A deafening explosion shook the ground. From deep beneath the tower's foundations, a massive pillar of fire erupted skyward, blasting through the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower's spire.
From the torrent of flames, a colossal, translucent fire serpent emerged, its monstrous head rising slowly into the sky. The sight left every student gaping in stunned silence.
"Damn it! This tower's way too fragile! I swear, I didn't mean to do that…" Goku muttered awkwardly, scratching his head as he watched the serpent burst free and the tower crumble in ruins behind it.
---
Whooshing sounds split the air as figures shot out from the shattered tower. Elders and protectors alike appeared pale, shaken by the sudden catastrophe. The magma tide had surged upward, demolishing level after level of the tower. The sheer force of it had terrified them—but thanks to their strength, no lives had been lost. Even so, the memory of that destruction would haunt them.
"What happened? Didn't the Grand Elder and Lord Goku go down to seal the Fallen Heart Flame? Why is the tower destroyed and the flame loose?"
"No idea… they still haven't come out…"
"Could something have gone wrong?"
Anxious murmurs rippled through the gathered elders as they gazed upward at the enormous fire serpent. Its blazing aura scorched half the sky, and its very presence was overwhelming.
The serpent's cold, serpentine eyes swept across the sky. Everyone who met its gaze felt their bodies stiffen. Heavenly Flames—known as the most destructive forces in existence—truly possessed the power to burn the world itself. Only those legendary beings who had trained their Dou Qi to rival the heavens themselves could stand without trembling before such a creature.
"My god… what is that? A fire serpent? That thing was sealed inside the tower all along?"
"What terrifying power! Everyone, fall back—if it targets us, we're finished!"
Students scrambled to retreat, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the blazing tower, though their eyes never left the awe-inspiring sight.
Heavenly Flames were dangerous enough on their own—but one that had developed intelligence after countless years of confinement? Its savagery and wrath were beyond imagining.
And yet, instead of attacking, the Fallen Heart Flame merely cast a sweeping glance over the crowd. Then, with flames surging around its colossal body, it let out a piercing cry and shot away like a meteor.
"It's escaping!" the elders shouted in alarm.
At that moment, space rippled above. A figure emerged, charred black and robes tattered—Elder Su Qian. Though his appearance was miserable, his voice boomed with authority:
"All elders, form the array! That beast must not escape!"
The elders had no time to dwell on Su Qian's condition. They rushed forward, seals forming as they prepared to weave a sealing formation. But just as the array neared completion, the serpent unleashed a furious roar. Fireballs rained down like a meteor shower toward the students below.
"Damn it!" Su Qian's expression twisted. "Forget the beast—save the students first!"
With a mighty sweep of his arm, he summoned a massive barrier of Dou Qi, intercepting a portion of the fiery downpour. The other elders followed suit, pouring their energy into shields and defensive techniques.
But this was no ordinary fire—it was the flame of the Fallen Heart Flame itself. Even the elders struggled to withstand it. Some weaker ones suffered burns and injuries, though thankfully the students beneath them were spared.
Meanwhile, the serpent used the distraction to streak across the horizon.
"That… that's the Fallen Heart Flame?" Yuriko's eyes widened as she watched the fiery beast tear through the sky. "It looks incredible… this world is just too unreal. Even fire itself can evolve intelligence?"
"Tch! What's Goku doing? He actually let it escape?" Saya frowned.
"Probably a small mishap," Saeko said with a faint smile. "But with Goku here, do you really think it can get away?"
No sooner had the words left her lips than space rippled again. Goku appeared in the skies above, his voice laced with irritation.
"Tch. Me, making such a rookie mistake? If I let you escape right under my nose, wouldn't that be humiliating?"
He raised a single finger. Instantly, a spatial barrier shimmered into existence.
The fire serpent shrieked as it slammed into the invisible wall. The resulting explosion of sound and flame scorched the skies, setting the forest below ablaze, reducing homes to ash. But the barrier didn't ripple in the slightest. Instead, the serpent's massive body reeled, its head spinning as it plummeted from the air.
"Is he… really a freshman?" Lin Xiuya and the others stared at Goku's calm figure. The thought felt unreal. To conjure such a barrier casually—to toy with a Heavenly Flame as though it were nothing… even the Grand Elder couldn't achieve this. Was it truly possible for someone so young to surpass him?
Screams jolted them back to reality.
The serpent's fall had engulfed several nearby students in its flames. Their bodies ignited as the Fallen Heart Flame's essence invaded their organs. They collapsed, shrieking in agony.
Goku's brow furrowed. In a blur, he appeared beside them, waving a hand. A refreshing breeze swept over the students, snuffing out the ghostly flames both inside and out. Their bodies instantly cooled, the torment vanishing as if it had been nothing but a bad dream.
One of the girls, her voice soft with relief, let out a sigh that bordered on a moan.
Among the seven rescued, two were female. One of them in particular stood out—stunningly beautiful, her features cold and noble, silver hair cascading to her shoulders. Her silver robe had been burned through in several places, revealing glimpses of snow-white skin beneath. The contrast lent her an intoxicating allure.
Noticing Goku's gaze, both girls flushed scarlet, hurriedly covering themselves.
With a faint chuckle, Goku slipped off his outer coat and draped it over them. The women froze, stunned, before their eyes drifted back to his lean, muscular frame. Their faces only burned hotter.
"Careful!" the silver-haired girl—Han Yue—had just opened her mouth to thank him when her expression turned pale.
A flaming tail, blazing with murderous heat, came whipping toward the back of Goku's head!
"Oh? You still have the guts to try a sneak attack? Bold move."
Even before the serpent struck, Goku had already sensed its intent. With two fragile beauties and three wounded students behind him, dodging wasn't an option. If he avoided the strike, they would all be incinerated.
He spun, his hand lashing out to seize the massive flaming tail.
Boom!
The impact shook the earth, blasting a crater beneath his feet. Cracks spiderwebbed outward across the ground. But the shockwave didn't spread further—invisible barriers formed by Goku's will contained the blast, shielding the nearby students.
Goku glanced back at the group, his eyes calm.
"Leave now. With you here, I can't fight freely."
The girls blinked, stunned, then nodded hurriedly. Together with the male students, they retreated at once.
"Han… Han Yue… is that really a freshman?" one of the girls whispered as they fled, sneaking one last glance at the lone figure holding back the beast's tail with one hand.
"It seems so," Han Yue replied softly, her eyes lingering on Goku. A trace of awe flickered across her face. "At his age… to possess such strength… genius and monster aren't words strong enough. Let's go. A battle like this—just the aftermath would annihilate us."
Meanwhile, the fire serpent, its tail trapped, unleashed its fury. It had sensed Goku's strength from the very start. It had wanted to escape, but with its path blocked by the spatial barrier, flight was impossible. Now it revealed the savagery inherent to every Heavenly Flame.
It shrieked, unleashing waves of invisible fire that warped the very air.
Students far in the distance cried out as the unseen flames infiltrated their bodies, burning their organs from within. They collapsed, writhing in agony, their bodies spontaneously igniting.
"Damn beast!" Su Qian and the other elders cursed as they raced to save the suffering students.
Amidst the inferno, Goku stood unscathed. His godly body—honed beyond mortal limits—was untouchable by such heat. He tightened his grip on the tail.
"You're reckless, aren't you?" His voice was calm, almost mocking. Then he pulled.
Before countless stunned eyes, the serpent's enormous body was lifted like a whip. Goku spun it around himself, its form blurring into a blazing circle of fire.
The spectacle left the crowd in awe.
"What a terrifying man…" gasped several of the female students, their eyes glazed with infatuation as they watched his domineering figure.
Even the male students could not deny it—the sight stirred their blood.
'This… this is what it means to be strong.'
After several revolutions, Goku abruptly released his grip. The colossal serpent shot through the air like a flaming meteor.
Boom!
It crashed into the spatial barrier. Its head exploded in a storm of fire, raining flames across the sky like a meteor shower.
"So beautiful…" a girl whispered, entranced by the fiery spectacle.
But the serpent's massive body didn't stop. Crashing through the weakened barrier, it plummeted to the earth below. The impact was like a nuclear detonation—dust and stone billowed outward, leaving behind a crater hundreds of meters wide.
Thankfully, the students had already evacuated. No lives were lost—only buildings destroyed.
"Holy shit… that's way too brutal…"
"Damn! But… that was awesome!"
"I wish I could go in and kick it a couple of times too…"
___
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