Wang elders.

A short while later,

On the sixth floor, inside a luxurious cultivation room.

Lin Chen sat cross-legged on a pale black stone platform and inserted his Blue Fire Crystal Card into the slot in front of it. Wisps of pale red mist immediately seeped out from every direction and drifted through the air. The room's temperature soared in an instant, and it became a sea of pale red mist.

"Slurp!"

Lin Chen drew in a deep breath of fiery mist formed from invisible heart flame, an intoxicated expression appearing on his face. The Ninefold Phoenix Flame Art circulated on its own, and strands of mist poured through his pores, turning into wisps of warm energy that tempered his meridians and flesh.

At his dantian, a translucent, pale red orb also spun continuously, forming a mighty Dou Qi vortex. Countless streams of pale red Dou Qi surged out and merged with the mist, becoming brilliant crimson currents that appeared even more crystalline.

Rumble!

As his cultivation art continued circulating, endless pale red mist poured into Lin Chen's body. It gathered around him, forming a shroud of red mist several yards across.

His expression solemn, Lin Chen did not dare slacken in the slightest. He popped an Ice Heart Pill to keep his mind clear, a Pulse-Protecting Pill to safeguard his meridians, and a Divine Fire Pill to accelerate his cultivation, then began cultivating with all engines blazing.

"Fallen heart flame, let me see your limits!"

"Fuck!"

Time slipped away unnoticed during cultivation. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

"Whew..."

Inside the cultivation room, Lin Chen opened his eyes, a red gleam flashing through them, and gently exhaled a breath of pale yellow, turbid air. These were the pill impurities that had remained in his body, now thoroughly burned away by the heart flame and expelled with his breath.

"It's been ages since I could pop pills this freely. The fallen heart flame really is good stuff."

Lin Chen stretched, his body giving off a series of sharp cracks like beans popping in a pan. He felt better than ever. Then his gaze happened to fall on the Fire Crystal Card in the slot, and his expression changed drastically.

"One thousand four hundred fire energy points?"

"Six hundred for one month of cultivation? Twenty a day? That's robbery!"

Lin Chen stared at the balance displayed on it and lamented bitterly.

As far as he knew, Cultivation Room One on the sixth floor was Zi Yan's exclusive nursery. It offered the best cultivation conditions and cost thirty fire energy points a day, while the other cultivation rooms on the sixth floor were all slightly cheaper.

Even so, he had never expected them to be this expensive. At this rate, the two thousand fire energy points old man Hu Gan had given him would last only a little over three months.

"I have to earn some money. After taking that Lesser Life Devouring Pill, my Dou Qi was horribly unstable. It took a whole month of tempering just to stabilize my cultivation. Next, I'll need some potent pills to break through to Dou Wang. To play it safe, I should plan on at least three months in seclusion. I'll have to sell some pills."

No sooner thought than done. With that idea in mind, Lin Chen temporarily lost all interest in cultivating. He left the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and headed straight for his residence.

Pill refining first, cultivation afterward!

Not long afterward,

In a detached courtyard in the Alchemy Department.

A green medicinal cauldron hovered in the air, a mass of pale red flame blazing beneath it. Inside, multicolored medicinal liquid steadily fused together, giving off waves of exceptionally crisp medicinal fragrance. Like a cool breeze on a scorching summer day, it left anyone who smelled it feeling refreshed.

"The Third-Grade Ice Awakening Pill is an upgraded version of the second-grade Ice Purity Pill. This is premium stuff. It'll sell without any trouble. Once I finish this batch, I'll go into seclusion. I won't come out until I break through to Dou Wang!"

Lin Chen's fingers moved nimbly through the pile of ingredients beside him, tossing them one by one into the cauldron as he happily refined this batch of pills.

An expectant smile lingered on his face as he imagined the boundless glory awaiting him after he advanced to Dou Wang.

Suddenly, the cauldron trembled slightly, and the medicinal liquid inside shook violently.

His brows drew together. His gaze seemed fixed on the cauldron, but he glanced aside from the corner of his eye. With one hand, he steadied the cauldron; with the other, he abruptly changed his hand seal. In an instant, countless pale red flames rapidly condensed into a scarlet fire phoenix several yards in size.

"Clang!"

The fire phoenix spread its wings and shot toward the Void Space beside him without the slightest pause. Like a scarlet meteor streaking across the night sky, it struck with the speed of thunder that left no time to cover one's ears!

"Hey!"

A sweet, youthful voice rang out from the empty air, carrying a mixture of complaint and exasperation.

"Why are you so mean?"

"I was only looking!"

Bang! Bang!

As those words fell, a small, fair-skinned fist reached out and smashed into the fearsome fire phoenix. Though the fist looked tiny and delicate, its punch carried tremendous weight and force.

The fire phoenix let out a mournful cry and shattered at once, turning into a ring of invisible energy ripples that spread in every direction.

As the ripples spread, the surrounding space wavered. A cute little girl who had appeared out of nowhere could no longer remain hidden, and she revealed herself in a fit of exasperation!