A disturbance!

Jiang Yun continued forward. The sheer size of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower surpassed his imagination. From a distance, only its tip was visible, but once he drew closer, he discovered that the tip alone stood three stories tall.

Jiang Yun swept his gaze around. Many people had come in groups, and some wore distinctive emblems, likely marking their allegiance to particular factions. Clearly, the Inner Academy housed many powers.

The students from Xiao Yan's class whom he remembered had yet to enter the Inner Academy. Different people occupied the current factions and the Strong Ranking, but they were no weaklings either.

Jiang Yun found a spot with an excellent view and quietly watched the crowd below. He was in no hurry. With his Azure Fire Crystal Card, he could cultivate on the fifth and sixth floors, so there was no need to rush.

A large crowd sat in the clearing nearest the black tower, neatly divided into several sections. Each section contained a sizable group of people sitting cross-legged, all wearing distinctive emblems. They presumably belonged to some of the Inner Academy's powerful factions.

Dong...

An ancient bell's sonorous toll rolled across the area. As it rang, all the senior students stopped their chatter and stared eagerly at the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

"Open the tower!"

As the bell's toll faded, an aged voice seemed to emerge from within the tower. The tightly shut black doors on its uppermost floor creaked slowly open. A faint, scorching aura seeped out, raising the surrounding temperature slightly.

"Those wishing to enter may do so!"

The aged voice rang out again, seemingly setting the entire square ablaze. Amid whistles of displaced air, figures sprang from their cross-legged positions and shot toward the entrance, while the crowd surged toward the black tower.

Jiang Yun followed the crowd inside. As he approached the black tower's doors, he felt his heartbeat turn abnormal, and the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame within his dantian suddenly stirred.

A faint flush appeared on Jiang Yun's face, and wisps of pale white mist rose from his body.

Some senior students noticed Jiang Yun's condition and were surprised by his age. One remarked in astonishment, "Who's this kid? A genius brought in by some elder? He actually dared enter the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower for the first time without taking any precautions?"

"No idea. Maybe he's some elder's grandson, brought here to experience life in the Inner Academy early?"

"Don't talk nonsense. He's Jiang Yun, the famous newcomer from this year's intake-the ruthless fellow who defeated Black Fiend and the White Fiend Squad during the Fire Energy Hunting Competition."

"..."

People in the crowd who recognized Jiang Yun explained, and everyone learned his identity. He was that monstrous prodigy whose fame had recently soared. Their gazes immediately filled with astonishment and wariness.

Of course, some also wore inscrutable expressions. Having robbed his way through the competition, just how wealthy was Jiang Yun now?

Jiang Yun had no idea anyone was scheming against him. At that moment, he was inspecting the cluster of invisible flame inside his body. Formless and intangible, it carried only an intense heat that slightly distorted the surrounding space. There was no visible trace of a flame at all.

Yet the burning sensation in his meridians and organs, and the waves of stabbing pain it brought, spoke plainly of the fallen heart flame's terrifying power.

The fallen heart flame is known as a cultivation cheat. It can temper Dou Qi, making it purer and saving much of the time otherwise spent refining external Dou Qi, greatly increasing cultivation speed. I wonder whether it can still temper mine?

He cultivated the Crimson Fire Treasure Mirror, a technique equivalent to an Earth Tier Low Grade Technique on the Dou Qi Continent. Moreover, he had absorbed the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame since childhood, leaving his Dou Qi incomparably pure. Jiang Yun could not be certain that this mere projection of the fallen heart flame would have any effect on him.

With that thought, Jiang Yun drew several strands of black-and-white Dou Qi through the heart flame. His Dou Qi was already exceptionally condensed. After passing through the flame, it seemed to become a little more condensed, but the change was too slight to discern clearly.

It still has some effect. Before I reach Dou Wang, the fallen heart flame projected by the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower should remain somewhat useful to me. Once I become a Dou Wang, though, probably only its true body will help.

Having finished his examination, Jiang Yun willed the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame into action. It instantly became a ravenous wolf, pouncing viciously on the invisible flame within him.

Opening his eyes, Jiang Yun immediately saw a group staring at him in shock.

"You broke free of the heart flame's scorching yourself?" The old man at their head widened his eyes, disbelief coloring his voice. In all these years, this was the first time he had encountered someone who could escape the heart flame's scorching on their own.

"So this is what makes the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower extraordinary? How interesting!" Jiang Yun asked, despite already knowing the answer.

The old man nodded, his eyes shining as he regarded Jiang Yun. "Impressive, lad. You must be that monstrous newcomer from this year's intake! You really do have some ability. I'm the elder overseeing the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower's first floor. You can simply call me Elder Liu."

Elder Liu looked warmly at Jiang Yun, holding this young man in high regard.

Jiang Yun did not put on airs either. Elders held extremely high status within Jia Nan Academy, and only Dou Wang experts or stronger could fill the position.

Only the most outstanding students in the Inner Academy could earn an elder's special regard, because they might reach or even surpass the elders' level before graduation. Even Inner Academy elders would seek to win such people over.

Wherever there were people, there was conflict, whether for power or profit. Jia Nan Academy was, after all, a major power. Neither the Inner Academy nor the Outer Academy belonged entirely to a single faction.

"Jiang Yun pays his respects, Elder!" Jiang Yun cupped his hands, neither servile nor overbearing, then asked, "Elder, I have an Azure Fire Crystal Card. I should be allowed to go down, correct?"

A flicker of surprise passed through Elder Liu's eyes as he examined the Azure Fire Crystal Card in Jiang Yun's hand. He cautioned, "In principle, an Azure Fire Crystal Card allows you to cultivate on the fifth and sixth floors, but you're only an Eight-Star Great Dou Master. It's still a little early for you."

"Rest assured, Elder Liu. I'm confident!" Jiang Yun smiled calmly. Ordinary people cultivating in the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower inevitably encountered fire poison, which was why they could not stay for long.

But he possessed a flame as powerful as the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame, as well as the Nine Divine Veins. The Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower's fire poison posed no problem whatsoever.

"Very well! You monstrous prodigies always have such extraordinary ideas!"

After considering it, Elder Liu nodded. He did not particularly doubt Jiang Yun's strength. Although less than a day had passed since the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, the elders were already familiar with his capabilities.

An Eight-Star Great Dou Master had defeated two Five-Star Dou Lings and was suspected of practicing an Earth Tier Dou Technique-or cultivation technique? Few among them, even as Dou Wangs, had successfully mastered one. Jiang Yun's success clearly meant he possessed exceptional qualities.

Jiang Yun followed Elder Liu down to the sixth floor. The fiery energy permeating the air had almost taken solid form. Rings of nearly colorless, scorching air seemed to give the invisible heart flame a tangible shape.

There were noticeably fewer people on the sixth floor. Those who could venture to the fifth floor and below were generally students at the Dou Ling level.

Even the Inner Academy had few students at that level, so hardly anyone could be seen wandering around. Every one of them was making the most of their time to cultivate, striving to improve their strength.

Jiang Yun took out his Fire Crystal Card and swiped it at the cultivation room's entrance. The door immediately opened fully.

Although there were no traces of artifact refiners on the Dou Qi Continent, these extraordinary little objects clearly suggested that artifact refining had once flourished there. Perhaps they were remnants of that era, and perhaps the craft had been destroyed in that war.

Jiang Yun entered the advanced cultivation room without trouble. After inserting his Azure Fire Crystal Card into its slot, he sat down on an obsidian meditation cushion.

The instant he sat down, an invisible flame abruptly appeared within his body. It was considerably more intense than the heart flame he had encountered earlier.

With a thought, Jiang Yun sent his Dou Qi rapidly circulating toward the invisible flame. Sizzling sounds arose as he began tempering his Dou Qi.

As Jiang Yun circulated his cultivation technique, the energy within the room suddenly stirred. Streams of heart flame energy were drawn in from every direction, eventually condensing into faintly tangible currents of pale red energy.

These almost tangible currents of pale red energy whirled around Jiang Yun, then, as though pulled by some force, slammed madly into his body and vanished completely inside him.

Jiang Yun's body seemed like a black hole, refusing nothing. As he absorbed vast quantities of energy, still more was drawn toward him.

At that moment, Jiang Yun resembled a bottomless pit radiating boundless suction, swallowing every bit of the exceptionally dense heart flame energy within the cultivation room.

Had anyone learned of this almost terrifying devouring, those who normally cultivated with utmost caution would surely have been left dumbstruck.

While Jiang Yun devoted himself fully to cultivation, unusual fluctuations suddenly arose from a dark, deep shaft at the center of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

Pitch-black gloom stretched as far as the eye could see. That eerie darkness, almost entirely devoid of light, induced a faint sense of dizziness.

Suspended within that darkness was an enormous, invisible Fire Python, a full dozen meters thick and of indeterminate length.

This was the form taken by the fallen heart flame. Its strength had already reached the point where it could condense a Fire Spirit with emotions and intelligence.

As it was now, even a Dou Zong could not hope to get the better of it.

Slightly distorted flames enveloped the Fire Python's entire body, and invisible fire continually spurted from its enormous triangular eyes. At that moment, the Fire Python seemed to sense something and abruptly raised its head. Those eyes, larger than Jiang Yun himself, seemed to pierce the layers of seals and behold the cultivation room he occupied.

With an enraged roar, the fallen heart flame burst out of the darkness. But just as it was about to reach a point five meters above the pitch-black shaft, the surrounding space suddenly rippled. The space around the opening twisted strangely, forming a spatial cage.

Although the Fire Python formed by the fallen heart flame attacked with tremendous force, its collision with the spatial cage merely made the cage ripple briefly, accomplishing nothing else.

Finding escape impossible, the fallen heart flame grew frenzied. Invisible flames poured from its enormous maw, blotting out the sky as they relentlessly burned the spatial cage. Unfortunately, no matter how fiercely it burned, the cage remained firmly in place!

After struggling madly for some time, the fallen heart flame finally began to exhaust itself. It raised its head and let out a furious hiss. Then, amid continuously twisting space, the Fire Python reverted to invisible flame and plunged back into the dark shaft.

Only after the fallen heart flame vanished did the spatial cage gradually fade, until it disappeared altogether.

Just as the fallen heart flame disappeared and settled back into silence, a barely audible murmur echoed within the tower. Strangely, however, no one seemed to notice anything amiss.

"How strange. Is this... the aura of the Wan Huo Indestructible Body?"

As the voice faded, Jiang Yun, absorbed in cultivation, briefly furrowed his brows.

Not bad. I've already reached the peak of Nine-Star Great Dou Master. Once I consolidate a little more, I can break through to Dou Ling.

Inside the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower, Jiang Yun slowly opened his eyes. The vortex of flames around him began dissipating as he awakened. Although his cultivation had not changed greatly, he now had one foot in the Dou Ling realm.

This was over twenty percent faster than cultivating on his own, so the trip had not been in vain.

Besides, he had gained something else.

As though something had occurred to him, a peculiar gleam flashed through Jiang Yun's dark eyes. They soon returned to their stillness, like an ancient well without a ripple.

Feeling the surging power within him, Jiang Yun smiled. He slowly rose, gathered his belongings, and stepped out of the advanced cultivation room that had remained shut for so long.

"You spent a full half month cultivating on your very first visit, lad! I thought something had happened to you, but here you are, alive and kicking. Your cultivation seems to have advanced too. Clearly, someone universally recognized as a monstrous prodigy really does have some ability!"

Inside the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower, Elder Liu spoke to Jiang Yun with a smile, undisguised curiosity in his eyes.

Everyone knew the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower offered excellent cultivation results, but no student could remain inside for long.

Below Dou Wang, almost no one could endure more than ten consecutive days of cultivation. Although the heart flame was beneficial, it also carried fire poison. Prolonged cultivation allowed that poison to invade the body, so almost no one stayed inside continuously.

Yet Jiang Yun, a newcomer experiencing the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower for the first time, had stayed inside for half a month. A record even senior students could not achieve had appeared in a newcomer. That alone was legendary.

But recalling Jiang Yun's impressive achievements, Elder Liu felt it was only natural. If he were as "ordinary" as the other students, he would hardly deserve the title of monstrous prodigy.

"Just a few little tricks!"

Jiang Yun looked at Elder Liu with a soft chuckle, his eyes full of composure. Something sufficient to stir waves throughout the Inner Academy seemed utterly insignificant to him.

Elder Liu looked at Jiang Yun with some envy, admiring his talent, and sighed. "A young man should have a young man's vigor. Don't act so old and seasoned. Remember, time slips away easily. Don't wait until you're old to regret it."

At those words, a peculiar glint flashed through Jiang Yun's eyes. He chuckled softly. "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Liu."

"Go on out. A young lady has been coming to look for you every day lately. You lucky lad!" Elder Liu nodded in satisfaction, then lowered his voice as he looked at Jiang Yun, his tone brimming with teasing amusement.