Medusa sneered, her Dou Zong aura enveloping the area as she said expressionlessly, "Hu Gan, I didn't complain to you, yet you're interrogating me. This terrifying energy surge is unstoppable by anyone below the Dou Zong level. Even Elder Su Qian could only protect himself if he entered it! Do you think I have the strength to retrieve that damn strange fire? Besides, I just saved twenty-seven disciples from your academy, but my men have vanished without a trace."
Medusa unleashed her full power as a Dou Zong, and no one dared to utter a word. Moreover, she had just protected dozens of students, all of whom were elites from Canaan Academy in recent years; the death of even one of them would be a tremendous loss.
Within the underground magma, Jiang Liuwu's head points skyward, flames overflowing from every pore, distorting even the surrounding space. The Fallen Heart Flame burns not only the body, but also the mind and soul.
Just as Elder Su Qian was suppressing the lava, Jiang Liu roared at the sky above, and a torrent of energy suddenly spewed out of his mouth, sweeping towards the exit at the top of the tower.
The flames raged again, and to everyone else, the most direct result was that the seemingly extremely sturdy, colorful energy shield on the tower only lasted for less than ten seconds before bursting open under the increasingly terrifying and violent energy!
"This is bad! Everyone, join forces to suppress it!"
With a roar, Hu Gan unleashed the full power of everyone's fighting spirit. As the energy shield of the tower shattered, endless crimson magma surged forth from the depths of the cave.
Amidst everyone's horrified gazes, it pierced through the constraints of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower and appeared beneath the blue sky.
A dozen or so Dou Huang powerhouses joined forces to block the flow of lava, barely managing to protect the academy, while all the lava was swept into a valley to one side.
"roar!"
Deep, rumbling sounds, like angry thunder, echoed from within the tower, as if a colossal beast lurked within. In an instant, the tower trembled once more.
Suddenly, a figure rushed out of the tower, his white robes tattered and his hair singed. Elder Su Qian, breathing heavily, shook his head and said, "The Heavenly Flame Refining Tower is destroyed… Medusa, let's join forces and seal the Fallen Heart Flame back. Canaan Academy will be grateful for your kindness today and will repay you handsomely in the future!"
"Elder, why don't we ask Elders Qianbai to make a move?"
"There's no reason to ask those two old folks to help with such a trivial matter. Besides, they're not people we can easily persuade. Canaan Academy isn't facing a life-or-death situation yet..."
Medusa's eyes flashed with a sharp light as she said, "Very well, I want to see him alive or dead. He's trapped inside, but with my secret treasure protecting him, he might be alright..."
With that, he and Su Qian walked into the cave filled with overflowing lava. And the scorching lava erupted from the deep cave again, the intense heat burning everything in its path.
"Fallen Heart Flame! In the end, it is just an invisible and formless heart fire! This fire is not for killing enemies, but for resisting the invasion of heavenly demons. With this fire, ordinary heavenly demons cannot do anything to me. Cultivators fear heavenly demons from beyond the realm the most. Having obtained this supernatural power, let it be called the Demon-Burning Heart Flame!"
"Next target, Ocean Heart Flame!"
With this thought in mind, Jiang Liu transformed into a flame, carrying towering magma that shot into the sky, volcanic lava rising straight into the heavens. Thick smoke could be seen throughout the entire Black Corner Region, and Jiang Liu, using the magma and flames, had already escaped on his sword.
The Canaan Academy was left with a mess. The lava was gradually calmed down by Medusa and Su Qian, two Dou Zong, but the hearts of everyone in the Canaan Academy were not at peace.
The Fallen Heartflame has disappeared!
They vanished without a trace, leaving no trace.
Seven days later, Jiang Liu met Medusa again in the Black Corner Region. This time, however, he appeared in his true form. The one who appeared in front of the teachers and students of Canaan Academy before was just a disguise!
"Congratulations, Abbot, your strength has greatly improved once again."
Jiang Liu looked at Medusa, a pure white flame burning quietly between his fingers, and as it swayed slightly, Medusa's heart involuntarily swayed and burned along with it.
Medusa's pupils reflected the flames as she said, "This is the Fallen Heart Flame? It actually requires melee control to suppress the heart fire. In battle, this will be a surprising move!"
"No, you're wrong. This fire isn't for attack, but for aiding cultivation. Canaan Academy only used a portion of its power when it built the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower. You should have heard of its reputation as a cultivation cheat. If you can still endure the burning pain of that day, I will use this fire to help you reach an even higher level!"
"The pain of being burned alive? What is there to fear!" Medusa chuckled and was about to take off her clothes again.
Jiang Liu shook his head and said, "No need to take off your clothes. This time, it will be your soul that is burned. The Heart Fire is formless and shapeless, not an ordinary flame. In my hands, it has infinite uses. Come here..."
He grasped a ball of flame in his palm and pressed it against Medusa's chest. With a slight pressure, his five fingers sank in.
The fire instantly entered his heart and, under Jiang Liu's control, spread to his mind.
The burning sensation, the sea of consciousness, was far more agonizing than any physical torment. In just three seconds, Medusa's forehead was covered in sweat, and after ten breaths, her back was completely soaked.
After being tempered by the inner fire, Medusa felt that her strength was about to break through to the three-star level, and she became more and more awe-inspiring towards Jiang Liu.
Chapter 154 Sea Heart Flame
Black Corner Region, Maple City!
Located outside the sprawling mountains within the inner courtyard of Canaan Academy, the city is small but complete, and holds considerable influence in the Black Corner Region.
Maple leaves in Maple City!
It's the "Feng" in Han Feng's name!
Ranked third on the Black List, he is known as the Medicine King, a sixth-grade alchemist, a peak Dou Huang, and has already stepped into the Dou Zong realm. He is Yao Chen's eldest disciple, a fellow disciple of the protagonist Xiao Yan, but also the one who killed Yao Chen, a traitor. More importantly, he possesses the Sea Heart Flame, ranked fifteenth among the strange flames!
A sixth-grade alchemist, on par with the Pill King Gu He. Gu He is hailed as the number one alchemist in the Gamma Empire, while Han Feng is the emperor of alchemists in the Black Corner Region! As the number one alchemist in the Black Corner Region, Han Feng, who has long been a sixth-grade alchemist, holds a very high position in the hearts of many forces and even powerful figures.
Of course, a sixth-grade alchemist is quite rare, even on the entire continent. Even ordinary Dou Huang or Dou Zong experts would have to be polite to him when they meet him. After all, everyone knows how much influence a sixth-grade alchemist has!
But such alchemists didn't interest Jiang Liu much. Medusa obtained three pills from Gu He: two sixth-grade Dou Ling pills and one seventh-grade Hua Xing pill.
Transformation pills do have some use, but in the Journey to the West world, few demons would consume such pills. Transformation is an essential path for all demons' cultivation; while important, the insights gained during the transformation process are even more crucial.
A Transformation Pill, if lacking the insights gained along the way and taking shortcuts, will inevitably prevent one from reaching a higher level.
The Rank 6 Dou Ling Pill is a type of pill that even Dou Wang level experts would envy. Its effect is simple yet highly coveted: it can instantly raise a Dou Wang level expert's star level by one!
Is it precious? Perhaps it is precious to cultivators on the Dou Qi Continent, but it's worthless in Jiang Liu's hands. First, he doesn't cultivate Dou Qi; second, the strength gained through pills is unreliable and easily leads to bottlenecks!
Moreover, there are three levels of alchemy: superior, middle, and inferior. Jiang Liu obtained the middle level of the "Dan Ding Liu" (丹鼎流) Dao, using his own physical body as a cauldron to refine all things in the world into pills. He would not care about this alchemy path, which is not even as good as the inferior alchemy path.
Within Maple City lies a serene and tranquil bamboo forest, stretching for miles, offering a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle. However, this bamboo forest is a forbidden area for Maple City and even the Black Corner Region. The Medicine Emperor Han Feng cherishes stillness, for only in quiet can one refine the finest pills. Therefore, this bamboo forest is heavily guarded; ordinary people are not even allowed to enter, and even approaching a certain distance will result in indiscriminate attacks. Every year, many are killed by the bamboo forest guards for this reason. Thus, although it is a secluded place, it remains a forbidden zone in the hearts of many in Maple City.
The wind rustles through the bamboo tips, creating a soft, whispering sound. The bamboo forest surges like ocean waves. Looking down from the sky, its lush green color resembles jade, and even the air is filled with a faint fragrance of bamboo.
Deep in the bamboo forest, there is a simple bamboo house.
Inside the bamboo building, in a rather tall bamboo room by the window, a man sat cross-legged, dressed in an alchemist's robe. On the back of the robe was an exquisitely crafted character "枫" (Feng). At this moment, the man was engrossed in a prescription in his hand, looking completely focused and undistracted.
Suddenly, the man, engrossed in the prescription, abruptly raised his head, his gaze sharp as an arrow, fixed on the bamboo tips directly in front of him. Cold and fierce, like an eagle, but even more like a wolf.
"When did they arrive? I didn't even notice!"
Although his heart was filled with turmoil, his handsome face did not show much of it. He only frowned slightly and pursed his thin lips tightly.
"Who are you two? What brings you to my Maple City?"
Han Feng put down the prescription in his hand, slightly hesitant, and his palm trembled slightly involuntarily. He felt that a battle might be unavoidable today.
Jiang Liu looked coldly at Han Feng and said, "I've come to borrow something from you today!"
"What is it? If I, Han Feng, have it, I can lend it to you!"
"I'll borrow your head for a bit!"
"Are you courting death..." Han Feng's eyes narrowed, and an unnamed fire surged from his heart. In an instant, a deep blue flame, like clear lake water, covered every part of his skin, eventually enveloping his entire body.
"It's the Heart of the Sea Flame!" Medusa stared at the deep blue flame, itching to try it out.
The flames were a deep blue color, looking like a pool of clear lake water flowing, but the intense heat radiating from them clearly told everyone that this was not a pool of water, but a flame.
A flame that flows like water.
Moreover, it is certain that this strange fire cannot be extinguished with ordinary water; it can burn even on the deep seabed.
“Different flames are different, with vastly different abilities. The Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame is violent and has destructive explosive power, while the Fallen Heart Flame refines the bones and strengthens the body. Heart Flame is also a wonderful thing to resist inner demons…” As he spoke, a blue lotus bloomed between Jiang Liu’s fingers and then transformed into an invisible and colorless flame.
"Strange Flames? And two of them at that?"
Han Feng was startled. Deep blue flames surged on his body like ocean waves, just like the raging storm in his heart.
Before he could react, Jiang Liu moved and appeared in front of him, pressing down with a palm from the sky with a thunderous boom.
Even though he was in the Black Corner Region, Han Feng's combat awareness was not weak. He immediately raised one arm to parry Jiang Liu's palm strike, the "Shock Technique." With his other hand, he struck towards Jiang Liu's lower abdomen, unleashing a torrent of Sea Heart Flame.
Bang!
Blood gushed out!
Han Feng's bones shattered instantly, a series of explosions like firecrackers. Jiang Liu's "Shock Technique" pressed down! Han Feng's body was crushed, all his bones broke, blood gushed from his seven orifices, and under the explosive pressure of the palm force, all his life force was extinguished!
With a casual inhale, flip, and toss, Han Feng's body floated up like a goose feather and landed in front of Medusa!
In an instant, Han Feng, a peak Douhuang, was shattered, thrown into the air, and died.
In Jiang Liu's hand, however, a deep blue, wave-like flame called the Sea Heart Flame appeared.
He swallowed it in one gulp, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. Only a dozen seconds had passed when he opened his eyes again.
Han Feng's guards reacted quickly and attacked, including many powerful warriors at the Dou Wang level.
"Medusa, you don't need to make a move. How about I try out the new skill I've learned?"
"Fireflies devour souls!"
In an instant, a large number of light spots surged from Jiang Liu's palm, like countless fireflies covering the sky, and then flew towards the enemies!
Upon contact, the fireflies exploded violently, and the fighting spirit could not withstand them at all. They adhered to the skin and could not be extinguished even by swatting.
Instantly, screams erupted. The fireflies not only burned but also invaded the mind, attacking both body and soul simultaneously, a sight that even the most powerful warriors could not withstand.
Chapter 155 The Terrified Protector Wu
The destructive explosive power of the "Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame," the inextinguishable adhesion of the "Sea Core Flame," and the ability of the "Fallen Heart Flame" to burn the mind—these three combined create the formidable destructive power of "Firefly Devouring Souls."
It is invincible, and anyone who touches it will die. Even the King of Fighters was burned to ashes under the attack of "Firefly Soul Devouring"!
Jiang Liu waved his hand, and the yellow-green will-o'-the-wisps flew up again, instantly shooting into the darkness of the bamboo forest.
"Now that you're here, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Jiang Liu spoke softly, but his words carried like thunder in the darkness.
Under the moonlight, fireflies flickered, and within those fireflies, a cloud of black mist was revealed.
"Heh heh, I never expected such a powerful figure to appear in the Black Corner Region. Han Feng's death was well-deserved." A piercing, eerie laugh echoed from within the black mist. The ever-expanding black mist gradually coalesced into a human figure, which addressed Jiang Liu, saying, "Soul Palace Protector, Wu Ying, did you try to stop me?"
"The Soul Palace?" Jiang Liu's eyes lit up.
Seeing Jiang Liu hesitate, Protector Wu Yingwu seemed to reveal a faint smile on his hazy face: "Although you are strong, you are only at the Dou Zun realm. In my Soul Palace, there are dozens of Venerables and many Dou Sheng. Don't make a mistake!"
"Battle Venerable? He's made a mistake."
Jiang Liu is all alone and is least afraid of threats. Even if he is in a life-or-death situation, he can still open the portal to return to the Journey to the West world and will care about what he says.
Moreover, Xiao Yan was able to destroy the Soul Palace, slay the Soul Emperor, become a Dou Di, and break through the void to enter the Great Thousand World. Jiang Liu boasted that his opportunities and talents were no weaker than those of Xiao Yan, the chosen one of the planes, and he also had the great cheat code of "the one who escaped," so naturally he was not afraid of the Soul Palace, the largest force on the Dou Qi Continent.
"Since you are a protector of the Soul Hall, you must know many of the secrets of the Soul Hall! I want to go to the Central Continent, and you have delivered yourself to my doorstep. How can I refuse?"