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**
Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, two or three days had already passed since the end of the intensely fierce Inner Academy Strong List Tournament.
Many people still displayed looks of shock when recalling those earth-shattering battles.
At this moment, the Inner Academy was abuzz with discussions about the spectacular matches of the tournament. Among them, the battles between Xiao Yan and Liu Qing, as well as Xun'er and Lin Xiuya, were the most widely discussed.
No one had expected that Xiao Yan, the biggest dark horse, would manage to bring down Liu Qing, a seasoned powerhouse.
Of course, to be precise, their match ended in a draw. Both were so exhausted after the intense battle that they could not continue, ultimately sharing the tenth-place rank.
Considering Xiao Yan was just a newcomer who had entered the Inner Academy a mere half year ago and yet could rival the renowned Liu Qing, it showcased his terrifying potential.
Meanwhile, a new nickname quietly spread through the Inner Academy: the "Xiao Clan's Twin Dragons."
After all, Jia Nan Academy annually recruited numerous students from the Jia Ma Empire, and the Xiao Clan's reputation in the empire was well-known. With some students spreading this title, the fame of Xiao Yan and Mo Yu, the "Xiao Clan's Twin Dragons," once more resonated throughout Jia Nan Academy!
After Xiao Yan and Liu Qing's exit, although the Strong List matches continued, none of the subsequent battles could evoke as much awe, even though they remained intense. After all, Xiao Yan and Liu Qing's duel had nearly transcended the level of ordinary Dou Ling; how could others surpass that?
The competition for rankings persisted until the afternoon of that day, finally coming to an end after fierce and heated battles, and the new Strong List emerged.
The first place, as expected, went to the little monster Zi Yan.
However, some couldn't help but wonder about Mo Yu; if the leader of the Mo Gang had been present, it's uncertain who would have claimed the top spot.
The second place was unsurprising as well. Without Liu Qing, and with Xiao Yan's sudden rise, Lin Xiuya secured his position as the second-ranked Strong List once again.
The third place, originally belonging to Liu Qing, was taken by Qian Mo after Liu Qing's withdrawal.
The competition for the fourth place was much fiercer than the previous ranks. After overcoming several intense challenges, Lin Yan surprisingly emerged as fourth, rising from his former ninth place.
The competition for the remaining six spots was equally fierce. By the end, only two of the top ten were former rank-holders, while the rest were all newer contestants who had suddenly risen to prominence.
Even though the official Strong List placed Xiao Yan and Liu Qing as joint tenth, people's hearts held a different measure. Even Qian Mo, who took the third spot, knew deep down that this rank truly belonged to that dominating figure and Xiao Yan.
Additionally, Mo Yu's absence sparked curiosity among many, as it was likely that if he had participated, everyone else might have had to step down a rank.
As the final battle concluded, just as the audience began to rise with lingering excitement, an extra match took everyone by surprise.
No one expected such a spectacular twist at the end of the tournament.
According to tradition, after the Strong List Tournament, there would be a few exhibition matches where participants could freely challenge the newly ranked top ten.
Of course, these challenges were merely exhibition bouts and weren't as formal as the main tournament. They served more as a fun, post-tournament entertainment.
While few usually participated in these matches, as challenging these top-grade fighters was often seen as self-defeating, this year's event left everyone in a stunned daze.
Why? The challenger was a breathtakingly beautiful young girl in green, and even more shocking, she chose Lin Xiuya as her opponent!
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Xun'er completely defeated Lin Xiuya!
The outcome was dazzling, blinding everyone's eyes.
Lin Xiuya, who had held the second place on the Strong List for years, lost to the sweet and innocent Xun'er without any resistance!
Even after three days, everyone who spoke of it still carried a look of amazement on their faces.
No one could have anticipated that behind this serene, exquisite beauty lay such terrifying power.
With the combined momentum of Xun'er and Xiao Yan's rising fame, Xiao Yan's faction, Pan Gate, gained prominence, rapidly catching up to Wolf Fang and Mountain Splitter factions, drawing close to Mo Gang!
As the Strong List Tournament drew to a close, the Inner Academy gradually quieted down.
However, the peace didn't last long. The next day, the previously calm academy once again buzzed with excitement.
Today, the top ten Strong List experts would have the opportunity to enter the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and undergo the Heart Flame Tempering, an invaluable opportunity envied by all.
At Mo Gang, a large crowd gathered around Lin Yan and Qian Mo, offering congratulations.
"Congratulations, Senior Lin Yan, Senior Qian Mo!"
The Mo Gang members looked at the two leaders, their eyes flashing with envy. The Heart Flame Tempering was an exceptionally rare opportunity.
Moreover, only the top ten Strong List members could receive this tempering.
It was rumored that decades ago, a top expert from the Black-Corner Region had tried to negotiate with Jia Nan Academy, offering a sixth-grade pill in exchange for a single Heart Flame Tempering for his disciple.
However, the academy's leaders had refused without hesitation, a testament to the opportunity's incredible value.
"Hehe, no need to envy me and Old Qian. The Heart Flame Tempering is merely an opportunity to break through Dou Wang; it's not irreplaceable, or else even our boss wouldn't have disregarded it," Lin Yan said with a wave of his hand.
Qian Mo nodded. "I have a feeling that the next time we see our boss, he'll have a big surprise for us."
Hearing this, the Mo Gang members nodded in agreement, seeing Mo Yu as a myth within their clan.
Although they didn't fully understand why Mo Yu skipped the Strong List Tournament, they trusted he had his reasons.
After chatting for a while, the large group from Mo Gang headed toward the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
Besides Mo Gang, Xiao Yan's Pan Gate and Lin Xiuya's Wolf Fang also entered the scene.
Lin Yan glanced at the group of about twenty Wolf Fang members behind Lin Xiuya, inwardly muttering, "This Wolf Fang is nothing special. Under our boss's leadership, our Mo Gang should be the biggest force in the Inner Academy by now."
Though Wolf Fang's members exuded strong and hidden auras, most of them were only at the one-star Dou Ling level.
Meanwhile, Mo Gang had attracted many new members after the accidental advertising of their weaponry during the Strong List Tournament.
Among these members, there were nearly ten Dou Ling experts, bringing the Mo Gang's total number of Dou Ling members to around twenty.
Compared to Wolf Fang, not only had they caught up in the number of Dou Ling powerhouses, but their quality was also far superior. Including the regular members, the Mo Gang had completely overpowered Wolf Fang.
After marveling at the might of his boss, Lin Yan turned his attention to Pan Gate nearby.
Initially, he hadn't thought much of this newly-formed faction, but after Xiao Yan defeated Liu Qing, Lin Yan knew that Pan Gate's rise was unstoppable.
Pan Gate didn't just have Xiao Yan as a cornerstone; they also had the advantage of selling medicinal pills. Within the Inner Academy, medicinal pills were almost as valuable as weapons in terms of popularity.
With wealth and manpower, Pan Gate could very well become the Mo Gang's greatest rival in the future.
However, thinking about the relationship between Mo Yu and Xiao Yan, Lin Yan shook his head with a self-deprecating smile.
As long as the Twin Dragons of the Xiao Clan were alive, the Mo Gang and Pan Gate would probably never become enemies.
At this thought, Lin Yan seemed to have noticed something, his brow suddenly furrowing.
He realized that Xiao Xun'er, who always stayed close to Xiao Yan and had once defeated Lin Xiuya, was surprisingly absent.
While Lin Yan was deep in thought, access to the tower had been restricted due to the Strong List Top Ten needing to enter the tower's lower floors, preventing other students from entering. A crowd had gathered in front of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
The large appearance of the Mo Gang attracted attention from all sides, sparking murmurs among the crowd.
Unable to figure it out, Lin Yan and his group, taking advantage of their numbers, cut through the crowd like a sharp blade, parting it and finally swaggering over to the open space outside the tower entrance.
This open area was reserved for the stronger factions to use.
Given the strength of the Mo Gang, they naturally qualified. The group wasted no time, finding a suitable spot and sitting cross-legged.
Shortly after the Mo Gang settled down, Liu Qing and the Mountain Splitter members also arrived at the scene.
Not long after Liu Qing's group gathered, others arrived, and roughly half an hour later, the sound of rushing wind came from the sky, as several elderly figures appeared outside the tower doors.
Leading them was none other than the Great Elder, Su Qian.
"Hehe, it seems everyone is here, so I won't waste any more time," Su Qian said as he scanned the group. Without further ado, he waved his hand, and the heavy tower doors slowly opened with a creak.
"The eleven members of the Strong List Top Ten, follow me. No one else is allowed inside today; otherwise, don't expect to enter for the next six months," Su Qian said indifferently, ignoring the shocked looks of the crowd as he turned and entered the tower.
As they watched Su Qian's back, the top-ranking members of the Strong List stood up and, under the envious gazes of the crowd, stepped into the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower…
At the bottommost level of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, time passed swiftly in isolation.
Day by day, without notice, a month and a half had slipped by since Mo Yu's arrival at the tower's base.
In the silence, time flowed steadily, but on one particular day, a subtle change disturbed the uniform calm of the tower's base.
Atop Mo Yu's head, an energy mass resembling a vortex had appeared, slowly rotating.
The vast energy whirlpool gradually stopped spinning, and suddenly, energy poured down like a torrential rain, forming an energy tornado that Mo Yu absorbed into his body.
The moment the Thunder Soul energy entered, a flicker of emotion finally broke the young man's calm expression, and his aura erupted like a volcano, surging upwards!
Then, his silver eyes, closed for nearly two months, trembled slightly before opening slowly!
As his eyes opened, bolts of thunder flashed through his silver pupils like a storm. In that instant, even the air in the oppressive tower's base crackled faintly.
With the opening of his silver eyes, a powerful aura, dormant for over a month, awakened like a lion, slowly rising and letting out a deep roar at the tower base.
Under this intensified aura, the tower base trembled slightly, and tiny cracks spread like a web from the seated silver-eyed youth, eventually covering the four corners of the tower's base.
"Five-Star Dou Wang!"
"The last of the Thunder Soul energy actually pushed me up by five stars!"
Sensing his current strength, the handsome young man, Mo Yu, revealed a glint in his silver eyes.
He hadn't expected that after breaking through Dou Wang, the remaining Thunder Soul energy would push him up by five stars!
With this newfound power, he could probably exchange blows with a Dou Huang expert!
However, before Mo Yu could celebrate, his powerful soul sensed a dozen familiar auras slowly approaching from the upper floors of the tower.
"Could it be that today is the Heart Flame Tempering day?"
As this thought crossed his mind, a black line appeared on Mo Yu's forehead. What timing—wasn't he a sitting duck now?
Just as Mo Yu's face darkened, not far from him, centered on the cracks spreading from his feet, a torrent of violent energy began to slowly rise from the magma below.
With the surge of this fierce energy, the once-calm magma world erupted, and a sudden gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, whipping across the magma and stirring up fiery waves over ten meters high, which then crashed down heavily with a thunderous boom, as if mountains were collapsing!
Witnessing this, Mo Yu's expression also grew serious.
The Fallen Heart Flame was about to break its seal ahead of schedule!
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For exclusive access to 200+ advanced chapters and more, visit my Ko-fi page and support the journey:
ko-fi.com/laoyao95
Laoyao with L yeahh..thanks for the support.
or Support me at patreon for 200+ advanced chapters :
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