At the doorway, Liu Xi watched Zi Yan's retreating figure disappear into the distance. Thinking of their exaggerated "sworn siblinghood" scene just moments earlier, he couldn't help but chuckle aloud.
"This," he said with amusement, "is the true temperament of a supreme magical beast—domineering, loyal, and full of righteous spirit."
Behind him, a soft, slightly exasperated voice drifted over.
"Young Master… it's one thing to fool me, but how could you bear to trick such a little girl?"
Liu Xi turned, meeting Xiao Yixian's clear gaze, and replied calmly, "How can you call it trickery when it's the bond between brothers?"
Xiao Yixian rolled her eyes in disbelief and, as she walked up to him, naturally linked her arm through his. "But seriously," she asked curiously, "Who is that little girl?"
"She's not human," Liu Xi said with a small smile, explaining Zi Yan's origins.
"So Zi Yan was that pitiful…" Xiao Yixian murmured softly, her expression tinged with sympathy.
---
The Next Day
Unlike Xiao Yixian, who could improve swiftly by refining poison, Liu Xi didn't possess such a physique. Returning to the Inner Academy, his purpose was simple—to use the Fallen Heart Flame to accelerate his cultivation.
He rose early and made his way toward the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Yet before he could enter, the sharp sound of an argument—and fists—caught his attention.
Bang!
Two groups were clashing, fighting for a better spot. The two leaders exchanged blows; one was clearly stronger, knocking the other flat in moments.
"Heh! Liu Qing, so what if you've got talent? In the Inner Academy, strength is what matters most! You're only a 1-Star Dou Ling—if you won't join our faction, then get lost!" the burly young man, Xu Yue, declared arrogantly.
Coughing, Liu Qing pushed himself up with the help of a companion, gripping his Cracking Mountain Spear. He glared at Xu Yue and roared, "Xu Yue! You've been here three years longer than I have, that's all! Give me one more year, and—!"
Xu Yue's expression twisted with irritation. Silver Dou Qi gleamed around his fist, hard and sharp as steel. "Tch! You dare threaten me? You've just made a big mistake!"
Before his punch could fall—
"The Demon Lord!" someone shouted suddenly.
The noise ceased instantly. Xu Yue froze mid-strike as every student turned toward the newcomer—Liu Xi.
Step by step, Liu Xi approached, his expression composed and calm. The students instinctively parted before him, forming a clear path all the way to the tower's gate. Respect gleamed in every eye.
Power ruled the Inner Academy—such was the natural order.
Reaching the front, Liu Xi cast a casual glance at Xu Yue, who now stood meekly with his head lowered. Liu Xi didn't bother speaking; his gaze slid instead to Liu Qing.
That determined, fiery look—Liu Xi recognized it. 'So this is the same Liu Qing who'll one day challenge Xiao Yan for dominance... he's already here, huh?'
He moved past them both to the foremost position, hands clasped behind his back, eyes fixed on the sunken pit ahead—the black spire that pierced upward from the earth: the sealed Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower that contained the Fallen Heart Flame.
Liu Qing's grudge was nothing to him; such squabbles were common in the Academy. Still, Xu Yue, shaken by Liu Xi's presence, didn't dare make another move. He only glared viciously at Liu Qing, drawing a finger across his neck before leading his group away.
Liu Qing gritted his teeth, humiliation burning in his chest, but he endured. Xu Yue was a 7-Star Dou Ling—three years ahead of him. There was no point in provoking him further.
---
A deep, resonant bell sounded across the grounds, its ancient tone silencing all noise.
"Open the tower!"
The voice that followed was old yet commanding. As it fell, the enormous black doors of the tower groaned open, spilling a wave of heat that swept across the courtyard.
Every student stood at once, eyes blazing with desire—yet no one dared move first.
Until Liu Xi did.
His figure flickered and vanished into the darkness within the tower.
Only then did the crowd surge forward like a flood released.
One man's presence alone could suppress an entire academy.
Liu Qing's eyes shone with awe and admiration. 'So this is what true dominance looks like!'
---
Elsewhere, a tall, refined figure—Lin Xiuya—stood quietly in the corner.
"Xiuya, hurry up! If you're too slow, we'll lose all the good spots!" his friend urged, shoving him forward.
Lin Xiuya smiled faintly, confident and poised. "Patience," he murmured. "Some prizes are worth waiting for."
Then Dou Qi surged beneath his feet, and his body blurred into a streak of cyan light that shot ahead of the others.
His friend's exasperated voice followed from behind. "You could've warned me before doing that! And what did you just say?"
"Nothing important," Lin Xiuya's voice drifted back, amused.
---
Another student whispered in awe, "He's incredible… even without a faction, just by himself, he commands fear throughout the Inner Academy. No one dares step into the Heavenly Flame Tower before him!"
"Ha! Lin Yan," a companion snorted. "Don't tell me you plan to copy the Demon Lord and wander solo? You already lost your Fire Energy yesterday!"
Lin Yan flushed, snapping back, "That wasn't robbery! It was just… me losing fair and square!"
---
Meanwhile, on another side of the tower, two women were conversing.
A lively girl in azure grinned mischievously at the silver-haired beauty beside her. "Sister Yue, with your looks, if you just smile at the Demon Lord, he'd be head over heels! If he became our brother-in-law, no one would dare bully us again!"
Han Yue's cool expression softened into mild exasperation. She lifted a jade-like finger and gently tapped the girl's forehead.
"Never rely on others, especially men," she said calmly. "If you like someone, train harder. Throwing yourself at them only makes you a plaything—cherished for a moment, discarded the next."
"I was only joking…" the younger girl mumbled, pouting.
(End of Chapter)
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