Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower
The moment Liu Xi stepped into the familiar darkness of the passage, a wisp of faintly transparent flame—colorless, formless, without trace—suddenly manifested within his body.
At once, the Green Lotus Core Flame residing in his Dou Qi vortex roared to life. The azure fire surged outward, surrounding that transparent flame and devouring it whole.
After completely consuming the wisp, the Green Lotus Core Flame flared brighter, emanating waves of agitation—tinged with both fear and desire.
Liu Xi had to divert part of his focus to pacify it, murmuring softly, "You feel it too, don't you… the aura of the Fallen Heart Flame."
Unlike Xiao Yan, Liu Xi's Green Lotus Core Flame retained its original essence. Upon sensing another Heavenly Flame's presence, its instinct was to react violently—not because Liu Xi's control was weaker, but because its nature compelled it.
Once the flame calmed, Liu Xi steadied his breath and continued deeper into the tower.
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A chuckle greeted him as he entered the first floor.
"Well, well, no wonder those noisy brats are behaving for once—it's our Inner Academy's famous 'Demon Lord'!"
At the end of the dim corridor stood an elder in grey robes, eyes gleaming with mirth.
Liu Xi cupped his hands politely. "Elder Liu, it's been a while. How have you been?"
He quickened his pace and fell in step beside the elder as they walked through the vast stone hall.
"Hahaha," Elder Liu laughed heartily, wrinkles deepening around his kind eyes. "You've really caused a stir this time. Word is, you found and refined a Heavenly Flame and became a 6th Tier Alchemist. You know, our Inner Academy owes its prestige entirely to… ah, forget it. Anyway, even that fiery old coot in the Outer Academy only reached 5th Tier."
When the topic of the Heavenly Flame came up, Elder Liu seemed to hesitate, as if holding back something unspoken. He changed the subject, sighing in admiration instead.
Liu Xi smiled modestly. "It's all due to the Heavenly Flame's power. In terms of alchemy experience, Elder Huo still surpasses me."
They chatted as they reached the stairway leading to the second floor. Elder Liu nodded. "You know the way well enough. I still have to stand guard here, so I'll leave you to it."
"Understood. Farewell, Elder Liu."
---
Liu Xi's destination was a private cultivation chamber on the sixth floor of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Each floor he passed, the stationed elders greeted him with warmth and respect—such was the prestige of a 6th Tier Alchemist.
Sixth Floor — Chamber No. 1
"Elder Wang," Liu Xi said with a grin, "I'll begin my cultivation here. We'll talk again next time."
Elder Wang nodded with mild reluctance. "Very well. If you need anything, come find me." Then he departed.
The elders' true duty here wasn't simple supervision—it was to monitor the internal fluctuations of the flames within the tower. The entire Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower had been built to suppress the Fallen Heart Flame sealed beneath it.
After centuries of imprisonment, the Fallen Heart Flame had grown increasingly violent. Every few years, it would attempt to break free, causing large-scale eruptions that required Grand Elder Su Qian and the gathered elders to reinforce the seals.
Elder Wang's station on the sixth floor was dangerously close to the flame's true body; his post was one of the most critical in the tower. It was only because of Liu Xi's visit that he had shown himself today.
Once the elder left, Liu Xi turned toward the black iron gate leading down to the seventh floor.
The moment he arrived on the sixth floor, the Green Lotus Core Flame within him had begun to stir wildly—its instinct screaming to clash and devour its kindred Heavenly Flame. Without Liu Xi's steady will suppressing it, the two flames might already be locked in battle.
A faint red mist swirled in the chamber, the surrounding energy unusually active.
"So, the Fallen Heart Flame senses you too…" Liu Xi thought grimly. "This isn't the time for distractions. I should focus on cultivation first."
Drawing a deep breath of the heat-filled air, Liu Xi stepped into his chamber.
From his storage ring, he retrieved a purple Fire Crystal Card and slid it into the slot. Then, he summoned the Green Lotus Platform.
Immediately, the crimson mist in the chamber surged toward it, condensing into thick waves of fiery energy.
He sat cross-legged upon the lotus, swallowed a Earth Fire Lotus Seed, and instantly, violent fire energy poured into his meridians, making his skin flush scarlet.
Gritting his teeth, Liu Xi managed a faint smile. "This feeling… it's been too long since I felt my body bursting with raw energy."
Without delay, he formed hand seals and began circulating the Nine Nether Ghost Flame Technique, refining the raging fire energy into Dou Qi.
In his inner vision, the energy followed the meridian paths, completing a full cycle before transforming into Dou Qi. Purified further by the Heavenly Flame, it became extraordinarily condensed—his Dou Qi rising rapidly in both volume and purity.
Time slipped away unnoticed.
---
At some unknown point, Liu Xi's consciousness seemed to enter a molten world—an endless ocean of crimson magma radiating overwhelming destruction.
From within the molten sea, a massive invisible serpent of flame emerged, thick as a tree trunk yet of unknown length. Its body twisted with distortion, its fangs glinting coldly like blades. Twin triangular eyes burned with formless fire that gushed from them in violent bursts.
"SSSSHHHHH—!"
The beast roared, shaking the molten realm as it rammed again and again against the sky. Yet five meters above its head, the very air rippled like liquid—the structure of space itself had been forged into an invisible cage.
No matter how fiercely the flame serpent struck or how its inferno surged, the prison remained intact, unmoved.
Its fury grew boundless. Waves of invisible fire poured from its mouth, flooding the confined world—but the cage stood firm.
Then, as if suddenly aware of being watched, the serpent froze. Its head twisted violently, and its blazing eyes locked directly on Liu Xi's spiritual presence.
In that instant, a wave of monstrous, hateful will crashed into him, engulfing his soul. His vision blurred; the molten world began to distort and fade.
Bang!
He jolted awake atop the lotus, eyes wide with alarm, chest heaving.
"Such killing intent…" Liu Xi muttered, still shaken. "I've never felt anything like that before. Is it because of the Green Lotus Core Flame?"
His gaze deepened. "Fallen Heart Flame—formless, colorless, invisible to the eye, revealed only through the heart's perception. Truly terrifying… I need a way to strike directly at the soul, or next time…"
He exhaled slowly, firelight dancing across his eyes. "...I might not wake up."
(End of Chapter)
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