Saint Heaven reappears!

"If possible, I'd like to borrow the academy's fifth- and sixth-grade pill recipes for a look!"

Since Su Qian had offered, Jiang Yun naturally held nothing back. The moment he spoke, he went straight for the Dou Qi Continent's marvels of arcane technology.

The academy's pill recipes below the fifth grade could be borrowed as long as one had enough fire energy. But once they reached the fifth grade, fire energy alone was no longer enough.

There were special requirements as well. Fifth-grade pill recipes were already part of a faction's foundations. After all, pill recipes were difficult to produce, requiring high-level alchemists to expend their energy and soul power to create them. Every reading caused some wear, making them genuine strategic resources.

After hearing Jiang Yun's request, Elder Huo rebuked him before Su Qian could speak. "Jiang Yun, in alchemy, you must never reach for lofty heights beyond your grasp. You must advance step by step. You've only just become an alchemist. Keep your feet firmly on the ground and don't let outside things sway you. Only then will you do justice to your talent."

Elder Huo's sudden seriousness briefly startled Jiang Yun. Knowing the elder had his best interests at heart, he felt a warmth inside. At that moment, he was profoundly grateful that he had landed near Jia Nan Academy and been brought back by Su Qian.

This truly was a good place, with a group of good elders!

"Thank you for the guidance, Elder Huo. I'll remember it!" Jiang Yun respectfully cupped his hands toward Elder Huo and admitted his mistake.

"Mm!" Jiang Yun's attitude greatly comforted Elder Huo. There was no greater good than recognizing one's mistakes and correcting them. Had Jiang Yun stubbornly persisted, Elder Huo could only have felt regret.

"How about this, Jiang Yun? I'll grant you borrowing privileges for fifth- and sixth-grade pill recipes, but you'll need Elder Huo's approval before you can borrow them to study!"

Su Qian spoke up then. Still uneasy about Jiang Yun, he worried the boy might fail to resist temptation, so he added a condition.

"All right!"

With the terms settled, Jiang Yun took out a scroll containing the array diagrams he had made for the First-Level and Second-Level Spirit Gathering Arrays.

Accepting the array diagrams and looking at the neatly prepared scroll, Su Qian grumbled inwardly, but did not point anything out. He carefully studied the diagrams in his hands and, after a long while, sighed.

"To think arrays could be arranged like this! Such craftsmanship truly rivals the work of heaven!"

Then his tone changed, and he asked in puzzlement, "Are spirit gathering stones truly indispensable?"

"If the array is to remain active for a long time, spirit gathering stones are essential. For brief use, though, they aren't needed, just like the one I set up for Zi Yan."

"I'll do my best to find them!" After a moment's consideration, Su Qian nodded.

"Actually, I have another idea. I just don't know whether you'll agree, Great Elder!"

Jiang Yun spoke up then, his eyes particularly bright.

Su Qian's heart gave a jolt, and he said gravely, "Go on!"

"If I'm not mistaken, there's a heavenly flame sealed beneath the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower, isn't there?" Jiang Yun gave a mysterious smile, his tone certain.

"How did you know?" Su Qian replied instinctively, then immediately realized something. "Oh, right. You possess a heavenly flame. Heavenly flames can sense one another, so naturally I couldn't hide it from you!"

Since Su Qian had misunderstood, Jiang Yun did not correct him. He continued, "I've been to the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower. Its effects reminded me of fallen heart flame, ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!"

"Fallen heart flame already has the ability to temper Dou Qi and accelerate cultivation. If we used it as the array's core, this Spirit Gathering Array could achieve twice the result with half the effort!"

Truthfully, Su Qian was tempted. If this worked, it would benefit not only the academy but elders like them as well.

"I need to go back and discuss this with the other elders!"

Leaving those words behind, Su Qian departed with Elder Huo and Elder Qing. As they left, both elders remembered to give Jiang Yun friendly smiles.

Watching the three figures depart, Jiang Yun fixed his deep gaze on the direction of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower. A soft murmur drifted away on the wind.

"I hope it works!"

Time hurried past, and a year flew by in a blink!

After Jiang Yun handed the Spirit Gathering Array over to Su Qian and proposed using fallen heart flame as its core, Su Qian initially sent people to search for spirit gathering stones.

Unfortunately, the differences between the two worlds were too great. Perhaps spirit gathering stones were not even called spirit gathering stones in this world. Naturally, Jia Nan Academy's search came up empty.

Three months earlier, Su Qian had come to inform him that they had agreed to try his plan. However, the academy needed to make preparations to guard against an eruption of fallen heart flame.

Jiang Yun was in no hurry. Over the past year, after gaining his status in the Alchemy Department, he had devoted himself to studying alchemy and strengthening his foundations.

Throughout that year, Jiang Yun repeatedly overturned the Alchemy Department's understanding. After one month, he passed the first-rank alchemist assessment; after two months, the Second-Rank Alchemist assessment; after four months, the third-rank assessment; after seven months, the fourth-rank assessment. Finally, half a month earlier, he had successfully advanced to Fifth-grade Alchemist.

Such a world-shaking pace utterly shattered everyone's view of what was possible. He had even earned the title of "Little Medicine Saint."

Once he became a fourth-rank alchemist, the students who had previously opposed him all treated him with utmost respect, saying things like, "You can't become friends without crossing fists," and, "Master Jiang, please don't hold it against us."

Jiang Yun was now the last person any Inner Academy student dared provoke, not only because of his alchemy, but also because he had successfully reached Peak Dou Ling.

A month earlier, Feng Wuhen, second on the Inner Academy's Strong Ranking, had challenged Jiang Yun and been defeated in three moves. Since then, Jiang Yun had sat firmly atop the Strong Ranking, enjoying unrivaled prominence.

Looking at the enormous purple cocoon before him, Jiang Yun could sense the vigorous aura within. He had never expected Zi Yan's advancement to take so long. Was it because of her earlier bloodline awakening?

Leaning closer to the glowing cocoon, Jiang Yun murmured, "I never thought you'd spend a whole year in seclusion, Zi Yan. Next, I'll be entering seclusion too. I don't know how long it'll be before we meet again. I've made your pills, enough to last you a long time."

As though it had heard Jiang Yun's words, the great cocoon suddenly flickered.

Jiang Yun chuckled, his eyes filled with gentleness. "Don't worry. I'll be fine!"

"I'm off!"

The door slowly closed, and a resolute figure headed toward the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

The Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

Creak.

He slowly pushed open the heavy iron door. Amid the clacking of its hinges, a wave of scorching air surged out as though it had been imprisoned for countless years.

Tap, tap, tap-

The lowest floor, normally untouched by visitors, welcomed a young figure that day.

Jiang Yun slowly approached a deep shaft roughly a hundred feet across in the center. Crimson radiance streamed out of it like a pillar of light, driving away all the surrounding darkness.

The closer he drew to the central shaft, the hotter the air became, and the purer the fire-attribute energy within it grew.

Looking at the Invisible Fire Python lying quietly within the opening, Jiang Yun remained silent, a shifting light in his eyes.

A moment later, Jiang Yun turned his gaze away and began examining his surroundings. Shortly afterward, he acted. Spirit Seals appeared one after another, settling methodically onto specific nodes.

Dozens of Spirit Seals merged into the air, forming points of light barely visible to the naked eye. At Jiang Yun's mental command, lines of light extended from them and finally intersected.

After just two hours, a Spirit Gathering Array encompassing the entire Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower was complete.

Hum-

The instant the array took shape, the surrounding natural energy began rapidly converging on the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower. Naturally, the sight drew the attention of Su Qian and the others outside.

"It worked!"

Su Qian, Elder Qing, and the other elders exchanged glances, indescribable delight appearing on their faces.

"Good. The Spirit Gathering Array is complete. Notify the students that the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower will reopen in three days. Tell them to prepare properly and not miss out!" Su Qian recovered first and issued instructions to Elder Liu.

"Yes!" Elder Liu agreed, then asked in puzzlement, "Great Elder, why hasn't Jiang Yun come out?"

Elder Liu was the elder who had shown Jiang Yun kindness on his first visit to the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower. Now, he was immensely impressed with his own judgment. Back then, he had simply thought Jiang Yun had promise.

He had never expected the boy to give him such an enormous surprise. In a mere year, Jiang Yun had already reached Peak Dou Ling and become a Fifth-grade Alchemist.

A few days earlier, Jiang Yun had helped him refine a fifth-grade Dragon Strength Pill. Now, the more he looked at Jiang Yun, the more pleased he became, practically treating the boy like his own grandson.

Seeing that Jiang Yun had not yet appeared, he asked with some concern.

"Jiang Yun has rendered a great service to the academy this time. I've already permitted him to cultivate at the bottom of the tower for a while!"

In answer to Elder Liu's question, Su Qian stroked his white beard and explained with a broad smile. At the end, he even teased, "Elder Liu, I'm afraid Jiang Yun may already be a Dou Wang by the time he comes out of seclusion!"

"Tsk, tsk-a Dou Wang at eleven or twelve! Jiang Yun's future truly knows no bounds!"

"Ha ha, wonderful! Jiang Yun is a child of our Jia Nan Academy. The more outstanding he becomes, the happier I am!"

"Let's go. We should prepare too and try out this new Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower. Let's see whether we have a chance to climb another level. Otherwise, Jiang Yun might catch up to us in the blink of an eye!"

At that moment, Jiang Yun, still at the bottom of the tower, could clearly feel the surrounding natural energy growing denser. Cultivation was around thirty percent faster than before.

That was already a considerable improvement!

Having finished setting up the array, Jiang Yun drew a deep breath and returned to the central shaft.

Hiss-

Unlike before, an enormous Fire Python now coiled at the opening, its huge head facing Jiang Yun. Its serpentine eyes, formed from invisible flames, stared at him without blinking.

Anyone fainthearted who came here would probably have been frightened out of their wits!

Yet Jiang Yun seemed to have anticipated this. Rather than showing surprise at fallen heart flame's appearance, he calmly regarded it and said slowly, "Now it's our turn!"

As his words fell, Jiang Yun leaped up. Two wings, one black and one white, slowly unfurled behind him and beat gently as he jumped straight down the shaft.

Jiang Yun had already reached Peak Dou Ling. At this stage, one could briefly summon Dou Qi Wings, and with the purity of his Dou Qi, he could easily manage it.

Roar- The Invisible Fire Python formed from fallen heart flame roared, turned its head, and twisted its body as it swiftly pursued Jiang Yun.

Scorching winds howled past his ears as Jiang Yun continued descending through the shaft. The closer he came to the underground Magma World, the hotter the surrounding air grew.

This seemingly endless descent continued for quite some time before Jiang Yun's field of vision abruptly opened up.

Before him lay a Magma World with no end in sight. Enormous bubbles welled up from the magma and burst, releasing scorching air along with wisps of white smoke.

Jiang Yun beat his wings, steadying himself in midair above the Magma World.

Roar-

The Fire Python following close behind let out a great roar, a gleam of greed flashing through its eyes.

"Come on! Success or failure hinges on this one move!" As though prepared all along, Jiang Yun spread his arms in an embrace and gave a clear, ringing laugh, quietly watching fallen heart flame!

Roar-

Invisible flames rushed toward him, reflected in his pitch-black eyes. A sea of fire surged, and Jiang Yun's figure vanished from above the magma. With fallen heart flame's disappearance, this space returned once more to its age-old stillness.

Hot. Unbearably hot!

Not only was the surface of his body scorching, but his insides were beginning to burn as well. As an invisible fire, fallen heart flame could stir human emotions and use them as fuel to burn from within. It could even attack the soul directly.

All around him was blood-red magma. About ten feet from his body, a mass of invisible flame burned fiercely, trying to refine him away. Yet a faint layer of azure light protected his body.

It kept him from being burned to nothing in an instant!

At that moment, Jiang Yun felt pain seeping deep into his bones, so intense that he grimaced. In a somewhat parched voice, he said, "It really hurts!!!"

"This is the first time I've been in such a sorry state, isn't it?"

"Xiao Yun, you acted rashly this time!" Qing Ming's figure slowly appeared beside him, his illusory face bearing a displeased, reproachful look.

"Senior Qing Ming, this was a choice I had no alternative but to make!" Jiang Yun's expression grew calm again, an unprecedented resolve settling over his delicate features.

"But..." Qing Ming hesitated. Glancing around at the invisible flames, he asked in confusion, "Can this flame really deal with 'Him'?"

Hearing that, Jiang Yun grinned, spread his hands, shrugged, and said, "I don't know!"

"You... Reckless fool!" Qing Ming was so angry that his figure grew even more insubstantial. Had Jiang Yun not been in such a precarious condition, he probably would have struck him already.

"Heh, it's come to this, so all you can do is believe in me. Believe that I'll succeed!" A smile rose over Jiang Yun's face again, calming Qing Ming.

"Sigh-"

"If you fail in the end, I'll do my best to preserve your soul." Qing Ming finally softened, his words stern despite his tender heart.

"Thank you!" A trace of warmth rose in Jiang Yun's heart. For all of you, I won't fail!

"'Lord Saint Heaven,' won't you come out and meet an old friend?"