The shock gradually faded from the crowd, replaced by feverish excitement. Faces flushed red, students clenched their fists, hearts racing as they ro areared their cheers. The fight before them was the kind that stirred blood and soul alike—so much so that some even felt the reckless urge to join in.
But reason restrained them. They knew very well: stepping into that battlefield would mean instant death. All they could do was shout until their throats grew raw.
Yet, even under Goku's brutal assault, the Fallen Heart Flame had not been truly destroyed. Its colossal serpent body was torn and dimmed, its light flickering weakly—but this was only its manifested spirit body. Its core essence had not yet been harmed. The flames rippled, and in the blink of an eye, its shattered head regenerated. Its wounds sealed as though nothing had happened.
The serpent's cold eyes glimmered with fear as they flicked toward Goku. Then, its gaze swept the surroundings—and suddenly fixed upon a single target.
With a hiss, the serpent's massive body twisted and launched forward like a bolt of fire. Its destination: the courtyard where Goku's companions resided. Its eyes locked not on Saeko or Yuriko, but on one girl in particular—Xun'er.
---
In the blink of an eye, the fiery serpent appeared before Xun'er. Its enormous, translucent head loomed overhead, cold eyes shining with greed.
It wasn't lusting after her beauty. No—the Fallen Heart Flame hungered for the Heavenly Flame burning within her body: Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame.
It knew it could never escape Goku. But if it could devour another Heavenly Flame… it might evolve, might gain the strength to break free. That faint hope drove its desperation.
The crowd gasped in horror, hearts seizing as the serpent's massive maw opened wide to swallow her whole.
"Xun'er, watch out!"
Goku's companions cried out. In their panic, they summoned what strength they could. Though they had no time to use complex techniques, their fists blazed with Dou Qi as they hurled themselves toward the monster.
They looked like moths flying into a flame—ready to sacrifice themselves. But then—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their fists struck like thunder. The fragile-seeming blows erupted with shocking power, hammering the serpent's head so hard its body reeled backward, writhing in pain.
The students watching were dumbstruck. How? They're only at the level of Great Battle Masters—how can their strikes shake something even a Dou Emperor couldn't withstand?!
The answer was simple. These women had all undergone Goku's divine baptism. Their power far surpassed what their "rank" suggested. To the Fallen Heart Flame, they were no helpless prey—but threats that could actually wound it.
Enraged, the serpent unleashed a wave of devastating heat. The air warped as an inferno burst outward, blasting the women back. Even with their strengthened bodies, they coughed blood from the impact—but their defenses held. The crowd could scarcely believe it.
The serpent's eyes returned to Xun'er, narrowing with savage delight. It lunged, mouth yawning wide, intent on devouring her flame.
Xun'er's beautiful face hardened. "Don't underestimate me!" she shouted, golden fire flaring from her eyes. Her hands flashed through seals, and her body erupted in dazzling golden flame. A tidal wave of the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame surged forward.
The serpent's eyes gleamed—not with fear, but with joy. It inhaled sharply, swallowing the golden fire whole. For a moment, golden patterns flared along its body. Then, with visible strain, it forced the invading flame down. The Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame was powerful—fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking—but even so, the Fallen Heart Flame managed to suppress it.
Xun'er had expected this. Her strike was never meant to destroy it. It was a diversion, a push to send her flying back and gain distance. But the serpent was faster. In an instant, its head loomed over her again, its blazing maw engulfing her fragile figure.
Her face paled. She struggled, but the oppressive heat pressed down on her until her body refused to move. "Am I… going to die here?" she whispered bitterly, eyes closing.
Then, warmth.
Her waist tightened, pulled against a broad chest. She opened her eyes, stunned, to see Goku's face above her—angry, fierce, and utterly protective.
"You dare target my woman?!" His voice rumbled like thunder. "I was going to toy with you a bit longer… but forget it. Die now."
Xun'er's cheeks flushed crimson. Yet in his arms, all her fear dissolved. With him, she was safe—always safe.
The serpent snapped its jaws shut, flames roaring to consume them both.
"Stupid beast," Goku scoffed. "A little intelligence, but still just a beast."
Holding Xun'er close, he shot upward like a cannonball. His body slammed through the serpent's spirit form, tearing a massive hole through its head.
The serpent shrieked in agony.
Goku raised his hand. Invisible energy erupted from his palm. The serpent's colossal body melted away like snow under the sun.
When it dissolved completely, only a strange flame remained, floating quietly in the sky. It was formless yet palpable, shimmering like a living spirit.
The Fallen Heart Flame's true body.
---
As the serpent vanished, the blazing heat faded. The air cooled, but no one paid it any mind. All eyes were locked on the flame that lingered where the beast had been.
A half-meter-wide cluster of fire, shifting like a spirit, glowing faintly with strange life.
"An… Heavenly Flame?" someone whispered.
"It's the Fallen Heart Flame!" gasped another.
"Ranked fourteenth!"
Excitement erupted instantly. To cultivators, Heavenly Flames were treasures beyond measure. And this one, with its ability to refine energy and accelerate cultivation, was even more desirable.
Greed shone in countless eyes. But none dared move. Everyone knew who the flame belonged to. That figure in the sky—calm, absolute, holding Xun'er in his arms—was its true master.
Goku descended slowly. Under the awed gazes of thousands, he stretched out his hand.
"Is he… is he trying to take it barehanded?!"
"Impossible! A Heavenly Flame will burn anyone to ashes—"
"Impossible for you, maybe. But for him?"
The flame darted as if to flee, streaking away at the last instant. But Goku's hand was already there, waiting. As though by fate, the flame flew straight into his palm.
Shock spread across every face. To seize a Heavenly Flame barehanded—what kind of monstrous body must he possess?!
Goku smirked, balancing the flickering flame in his palm. "Another one for the collection. With this, your training speed will multiply," he said softly, glancing at Xun'er in his arms.
Her blush deepened. To be held in front of everyone left her flustered, but she forced her gaze to the flame. "So this is the Fallen Heart Flame… it's beautiful."
"When you're ready, I'll help you refine it."
Her golden eyes lit up at once. "Really?!" She had long wanted to try fusing more flames.
But their quiet moment was shattered.
A black streak shot across the sky, landing before Elder Su Qian. A guard dropped to one knee, voice urgent.
"Grand Elder! Bad news. The experts from the Black-Corner Region have taken advantage of the chaos—they've broken into the Inner Academy!"
"What?" Su Qian's brows furrowed. "So fast? Did they sense the Heavenly Flame's awakening?"
His question was answered a heartbeat later. Ten figures streaked across the horizon, their auras immense. Some flew with Dou Qi wings, others walked the air itself. Their power was undeniable. Even the weakest among them was a Dou King.
The leader's eyes gleamed with greed as he spotted the flame in Goku's hand.
"So it's true," he said. "The Inner Academy hides a Heavenly Flame."
___
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