"Yes, it's you. I'm asking you, is Queen Medusa really in the main hall?" Although the woman with the ponytail was talking to Jiang Liu, her eyes were looking towards the main hall.
"It's inside!"
"Really? Is Queen Medusa beautiful? She must be very beautiful; I've heard of her alluring reputation for a long time. I heard she's reached the Dou Zong realm and has shed her snake tail. What a pity, the snake tail was even more tempting... Oh dear! It's a pity I already have Xun'er!"
The woman in red withdrew her gaze and then looked Jiang Liu up and down.
"You're not very good-looking either!"
Jiang Liu was speechless. Looking at the crazy girl's ponytail, he muttered to himself, "Could she be a lesbian?"
"Hey! How did you capture Queen Medusa's heart? Tell me, don't be shy, after all, he's the Queen's lover, others would love to have him!"
After he finished speaking, Jiang Liu felt as if a flock of crows were flying around overhead.
"Hu Jia, what are you doing here?"
At this moment, Medusa and the others came out of the hall, and the one who spoke was an old man with white hair and beard.
"Grandpa! Elder, elders... Your Majesty the Queen!" Although he was bowing to the elders, his mischievous eyes never left Medusa.
"What are you still standing there for?"
“Vice Dean, it’s not a secret. Since Hu Jia is here, just listen,” said Elder Su Qian.
The white-haired old man was the vice-principal of Canaan Academy, and the girl in red lace was his granddaughter, Hu Jia. She was a rare beauty, but what was most captivating was her background: the vice-principal of Canaan Academy, a position of immense power, no less prestigious than some of the top-tier forces on the continent. Moreover, due to Canaan Academy's special status, even some powerful Dou Zong cultivators dared not be too arrogant in front of Hu Jia's grandfather, Hu Gan. After all, even disregarding the countless powerful individuals who had graduated from Canaan Academy, the academy's sheer power was enough to deter even the most formidable forces from acting recklessly.
Everyone at Canaan Academy knows that whoever wins over Hu Jia will not only have her in their arms, but will also save themselves at least ten years of hard work! Few doubt this, after all, Hu Jia's grandfather, as the vice-dean of Canaan Academy, wields such influence!
Unfortunately, the man was in love but the woman was not. The young woman not only had a fiery temper but was also a lesbian.
"So you're Jiang Liu, the one who's going to cultivate at the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower?" Vice Dean Hu Gan looked Jiang Liu up and down, but didn't find anything unusual.
"It is indeed I," Jiang Liu said, feigning a cautious demeanor.
"I'll test your skills, you don't mind, do you?" Although it was a question, he had already made his move. Hu Gan grabbed him with one palm, and Jiang Liu watched helplessly as the palm landed in front of his chest, and a stream of fighting energy instantly entered his body.
Jiang Liu controlled the vital energy within his body, and after a few breaths, he withdrew his fighting spirit.
"What rare and precious herbs did you consume to become so powerful? You've already mastered Qi Refining. You can stay in the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower for seven days, but with your strength, the first and second levels are enough. Are you sure you want to go to the bottom level? It's very dangerous there."
Just as Jiang Liu was about to speak, Medusa spoke first, saying, "There's no need for the Dean to worry about that. I have a rare treasure that can naturally ensure his safety! If he really encounters danger inside the tower, it's because his strength is insufficient, and you can't blame him."
"Alright, Hu Jia, take him to the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower. Today is the weekly opening day, and his access level is the highest, purple! Explain the taboos to him along the way, and then have the elders inside the tower protect him..."
As he spoke, the vice dean handed Jiang Liu a purple crystal card.
"Okay, Grandpa!" As she led Jiang Liu away, the woman with the ponytail secretly gave Jiang Liu a thumbs up.
Along the way, the woman with the ponytail kept chattering and asking questions. She barely mentioned the taboos of entering the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, but she did ask a lot of questions about Medusa.
Those who could enter the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower were all top disciples of the academy. They secretly guessed why Hu Jia had brought a man, but no one came over to ask.
It is said that Medusa has come to the academy in person, and the man she is leading is of mediocre strength. He seems to be her male concubine, and they slept in the same room last night.
On the surface, he seemed very unperturbed, but deep down he was secretly feeling sour.
Secondly, the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower is about to open, and the cultivation sites within the tower vary in quality, making the competition extremely fierce.
What appeared in Jiang Liu's line of sight was a sunken terrain, on which dozens of students from the academy stood or sat. And deep within that sunken area was an extremely large black tower, buried deep underground, with only a section of its spire and a pitch-black entrance visible above the ground.
This is the "Heavenly Flame Refining Tower"!
Jiang Liu's gaze swept carefully over the tower that rose above the ground, and he suddenly frowned. He noticed that the space around the tower seemed to be slightly distorted and wrinkled. This situation was undoubtedly due to the setting up of a defensive array that distorted space.
"This is a spatial formation? Canaan Academy is indeed not to be underestimated."
The girl with the ponytail said a few words to the academy instructor leading the group, then greeted Jiang Liu and told him to follow the instructor before hurriedly leaving.
Just as Jiang Liu was pondering the spatial array, a deafening bell rang out in his ears, and the already quiet crowd became even quieter as the bell rang.
"Open the tower!"
As the bell tolled, an aged voice echoed from inside the tower.
Shortly after the aged voice faded, the tightly closed, pitch-black door creaked open slowly, releasing a faint, intense heat that slightly raised the temperature of the area.
"Go into the tower!"
The aged voice rang out again, and then everyone who was sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed on the open space suddenly opened their eyes and stood up. With a whooshing sound, a series of figures shot towards the tower gate.
"Come with me! Hu Jia asked me to lead you into the tower. This is the vice dean's arrangement, but you are not a member of my academy, so it's best not to cause trouble inside the tower."
The mentor who spoke to Jiang Liu was a middle-aged man. After he finished speaking, he walked towards the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower.
"Fallen Heart Flame! Here I come!" Jiang Liu smiled slightly and stepped into the intense heat that was hitting him.
Chapter 152 The Fallen Heart Flame
Heavenly Flame Refining Tower!
Like all the other students, Jiang Liu found a spot and sat cross-legged to meditate. After introspecting, he discovered a strange, inexplicable flame within his body, formless and shapeless, arising from his heart.
The moment this invisible flame appeared in his body, it was devoured by the "Burning Heaven Flame Sun Cauldron Body". If Jiang Liu's perception of his body had not reached a certain level, he would have found it difficult to perceive this subtle change.
"Heart Flame! Formless and shapeless, fueled by the mind and spirit, originating from the sea of consciousness within the heart, it is truly wondrous and boundless. These reflected heart flames alone are of immense benefit to cultivation. With this extraordinary flame, Canaan Academy is as if it possesses a blessed land! No wonder so many restrictions have been set up and so many people are monitoring it."
Just as Jiang Liu was calmly cultivating in the "Heavenly Flame Refining Tower," in the academy's secret chamber, the Grand Elder Su Qian frowned: "I have a feeling something's not right. Medusa's intentions are definitely not to improve the strength of any male concubines!"
Vice Dean Hu Gan tapped his fingers rhythmically on the chair and said, "You mean she's eyeing the Fallen Heart Flame?"
Another elder said, "How is that possible? Not to mention that there are many elders monitoring the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, even with all the various restrictions, it's impossible for us to enter the lava at the bottom of the tower without our knowledge. Moreover, how could a strange fire be so easily subdued? Even if it's sealed, the Fallen Heart Flame erupts every few years. If we can't resist it, what strength does that kid have to be able to spy on a strange fire?"
Vice Dean Hu Gan paused, then said, "It's hard to say about her strength. Her physical body is comparable to a magical beast. As for her battle qi? She's probably at the Dou Shi level. It's better to be careful. Medusa is not easy to deal with, but we are not afraid."
"Could it be that she's a magical beast in human form, like Zi Yan?"
...
With the purple crystal card in hand, Jiang Liu could move freely within the tower. However, he wasn't in a hurry, and it wasn't until the third day that he reached the bottom level from the first floor. Below that was the base of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower.
The base of the tower is a key area of the academy, heavily guarded. It is a key area, not a forbidden area, as some people also come down here to cultivate. A dimly lit passage winds its way down, and Jiang Liu strolls along. Almost every few minutes, a guard stands like a statue, wearing specially made armor that can withstand the burning of inner fire.
The space at the bottom of the tower is extremely spacious. Because this place is close to the body of the Fallen Heart Flame, if one's strength is insufficient, a slight mistake could lead to self-immolation by the heart flame. Therefore, few people come here to cultivate. At first glance, it feels empty.
The base of the tower wasn't deserted either. Near the center, a little girl, about twelve or thirteen years old, with purple hair, sat cross-legged. Seeing someone approach, she glanced curiously at Jiang Liu before continuing her cultivation with her eyes closed.
Jiang Liu looked around and saw a huge hole in the center, dark and bottomless. Looking up, he saw another huge hole at the top of the nearly 100-meter-high ceiling, pointing precisely into the deep hole below. Each floor of the Heavenly Burning Qi Tower had such a hole, and these holes were all connected to each other, leading directly to the ground.
As one gets closer to the black hole at the center, the energy emanating from the heart flame becomes increasingly palpable.
The Heart Flame contained in the final level of this tower is naturally incomparable to those in the upper levels. Although dangerous, it offers immense benefits for cultivation. The Fallen Heart Flame is known as a cultivation cheat code, and that's no exaggeration.
"How come I've never seen you before?" the little girl suddenly said.
Jiang Liu was looking at the cave entrance, pondering how to retrieve the Fallen Heart Flame, when he casually replied, "I'm a guest of the academy. You're not human, are you?"
"Not human? How am I not human?" The little girl wrinkled her pretty nose, waved her little fist fiercely at Jiang Liu, and said, "My name is Zi Yan, given to me by the Grand Elder. But those guys in the inner courtyard are terrified of me. They call me the Brute King behind my back. Humph, no one has ever said I'm not human, even though I really am not. You must be quite strong to be here. It's so boring here, why don't you play with me..."
Instantly, those two small fists swung towards Jiang Liu, a fierce wind howled, a violent aura rushed towards him, and invisible fist shadows shot out.
Jiang Liu's eyes darted around, and several fists struck his chest, leaving clear fist marks on his clothes.
His body retreated further and further, his foot slipped, and he plummeted straight down into the black hole.
In this critical moment, no one reacted in time, not even the mentor who had been monitoring Jiang Liu was stunned.
"Zi Yan, how could you be so reckless!"
The little girl twirled her fingers and said with a wry smile, "How was I supposed to know he was so weak? Anyone who can get down here must at least be a Dou Ling (Double Spirit) level expert. He... I'll go down and save him!"
He then turned to jump.
The male instructor grabbed him, his forehead covered in sweat, and said angrily, "Stop fooling around! It's dangerous down there. Let's wait for the Grand Elder to come and save him! If we go down now, we won't be able to save him, and we'll lose our own lives. Remember, he accidentally fell. It has nothing to do with you. Remember that!"
"One should take responsibility for one's own actions; what I did, I did..."
"If I say it has nothing to do with you, then it's not true, silly girl..."
The river, however, plunged straight down, and what met the eye was not the deep black of what one had imagined, but rather a dark red, like congealed blood. Moreover, there was a visible layer of energy that enveloped the entire cave, manifesting countless mysterious patterns.
Sensing that he was about to reach the very bottom of the "Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower," he grinned maliciously and threw a punch downwards.
The power of an entire province struck the seal with unparalleled ferocity.
With a loud "boom," not only was the seal broken, but the earth's crust also began to crack.
In an instant, dark red magma surged from the ground, and after a few breaths, it began to rush towards the top of the tower like a volcanic eruption.
A sea of lava, a dark red world.
Sensing the location of the strange fire, Jiang Liu activated the "Burning Heaven Flame Sun Cauldron Body" to protect himself, and like a fish falling into a lake, he rushed towards the direction of the Fallen Heart Flame.
The Fallen Heart Flame had already acquired a trace of sentience. Sensing the danger, it conjured a fire serpent and immediately fled into the ground. From an invisible flame, through countless years of accumulation and condensation, it had evolved into its current form. The wonders of nature are truly breathtaking.
But this sealed place was a cage for the Fallen Heart Flame. Even if it tried to escape, where could it go? In the end, it could only be blocked by Jiang Liu at the bottom of the volcanic lava.
Seeing that it could not escape its fate of being captured, the Fallen Heart Flame began to fight back. Even with Jiang Liu's current strength, he felt a surge of restlessness within him, as if it wanted to burn him to ashes from the inside out.
This is the work of the Fallen Heart Flame, a flame that originates from the human heart and is extremely strange.
"Hmph! With your current abilities, you can't even provoke the inner demons within me. Just let me devour you!" With that, he reached out his palm to grab the Fallen Heart Flame.
Chapter 153 Burning Demon Heart Flame
Her palm was crystal clear, like black ice, and she held the Fallen Heart Flame in one hand. The invisible fire kept changing shape, trying to escape her control, but it was bound by the chilling aura and finally turned into a round bead that emitted a fluorescent glow.
The magma, now free of the Fallen Heart Flame, gradually calmed down. Jiang Liu looked up at the receding flames and magma, swallowed the strange fire in one gulp, and then, with a surge of energy, transformed into a human torch.
"Burning Heaven Sun! Let me see if it can truly scorch the heavens!"
In an instant, the earth's fiery energy surged violently once more.
"boom!"
The outer perimeter of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower was already filled with academy elders. Even the Vice Dean, Hu Gan, a peak Dou Huang, dared not venture deep into the area amidst such intense flames and magma. Only the Grand Elder, a three-star Dou Zong, could withstand the burning flames and entered the tower alone to suppress the strange fire that had been devoured by Jiang Liu. Just as everyone was filled with dread, a layer of colorful energy shield suddenly appeared at the entrance. However, the moment the energy shield materialized, a burst of blood-red heat surged upwards like lightning, finally colliding with the tower with a deafening roar!
"Why did the Fallen Heart Flame erupt prematurely? And its power... is twice as strong as usual!"
Hu Gan gritted his teeth, staring at the endless flames surging from the bottom of the tower. He turned to Medusa not far away and shouted sternly, "Medusa, what is the reason for this? Why did the Fallen Heart Flame erupt when your people entered? If you don't explain yourself, you won't leave Canaan Academy!"