Xiao Yan entered the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower for secluded cultivation, making his final push.
Because of the fallen heart flame, Xiao Fan did not dare cultivate inside.
After all, if his cultivation triggered the fallen heart flame's upheaval ahead of time, Xiao Yan's cultivation would probably be delayed as well.
Unable to cultivate in the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower, Xiao Fan settled into a simple daily routine.
Every day, while Hu Jia was not paying attention, he would slip away with Yue Yao and stay at the Arena, watching the fiercely contested Strong Ranking Competition.
Otherwise, he would use pill refining as an excuse to hide in the Alchemy Room and escape Hu Jia's clutches.
But Xiao Fan only used that method once before abandoning it.
After all, Hu Jia had walked over to him with her hands on her hips and sneered, "Since you've spent an entire day in the Alchemy Room, our esteemed Vice Gate Master Xiao Fan must have refined plenty of pills, right? Contribute some as rewards for the Pan Gate."
Only after forcing him to hand over a considerable number of pills did Hu Jia gleefully let Xiao Fan go.
As for why he was hiding from Hu Jia...
It was because Xiao Yan had gone off to cultivate, leaving Xiao Fan spending his days in the Pan Gate. Hu Jia used his complete lack of involvement in building up the Pan Gate as an excuse to squeeze labor out of him.
To relax... ahem... to prepare seriously for the Strong Ranking Tournament, Xiao Fan could only avoid Hu Jia.
The days passed one after another until, one day, Xun'er and Hu Jia, who had led the Pan Gate disciples to cultivate in the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower, brought them back