The Inner Academy!

"Jiang Yun, we meet again. It seems you haven't squandered your talent over these past few years!"

Su Qian looked at the youth who had walked up to him, a trace of reminiscence in his eyes. He seemed to be recalling their first meeting, when Jiang Yun had already displayed extraordinary talent.

Now, it seemed Jiang Yun was destined to soar through the nine heavens.

"Great Elder!" Upon seeing Su Qian, Jiang Yun bowed respectfully. Su Qian had saved his life and was one of the two and a half people in this world whom he held dear.

"You took first place in this Fire Energy Hunting Competition. Wait here until the other students arrive." Su Qian gave Jiang Yun an approving look. Although he had not uncovered the little fellow's true capabilities, what Jiang Yun had shown so far was already enough.

The rest could wait until they entered the Inner Academy! Su Qian believed Jiang Yun and Zi Yan's arrival would liven the place up.

Jiang Yun had no objections to Su Qian's arrangements. Under the elders' intermittent gazes, he went over to Zi Yan and sat down cross-legged beside her.

"Very good! You haven't disgraced my name!"

Jiang Yun had barely sat down when a slender yet powerful arm reached over and hooked around his shoulders.

Then Zi Yan's face appeared before him, wearing a gratified smile.

"It's all thanks to your excellent guidance, Zi Yan." Jiang Yun offered her a compliment, inwardly chuckling as smugness rose in her eyes. See? Zi Yan really is easy to read.

"Let me see how much Fire Energy you have. Wow, over fourteen hundred!" Zi Yan took Jiang Yun's Fire Energy Card and cried out at the bright red number on it.

Her large eyes darted about as she murmured, "Are these Inner Academy seniors really that rich?"

"Don't go causing trouble. If you're short on Fire Energy, take mine for now. Don't get any ideas about robbing the Inner Academy seniors. If you throw the whole place into chaos, just see how the Great Elder deals with you."

Jiang Yun tapped Zi Yan's smooth forehead and placed his Fire Energy Card in her hand.

"Oh, all right, all right! It's just a few days of Fire Energy. I can earn it myself."

Zi Yan rubbed her forehead, though it did not hurt, and returned Jiang Yun's card with a haughty little air.

Jiang Yun shook his head with a chuckle, settled cross-legged, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. Thanks to the Crimson Fire Treasure Mirror, his Dou Qi consumption throughout the battles had been next to nothing, but the mental energy he had expended along the way could not recover like that. A short rest would restore him to peak condition.

Seeing Jiang Yun close his eyes to recover, Zi Yan quieted down as well. She sat cross-legged beside him, propping up her little head as she watched him, a faint smile slowly curling her lips.

After most of the day had passed, the other students finally began to appear.

Compared with Jiang Yun's composure, however, they looked far more bedraggled. Every one of them was listless, looking exactly as though they had just been taught a harsh lesson.

Even Ling Feng and the others among the Outer Academy's top five had not escaped unscathed.

The senior students assigned by Jia Nan Academy were formidable. Although Jiang Yun had dealt with a large portion of them, those remaining had little trouble handling these newcomers.

Even the weakest of Jia Nan Academy's senior students was a four-star Da Dou Shi, whereas only the top ten students in the Outer Academy had reached the Da Dou Shi level.

Outnumbered along the way, the newcomers had been robbed more than a few times.

"Jiang Yun-"

Seeing that Jiang Yun had already arrived and looked utterly untroubled, the newcomers' faces filled with astonishment. Ling Feng and his three companions lowered their heads dejectedly. Was the gap really this enormous?

They had already heard from the seniors that the Outer Academy had produced a fearsome newcomer. Although they had suspected it was Jiang Yun, seeing him in person still dealt them a blow.

"This Fire Energy Hunting Competition has officially concluded. Next, we will reward the newcomers who performed exceptionally well during the competition."

Once everyone had arrived, Su Qian spoke in a ringing voice. Every gaze landed on Jiang Yun. This reward could belong to no one else.

"Jiang Yun, as the first person to defeat every opponent along the way and reach the finish, you will receive fifty days of Fire Energy and one Azure Fire Crystal Card."

Another Azure Fire Crystal Card?

The reward was so generous that many seniors' breathing grew heavier, their eyes brimming with envy.

A Fire Crystal Card not only determined which floors of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower one could cultivate on, but also required at least three hundred days of Fire Energy to obtain. How could these seniors not be envious?

Jiang Yun accepted the Azure Fire Crystal Card. After transferring the Fire Energy from his black card into it, he returned the black card to Su Qian.

Only after taking the black card did Su Qian turn to the other newcomers. "Each of the remaining newcomers will receive five days of Fire Energy."

All the newcomers cried out in surprise. They had ended up in such a sorry state, yet they were still receiving a reward. It was truly a cause for joy.

Amid their delight, a trace of gratitude entered their gazes as they looked at Jiang Yun. They knew that if he had not performed so brilliantly and swept aside the seniors along the route, the Great Elder would never have made an exception to reward them.

"Once the rest of you have found your lodgings, I'll arrange for someone to deliver your rewards. Now that you've all passed the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, follow me into the Inner Academy."

With that, he turned and led the way up a flight of gravel-strewn steps toward the hillside.

Jiang Yun and the others immediately followed, setting foot in the Inner Academy that so many envied.

Soon, they reached the top of the slope. As their gazes swept ahead, the sight before them made them slowly draw in a breath of cool air.

"So this is the Inner Academy?"

Beyond the slope lay an enormous sunken basin. Its shape made it look as though a gigantic meteor had fallen from the sky and smashed it into existence.

Towering buildings filled the basin. Looking down from above, they could see dark figures darting and leaping across the buildings like fleas.

Their gazes stretched farther ahead. The basin was astonishingly vast; even at the limits of their vision, all they could see were towering buildings and lush greenery.

"All right, now that the hunting competition has ended, all newcomers should follow me into the Inner Academy. We'll get you settled first, then you can take a proper look around." Su Qian smiled at the astonished newcomers. He saw these expressions every year and had long since grown accustomed to them.

The newcomers nodded. They had already seen the benefits of the Inner Academy through its senior students.

One of the elders called the newcomers over, while the seniors scattered like birds and beasts. They intended to spread the news that this year's newcomers included two formidable figures.

Those lacking strength should take a detour upon seeing them, while the stronger students should go and teach them a proper lesson, lest they think the Inner Academy had no one capable of opposing them.

In a residential cluster in the Inner Academy's northeastern corner, five spacious courtyards with lofts were opened to welcome their new occupants.

The elder guiding them smiled as he pushed open the gate. "From now on, this courtyard will be home to the two of you."

"The two of us?"

Jiang Yun raised an eyebrow. He remembered that the Inner Academy's rules assigned five people to each dormitory, did they not?

Seeing the question in Jiang Yun's eyes, the elder explained, "Normally, the Inner Academy houses five newcomers in each dormitory. However, the Great Elder specifically instructed us that our young friend Zi Yan probably wouldn't enjoy living with others, so we made an exception and prepared a dormitory for you two."

After speaking, the elder discreetly checked Zi Yan's expression. The delight on her face immediately put him at ease.

He was one of the elders who had accompanied them to the Fire Energy Hunting Competition. Having seen Zi Yan's gleaming Dou Qi Wings with his own eyes, he knew how much power lay hidden inside this seemingly harmless little girl.

Even now, a chill rose in his heart, leaving him uncomfortable all over. It was the body's natural reaction to a threat. Clearly, this elder was no match for Zi Yan.

Understanding dawned on Jiang Yun. He smiled and patted Zi Yan's head. "Looks like I'm basking in your glory too!"

"Hmph! Of course you are. Don't worry. Stick with me, Zi Yan, and I guarantee you'll feast on the finest food and drink!"

At Jiang Yun's praise, Zi Yan's tail immediately shot up to the heavens. With her chin raised, her hands clasped behind her back, and her chest puffed out, she strode into the house.

Jiang Yun shook his head with an amused smile. After bidding farewell to the unnamed elder, he followed Zi Yan inside.

As Jiang Yun and the other newcomers settled in, word of what had happened during the Fire Energy Hunting Competition spread rapidly among the Inner Academy's senior students.

Everyone learned that this year's newcomers included two formidable figures. One was a purple-haired little girl who dared call the Great Elder "old man" to his face. Either she had heaven-reaching connections or she was one of his juniors. Her strength was unknown, but she was not someone to provoke.

The other was a newcomer named Jiang Yun. Reportedly only twelve or thirteen years old, he had already become an Eight-Star Great Dou Master and had single-handedly defeated both the Black Fiend and White Fiend Squads.

This caused an uproar among the Inner Academy's seniors. After all, the Black Fiend and White Fiend Squads this time had been led by Sun Hai and Wu Qiu, two Five-Star Dou Lings whose names appeared on the Strong Ranking.

With those two joining forces, even an eight-star Dou Ling would not be entirely confident of defeating them. Yet Jiang Yun had done it.

Some disbelieved the news about Jiang Yun and Zi Yan, some felt wary, and others paid it no mind at all. In any case, the two had begun to enter the Inner Academy seniors' sights.

Jiang Yun knew nothing of this, and even if he had, he would not have bothered with it. He was currently breaking through to Nine-Star Great Dou Master. Having remained at eight stars for many days, he had found an opportunity to break through after the stimulus of the Fire Energy Hunting Competition.

The next day.

Having completed his breakthrough, Jiang Yun walked alone at an unhurried pace toward the buildings on the northern side of the Inner Academy's sinkhole.

As for Zi Yan...

She had disappeared early that morning. By now, she was either rummaging through some Magical Beast's lair or visiting the Medicinal Materials Treasury.

The Inner Academy's Medicinal Materials Treasury was about to suffer too!!!

The Inner Academy covered an astonishing area. Numerous buildings lined the route, and he frequently saw circles of students sparring fiercely, each surrounded by a sizable crowd of spectators.

Jiang Yun had no interest in these sparring groups. These Inner Academy students would have been absolute elites in the Outer Academy, and most were geniuses from the various nations of the Northwest Continent. To Jiang Yun, however, the vast majority were quite ordinary.

Quite a few seniors noticed Jiang Yun as well. He was easy to recognize; even those who had never met him knew who he was.

Any young, immature figure they saw had to be either Jiang Yun or Zi Yan. Those two were the Inner Academy's youngest students, while most of the others were young adults over eighteen.

Seeing Jiang Yun in person still brought astonishment to their faces. He was simply too young. No-he was a child.

The seniors whispered with their companions, their gazes filled with scrutiny and curiosity as they watched Jiang Yun.

However, wary of Jiang Yun's battle record and uncertain of his temperament, none of them approached to greet him.

Jiang Yun had no interest in interacting with them either. He glanced their way and left.

"That's Jiang Yun, right?"

"Hmph! He's young, but he certainly has an attitude. With so many seniors here, he couldn't even come over and greet us."

"Tch! You? He's a 'monster' who defeated two Five-Star Dou Lings. You're only a Two-Star Dou Ling. What makes you think you deserve to have him introduce himself?"

"'Monster'? The Inner Academy has no shortage of monsters. Sun Hai and Wu Qiu are just two useless fools, losing to a brat who still reeks of milk."

"Then why don't you go teach him a lesson?"

"I... just wait! Someone will make him suffer!"

Jiang Yun did not hear the discussion behind him. Even if he had, he would not have cared. He had no interest in speaking with them and headed straight for the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

There was no need to worry about getting lost. The Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower was the Inner Academy's most popular destination, and students were heading toward it at all hours.

All he had to do was follow the crowd.

The Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower was a black tower buried deep underground, with only a section of its tip exposed. From a distance, he could sense a slight distortion in the space above its tip.

That was the seal placed by Jia Nan Academy's dean, Mang Tianchi. Only a Dou Zun possessed the strength to seal the fallen heart flame, ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, and turn it to their own use.

Otherwise, Jia Nan Academy's Dou Zongs could never have sealed the fallen heart flame, whose strength rivaled a Dou Zong's.

Once it erupted, even a High-Rank Dou Zong would have to avoid its cutting edge. That was how terrifying heavenly flames were.

In the original story, most people who possessed heavenly flames came from Dou God Clans-the Gu Clan, Yan Clan, Yao Clan, and Hun Clan. Which of those clans did not have a Dou Sheng?

Even Burning Flame Valley and the Pill Tower had Dou Shengs holding the fort. One could say heavenly flames were simply beyond the ability of independent cultivators to handle.

Xiao Yan and Han Feng had successfully refined wild heavenly flames thanks to the Flame Mantra, while Yao Chen was a man blessed with tremendous fortune. Apart from those few, everyone else had refined their heavenly flames from childhood with their elders' help.

One could say this thing was a tempting cake, yet one filled with deadly poison.

A vast open space stretched before the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower. Jiang Yun walked slowly onward, and the closer he drew, the more the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame inside him began to tremble.

As spiritual wonders born of heaven and earth, flames naturally sensed one another. Even though the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame was not a product of the Dou Qi Continent, they still reacted to each other in an unusual way.

Jiang Yun mobilized his Dou Qi to soothe the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame within him. Before long, its trembling diminished considerably.

Perhaps it was Jiang Yun's imagination, but the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame suddenly conveyed a feeling of hunger.