Inner Academy, Elders' Pavilion
After hearing Lin Yuan's explanation, a look of astonishment flashed across Su Qian's face. He asked again in disbelief.
"So you're saying Xiao Yan is Venerable Yao's disciple, and Venerable Yao's remnant soul is currently residing within him?"
"That is correct," Lin Yuan nodded.
After a brief pause, he added,
"To be honest, Grand Elder, I've worked together with them before. The Poison Pill Method that solves the Woeful Poison Body was something I obtained through a trade with Venerable Yao."
"You cooperated with them?" Su Qian looked at Lin Yuan meaningfully before smiling. "Brat, it seems the experiences you gained during your years away were even more eventful than I imagined. As expected of Jia Nan Academy's greatest genius."
Hearing this, countless memories from the past three years flashed through Lin Yuan's mind.
He smiled faintly.
"Those years were indeed eventful."
After pondering for a moment, he made his decision.
He then told Su Qian everything that could safely be revealed, especially everything related to Xiao Yan and Yao Lao.
Rather than letting the Grand Elder be drawn into matters unknowingly, it was better for him to be prepared.
After finishing, Lin Yuan deliberately asked as though he knew nothing.
"Grand Elder, do you know what background the Xiao Clan truly possesses? Not only does the Young Lady of that clan bear the surname Xiao, but even the Hall of Souls is targeting what appears to be nothing more than a small clan with only a Dou Grandmaster."
After listening, surprise flashed across Su Qian's eyes.
So the Xiao Clan truly are descendants of that clan. That's rather unexpected.
After a moment of silence, he looked at Lin Yuan seriously.
"This matter concerns one of the Ancient Clans. Don't investigate it any further. Although Canaan Academy has ties with the Lei Clan, we do not involve ourselves in disputes between the Ancient Clans."
"Then what about Xiao Yan and Venerable Yao?" Lin Yuan asked.
"We'll handle them according to the Academy's rules."
A sharp glint flashed through Su Qian's eyes.
"Xiao Yan is a student of Jia Nan Academy. As long as he remains here, the Academy will protect him. That is one of our fundamental principles."
"And Venerable Yao?" Lin Yuan continued.
"Venerable Yao."
Su Qian thought for a moment.
"The Headmaster has a bit of friendship with him, and you've fought alongside him before. We might as well take this opportunity to strengthen the relationship between both sides."
Mentioning Yao Lao filled him with a sense of how much time had changed everything.
Su Qian had once accompanied Mang Tianchi and met Venerable Yao. Back then, however, he had merely been an insignificant nobody, someone Venerable Yao would never remember.
Yet only a few decades had passed, and circumstances had changed so drastically.
As the Grand Elder, Su Qian remained both perceptive and cautious.
"However, judging by Venerable Yao's usual conduct, the fact that he chose to bring his disciple to Jia Nan Academy and secretly remain within the Inner Academy suggests he isn't simply hiding here."
Lin Yuan smiled lightly.
"The Grand Elder truly sees through things."
He glanced toward the direction of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
"His objective should be..."
"The Fallen Heart Flame?" Su Qian immediately understood and sighed helplessly. "Just as you said before the secret has ultimately been exposed."
Soon afterward, however, confusion appeared on his face.
"That isn't right. Both he and Xiao Yan already possess Heavenly Flames. What purpose is there in gathering another one?"
The secret of the Flame Mantra is better left undisclosed, Lin Yuan thought.
He retrieved a pale scroll from his Storage Ring and handed it to Su Qian.
"Grand Elder, take a look at this. I obtained it from Venerable Yao. If my guess is correct, it is also related to his objective."
The scroll was precisely the one Lin Yuan had acquired from Yao Lao, the method for refining a perfect physical body.
Su Qian accepted the scroll and read it with interest.
A short while later, he closed it with surprise written across his face.
"So that's it..."
"Venerable Yao intends to gather Heavenly Flames in order to refine a new body and return to the world."
He suddenly looked at Lin Yuan, his eyes lighting up.
He had just remembered something.
Lin Yuan already possessed two Heavenly Flames.
Combined with the Fallen Heart Flame inside the tower and his extraordinary alchemy talent, it wouldn't be long before he alone would be capable of performing the resurrection method recorded in the scroll.
If that happened, wouldn't Jia Nan Academy's foundation become vastly stronger?
Thinking of this, delight appeared in Su Qian's eyes.
"As expected of a Heavenly Flame. To think it has such miraculous applications."
He looked steadily at Lin Yuan.
"Is this also one of the reasons you wish to subdue the Fallen Heart Flame and master multiple Heavenly Flames?"
"It is one of the reasons," Lin Yuan nodded.
"After all, this method has even more interesting applications. For example breaking through bottlenecks."
"Breaking through bottlenecks?" Su Qian asked in confusion.
"Exactly."
A profound light flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes.
"A person's essence, vitality, and soul all influence one another. The resurrection method recorded in this scroll merely uses the standard materials necessary for revival, but those materials are not irreplaceable."
"If, during the resurrection process, one were to use higher-grade materials,for example, the body of a Dou Venerate, an Eighth-Grade medicinal pill, or the essence blood of an Eighth-Rank Magical Beast, then the final result."
Lin Yuan intentionally left the sentence unfinished and simply looked meaningfully at Su Qian.
"Hiss..."
Su Qian inhaled sharply.
If that were truly possible, then physical death would no longer be the end for Jia Nan Academy's experts, it could instead become an opportunity.
Seeing Su Qian's shocked expression, Lin Yuan smiled faintly, his eyes carrying deep meaning.
When he had traded Yao Lao for this scroll, it had never been solely for Tian Huo Venerable.
He had obtained it as a contingency plan.
With this method in hand, even if unexpected events occurred in the future, he would still have a way to deal with them calmly.
For example, if the Little Fairy Doctor failed to condense her Poison Pill and her Woeful Poison Body erupted, Lin Yuan could extract her soul before reconstructing a new body and reviving her through this method.
After a long silence, Su Qian finally organized his thoughts.
When he looked at Lin Yuan again, he could no longer conceal the admiration in his eyes.
He was now completely convinced.
Lin Yuan was Jia Nan Academy's future.
As long as he continued growing, he would eventually elevate the Academy to heights that their generation had never even imagined.
And all Su Qian needed to do was protect him for a while.
No.
Perhaps he wouldn't even need protection anymore.
Recalling everything Lin Yuan had just described, Su Qian realized that the young man's strength was probably no weaker than his own.
Lin Yuan, Queen Medusa, and Venerable Yao had once joined forces to kill two Earth-Class Protectors of the Hall of Souls.
Even Su Qian doubted he could accomplish such a feat himself.
What a little monster. In just three years, he's grown to such an astonishing level, rivaling even the geniuses of the Ancient Clans.
At this point, all I can do is support him with everything I have.
With that thought, Su Qian returned the scroll and asked for Lin Yuan's opinion.
"Lin Yuan, what do you think we should do regarding Venerable Yao? You've interacted with him quite a bit, and the Fallen Heart Flame he has his eyes on also happens to be what you need."
"Cooperate while remaining vigilant," Lin Yuan answered without hesitation.
"Right now is Venerable Yao's lowest point. It's the perfect time to offer help when it's needed most. As long as we prevent him from seizing the Fallen Heart Flame, we can cooperate and trade with him. Not only will we earn his goodwill, but we can also use the opportunity to strengthen Jia Nan Academy's foundation."
"There are plenty of treasures in Venerable Yao's possession."
"Grand Elder, take a look at the good things I obtained from him yesterday."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan handed over two medicinal formulas.
"Oh?"
Su Qian accepted them and examined them carefully.
"A Seventh-Grade medicinal formula, Heavenly Fate Restoration Pill and Venerable Beginning Pill?"
He abruptly raised his head and stared fixedly at Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan nodded.
"I hope the Grand Elder can help gather the required medicinal ingredients so I can refine the Venerable Beginning Pill, Heavenly Fate Restoration Pill, and other Seventh-Grade medicinal pills. Although I possess quite a large collection of medicinal ingredients, I'm still missing several of the herbs required by these formulas."
"Venerable Beginning Pill,....Heavenly Fate Restoration Pill...."
Su Qian repeated softly as he fell into deep thought.
Immediately, Su Qian handed a token to Lin Yuan and said solemnly, "This is the spatial key to the academy's precious medicinal ingredient treasury. You can freely take any of the many rare medicinal ingredients inside. As long as you can refine the Venerable Beginning Pill as soon as possible!"
Lin Yuan accepted the token. Silver light flickered on its surface, countless runes covered it, and a strand of mysterious spatial power was sealed within.
The medicinal ingredient treasury of Jia Nan Academy was now in his hands.
He stored the token away, then cupped his hands toward Su Qian and said gratefully, "Thank you for your trust! Great Elder, rest assured, this matter will not take long. After I break through to Dou Ancestor, I will have a seventy percent chance of successfully refining the Venerable Beginning Pill and Heavenly Fate Restoration Pill."
"Old me believes in you. I will wait for your good news!" Su Qian stroked his beard and asked, "When do you plan to enter seclusion?"
"After dealing with Earth Demon Old Ghost, I will enter seclusion to break through." Lin Yuan rubbed his forehead and said solemnly, "With Earth Demon Old Ghost possibly attacking at any moment, I cannot enter seclusion with peace of mind."
Hearing the name Earth Demon Old Ghost, Su Qian's expression became more serious. The pressure brought by the former was clearly not small.
"The deaths of Fang Yan and the other two have probably already reached Earth Demon Old Ghost's ears."
"That old bastard is not only extremely protective of his own people, but he has always been hostile toward Jia Nan Academy. The continuous conflicts between Demon Flame Valley and us have his approval behind them. Now that the three great elders of Demon Flame Valley have all died by your hands, he will definitely use this as an excuse to seek revenge once he learns about it."
"Hehe!" Lin Yuan let out a cold laugh. "That is exactly what I want. I was worried that he would hide and refuse to come out, so let me add some fuel to the fire"
"What are you planning to do?" Su Qian stared at Lin Yuan.
"Lure that old bastard out, then kill him." A trace of killing intent flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes as he calmly said, "Compared to fighting on someone else's territory, I prefer to lure the snake out of its hole and make him come here to fight."
If the battle took place within Jia Nan Academy, then no matter how dangerous the situation became, Lin Yuan had a way to make the Elders provide support.
"Lure the snake out of its hole?" Su Qian looked at Lin Yuan with interest. This was the person he had chosen as the next Great Elder, so he asked, "Have you thought of a specific method?"
"It is very simple!" Lin Yuan nodded and smiled. "Please announce to the outside world that I was the one who killed Fang Yan and the other two. Tell Demon Flame Valley to prepare five Sixth-Grade pills within ten days and come to me to redeem the corpses of Fang Yan and the other two."
"If they fail to arrive before the deadline, the corpses of Fang Yan and the other two will remain permanently hanging on the Death Spirit Tree in Peace Town."
"Hiss…"
Su Qian sucked in a cold breath and looked at Lin Yuan solemnly. "By doing this, you are truly making yourself irreconcilable with him. That old fellow values his reputation greatly."
"It does not matter. I never intended to let him go anyway." Lin Yuan casually waved his hand and said indifferently, "If he comes, then that will be the best outcome. If he does not come, then I can only personally visit Demon Flame Valley, kill everyone, and destroy the sect…"
Since they had already become enemies, Lin Yuan did not mind making the first move and completely eliminating the threat to prevent future troubles.
Moreover, he had been eyeing the treasures of Demon Flame Valley for a long time.
A Seventh-Grade Magic Core, the matching Earth Class lightning-attributed cultivation technique and battle skill, and the refinement method of the Heavenly Demon Puppet were all valuable treasures.
Especially the refinement method of the Heavenly Demon Puppet. To Lin Yuan, its value was extremely high. After some time, he would begin refining Seventh-Grade pills. The Heavenly Demon Puppet could withstand Pill Lightning while also evolving through the power of Pill Lightning, making it an extremely useful weapon.
"I will ask one final question, Lin Yuan. Are you truly confident that you can deal with Earth Demon Old Ghost?" Su Qian asked seriously.
"Great Elder, rest assured. I have confidence." Lin Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied.
Seeing Lin Yuan's unwavering expression, Su Qian accepted his request. "Very well. I will arrange everything you mentioned. From now on, it will depend on you!"
"Thank you, Great Elder!"
After discussing for a while, Lin Yuan left the Elder Pavilion.
Several days later, a piece of news exploded throughout the entire Black-Corner Region.
The three great elders of Demon Flame Valley, led by Fang Yan, had all been killed by Jia Nan Academy Elder Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan demanded that Demon Flame Valley come and redeem their corpses with pills.
Upon hearing this news, the many factions within the Black-Corner Region were all shocked.
This was a blatant provocation.
Jia Nan Academy and Demon Flame Valley, the two true overlords of the Black-Corner Region, were finally going to clash head-on?
But why was Jia Nan Academy the one initiating it? Could it be that the legendary Dean of Jia Nan Academy had returned?
That old monster who had not appeared in the Black-Corner Region for many years, was he truly willing to act against Jia Nan Academy?
Everyone wanted to know. As two ancient factions with long inheritances, if they collided directly, who would emerge victorious?
At the same time, the unfamiliar name Lin Yuan spread throughout the entire Black-Corner Region at an astonishing speed.
Demon Flame Valley, one of the strongest factions in the Black-Corner Region, was located within a massive valley near a mineral vein in the northern region of the Black-Corner Region.
Outside the valley, deep-black Ink Steel Stones covered the area. This stone was extremely tough, and even Dou King powerhouses would find it difficult to shatter.
Inside the valley was a massive city no less impressive than Maple City, where a large number of outer members of Demon Flame Valley lived.
At the very center of the massive valley was a luxurious complex of buildings stretching for dozens of miles. This was the headquarters of Demon Flame Valley.
At this moment, inside a freezing grand hall deep within Demon Flame Valley, a conversation was taking place.
On a skeleton throne sat an old man with blood-red hair.
He wore a skeleton-patterned yellow robe. His face was extremely thin, and at first glance, he looked almost like a skeleton head. His deeply sunken eyes emitted a faint eerie glow, resembling ghostly flames and carrying a trace of sinister and terrifying aura.
This person was the founder of Demon Flame Valley, Earth Demon Old Ghost.
Below the throne, an old man emitting the aura of a Dou Emperor was kneeling on one knee, respectfully looking at the blood-haired old man.
"Has the news returned?" Earth Demon Old Ghost's icy voice echoed.
Hearing the question, the Dou Emperor old man lowered his head and respectfully replied, "Ancestor, all the information has been sent back. The five people we planted inside Jia Nan Academy have not discovered any signs of Mang Tian Chi returning."
"Mang Tian Chi is not there, yet they still dare to provoke this old man. Are they trying to deceive me? Seeking death"
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