By the time Shen Luo and Zi Yan returned to the Inner Academy, evening had fallen.
Su Qian had arranged a small private courtyard for him.
It was not large, but it was quiet.
On his first day in the Inner Academy, Shen Luo had taken Zi Yan under his wing as a little follower.
He certainly had not wasted any time.
"Boss, can I live here with you from now on?" Zi Yan pouted, afraid Shen Luo would refuse.
"Of course. Pick whichever room you like."
Shen Luo paused and stroked Zi Yan's head, his tone turning grave. "Zi Yan, you must never tell anyone that you're an Ancient Void Dragon. That includes Su Qian and your new friend Xiao Yan. Understand?"
Su Qian and Yao Chen might never have seen an Ancient Void Dragon, but that did not mean they had never heard of one.
Once they learned the truth, they would scramble over one another to shower her with attention.
More importantly, it would disrupt his entire plan.
Zi Yan's father was a late-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng. She was the greatest opportunity this trip had to offer.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about us. When are we going home?" Zi Yan thought, Shen Luo can roast meat and refine pills, and he saw through my true form at a glance. I absolutely mustn't make a mistake and upset him.
"There's no rush. I just came from the Central Plains. Once my training journey is over, I'll take you with me."
Shen Luo nodded in satisfaction.
He and Zi Yan had already laid down their ground rules.
He would feed her, house her, and take her home, but Zi Yan had to obey him.
Shen Luo sneered inwardly.
In the original story, Xiao Yan had slowly won Zi Yan's affection by feeding her first- and second-grade pills like candy.
That route had to be cut off.
At present, Xiao Yan and Yao Chen were both at Jia Nan Academy.
Shen Luo extended his soul perception. The aura of the Green Lotus Core Flame had nowhere to hide.
Xiao Yan was now a Five-Star Dou Ling, the greatest dark horse in the Inner Academy.
As for Yao Chen's soul form, he seemed to have sensed Shen Luo's presence and had yet to show himself.
As an eighth-tier alchemist capable of refining pills that summoned seven-colored pill lightning, Shen Luo's alchemy was fast approaching Yao Chen's.
Even at his peak, Yao Chen could only refine pills that summoned nine-colored pill lightning. His Dou Qi, however, had far surpassed Shen Luo's: he had stood at the pinnacle of a Nine Revolutions Dou Zun, just one step from Half-Saint.
But now, Yao Chen was merely a remnant soul. His soul power had waned, and his Dou Qi was entirely gone. Relying solely on the eleventh-ranked Bone Spirit Cold Flame, he could barely muster the combat strength of a One-Star Dou Zong.
A One-Star Dou Zong might count as somebody in the outside world, but in Shen Luo's eyes, he was not even qualified to be an opponent.
What the hell did Xiao Yan's character have to do with Shen Luo?
Having come to the Dou Qi Continent, he had to seize any opportunities he found. Otherwise, he would be a fool.
Nine Profound Golden Lightning, the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, the Bodhi Ancient Tree-he wanted them all. Whoever dared fight him for them would be destroyed.
Did Xiao Yan have the halo of a child of destiny?
The Dou Qi Continent had no plane spirit, nor did it have the kind of world will found in the Great Thousand World.
Murderers and arsonists wore golden belts, while those who built bridges and repaired roads died without even a body left behind!
Since Shen Luo had transmigrated here, he had no intention of showing anyone courtesy.
Heaven and earth would destroy those who did not look out for themselves. When interests clashed, he would act without hesitation.
Right now, Xiao Yan had the Green Lotus Core Flame, the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map, and Medusa, who had evolved into a Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python.
The Green Lotus Core Flame ranked too low to interest Shen Luo, but he was determined to obtain the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map and Medusa.
The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame ranked third. If he could subdue it and combine it with the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, his strength would undergo a qualitative transformation.
Queen Medusa, meanwhile, had the potential to become a high-level Dou Sheng and would also be a valuable ally.
The Fallen Heart Flame was still in the Inner Academy, and Han Feng had yet to arrive. Naturally, Xiao Yan had not yet gotten his hands on Medusa either.
In the original story, Medusa had lost her reason under the Fallen Heart Flame's influence in the Earth Core Magma World, allowing Xiao Yan to take advantage of her vulnerability.
How could he allow such a thing?
Something that should be consensual-how could anyone take advantage of another's vulnerability?
Shen Luo intended not only to ride a dragon, but also to play with a snake.
Medusa's bloodline and talent were worth some effort on his part.
If Xiao Yan and Yao Chen dared try any tricks, he would not mind collecting the Bone Spirit Cold Flame as well.
"Okay, okay! But you can't leave me behind and sneak off on your own."
Zi Yan had spent years in the Black-Corner Region. She did not care about waiting a little longer.
"These are for you." Shen Luo took out several bottles of pills and tossed them to Zi Yan.
"Wow, they smell so good." Zi Yan opened one and sniffed, her face filled with bliss.
Shen Luo had melted down several sixth-grade pills and refined them into dozens of candy-sized pellets. Their taste and quality were both first-rate.
"You still have some pellets someone else refined for you, don't you? Take them out and let me see!"
Zi Yan froze, remembering that she had not finished the ones Xiao Yan had given her.
Shen Luo took the jade bottle Zi Yan handed him, sniffed it, and shook his head. "Crude technique, relying entirely on the flame's power. Mediocre at best!"
Searing flames surged forth, instantly reducing the jade bottle and its pellets to ash.
"From now on, you're only allowed to eat mine. Understood?"
Zi Yan nodded.
It was easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality. With something better to eat, who would still want garbage?
"Even with your physique, you can only eat one a day," Shen Luo cautioned.
The energy in these sixth-grade pills was exceptionally pure.
Even as an Ancient Void Dragon, Zi Yan could only digest a small portion each day.
Before long, she would become completely dependent on this supply. By then, no matter how much candy Xiao Yan offered her, he would never lure her away.
Yao Chen might still be able to refine sixth-grade pills, but doing so would take a considerable toll on his weakened soul.
After settling Zi Yan in, Shen Luo went to Su Qian's residence.
"Elder Shen, what brings you here so late?"
"First Elder, I'd like to cultivate in the earth core magma beneath the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower," Shen Luo said, getting straight to the point.
The earth core magma lay along the only route to the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion. Its abundant fire-attribute energy made it highly beneficial for cultivating the heavenly tyrant body and the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.
Su Qian frowned. "Solely to cultivate?"
"Solely to cultivate." Shen Luo's expression did not change.
"That is where the Fallen Heart Flame was born. If we rashly open the seal, the Heavenly Flame might escape." Concern showed on Su Qian's face.
"First Elder, with me here, a mere Heavenly Flame spirit is nothing to worry about."
Su Qian nodded. Although Shen Luo was only a One-Star Dou Zong, his soul power far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Even if he had designs on the Fallen Heart Flame, that was not necessarily out of the question.
"It isn't forbidden in principle, but this matter has far-reaching implications. Even I cannot decide it on a whim."
Shen Luo took out a seventh-grade pill. "This pill is highly beneficial to a Dou Zong's cultivation. Consider it a small token of my goodwill."
Su Qian swiftly took it, his cheek twitching, then tucked it into his Storage Ring.
Look at that-a seventh-grade pill right out of the gate. He had truly stumbled upon a treasure.
That damned Fallen Heart Flame did fuck all for him at Jia Nan Academy. All its benefits went to those students.
Besides, that so-called cultivation cheat only worked particularly well for those below Dou Wang.
Once those students graduated, they simply left.
What was the point?
After toiling for half his life, for whom had he labored, and who had tasted the sweetness?
The Dean had run off years ago and never returned.
Raising their cultivation was the only thing anyone truly cared about.
The Qianbai Elders were also wholly focused on breaking through to Dou Zun. Who had ever paid any real attention to the academy's affairs?
"The Fallen Heart Flame has been acting up lately. I've been deeply concerned."
Su Qian paused. "I've decided to open the seal. Elder Shen, thank you for making the trip to investigate what is happening."
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