"Deal."
Yun Tianming readily agreed to Venerable Tian Huo's terms.
In fact, the value of the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique alone was enough to be tempting. Now, the other party proactively proposed a Soul contract. Once signed, Venerable Tian Huo's life and death would be at his mercy.
A long-term thug with the Soul of a Dou Venerate could be considered a "low-grade Old Yao."
"Please, little friend, be sure to quickly refine the pill to repair my Soul damage."
After signing the Soul contract, Venerable Tian Huo became even weaker, entered Yun Tianming's Spatial Ring, and fell into a deep sleep.
Gaining a juvenile Fallen Heart Flame and an "old man," Yun Tianming's magma journey was quite fruitful.
Returning to the bottom of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, Yun Tianming saw that Cai Lin was still in the breakthrough stage, absorbing energy from heaven and earth at an even faster rate, indicating that she was close to advancing.
With nothing else to do, Yun Tianming took out the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique for study. The technique involved controlling five types of Fire Spirits—wolf, leopard, lion, tiger, and dragon. Each additional Fire Spirit exponentially increased the difficulty of control and consumed a tremendous amount of Dou Qi. The cultivation difficulty was no less than that of the Emperor's Decree.
The cultivation life in the Magma World was extremely monotonous and soon another month passed.
A surge of powerful energy caused great waves in the Magma World. A captivating and elegant woman stood amidst the sea of fire, like the legendary Flame Queen!
"Congratulations on becoming a 6-Star Dou Ancestor powerhouse!"
Yun Tianming praised her.
His own future wife, of course, the stronger, the better.
"Your new Dou Technique is also quite good."
Cai Lin glanced at the various Fire Spirits surrounding Yun Tianming. The different flames formed a powerful array, and even as a newly advanced 6-Star Dou Ancestor, she felt a faint sense of threat.
Thinking back to their first meeting in the Tager Desert, it had only been a short five years.
She had been stuck at the peak of Dou Emperor for many years, but not only did she successfully evolve, she also reached the level of a 6-Star Dou Ancestor.
The immense opportunities along the way were all thanks to the man before her.
"Yun Tianming, thank you."
Being clear about gratitude and grudges, she was sincerely grateful to Yun Tianming.
"Thank me? Words are empty. How about offering yourself to me instead?"
Yun Tianming teased.
Surprisingly, this time the usually icy queen didn't show anger. Instead, she fell into a moment of contemplation. After a while, Cai Lin replied seriously, "I will consider it."
"Ah? Are you serious?"
Yun Tianming's eyes widened in surprise, happiness catching him off guard.
"No, I'm not."
Cai Lin reverted to her icy queen demeanor.
"No way! I took it seriously! In the future, I will definitely go to the Snake People Tribe to propose!"
Yun Tianming declared confidently.
"If you're not afraid of death, do as you please."
Cai Lin's eyes narrowed as she revealed a lazy expression. Her beautiful figure turned into a stream of light and disappeared into a spatial rift. As a 6-Star Dou Ancestor, Cai Lin's control over Spatial Strength had reached a new level!
——————
"You finally came, Mentor Yun, cough cough!"
Within the Jia Nan Academy, the pale-faced Headmaster Su Qian stared at him with a complex expression.
"Grand Elder, here is the healing pill."
Yun Tianming immediately saw that Su Qian's injuries were very severe. Su Qian was already weaker than Mo Tian Xing, and after being ambushed and seriously injured, he had to force himself to fight. It was a miracle he wasn't dead.
"A mere fatal injury, let's not talk about that for now."
"What does Mentor Yun have to say about the extinguishing of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower?"
Su Qian did not take the pill from Yun Tianming's hand and looked at him sternly.
Yun Tianming got straight to the point and said, "I have refined the Fallen Heart Flame."
"Yun Tianming, you! So this was your goal when you joined Jia Nan Academy?"
Su Qian was so angry he felt a blockage in his chest.
Back then, Yun Tianming joined Jia Nan Academy as a Fifth Grade Alchemist, clearly with ulterior motives. At the time, his strength was only at the peak of Dou Spirit, and Su Qian believed he could keep an eye on him.
Who could have imagined that in just two and a half years, Yun Tianming would reach the level of a 9-Star Dou King, and even display terrifying combat power comparable to a Dou Ancestor.
Taking advantage of the fierce battle between Jia Nan Academy and the Yan Alliance, Yun Tianming seized the Fallen Heart Flame.
"That's right."
"But I do have some affection for Jia Nan Academy."
Yun Tianming spoke frankly.
Jia Nan Academy had treated him well, allowing him free access to the pill storeroom. Without the constant supply of high-level medicinal herbs for his alchemy, his Dou Qi level and alchemy skills wouldn't have improved so quickly.
"But without the Fallen Heart Flame, the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower will be permanently disabled, and Jia Nan Academy will cease to exist."
Su Qian was filled with pain and regret. The Headmaster had entrusted him with managing the Academy, and over the past century, countless elite students had been trained there. Was Jia Nan Academy really going to be destroyed?
"Rest assured, Grand Elder."
"I already have a replacement plan to restart the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower."
Without keeping Su Qian in suspense, Yun Tianming summoned the juvenile Fallen Heart Flame with a thought.
"This... is this the original Fire Seed of the Fallen Heart Flame? You didn't refine it?"
"No, that's not right. The Fallen Heart Flame is usually extremely violent. Why is this Heavenly Flame so docile?"
Su Qian's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the familiar yet invisible flame before him.
Yun Tianming briefly explained to Su Qian how he found a second Fallen Heart Flame in the Magma World, omitting any mention of Venerable Tian Huo.
"A juvenile Fallen Heart Flame?"
Su Qian, being quick-witted, quickly understood: "As long as elders who practice fire attribute Qi Methods continually infuse it with Dou Qi, the Heart Fire it provides can still rejuvenate the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower! Moreover, in time, this Fallen Heart Flame can evolve its own intelligence again. By then, with the academy's nurturing, it will surely not reject the inner academy anymore."
Compared to the mature Fallen Heart Flame, which is independent, violent, and difficult to tame, this juvenile Fallen Heart Flame is actually more beneficial and safer for Jia Nan Academy.
"With this, even if the Headmaster investigates in the future, I will at least have an explanation."
Su Qian sighed deeply.
Hearing this, Yun Tianming also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The mysterious Headmaster had been a peak Dou Venerate a century ago, and by now, he was likely at the Half-Saint level. Such a superpowerful figure would leave Yun Tianming with no means of resistance if he demanded accountability for taking the Fallen Heart Flame.
"By the way, do you have any news about the Yan Alliance's movements, Grand Elder?"
Xiao Yan, having cultivated the Flame Mantra, would surely not give up on the Heavenly Flame. Yun Tianming believed that the master and disciple duo would sooner or later return.
"There's no need to worry about the Yan Alliance."
Su Qian shook his head, a strange expression appearing on his face. "A month ago, the Yan Alliance was attacked by a mysterious organization. All associated forces were wiped out, with no survivors left. Xiao Yan is missing."
****
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