The moment they entered the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, the bright light outside dimmed into a hazy gloom. Goku immediately sensed the air growing hotter, as if faint currents of fire lingered within every breath.
Beyond the iron gate lay a vast abyss. That endless black pit, descending into unknowable depths, was the lair of the Fallen Heart Flame.
Although he could have used Instant Transmission to arrive at the destination in a blink, Goku chose to walk. Since he was already here, he wanted to experience this strange marvel of another world for himself. Thus, he followed behind Elder Su Qian, advancing step by step.
Dim shafts of light streamed down from cracks in the tower walls, barely illuminating the enormous underground space beyond the gate. Yet though the glow was faint, it did little to hinder Goku's vision. He strolled along casually, his curious gaze wandering across every corner.
The path Su Qian led them along traced the outer rim of the cavern, keeping a distance from the central abyss. Even so, the oppressive heat radiating from within was tangible, prickling at the skin.
After several minutes, Su Qian guided the group into a narrow, winding passage. The downward spiral of stairs seemed endless, drawing them deeper into the tower's heart.
As they descended, the atmosphere grew heavier. Guards stood like statues every few minutes along the way—silent, vigilant, each radiating the power of a seasoned Dou Spirit. The Inner Academy disciples had all been dismissed, but the defenses here remained intact.
The gloomy air, the endless guards, and the stifling silence would have been enough to unnerve any ordinary man. It might even make one suspect that Su Qian was leading them into some inescapable abyss.
But for Goku, the oppressive atmosphere was nothing. His footsteps remained light and casual, his curiosity unshaken.
The trek continued for nearly an hour. With each step, the heat intensified until even Su Qian had no choice but to shield himself with Dou Qi. Yet when he turned to glance at Goku, the young man appeared perfectly unaffected—gazing around with bright curiosity, as if he were strolling through a garden. Su Qian's respect for him deepened once more.
Finally, Su Qian halted. "We're here."
Goku stepped forward, surveying the scene. Unlike the upper levels, this cavern was suffused with scorching heat so intense that even the air itself seemed to waver. Every breath seared the lungs as though inhaling fire.
Scarlet light glowed faintly from below, bathing the cavern in fiery hues. At its center yawned an enormous pit, wider than any of the previous ones. From within shone a dull, blood-red glow—like congealed blood, thick and unsettling.
A cylindrical barrier of energy encased the pit, shimmering with strange markings that writhed across its surface like twisting serpents. The barrier pulsed violently, waves of power rippling outward, accompanied by a faint, ominous hum.
Then came another sound: a soft gurgle, like water flowing. Yet that faint noise was enough to drain the color from Su Qian's face.
"Not good! It's… trying to break the seal?!"
"Break the seal?" Goku raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. By his reckoning, the Fallen Heart Flame shouldn't attempt an escape for nearly another year.
'Could my arrival have triggered a butterfly effect?'
Su Qian hesitated only briefly before pressing his palms against the barrier. Normally, its violent energy could shred a Dou Spirit to pieces, but under his touch it quieted like a beast recognizing its master. Slowly, the barrier parted, opening a narrow passage.
"Lord Goku," Su Qian said respectfully, bowing.
"From here onward, it's up to you."
Goku nodded. With a flash of movement, he vanished into the passage. Su Qian followed close behind, shrouding himself in a layer of Dou Qi as the furnace-like heat assaulted them.
Beyond lay a sea of magma—yet unlike ordinary magma, this was dark red, as though stained with blood.
Su Qian's heart pounded as he watched Goku stride calmly across the molten waves, his figure unbothered, almost ethereal. His mastery over space is incredible… to move as though the magma doesn't even exist. Truly worthy of the title: the continent's strongest.
A deep, muffled boom reverberated suddenly, like something straining to emerge from its prison.
"What's happening?" Su Qian muttered anxiously. But seeing Goku remain utterly composed steadied his nerves. As long as he's here, the Fallen Heart Flame cannot run rampant.
Boom. The sound came again, stronger.
Another five minutes passed—Boom! Then three minutes—Boom! Each time, the pulse quickened, its rhythm now eerily in sync with a heartbeat.
The magma roared. Winds howled across the molten sea, raising colossal waves of fire that crashed down like mountains, the cavern shaking with the sound of collapsing earth.
"This energy…!" Su Qian's face paled. The surging magma threatened to sweep him away. Only his strength kept him from being overwhelmed.
"Lord Goku! What is happening?"
"It senses danger," Goku said calmly, still descending deeper. "It's gathering power to shatter the seal."
Su Qian clenched his fists. "So it's been preparing all along… This seal won't last much longer. Lord Goku, the safety of every student in the Academy depends on you. Please—you must stop the Fallen Heart Flame."
"That's exactly why I came." Goku's smile was faint but confident. His gaze pierced the molten depths. "At last… I've found you, Fallen Heart Flame."
The magma exploded. A colossal shape burst free: a translucent serpent of fire, its head the size of a small house, its body seemingly endless. Flames of no tangible form writhed across its scales as it let out a piercing shriek, a sound sharp enough to burst an ordinary Dou Spirit's heart.
The magma ocean erupted as if bombs had been detonated within it, torrents of flame surging wildly.
The serpent's blazing pupils locked onto Su Qian. For an instant, the elder felt as though his entire being had been stripped bare. Recognition flickered in those bestial eyes—an old enemy. Power surged around its body, violent enough to make Su Qian's blood run cold.
But instead of striking him, the Fallen Heart Flame cast a wary glance at Goku. With another shriek, it launched skyward, a storm of flame in its wake. Its titanic form shot upward like a bolt of fire, heading straight for the barrier.
"No! It's trying to break free! Lord Goku, stop it!" Su Qian shouted desperately, forming hand seals as his voice thundered across the entire Academy:
"All elders, seal off the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower! All students, evacuate within a hundred meters immediately!"
The command boomed across the skies, silencing the Inner Academy.
Meanwhile, outside, Goku's companions barely glanced at the tower. Saeko and the others simply went back to reading, sparring, or chatting as though nothing had happened. With Goku inside, what disaster could possibly unfold?
Inside the tower, magma surged violently. With a deafening crash, it slammed against the glowing barrier. Cracks spread like spiderwebs until—Snap!—the first seal shattered.
"One layer's gone!" Su Qian's face blanched.
"Lord Goku, stop it quickly!"
"Why panic?" Goku's eyes narrowed. "It won't escape while I'm here."
In an instant, he vanished, reappearing directly above the serpent's head.
The beast roared, its flaming maw opening wide, seeking to devour him whole.
Goku scoffed, his fist flashing forward.
The air itself detonated. The serpent's head exploded in a storm of fire, magma waves rising like tsunamis. The cavern shook as though the heavens were collapsing.
Su Qian was instantly swallowed by the waves, carried away by the raging tide.
Goku's casual strike carried a sliver of his destructive intent. The impact sent magma erupting like nuclear fire, tearing through the lowest levels of the tower. Floors shattered, magma flooding upward like a crimson deluge.
From outside, students watched in horror as the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower trembled, fire and smoke spewing skyward.
Within the chaos, the serpent's head regenerated at terrifying speed. It hissed in terror, its eyes flickering with fear as it glanced at Goku—then shot upward, fleeing through the broken barrier in a desperate attempt to escape.
Boom!
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T/N:
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