Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, I am your second master

"Hahahaha, it's been a long time, everyone! By the way, how did you all know I was coming back today?"

Mang Tianchi asked his question: He hadn't said he was coming back beforehand, so why were there so many people welcoming him?

"Um... Dean, this is what happened..." Su Qian awkwardly told Mang Tianchi what had happened.

"Oh~ I see!" Mang Tianchi suddenly realized. That explains it. How could those few Dou Zong know his whereabouts in advance?

Mang Tianchi came to Xiao Li and then circled around him a few times (a Canaanite characteristic).

"Your name is Xiao Li, right?" Mang Tianchi said, his voice like thunder.

"Yes."

"Hmm~" Mang Tianchi put one hand on Xiao Li's shoulder, then burst into laughter: "Hahahaha, finally a decent seedling, ahahahahaha."

Who dares to say that without that bloodline, a genius can't be born? Kid, you're quite good. Make the most of your talent; you have far more potential than those old guys."

Mang Tianchi's personality is like that: carefree and easygoing.

Most importantly, Mangtian Chi is fiercely protective of his own. Back then, a graduate of Canaan Academy was roaming around Zhongzhou and offended a powerful Douzong faction. That faction wanted to publicly execute the graduate.

At that time, the Grand Elder of Canaan Academy was Bai Lie. Upon hearing this, Bai Lie immediately contacted Mang Tianchi.

On the very day of the execution, Mang Tianchi made a dazzling appearance amidst endless lightning, annihilating the Dou Zong faction with a single slap and declaring his authority.

"Nobody, no matter how low they want to bully Canaan Academy!"

Thus, the reputation of Canaan Academy, which was located in the northwest continent, spread throughout the Central Continent, and many families in the Central Continent sent their children to study at Canaan Academy.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Mang Tianchi was very satisfied with Xiao Li's talent. At only eighteen years old, he had reached the level of a five-star Dou Wang and was also a sixth-grade alchemist. He was truly a good young man.

"I heard from Su Qian that you want to absorb the Fallen Heart Flame, right?" Mang Tianchi asked.

"Yes, Dean."

Mang Tianchi turned to look at the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, and his previously cheerful expression immediately turned gloomy.

"No! I do not agree to you absorbing the Fallen Heart Flame." Mang Tianchi frowned and directly rejected Xiao Li.

"Why, Dean!" Xiao Li hadn't expected the Dean to disagree with his plan to absorb the strange fire.

"Yes, Dean, this Fallen Heart Flame is like a time bomb. If we leave it in the inner courtyard, it will explode sooner or later. It would be better to let our young friend Xiao Li absorb it," Qianmu said, frowning.

"Yes, Dean, our young friend Xiao Li has refined a lot of pills for our Canaan Academy. What's wrong with letting him try to absorb a strange fire for this achievement?" Bai Lie also chimed in.

"Yes, yes," the other elders chimed in. Most of them had taken pills refined by Xiao Li. The Dou Wang elders took Dou Ling Dan, and the Dou Huang elders took Qing Yuan Dan. All of these elders had experienced a significant improvement in their strength.

"Hey! You lot! I've only been gone for a little over ten years, and you're already turning your backs on me! It's not that I don't want Xiao Li to absorb the Fallen Heart Flame."

However, if he absorbs the Fallen Heart Flame now, he will definitely suffer a backlash! This Fallen Heart Flame has already developed sentience, and its energy has reached the level of a Dou Zong.

"If Xiao Li dares to absorb it, he will surely be burned to death by the Fallen Heart Flame!" Mang Tianchi said seriously.

Mang Tianchi had just used his soul power to probe the Fallen Heart Flame and discovered that it was accumulating energy, which had reached the level of a two- or three-star Dou Zong, and that it possessed a certain degree of intelligence.

If Xiao Li were to absorb the strange fire, he'd be doomed.

"Huh? The Fallen Heart Flame at the Dou Zong level?" Xiao Li was also stunned. He didn't expect that the Fallen Heart Flame would already be at the Dou Zong level so early.

"Hey, thank goodness I came back, otherwise you would have been burned alive, and our Canaan Academy would have been branded as the one that killed a genius!" Mang Tianchi said irritably.

"Then, Dean, what should we do?" Chiki asked.

"Let me think about it. If it weren't for this kid, I could suppress the Fallen Heart Flame with my strength and reinforce the seal. But since this kid wants to absorb the Fallen Heart Flame, I don't have any way to weaken it."

"Hey! I've got it!"

Mang Tianchi suddenly thought of a plan and then looked at Xiao Li.

"Boy, forget about the complete Fallen Heart Flame. Even ten of you would be burned to death by it. But I have a way. I will cut off a portion of the Fallen Heart Flame's essence for you to absorb."

It involves separating a fragment of the complete Fallen Heart Flame. This fragment carries a portion of the Fallen Heart Flame's essence. You absorb this fragment and nurture it, and you might be able to cultivate a completely new Fallen Heart Flame.

This is much safer than risking absorbing the complete Fallen Heart Flame. Moreover, this little flame is definitely not very intelligent. If you raise it carefully, it will become a great help to you in the future.

This complete Fallen Heart Flame already possesses sentience. Even if you manage to subdue it by sheer luck, what if it suddenly attacks when you let your guard down? You'd be finished, wouldn't you? What do you think, kid? My suggestion is pretty good, isn't it?"

Mang Tianchi explained his method: nurturing a complete strange fire through a secondary fire is not impossible; at least Mang Tianchi knew that someone had actually done it before.

"Alright, I'll listen to the Dean. Could you make the source of the strange fire you separated a bit stronger so it'll be easier for me to nurture it?" Xiao Li said, rubbing his hands together.

He wasn't greedy; he just wanted to spend more time nurturing the strange fire, which would make him safer, and safety was the most important thing.

"No problem. Let me see how much of the sub-fire your physical strength and soul power can withstand."

Mang Tianchi placed his hand on Xiao Li's shoulder, using his fighting spirit and soul power to test Xiao Li's level.

"Hey, I didn't realize you had such a good body. Even though you haven't practiced any body-strengthening techniques, your physical strength is pretty good, and you've accumulated a lot of medicinal power in your body."

Hmm, I think the sub-flames at the Douhuang level are about ready. Leave the rest to me!

Mangtian Chi vanished instantly, leaving behind a few wisps of blue electricity.

"Old Bai, it seems the Dean's cultivation has improved again, and his mastery of space has deepened." Qianmu, who had the highest cultivation, quickly found out where Mangtianchi had gone. Mangtianchi had already arrived at the foot of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower and was currently suppressing the Fallen Heart Flame.

"Yes, the Dean's strength is unfathomable. Sigh, I wonder when we will be able to break through to the Dou Zun level?" Bai Lie hesitated. He had no direction at all regarding the Dou Zun level, and neither did Qian Mu.

"Hehe, I originally thought we'd be stuck at the peak of Dou Zong for many more years, but now I think we'll be able to break through to Dou Zun very soon," Qian Mu suddenly laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Hehe, let's see how this kid fares." Qianmu pointed at Xiao Li.

"Oh? You mean pills?"

"That's right, the seventh-grade peak pill, the Hunyuan Breakthrough Pill, is a pill that helps the peak Dou Zong break through to Dou Zun. I'm just waiting for an opportunity. Once the little guy's alchemy skills reach the seventh grade, I'll ask him to make a move." Qianmu stroked his beard and smiled.

"That's definitely a good idea."