Chapter 173: Fire Qi Comparable to Heavenly Flames
"Pfft!"
With a mouthful of blood spewing out, Han Xian's face turned ashen as he was blown back, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Standing at the same spot, Xiao Yuan casually flicked his hand and asked with a hint of confusion, "That's it?"
He had already expected Han Xian, as an alchemist, to be weaker in combat, but not to this extent. This was just pathetic.
"Damn it! All of you, get him!"
Unable to continue fighting due to the conflicting cold and heat raging inside his body, Han Xian could only grit his teeth and roar.
Hearing this, the members of the Medicine Gang charged forward.
However, in terms of real combat ability, the Medicine Gang fell short of even the Bai Gang. Though they might be slightly more influential overall, their actual strength was lacking.
The Medicine Gang's advantage lay in their network and influence as alchemists, not in combat strength. Unlike veterans like Yao Lao or Xiao Yan, these alchemists lacked experience and heavenly flames to back them up.
Moreover, aside from Han Xian, the gang had no other high-level Dou Qi experts. Thus, when Xiao Yuan unleashed the remaining Dou Qi within him and summoned his Glacial Dragon, the fight ended with unexpected ease.
After collecting another round of fire crystal cards and making a hefty profit, Xiao Yuan prepared to leave with Atai and the others.
"Xiao Yuan! Today's disgrace will be paid back in full another day!"
Han Xian finally recovered enough to stand and shout after them.
"You don't have what it takes."
Xiao Yuan retorted mockingly without even turning around, leading the others away.
The journey back went smoothly, and when Xiao Yuan and his group returned to the freshmen base, they were greeted with thunderous cheers.
"Xiao Yuan-senpai, you're amazing!"
Listening to the chorus of praise, Xiao Yuan smiled and raised his hand, motioning for silence.
"Everyone, I'll keep this short. Starting today, we're officially forming a freshman-only faction—Lionheart Society! I've already retrieved double your Fire Energy. Now, go to Atai, replenish your cards to thirty days, and follow me to the Blazing Qi Refinement Tower!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the crowd erupted.
"Thirty days of Fire Energy?!"
"Holy crap!"
"Xiao Yuan-senpai is my idol for life!"
"I'm Xiao Yuan-senpai's loyal dog!"
…???
After the celebration, Lionheart Society was finally established.
The freshmen had already selected those willing and confident enough to handle management roles. After a quick round of assignments, the group set off for the tower in grand fashion, led by Xiao Yuan.
As for guarding the base?
Xiao Yuan hadn't even considered it. Without him, no one could hold it. But without him leading, the others might as well be toys for the seniors.
And really, if someone did come to steal from them… he'd just take it all back. As long as the Academy elders didn't intervene, he'd do as he pleased.
After all, during his fights, he had sensed the presence of an elder—Elder Su, the one who welcomed them to the Inner Academy. Yet Su hadn't shown himself once, which made Xiao Yuan a bit curious.
But after beating the Bai Gang, Xiao Yuan started to understand—it seemed the Academy was giving him special treatment.
He was a connection guy… and the connection was himself?
As for why the elders weren't interfering, it was likely due to his now-unique status.
The elders didn't know why the Grand Elder was showing such favor to Xiao Yuan, but they respected his judgment. Since he vouched for Xiao Yuan, they followed suit.
Somewhere distant, a pair of aged eyes silently observed Xiao Yuan.
"He possesses a Heavenly Flame, two power-boosting secret arts—none of which belong to the Dean. This Xiao Yuan… is no ordinary student."
Su Qian furrowed his brow and muttered to himself.
Even before Xiao Yuan left the Outer Academy, the Second and Third Elders had urged Su Qian to keep an eye on him. Though they didn't elaborate, Su Qian had taken the advice to heart.
When Xiao Yuan defeated Luo Hou, Su Qian was stunned—and then received a rare message from the Dean.
The Dean had asked him to focus on cultivating Xiao Yuan and had even inquired about his background.
So from the very start of today, Su Qian had been watching.
And during the battles… Su Qian had been thoroughly shocked. If someone told him Xiao Yuan was the Dean's illegitimate son, he might actually believe it.
What kind of small clan could produce someone like this? His Dou Qi reserves even seemed to surpass Su Qian's own middle-tier Earth-ranked techniques.
There was no way Xiao Yuan had reached this level without a mentor. But that mentor wasn't the Dean—the man had long since washed his hands of direct involvement.
This only deepened the mystery.
Su Qian couldn't fathom who could've trained someone like Xiao Yuan. The only logical possibility was that his teacher hailed from Central Plains.
Central Plains...
When thinking of powerful ice attribute users, there was the Frozen River Valley. For wielders of Heavenly Flames? Blazing Flame Valley came to mind.
Both factions were guarded by Dou Zun-level experts and had deep roots—raising someone like Xiao Yuan would be entirely possible.
But why would those two collaborate to train one person?
A mysterious youth indeed.
After much pondering, Su Qian gave up and returned to quietly observing.
Thanks to his prior scouting, Xiao Yuan easily led the horde of freshmen toward the Blazing Qi Refinement Tower.
Soon, the sight of the tower buried deep in the ground filled the new students with awe.
Because they'd arrived late, the tower was already open. Under Xiao Yuan's lead, they entered one after another.
The moment they stepped inside, the light dimmed—and Xiao Yuan felt solid ground beneath his feet.
But just as he exhaled in relief, his face turned a deep crimson, and wisps of white steam began rising from his body like sizzling meat.
Atai and the others were in the same state—flushed faces, steaming skin.
Frozen in place, they were confused and alarmed. Older students entering behind them smirked when they saw what was happening.
"Must be the new freshmen. Entering the tower unprepared... they deserve what's coming."
"Go get an elder—without help, they'll be roasted alive from the inside out."
Xiao Yuan and the others, of course, couldn't hear the seniors' snide remarks. They were too busy dealing with the terrifying sensation building inside them.
"This must be Heart Flame…"
Xiao Yuan's spiritual sense scanned inward and spotted an eerie flame hovering at his heart's center.
It was formless and invisible—had he not known of Fallen Heart Flame, he wouldn't have even recognized it as fire.
It was weak, yet deadly. The human heart was the body's most vulnerable point—even Dou Huang wouldn't allow foreign energy near it.
The heat radiating from this wisp of fire was already causing his meridians, bones, and muscles to sting—early signs of internal burns. If this continued, they'd be ruined—and he would be crippled.
But for some reason, Xiao Yuan felt a strange sense of familiarity and affinity with it, which puzzled him.
Regardless, he decided to contain it first.
Summoning his Yin-Yang Dual Flame, he channeled it through his meridians and encircled the strange wisp of flame.
With the dual flame isolating it, the terrifying heat was finally cut off—and he relaxed.
A fragment of the Fallen Heart Flame…
Xiao Yuan frowned, then a scroll in his soul space unfurled, and information surged into his mind.
"Born of the Five Elements, formed into the Six Qi—Lesser Yin Monarch Fire, Lesser Yang Aspect Fire…"
Wait… what?
As the knowledge settled in, Xiao Yuan's eyes widened.
According to the scroll, the human body harbored six elemental Qi types—two of which were fire-related. Once cultivated, these could become like personal spiritual treasures—except stronger.
These weren't just flames—they grew with the user's strength and could rival actual Heavenly Flames.
In other words, it was like he was custom-built to wield an alternate version of a Heavenly Flame!
This was good stuff.
His heart trembled with excitement.
Adding these two new fire Qi types to his existing Yin-Yang Dual Flame gave him three powerful flames—perfect for fully cultivating the Threefold Flame Transformations.
But to awaken these internal Qi types, his five energy cores had to be fully refined—meaning he needed to reach the Dou Wang realm first.
And to shape these into usable flames, rare heavenly treasures were required—though Fallen Heart Flame energy would suffice for now.
Motivated, Xiao Yuan made a bold move.
He retracted the dual flame, exposing his body once more to the searing presence of the Heart Flame fragment.
Pain surged anew—but he endured.
With a thought, his Blackwater Qi Core trembled, sending out a stream of black Dou Qi that raced through his meridians and struck directly at the mysterious flame.
Boom!
The black Dou Qi pierced through the flame—and out the other side.
(END CHAPTER)
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