"How is this possible?" Feeling the terrifying energy erupting from Xiao Yan, the Earth Demon Old Ghost instinctively retreated several meters. Though he couldn't tell exactly what Dou Technique Xiao Yan had used, there was no doubt that the power it carried was enough to be fatal—even to someone like him.
"Gentle Wind Phantom Flame Slash!" Before the Earth Demon Old Ghost could even react, Xiao Yan's heavy ruler cleaved through the air, and a brilliant arc of ruler light, hundreds of meters long, shot toward him with blinding speed. The sheer force behind it caused even the old ghost to feel a moment of fear. He immediately dispersed his giant black ice sword and conjured hundreds of black ice mirrors, not to block the attack, but to buy time for his escape.
However, something unexpected happened. That awe-inspiring ruler light shattered upon striking the very first ice mirror.
This absurd turn of events made the Earth Demon Old Ghost freeze momentarily in confusion. But in that instant, the sound of air being torn apart came from behind. Xiao Yan had somehow appeared at his back, a brilliant energy imprint already formed on his palm.
"Mountain-Crushing Seal!"
The glowing seal struck squarely against the Earth Demon Old Ghost's chest. A thunderous explosion echoed through the air, and even with his strength as a seven-star Dou Zong, the old ghost was blasted backward, coughing blood. He hadn't expected the earlier flashy attack to be a feint—nor had he thought that this youth actually possessed such a powerful Dou Skill.
Despite the successful strike, Xiao Yan didn't follow up. Instead, he tossed a pill into his mouth and calmly stood still. With his current strength, casting a Mountain-Crushing Seal didn't expend much energy. In fact, if he had used the third seal of the Emperor's Imprint Art—Earth-Flipping Seal—the damage might have been enough to directly cripple the Earth Demon Old Ghost. But that wasn't his goal right now.
If he had activated the Three Mysterious Transformations of Heavenly Flame or employed some more devastating techniques from the start, he could have easily overwhelmed the old ghost. But he had held back—for one reason: to buy time. And now… that time had finally arrived.
Boom!
Just then, a tremendous roar echoed from nearby. Xiao Yan turned his gaze and saw the massive Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower begin to tremble violently. In front of countless shocked gazes, the tower's tip suddenly exploded, and a pillar of molten red lava erupted from the top like a geyser.
A massive formless flame python raised its head from the lava and released a shrill screech. As it shook its body, countless molten rocks splashed to the ground, igniting waves of flame. From afar, it looked like an entire sea of fire had been born.
"How… how could this be? The seal on the Fallen Heart Flame… was actually broken!" Su Qian, already heavily wounded below, stared in disbelief. He had checked the seal not long ago. Though the Fallen Heart Flame had indeed grown stronger in recent years, there was no way it could break the seal within four or five more years. So how could this be happening now?
'Fallen Heart Flame, huh…' Xiao Yan's brows arched slightly as he watched the massive flame serpent writhe in the air. This Heavenly Flame ranked even higher than the Sea Heart Flame he had refined earlier. Known for its miraculous effects in tempering the body, refining Dou Qi, and strengthening bones, it could even stimulate inner flame for faster cultivation—earning its reputation as a cheat-code for training.
Normally, with Jia Nan Academy's seal, the Fallen Heart Flame wouldn't have broken free for at least another four to five years. But now, due to someone's interference, it had erupted early. With Su Qian and Hu Qian both seriously injured, no one could maintain the seal anymore. The only option was to watch helplessly as the flame broke free.
"Ice Condensation Sword Art!"
As both sides were momentarily distracted by the shocking emergence of the Heavenly Flame, the Earth Demon Old Ghost seized the opportunity to strike. The pitch-black ice sword formed once more and shot toward Xiao Yan with lightning speed. This time, Xiao Yan didn't dodge as effortlessly as before. He appeared flustered, retreating rapidly to avoid the blade.
Even as he moved, he inwardly admired himself: 'My acting's not bad. If I were on Earth, I'd probably be holding an Oscar by now.'
As Xiao Yan drew the old ghost's attention, the man's figure flashed and rapidly performed a complex hand seal. Immediately, a storm of bloody, black-tinged cold air spread from his body. The frigid aura surged forth, condensing into a massive black cloud that enveloped the flame python entirely.
"Blood-Chilling Absolute Freeze Heaven!"
The Earth Demon Old Ghost truly lived up to his reputation as a seven-star Dou Zong. His ice-element Dou Qi was far more potent than Hai Bodong's. The frost he summoned now could even suppress a Heavenly Flame. Within the cloud, the flame serpent thrashed violently, but eventually, it froze into a block of solid ice.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan—still "pinned down" by the ice sword—smiled slightly. Finally, success.
In order to let the old ghost succeed, he had "added some extra ingredients" to the seal when sabotaging it—weakening the Fallen Heart Flame just enough for the old ghost to take it. From the moment he stepped into Jia Nan Academy, Xiao Yan had already deployed a secret soul clone into the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower. His real body, meanwhile, used the medicinal herb trade as a cover to buy time—waiting for the flame to erupt and the Earth Demon Old Ghost to strike.
As for how he had known the old ghost would try to steal the Heavenly Flame? That… was another story.
"Hahaha!" The Earth Demon Old Ghost laughed heartily, eyes gleaming. With another shift of his hand seal, the black cloud rapidly condensed into a fist-sized black crystal, hovering above his palm. Within the crystal, a faint, invisible flame flickered—the very source of the Fallen Heart Flame.
"Boy! I have important business to attend to, so I'll spare you this time! Next time we meet, I'll grind your bones to ash!" With the Heavenly Flame in hand, he gave Xiao Yan a cold smirk. Once he delivered it to the Hall of Souls, he would finally be able to break through to Dou Venerate. Then he'd return and bathe Jia Nan Academy in blood.
"You're not going anywhere!" Xiao Yan shouted and gave chase. But despite his speed, he couldn't quite catch up.
Still, he didn't stop. One figure pursued the other across the sky above Jia Nan Academy, gradually disappearing into the horizon. Below, Su Qian watched the two vanish with a bitter smile. To think that after all their efforts, the Fallen Heart Flame had still been stolen. Now, all they could do… was hope that Xiao Yan could bring it back.
(End of Chapter)
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