Fallen Heart Flame (4k)

"No need. I can do it myself," Liu Yu replied calmly. Opening the spatial cage would certainly attract the Fallen Heart Flame's attention, and he was aiming to catch it off guard.

Without another word, six blood-red wings suddenly appeared on his back. With a faint ripple in space, Liu Yu vanished from Zi Yan and Su Qian's sight.

Spatial power? Is this Master Liu also a Dou Zong? Those three pairs of wings are strange, too. They look like a Flying Dou Technique, yet they don't quite feel like one. What a mysterious man... Su Qian thought silently.

He was not surprised that Liu Yu had entered the spatial cage so easily. It was difficult to leave, but not difficult to enter. He could also use spatial power to go straight inside, but the Fallen Heart Flame was imprisoned in there. Only a fool would barge in so recklessly...

Inside the spatial cage, at the lowest level of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, lay the sealed grounds of the Fallen Heart Flame.

An enormous Invisible Fire Python slumbered within, radiating a savage aura and scorching waves of heat.

Then, with a subtle spatial ripple, a six-winged figure silently appeared above the Fire Python.

Taking a nap? The corners of Liu Yu's lips lifted slightly. With a wave of his hand, a terrifying ice-blue flame surged out, instantly transforming into an enormous ice-blue Fire Dragon that occupied most of the underground chamber.

Sensing the unfamiliar aura of another of its kind, the Invisible Fire Python instantly awoke. The moment its triangular eyes opened, the ice-blue Fire Dragon sank its jaws into its massive head.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Amid roars filled with fury and pain, the enormous Fire Python thrashed violently in the underground chamber. The ice-blue Fire Dragon had already coiled around it completely, leaving no opening, and even bit off nearly half its head.

The two gigantic beasts fought savagely, their massive bodies slamming into the spatial barrier from time to time and making space itself tremble. Clearly, having seized the initiative and possessing an innate advantage that suppressed the other flame's essence, the Profound Lotus Ice Flame had completely overwhelmed the Fallen Heart Flame.

Tearing, biting... These most primitive forms of attack left the Invisible Fire Python's enormous body covered in wounds. Invisible flames continually surged out to repair its head and body, but the ice-blue Fire Dragon's assault was too ferocious. No sooner had the python recovered a little than it earned itself another beating.

"Roar!"

The Invisible Fire Python's furious roar echoed through the underground chamber for a long time. Its enormous triangular eyes brimmed with savagery and humiliation. Its great maw suddenly opened, terrifying energy fluctuations spilling out as a scorching pillar of invisible flame surged toward the ice-blue Fire Dragon.

Seeing the incoming pillar, the ice-blue fire dragon opened its own great maw and spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm... an ice-blue pillar of flame. The two imposing pillars collided with a thunderous explosion, warping even space itself before flames scattered in every direction.

After the clash of flame pillars came a vicious swipe from the Fire Dragon's claw, striking the Fire Python squarely across its enormous maw.

"Urrgh..."

The Fire Python's head jerked sideways, and a muffled, pained hiss escaped its mouth.

In mere moments, the Invisible Fire Python's aura had grown somewhat feeble. The ice-blue Fire Dragon was not simply beating it senseless; it was also plundering the Fallen Heart Flame's essence.

The Fire Python sensed its essence draining away, yet could do nothing about it. Its struggles seemed to weaken considerably, but the vicious light in its triangular eyes flickered ever more fiercely, as though it intended to make one final desperate gamble!

Standing in midair, Liu Yu watched everything silently, then suddenly withdrew the Profound Lotus Ice Flame. He had obtained the essence, and the Fallen Heart Flame had suffered a severe loss of vitality. There was no need to continue and risk driving the python into a corner, where it might try to blow itself up along with him.

Although he could easily escape with a spatial jump, the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower—and perhaps even the Inner Academy—would likely be unable to withstand the Fallen Heart Flame's self-destruction. They would probably be reduced to ruins.

Once the ice-blue fire dragon vanished, the Fire Python became lively again. Terrifying invisible flames gushed out, distorting the void. Wherever they swept past, all the air evaporated, leaving a trail clearly visible to the naked eye in empty space.

After venting its anger for a while over the inexplicable beating it had received, the already weakened Invisible Fire Python finally collapsed inside the underground chamber, its bravado exhausted.

Hidden in the void, Liu Yu paid the Fire Python no further attention and turned toward another part of the underground realm. Endless magma bubbled out from there from time to time. Beyond it lay the underground Magma World!

Hidden within that Magma World was the greatest secret on the Dou Qi Continent—the opportunity to become an emperor!

After silently looking at it for a few moments, Liu Yu vanished. It was still too early to explore the Magma World. Even setting aside the Half-Emperor Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun trapped inside Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Mansion, he knew that strange creatures called Flame Lizardmen lived there. Their tribe served as the mansion's first line of defense, and there were even immensely powerful Half-Saint lizardmen among them.

As for the opportunities on the outskirts of the Magma World—the soul of a Dou Zun expert and a Juvenile Form Fallen Heart Flame—they were of little use to Liu Yu. More importantly, he disliked having any soul besides the Queen accompanying him. Even leaving his secrets aside, having an old man secretly watching his everyday activities would inevitably feel rather uncomfortable...

The first level of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

"Old Man Su, why hasn't Boss come out yet? Should we go down and look?" Zi Yan could not help asking Su Qian, a trace of worry showing on her delicate little face.

"Hardly any time has passed. Taking essence from heavenly flames isn't easy. Besides, your boss is extremely powerful. The Fallen Heart Flame can't do anything to him," Su Qian explained. He knew that concern had clouded Zi Yan's judgment.

Still, the activity below really was somewhat strange. At first, he had sensed two destructive auras raging, but before long, both had vanished, and space had stopped shaking.

Has Master Liu already succeeded? But that shouldn't be possible. The Fallen Heart Flame has such a violent temper. How could it let someone take its essence so easily? He acknowledged that Master Liu was powerful, but the Fallen Heart Flame's strength rivaled that of a High-Rank Dou Zong. Even he dared not brave its fury. Most of the Inner Academy's elders normally stood guard at the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower precisely to prevent it from running rampant.

While Su Qian was pondering this, a six-winged figure emerged from space and appeared before them.

"Boss, you're back! I almost thought I'd never see you again." (Liu Yu: ...)

The instant she saw Liu Yu, a smile bloomed on Zi Yan's little face, and she hurled herself straight into his arms.

Upon hearing Zi Yan's last sentence, Liu Yu's hand froze as he rubbed her little head. Then he began squishing her cheeks instead, looking rather "annoyed." "Can't you wish me something good? Don't you know how strong your boss is? A mere heavenly flame? Anyone with hands could handle it!"

"Mmph... Boss, I was just worried about you!" Zi Yan explained indistinctly as her fair, tender cheeks were repeatedly squashed out of shape.

While Liu Yu and Zi Yan fooled around, Su Qian's eyelids twitched as he watched from beside them. I'm still standing right here. Could you two restrain yourselves a little?

With a light cough, Su Qian asked, "Master Liu, you obtained some of the Fallen Heart Flame's essence, I presume?"

"Yes. The Fallen Heart Flame has suffered a severe loss of vitality. It won't cause any trouble for a while." Liu Yu stopped what he was doing. Honestly, this feels pretty nice. I'll find another chance to do it again...

"Then you have my thanks, Master Liu. I'll go inspect the situation at the bottom first. The clash between the heavenly flames shook the spatial cage quite badly." As Su Qian spoke, space rippled, and after a few flickers, he vanished.

Uh, what happened to basic trust between people? Liu Yu naturally knew that Su Qian was not checking the spatial cage, but whether the Fallen Heart Flame was still there. After all, it was far too important to the Inner Academy for them to risk losing it.

Liu Yu did not mind, however. Instead, he looked at Zi Yan in his arms and said, "I may be leaving."

"Ah! Boss, did that heavenly flame hurt you? Boss, are you all right? Boss, I can't live without you..." Zi Yan ran her hands all over Liu Yu, pinching here and feeling there with far more strength than an ordinary person possessed. She looked as though she truly was worried about Liu Yu.

Liu Yu's face darkened. Is this really the Zi Yan I remember? How did she turn out like this? He felt it necessary to "educate" her a little. How could a child harbor so many mischievous schemes?

"Yes, I'll never get to see Zi Yan again!" Liu Yu's slender hands pinched her cheeks once more. This time, however, he was not so gentle. He increased the pressure just a "little."

Feeling the pain in her cheeks, Zi Yan hurriedly stopped what she was doing. Her little hands grabbed Liu Yu's wrists, trying to pry them away. It hurt too much!

But with Liu Yu's strength, even Zi Yan, known as the "Brute Force King," could not budge him in the slightest. Her fair, tender cheeks visibly turned bright red under his pinching.

Realizing that her adorable little face could not escape those hands' torment, Zi Yan, who refused to suffer even the slightest loss, endured the pain and launched a bold counterattack with her own little hands. Picking at his nose, tugging his face, pulling his hair—she did it all with practiced ease.

"Zi Yan, getting handsy with your boss isn't something a proper underling should do!"

By now, Liu Yu's lovely silver hair had been tugged into a mess, and his incomparably handsome face was red in some places and pale in others, giving him something of a "clownish" look. Suppressing the urge to "cruelly crush a delicate flower," he warned Zi Yan.

Zi Yan clutched his silver hair tightly, grimacing as the pain in her little face doubled. "Boss, bullying your underling like this—is that how a boss should act?"

"Let's both take a step back. You let go first!" Liu Yu offered. Zi Yan was pulling his hair, and if she failed to control her strength and tore it out, he really would cry himself to death!

"No! You first, Boss!"

Just as Liu Yu and Zi Yan remained locked in their stalemate, a figure suddenly appeared beside them.

After inspecting the lowest level of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and confirming that the Fallen Heart Flame was still there, and that its vitality had indeed been severely depleted as Master Liu had said, Su Qian returned directly to the first level—only to witness this unbelievable scene.

Su Qian fell silent, an absurd feeling rising within him. An incomparably esteemed Seventh-Grade Alchemist is "fighting" with a little girl like a pair of shrews?! Am I getting old? Have I already fallen behind the times? Do Seventh-Grade Alchemists all have this sort of hobby nowadays? (Seventh-Grade Alchemists: ...)

By now, Liu Yu had adopted the attitude that since the jar was already cracked, he might as well smash it altogether. He had already lost every scrap of dignity, so why bother keeping up appearances? He refused to believe that someone who had lived two lives could not defeat a little brat!

"Zi Yan, what are you doing? Let go first. We can talk this out!" Seeing that the situation threatened to escalate, Su Qian hurried forward to act as peacemaker.

"Old Man Su, Boss is bullying me! Hurry up and help!"

Zi Yan felt that her little face had gone completely numb, as though it no longer belonged to her. Her boss really was showing no mercy at all! Seeing Su Qian appear, she hurriedly called for help.

Su Qian felt rather helpless. What is all this? He had traveled the continent and spent most of his life weathering its trials. He considered himself quite experienced—what had he not seen? Yet the scene before him had completely overturned everything he thought he knew!

As for helping Zi Yan, Su Qian could only say that he was willing in spirit but powerless in practice. A Seventh-Grade Alchemist was someone he could not afford to offend...

"Zi Yan, do you still want me to make pill pellets for you to eat?" Liu Yu threatened outright. He refused to believe he could not bring her under control.

At the mention of pill pellets, Zi Yan froze. Ultimately, she very reluctantly released his silver hair and climbed out of his arms. She could not live without those pellets! Boss is so mean!

Seeing Zi Yan let go, Liu Yu stopped his hands and began tidying his disheveled silver hair.

Watching from beside them, Su Qian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he gained a new understanding of Master Liu...

"Elder Su, I still have matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now." Having tied his silver hair back into place, Liu Yu looked at Su Qian and spoke.

"Boss, I'm coming with you!" Zi Yan hurriedly said, rubbing her little face. Fun was fun, and squabbling was squabbling, but she was still her boss's "loyal" underling.

At the same time, she turned her gaze toward Su Qian. "Old Man Su, I'm leaving with Boss. Don't miss me."

"Master Liu, I'll entrust Zi Yan to you. She can be inconsiderate sometimes, so please be understanding!" Su Qian ignored Zi Yan and addressed Liu Yu instead.

This was the first time he had seen Zi Yan behave like this since bringing her back to the Inner Academy. Perhaps following Liu Yu truly was best for her. Moreover, this was the first time he had ever seen a Seventh-Grade Alchemist fool around with Zi Yan in such a way. It was clear that the two shared a very close bond, so he could rest easy letting her accompany him.

"Old Man Su, what do you mean? How am I inconsiderate? Boss, don't you agree?" Zi Yan pouted, thoroughly unconvinced. She had lived alone since childhood, and even after Old Man Su brought her back, she had lived by herself in the Inner Academy. She had never troubled anyone, so how was she inconsiderate?

Ignoring Zi Yan, Liu Yu solemnly assured Su Qian, "Rest assured, Elder Su. Zi Yan is very mischievous, but I'll take good care of her."

Liu Yu's words made Zi Yan roll her eyes furiously. You really are such a wonderful boss!

Then Liu Yu grabbed Zi Yan by the back of her collar. The Six Wings on his back flapped, and amid her startled cries, they instantly vanished from the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. He could sense many people outside. Thin-skinned as he was, he could not bear to walk out the front entrance looking like this...

Thanks to Suns`Xiao Lang for the monthly ticket.