Chapter 176: The Restless Fallen Heart Flame
Inside the cave, strewn with rubble, the area was quite large, the ceiling rising over ten meters.
In the corner of the mountain wall, a large depression in the ground, covered with white hair, was surrounded by more large footprints than anywhere else. This must be the resting place of the Snow Demon Sky Ape.
Xiao Bai's eyes flickered as he glanced around, then shook his head. The Earth Core Tempering Milk wasn't there.
After carefully sensing the area for a moment, he reached the depression and, with a flick of his sleeve, brushed away the hair-covered area. A layer of mud and sand appeared beneath, a darker color than the surrounding area.
He extended his hand, and yellow lightning danced on it.
"Thunder! Break!"
A phantom giant palm emitting a yellow glow slammed down, landing on the mud and sand.
"Bang!"
A loud noise echoed through the cave, and the surrounding stone walls shook, sending bits of gravel tumbling down. The mud and sand in the depression surged, and a dark underground entrance came into view.
"Such a rich earth power!"
Feeling the earth-attributed ground energy gushing from the underground cavern below, Xiao Bai took a deep breath. His spleen instantly glowed brightly, and the Wu Earth Thunder continued to send a longing, urgent feeling.
Seeing this, Xiao Bai chuckled softly and leaped into the underground cavern, swiftly advancing along the winding underground passage below.
The tunnel was extremely dark, but this did not affect Xiao Bai in the slightest. His eyes, emitting a black and red hue, could clearly see the scene within.
After traveling through the winding tunnel for several minutes, an unusually conspicuous cave entrance with white light appeared ahead.
Standing at the entrance, Xiao Bai looked around and was stunned by the scene before him.
This was an underground world filled with stalactites. As far as the eye could see, milky white stalactites stretched endlessly, with no end in sight.
These stalactites hung upside down from the tops of the mountains, growing everywhere. The small ones were several meters long, and the largest ones were hundreds of meters long, looking like an upside-down stalactite forest.
Each stalactite, large and small, shone with a faint glow. Refraction through the crystals above, the multicolored light made the entire underground world shimmer with brilliance, a truly magnificent spectacle.
"What a beautiful underground world!"
Xiao Bai admired it for a moment before entering the stalactite forest, weaving through it continuously, heading in one direction.
He could sense that while this underground world was permeated with earth vein power everywhere, it was most concentrated in its very center.
"Don't worry! Once we get there, you can absorb it!" Xiao Bai suppressed the surging Wu Earth Thunder within him, his figure trailing long streaks of yellow lightning as he flashed by at lightning speed.
A moment later, a towering pillar appeared within Xiao Bai's sight.
This stalactite, connected to the summit of the mountain, drooped downward like a giant sword thrust upside down, nearly piercing the ground.
It was the largest stalactite Xiao Bai had ever seen, nearly two hundred meters tall and as thick as several men could hold together. A pure white light curled around it, making it look like a crystal pillar, shimmering and glittering.
It stood proudly like the king of the underground stalactites, receiving the homage of countless surrounding stalactites!
Standing beneath it, Xiao Bai seemed to be able to sense its vicissitudes of life, and could not help but marvel at the wonders of nature and the power of time.
For such a massive stalactite to form, it would have taken tens of thousands of years.
Shifting his gaze downward, where the tip of the stalactite was about to touch the ground, lay a massive bluestone, most of it buried underground.
In the center of the bluestone, beneath the tip of the stalactite, lay a small groove.
Within this bowl-sized groove, several inches deep, was a milky white liquid. Wisps of white mist swirled above it. Miraculously, this mist did not disperse, but simply drifted above the groove.
"As expected of a spiritual object with miraculous marrow-cleansing and bone-refining properties, even this diluted Earth Core Tempering Milk can have an impact on my current physique!"
Xiao Bai sniffed the white mist wafting above it and felt a sense of heaviness in his bones. Although the sensation was faint, almost an illusion, he was certain it was the effect of the Earth Core Tempering Milk.
"Begin!"
Xiao Bai waved his hand, and the milky white liquid in the groove transformed into a thin stream, pouring into his mouth.
Instantly, a deep rumble of thunder echoed within him, carrying a pleasant, subtle moaning quality.
Sitting cross-legged on the bluestone, Xiao Bai closed his eyes and formed hand seals. Wisps of lightning arced from his body, spreading outward along the ground.
One hundred meters.
Five hundred meters.
One thousand meters.
As the arcs continued to expand, Xiao Bai connected his mind with the Wu Earth Nether Thunder, and suddenly felt a powerful and majestic power flowing back through the arcs. A yellow light emanated from his body, emitting bursts of intense earthy-yellow light.
In an instant, Xiao Bai transformed into a stone figure carved from the essence of earth, his shrunken body slowly swelling.
The fire within him, enhanced by the wood element, and the water element, enhanced by the metal element, constantly clashed. Suddenly, sensing the earth element's exponential growth, they too, as if threatened, erupted!
Powerful devouring forces spread, continuously absorbing the energy of the other four elements.
Outside the cave, the little golden dragon was boasting to Zi Yan, spitting saliva all over his mouth. The little girl in white widened her eyes, almost forgetting to bite the fruit in her hand.
"Xiao Jin?!"
A crisp, elegant voice, tinged with uncertainty, echoed through the valley.
"Who's that? Can't you see I'm busy?" The little golden dragon turned his head impatiently, his voice terminating. His expression instantly changed, and he smiled warmly and flatteringly, "Ha, it's my young master!"
"My young master, Fairy Mistress, long time no see, I missed you so much!"
"How did you get so big?" Xun'er and Little Medical Fairy asked, stunned by the behemoth before them.
"Haha. My magical powers have greatly improved recently. How's it going? Amazing, aren't you?"
The little golden dragon glanced guiltily at Zi Yan, his eyes rolling as he extended a thick claw, boasting.
"Ugly, not cute at all!" Xun'er, seeing the little golden dragon's expression, couldn't help but notice that he was talking nonsense again. She curled her lips and said with disdain.
"..." The little golden dragon rolled his eyes, choking.
"Haha..." The Little Medical Fairy covered her mouth and chuckled, comforting him: "You're not as cute as before, but you're indeed much more majestic!"
"Isn't it? The Fairy Mistress has good taste! I'll take you for a ride later!" The little golden dragon smiled instantly, then glanced at Xun'er: "Unlike someone, who is like that unscrupulous master, always looking down on you!"
"Oh, right! Where's Brother Xiao Bai? Why can't I see him?" Xun'er asked, ignoring the little golden dragon's resentment.
She had just received word that some students had seen a golden dragon in the back mountains, and the rumor had spread like wildfire throughout the inner courtyard, so she and the Little Medical Fairy came looking for him.
"Yes! He's in that cave!" The little golden dragon pouted.
"Isn't he in seclusion in the Falling Thunder Valley? Why is he here?" Xun'er surveyed the valley, bewildered.
Did he kill the giant ape? And who was that little girl?
The little golden dragon was about to speak when the valley trembled, and countless ochre-colored arcs of lightning surged from the ground.
The arcs spread in all directions, instantly reaching the group.
"Damn! Our Lord has gone mad! Young Master, Fairy Mistress, come up quickly, I'll take you up!" The little golden dragon felt the power of the arcs. It could handle it alone, but there were two more people here!
Just as it was getting anxious, the rapidly expanding arcs of lightning surged in front of the group. As if sensing something, they circled around them and spread outward.
"Is this Brother Xiao Bai's lightning?" Xun'er muttered, observing the yellow-gray arcs surging on the ground.
Before they could comprehend what was happening on the ground, everyone looked up and saw countless energies rapidly converging in the air above the valley.
Suddenly, a small whirlwind condensed. A careful observation revealed a fusion of intense, scorching fire and gentle water within this vortex.
The whirlwind's influence continued to expand, with faint, eerie fluctuations spreading outward.
In the inner courtyard of Canaan Academy, at the bottom floor of the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower, behind a massive iron gate, a vast, dark hole appeared.
Eleven white-haired elders, sitting cross-legged around the hole, breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, the air rippled, and an elderly man with white hair and a white beard appeared in the void above the black hole. He spoke in a deep voice, "How's the seal?"
"You, the Great Elder, are suppressing this riot. We eleven people have spent three days repairing some of the seals that were previously broken by the impact. However..."
"After years of repairs, this underground seal is no longer strong. Perhaps in two or three years, it won't be able to contain it!"
An elder stood up and bowed with a weary expression.
Another elder, observing Su Qian's solemn expression, smiled and said, "Don't worry too much, Great Elder. Even if the first seal is unfortunately broken, the surface of the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower still retains the seal originally placed by the dean. It will be very difficult for the Fallen Heart Flame to escape!"
Su Qian frowned and scolded, "Don't underestimate the Fallen Heart Flame. This strange fire represents the ultimate and most violent destructive force in the universe. It has been continuously condensed over countless years, and the magma world below is its home turf. If it is provoked, the power it will unleash is truly terrifying!"
"If there is even the slightest mistake, the entire inner courtyard will be destroyed in an instant. Canaan Academy cannot afford such a price!"
Upon hearing this, some elders looked ashamed.
Indeed, if an accident really happened, they might be able to escape, but this huge academy and its students could not escape. If that happened, only the elders like them remained. Would it still be Canaan Academy?
"You are all resident elders of the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower. You must not slack off. Otherwise, we won't have a safe haven like the Inner Court!"
"We will follow the Great Elder's instructions!" the elders all bowed in unison.
Su Qian smiled with relief, his expression softening. He said gently, "Yes! Pay more attention. If there's any movement, signal immediately. I..."
Before he could finish his words, the underground space suddenly surged with heat. A fiery red light seeped in from nowhere, illuminating the entire dim space a crimson red.
His vision blurred slightly, and he took a deep breath, as if inhaling flames.
"Oh no! That beast has done it again!" An elder's face changed, and he exclaimed in alarm.
"What's going on? The Fallen Heart Flame just erupted, and now it's happening again?"
"Don't be confused. Maintain the seal with all your strength. Don't let it break through!"
As the elders' aura surged, a visible energy shield, like an inverted bowl, descended over the dark cave entrance.
The energy shield's surface was brimming with mysterious patterns, emitting an extremely violent wave. Ripples of powerful energy continuously spread out.
Atop the shield, Su Qian sat cross-legged in mid-air, his eyes narrowed.
As the powerful Dou Qi within him circulated, his consciousness enveloped the entire Tianfen Refining Qi Tower, sensing no subtle fluctuations.
Suddenly, Su Qian's head abruptly turned, his gaze seemingly piercing the void, towards the mountains behind Canaan Academy. There, a surge of immense energy was gathering.
"Who is it? Could the Fallen Heart Flame's unrest be connected to this?"
Sensing the surging water and fire energy, Su Qian's brow furrowed slightly, his eyes filled with worry. He muttered to himself, "I hope it's not aimed at the Fallen Heart Flame, otherwise..."
At this thought, his expression darkened. If someone had truly committed this deliberate act, then there would surely be several more bodies on the Undead Tree at Canaan Academy.
"Bang!"
A subtle sound, like the beating of a human heart, echoed quietly from beneath the cave entrance, causing those who heard it to leap with it.
Su Qian's brow furrowed, a thin layer of fluorescence coating his pupils as he gazed towards the black hole beneath the energy shield.
A slightly different scene began to emerge beneath the bottomless cavern: a vast ocean of magma.
Unlike the usual magma, this one was a dark red, as if mingled with endless amounts of blood, imbued with an eerie hue.
"Bang!"
Another heartbeat echoed, even louder than the previous one, and its impact on the human body even more intense. Many elders' faces crimsoned.
At this moment, the endless magma world, the dark red magma, suddenly began to churn violently, permeating it with waves of violent energy.
"Puff!"
The calm surface of the magma suddenly erupted in a ripple. Amidst a fiery red glow, a massive head, several feet tall and covered in magma, burst forth.
The vast energy rippled through, causing even the very space to tremble.
"Chi!"
The ethereal fire python, seemingly boundless within the magma, raised its massive head and let out a sharp hiss, a sound wave that would have shaken even ordinary Dou Lings, spreading rapidly.
The Fallen Heart Flame observed the energy shield above it, trapping it for countless years. It didn't immediately attack. Instead, it turned its head slightly, its fiery triangular eyes fixed on the shield, carefully sensing something.
It could sense that some of its radiant fire energy was being absorbed by another fire-attributed being.
And it had a feeling that absorbing that being would bring immense benefits to itself.
And that existence is right above this energy shield!
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(End of this chapter)