"I got two as well!" Karin chirped proudly, waving the two crystal cards in her hand. Only Haku remained quiet and well-behaved—despite receiving only one crystal card, she made no fuss at all. A gentle smile rested on her delicate face. Among the three little girls, this pure and kind-hearted snow-white child was undoubtedly the most considerate and obedient.
The reactions of Saeko and the other girls, however, left the veteran students utterly dumbfounded. In their eyes, those crystal cards were of utmost importance—yet these girls handed them out so casually. The veterans were stunned into silence, their hearts full of envy. At that moment, they desperately wished they were those three adorable little girls!
"Well then, come with us into the Inner Academy," Elder Su said with a faint smile, showing no surprise at the girls' behavior. Without another word, he turned and began leading the group into the dense forest.
Before long, a broken stone staircase came into view. Elder Su and the others climbed up slowly.
The stairway wasn't tall—it took only a minute or two before Goku and the others reached the top. When they looked out across the landscape, a few people couldn't help but take a cold breath.
"So this is the Inner Academy?" several of the new students murmured under their breath.
Beyond the slope lay a vast sunken basin, shaped as if a massive meteor had smashed into the mountain, forming a natural crater.
Inside the basin stood towering buildings. From their elevated vantage point, they could see black silhouettes darting atop the structures like fleas. The basin stretched farther than the eye could see, filled with tall buildings and verdant greenery.
It was hard to imagine that hidden deep in the mountain ranges behind Jia Nan Academy was such an astonishing place.
---
"This will be your residence from now on," Elder Su said with a warm smile, standing in front of a spacious courtyard.
Looking at the clean and bright courtyard, Goku nodded in satisfaction. It was clear they'd all been assigned to this residence on Elder Hu Qian's special arrangement. Hu Gan had likely learned some of Goku's background and passed it on to the Inner Academy. Given Jia Nan Academy's resources, it wasn't hard to piece together his identity. As a result, the Inner Academy's Grand Elder dared not be negligent and arranged this quiet and private courtyard for them right away.
"Alright, now that you're members of the Inner Academy, let me offer a word of advice. Unless your strength is overwhelming, it's not easy to survive here on your own. Due to the environment, the veteran students have all formed their own factions and claimed territories. I expect you'll encounter them soon. But given your team's strength... I'm not too worried, haha."
"Oh? Sounds like this Inner Academy is pretty chaotic. Isn't this supposed to be a school? Why not stop that kind of behavior?" Shizuka asked Elder Su, puzzled. As a school doctor and technically a faculty member, she found the Inner Academy's system hard to understand.
"Why stop it?" Elder Su chuckled. "This kind of competitive pressure is exactly what we cultivate. If you don't want to be bullied, then grow stronger. Otherwise, nothing else matters. The strong rule—that's the way of the world. We don't want the Inner Academy to be some worry-free ivory tower. That kind of place can't produce true warriors."
"I see... survival of the fittest, huh? Different worlds have different rules. I'm looking forward to life in the Inner Academy!" Saeko's eyes sparkled, a fighting spirit igniting in her chest. This kind of system was right up her alley.
Elder Su glanced around at the group, then fixed his eyes on Goku. After a brief moment of contemplation, he said, "One more thing... if someone comes looking for trouble, please, go easy on them."
Back during the Fire Energy Hunt, Elder Su had witnessed firsthand the terrifying power hidden beneath the beauty of this group. Though their official ranks were only at the level of Great battle masters, they could all fight well above their rank.
He had high hopes for the so-called 'Heavenly Rankings' experts of the Inner Academy—but he honestly didn't believe they could stand against this group of lovely ladies. Even if a few veterans were individually stronger, the fact remained: Goku's team had twenty-five members, most of them six- or seven-star Great battle masters who could all fight across realms. That was effectively the strength of twenty-five Dou Spirit!
In other words, they were already the most powerful faction in the Inner Academy.
"Don't worry. We won't kill them," Goku replied with a casual smile.
Elder Su raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "In that case, I won't say much more. Zi Yan probably told you all a lot already. As long as you collect enough Fire Energy, you'll be able to train at the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. I promise it won't disappoint you."
With that, he gave them a short wave and left.
"Looks like life in the Inner Academy is going to be a lot more interesting than the Outer Academy," Yuriko said with a soft smile. "Alright, let's clean up our quarters today. Tomorrow, we'll go explore a bit!"
The girls all got busy, tidying up the courtyard and picking rooms. Even the little ones like Karin eagerly started organizing their own spaces. Goku, as usual, wasn't involved in the housework.
With nothing else to do, Goku told the others he was going for a walk—he wanted to see what the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower actually looked like.
It was nearing dusk as Goku strolled through the streets of the Inner Academy. He passed by a number of students, but they all just exchanged glances without much interaction.
Eventually, he arrived at a quiet corner. With a flash of his figure, Goku rose into the air. Hovering above the crowds, his gaze locked onto a sunken area in the distance. There, partially buried underground, was a massive black tower. Only the tip of the spire and a single dark entrance were visible above ground.
"So that's the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower... quite mysterious," Goku murmured, eyeing the faint spatial distortions that surrounded the tower. Clearly, a space barrier had been laid for protection.
Another flash—and he landed on a nearby clearing just outside the tower.
At the moment, the entrance was tightly shut. Clearly, it had closed for the day and wouldn't reopen until morning.
Goku extended his divine sense, ignoring the spatial barrier. Instantly, the full structure of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower unfolded before him. He saw the sealed Fallen Heart Flame deep beneath, the world of crimson magma below, and even the ancient, mysterious hall hidden at the bottom. A powerful presence flickered faintly in his perception.
"Well now, that's quite the ability—to ignore the spatial seal and scan the entire tower with your spiritual sense. I must say, I'm impressed."
A ripple in space behind him, and an old man appeared. Though his tone was calm, a faint tension flickered in his eyes.
"You must be Su Qian, the Grand Elder of the Inner Academy," Goku said without turning. He had already sensed the man's presence long before his arrival.
"I am. I heard a few things about you from Zi Yan... But a powerhouse like yourself—are you really here just to let them study?" Su Qian's tone was cautious, his face solemn. He understood full well that if Goku truly meant harm, not even their Academy Headmaster could stop him.
After all, the man before him was likely the most powerful being on the continent—the one who had supposedly defeated all the Central Plains' top forces with a single punch.
Just one punch!
Jia Nan Academy was nothing in comparison.
Goku didn't deny it. A faint smile curved his lips. "You're right. I'm quite interested in what lies beneath that tower."
Su Qian's pupils contracted instantly. His body tensed, and a powerful aura surged from him as he stared solemnly at Goku. After a moment, he sighed. "If that's the case... then even if I know I can't win, I'll still do everything I can to stop you!"
As he spoke, several other powerful auras flickered into existence around them.
"Oh? You're planning to fight me?" Goku's expression remained calm, eyes sweeping across Su Qian and the four others. There was amusement in his voice. The strongest among them was only a Dou Venerate. Hardly worth his attention.
"The Fallen Heart Flame is of great importance to our Academy. If you've come for it, we must defend it with our lives," Su Qian said firmly, unwavering despite knowing defeat was inevitable.
"Is that so?" Goku's tone turned cold, and an overwhelming pressure erupted from him, slamming into the elders like a tidal wave.
Instantly, their expressions changed. Sweat poured from their brows as their hearts pounded. The pressure was suffocating, like being trapped under a mountain. They couldn't move, couldn't breathe—their blood churned violently, and they felt as though taking a single step forward would shatter them to dust.
They looked at each other, bitter smiles on their faces. So this was what it meant to be powerless before absolute strength. Their previous resolve now felt laughable.
Even under normal circumstances, Goku's power had already surpassed the Dou God level. How could mere Dou Venerates and Dou Ancestors stand against him?
"Goku! Can you please let them go for my sake?" Zi Yan suddenly appeared beside Su Qian, looking at him with pleading eyes.
Because the pressure wasn't directed at her, she wasn't affected—but as an Ancient Void Dragon, she could still sense the sheer terror being inflicted on the elders. She knew from the others just how powerful Goku truly was—someone capable of destroying worlds with ease.
The moment Goku saw her, his aura vanished completely. "Oh? Since Zi Yan asked... I'll let them go."
He never intended to hurt Su Qian and the others. The Grand Elder had helped raise Zi Yan, and his women would be staying in the Inner Academy for some time. He merely wanted to frighten them—because it was always better to show one's power than to hear about it.
"Phew, I knew you were the best!" Zi Yan grinned, finally relaxing.
The elders sighed in relief. Only now did they realize their clothes were soaked with cold sweat.
Trying to steady himself, Su Qian looked at Goku and said with some resignation, "You're the one they call the strongest man on the continent, right? The one who defeated all of Central Plains' top forces with a single punch?"
Goku said nothing, but his smile deepened.
"If someone like you has set your sights on the Fallen Heart Flame... I suppose there's no hope for us."
Zi Yan frowned at Su Qian. "Geez, old man, it's just one flame! Why be so stingy? Just give it to Goku!"
Su Qian nearly cried. I raised you, and now you're helping the outsider? He had hoped she'd plead for him—but now, even that hope was gone.
He sighed. "Zi Yan, it's not that easy. Without the Fallen Heart Flame, the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower will stop functioning—and if that happens, Jia Nan Academy might fall apart entirely."
"Oh! So the tower only works because of the flame?" Zi Yan blinked in realization.
Goku, still calm, interjected. "You sealed that flame here by force. From what I can see, the seal won't last another year. When it breaks free, it'll bring disaster to your Academy."
Su Qian and the others were stunned. The flame had been growing increasingly unstable, and they knew it. Hearing this from him added a new weight to the threat.
After a moment of silence, Su Qian asked with newfound hope, "Do you... have a way to neutralize it? If the tower remains functional, then we don't mind giving it to you."
The other elders' eyes lit up as well.
Goku simply smiled. "You're naïve... but yes, it's not difficult."
"Really?" one of the black-robed elders gasped in excitement. He was one of the tower's flame guardians. The others looked equally thrilled—if Goku could remove the risk without destroying the tower, that would be the best-case scenario.
"Not today," Goku said lightly. "I was just out for a walk. Let's talk tomorrow."
With that, he ignored the others and turned to Zi Yan. "Come on, show me around."
"Yay! Goku, you asked the right person—I know all the fun places!" Zi Yan giggled, grabbing his hand and pulling him away.
Su Qian and the others watched in silence.
Truly a man who does as he pleases.
"Well... I suppose we'll leave it to him tomorrow," Su Qian said solemnly. Then he turned to the other elders. "We'll seal the tower for a day. If he can resolve the Fallen Heart Flame issue, it's worth handing it over. I'm sure the Headmaster will understand."
The others nodded. After a bit more discussion, their figures flickered and vanished.
The area fell silent once again.
_____
T/N:
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