Chapter 175: Third Floor, Breaking Through to Dou Ling
"Hssss!"
The fire serpent was cloaked entirely in distorted flames. Its gaping maw revealed fangs as thick as Xiao Yuan's thigh, glowing with a warped energy. From its triangular eyes, endless waves of formless flame spewed out—a flame Xiao Yuan knew well, having suffered its scorching burn not long ago.
Of course, the faint flicker that had appeared within his heart paled in comparison to the serpent now before him. It was the difference between a firefly and a full moon. Judging by the sheer intensity of its body's flames, Xiao Yuan had no doubt: even a Dou Huang might be incinerated instantly if touched by this beast.
The fire serpent burst out from the depths of darkness with a deafening roar. However, just as it reached within five meters of the black pit's opening, the surrounding space suddenly warped. Thanks to his Heavenly Flame, Xiao Yuan could faintly perceive that the air had formed a strange spatial cage. When the flaming serpent slammed into this barrier, it rippled—but held.
Frustrated, the beast went berserk, spewing formless flame in a torrent to burn the cage down. Yet no matter how it raged, the spatial net didn't so much as flicker again.
After a long bout of futile struggle, the flame serpent let out a sky-piercing cry of rage and retreated back into the abyss.
As the serpent vanished, the warped space gradually stabilized and then faded entirely.
The ambient temperature dropped, and Elder Liu finally exhaled a long breath. Wiping the sweat from his palms, he muttered, "That was close. But why would it suddenly awaken...?"
Wait a second—where's the kid?
Startled, he glanced around and blinked in disbelief.
"Elder Liu, are you alright? What just happened?"
Xiao Yuan's voice rang out from behind him—over a hundred meters away.
"Xiao Yuan? You…" Elder Liu eyed the dried trails of water on the ground, frowning in confusion.
"I sensed danger and backed off early. Whatever that disturbance was, it felt serious," Xiao Yuan replied solemnly—blatant nonsense, spoken with an entirely serious face.
Elder Liu's tense expression eased. "That's good. Don't mention what you saw here to anyone. Normally students aren't allowed near this area. I was negligent today… Luckily I was the one on duty."
"Understood," Xiao Yuan said with a sheepish shrug. "I didn't really see anything anyway—just sensed the heat rising."
"Good. The less you know, the better. Don't come here again unless you want to get me in trouble."
Satisfied, Elder Liu nodded. "Now let's go. You're at the five-star Da Dou Shi level and have a Heavenly Flame. You should be safe from the tower's fire poison. I'll take you to the third floor. If it gets too much, come out immediately."
After a brief pause on the second floor, they arrived at the third.
"This is the third level. Which training room do you want?"
"If possible, I'd like the best one," Xiao Yuan said with a smile.
"You sure you can handle it?" Elder Liu frowned slightly.
"Don't worry, Elder Liu. With the Heavenly Flame guarding me, I can withstand it for as long as I need."
"Well, the fire poison's deadly to most, but it's nothing to a Heavenly Flame. Very well, follow me."
He led Xiao Yuan to an ordinary-looking training chamber near the center of the third floor.
"This is it. One last reminder: each level deeper costs an extra day's worth of Fire Energy per day. Don't run out during critical moments—it could be fatal."
"Understood. Thank you, Elder Liu."
Inside, the room was gently lit. At the center were five stone platforms arranged in a pentagon. Two were already occupied, so Xiao Yuan quietly approached one of the remaining ones.
At his entrance, the two cultivators opened their eyes, watching warily. When they saw he bore no faction emblem, they relaxed.
Ignoring their scrutiny, Xiao Yuan produced his green fire crystal card and slotted it into the groove before him.
"A Green Fire Crystal Card?" the other two blurted in unison, eyes flashing with surprise and greed.
Xiao Yuan's eyes narrowed.
"You'd best keep to your training. Unless you think you can beat a Dou Ling, in which case, feel free to try. Either way, your Fire Energy will end up mine."
As he spoke, the crystal card pulsed softly. Three days' worth of Fire Energy was deducted instantly.
Xiao Yuan ignored the gawking duo and entered a meditative state.
The room fell silent again, and after a moment's hesitation, the two resumed their own cultivation.
Within the quiet of his mind, only his steady heartbeat echoed. Here, Xiao Yuan could sense the overwhelming fire energy of the chamber—the perfect environment for cultivating fire-type Dou Techniques.
However, his current technique, Fire Origin Art, was only high-tier Xuan-level. While suitable for most Da Dou Shi, it was beginning to hold him back.
I'll have to pester Teacher for a better one.
He began circulating his technique.
"Fffhh…"
Suddenly, a faint, invisible flame appeared near his heart. The heat it emitted filled his insides with oppressive warmth.
But this time, he didn't resist.
Instead, he welcomed the torment, allowing the Fallen Heart Flame fragment to run wild.
The pain was intense. His organs and meridians burned—but as they did, they also strengthened.
Meanwhile, his Dou Qi surged through his meridians, entered the flame, and returned purified.
It was painful, but incredibly effective.
With this kind of support, Xiao Yuan no longer worried about the massive energy demands of his future breakthroughs.
But to permanently solve the problem… he'd need to do something about the actual Fallen Heart Flame.
…
In a bright, spacious chamber, over a dozen elders sat around a long table, the emblems on their chests marking them as high-ranking figures of the Inner Academy.
The atmosphere was heavy.
"It's getting unstable again…"
The cloaked elder at the head of the table broke the silence.
"The Fallen Heart Flame has become more violent. Its emotions are growing restless. If we're not careful, we'll face another catastrophic eruption."
The gathered elders wore grim expressions.
"Should we summon the Headmaster?"
"He's out traveling… and impossible to find."
Then the head elder turned to one corner. "Elder Liu. How's that boy with the Heavenly Flame?"
"He's on the third floor cultivating. Given his resistance to fire poison, I've granted him extra privileges as instructed."
"Elder Qing. What about the other boy?"
"Still on the second floor. Lucky brothers, both with Heavenly Flames."
The Head Elder sighed.
"If we face another flare-up, we might have to rely on those two. Don't underestimate Heavenly Flames. Such treasures are born of the world's will—they carry destructive power enough to rival anything."
"Yes, Grand Elder!"
…
After the meeting dispersed, Grand Elder Su Qian silently appeared on the third floor.
By now, Xiao Yuan had been cultivating for five days.
And he was on the brink.
For most, sensing the barrier to Dou Ling was one thing—but breaking through it was another.
But for Xiao Yuan?
There was no bottleneck.
As his Dou Qi surged to its peak, he pulled out the Gold Punishment Pill that Xiao Yan had refined and swallowed it.
At the same time, he activated a gold-attribute cultivation method from Yao Lao.
Golden light shimmered around him.
The two cultivators who had once shared the room had long fled—unable to withstand the flames.
He wasn't sure why no one else came in afterward.
But it suited him just fine.
Within his platinum energy core, golden energy surged in, transforming his Dou Qi with a metallic sheen. Even his internal organs and meridians began to glisten with golden light.
(END CHAPTER)
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