For the Academy, Lin Xiu was an extremely outstanding student, whether in talent or in the diligence and focus of his cultivation.
But now they couldn't be sure for a moment whether Lin Xiu could make it through this time.
Compared to the Heart Fire Projection, the flames that separated from within the Fallen Heart Flame were extremely powerful.
Even the elders dared not rashly take it on, let alone allow the flames to enter their bodies.
...
Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
First floor.
Elder Liu paced back and forth, waiting for the outcome.
The tremors of the Qi Refining Tower had already subsided, but whether to let the students in still needed to wait for the elders below to notify him.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps.
His gaze shifted, and he was suddenly stunned, followed by a slight contraction of his pupils.
"Grand Elder, Lin Xiu, he..."
Elder Liu's fingers trembled incessantly, finding it hard to believe what he was seeing.
"The Fallen Heart Flame must have sensed the threat from this child and, at the cost of consuming some energy, is trying to break out of the seal... Well, I'll take him for treatment first."
Su Qian sighed heavily, "As for the outcome, it all depends on his fate."
Upon learning that someone had cultivated a Fire Spirit, everyone only thought of it as hope to deal with the hidden dangers of the Fallen Heart Flame.
Blindly arranging for the feeding of the Heart Fire, they neglected the cunning of the Fallen Heart Flame and forgot that Lin Xiu was just a twenty-year-old student.
At his age, where would he have the strength to resist the power of the Fallen Heart Flame?
Outside the tower, numerous students saw an old man emerge, carrying a figure beside him, their face obscured.
The old man only appeared for a moment before his figure disappeared.
The entrance to the empty Qi Refining Tower was deserted, devoid of any presence. If most people hadn't seen it, they might have thought their eyes were playing tricks on them.
"Teacher, the Green Lotus Core Flame just trembled."
Xiao Yan muttered to himself.
That feeling was like encountering a natural enemy suppressed by bloodline.
And he had only experienced this feeling once before, with his teacher's Chilling Bone Flame.
"It's normal. There was a hint of Fallen Heart Flame around that old man just now."
Yao Chen said slowly.
"Did he take the Fallen Heart Flame away?"
At the words, Xiao Yan's tone carried a hint of panic. The strength emanating from the other person surpassed even Yun Shan, whom he had seen before.
If the Fallen Heart Flame were on him, he could only give up that idea.
"No, just a strand of fire. If I'm not mistaken, the figure beside him is probably Lin Xiu."
Yao Chen spoke up.
His Soul Power was strong, and generally, any sensed aura would leave a deep impression.
"Senior Brother Lin Xiu? Could I be mistaken? Could all that commotion just now have been caused by him?"
Xiao Yan felt incredulous.
"I can't be certain either, but since he finally came out of the tower, pay more attention lately. The Green Wood Celestial Vine is still in his hands, and you must find a way to get it. The terror of the Fallen Heart Flame is far stronger than the Green Lotus Core Flame from before. If you can refine the Ground Spirit Pill, you might still have a chance of success. Otherwise, I feel like trying to swallow the Fallen Heart Flame would be no different from courting death."
This time, Yao Chen could roughly deduce the strength of the Fallen Heart Flame from the outbreak.
He didn't want his disciple to meet his end.
"I understand, teacher."
Xiao Yan replied earnestly. Ever since he found out that the Green Wood Celestial Vine was in Lin Xiu's hands, he had wanted to find Lin Xiu several times.
However, Lin Xiu was on the eighth floor, and he couldn't even make it to the fifth floor.
He had lurked around several times during normal days and had also approached some of Lin Xiu's friends, but to no avail.
According to them, Lin Xiu used to come out every once in a while to take on some substitute jobs.
But with the establishment of Pan's Gate, many of these internal conflicts had diminished, and Lin Xiu no longer took on such jobs.
Not long after, an elder came out and announced a three-day lockdown of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
The many students who had been watching dispersed.
Xiao Yan went to Lin Xiu's residence, but it was evident that Lin Xiu had not returned.
He turned and left.
...
Su Qian, carrying the unconscious Lin Xiu, made his way to the depths of the inner courtyard, inside a great mountain.
The surroundings were dim, and the further in they went, the lower the temperature became.
At the very center, there was a cold spring constantly emitting white mist, with daylight filtering in from an overhead hole, shining onto a pure white jade-like stone platform.
He placed Lin Xiu on the stone platform.
A thick layer of frost gradually spread over Lin Xiu's body, covering him completely along with his clothes.
"This natural cold spring contains millennium-old cold air, which can help temporarily suppress the heat from the Fallen Heart Flame. I know you've practiced the Starlight Body Forging Technique. Now, it depends on your recovery speed and whether you can suppress the destructive speed of the Fallen Heart Flame. If you can do that, you'll be safe, and you might even have a stroke of good luck."
Su Qian gazed at the tightly closed eyes of Lin Xiu, his eyes flickering, and then his figure suddenly disappeared.
After a while, he reappeared and waved his hand, causing large swathes of green liquid to float out.
These liquids were filled with vibrant vitality. Almost instantly upon appearing, tender shoots emerged from the walls and floor of the cave.
"Lin Xiu, you must wake up."
Su Qian covered Lin Xiu's body with the liquid, no longer speaking, resembling a silent old monk.
Gradually, the cave became quiet.
As time passed, it was unknown how long had gone by. A beam of starlight shot in from the opening and fell onto Lin Xiu's body.
He seemed to be peacefully sleeping in a leaf-shaped boat, surrounded by a river of gathered starlight.
The starlight merged into his body without needing Lin Xiu's guidance, and the Starlight Body Forging Technique began to operate autonomously.
Large amounts of starlight continuously repaired the charred flesh that had been scorched by the flames.
Whenever there was some improvement, an invisible flame would pass by, once again damaging the flesh.
This back-and-forth led to a stalemate.
The Qi Method's Primordial Qi tirelessly circulated, the seven Yuan apertures arranged orderly, interconnected with each other.
The energy they formed was like a canopy, enveloping a central nebula.
Invisible flames burned around it, resembling a vigilant venomous snake, attempting to break in and destroy everything.
Below the nebula, a Green Fire little Ox trembled, its body prostrated.
Thunder lights, wind blades, golden spears, wooden thorns, stones, and so on, continuously emerged from the nebula, smashing towards its body.
The body, already cracked, developed even more fissures under this onslaught.
Under this pounding, the Green Fire little Ox gradually became crystal clear and purer.
Its appearance slowly changed, transitioning from a beast form to gradually resembling a human form.
The Primordial Qi seemed to be more than just an Earth Rank Qi Method; it fused seven attributes and was showcasing its uniqueness and mystique.
Yet, Lin Xiu remained oblivious to all of this.
All he could feel was a cycle of heat and cold alternating within his body, chasing each other endlessly.
...
A young girl in white skipped into the courtyard's herb storage room.
The energy barriers seemed nonexistent before her; her small hands passed through without hindrance.
After scratching her head, a hint of confusion appeared on her face.
Empty?
Zi Yan immediately changed her target, flipping through six or seven cabinets in a row.
All the herbs with long expiration dates were gone.
She stormed to the front of the elder at the door.
Bang!
Her small hand slammed on the table, making the water cup jump two meters high.
Elder Hao opened his eyes, caught sight of Zi Yan's face, and revealed a helpless expression. "Oh, my little granddaughter, what tantrum are you throwing now?"
"Old man, where are those old herbs?"
Zi Yan put her hands on her hips.
"Grand Elder took them. Seems like they're for saving someone. Heard that a few days ago, there was an uproar in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, and the kid who had been cultivating on the eighth floor was invaded by the Fallen Heart Flame."
"Alas, I don't know if we can save him."
Elder Hao sighed. He picked up the fallen water cup from the ground, and when he looked up again, the young girl in white was gone.
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