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

"Hmm~ wait a minute, oh, I'm going too!"

Zi Yan followed behind Xiao Li, carrying the plate.

Su Qian's office

"Oh? So you're going to absorb the Fallen Heart Flame? How confident are you?" Su Qian asked, taking a sip of tea.

"I don't know. After tempering my body with the Heart Flame, plus my pills and preparations, it should be about 60 or 70% effective." Xiao Li didn't dare to make a guarantee. Absorbing strange fire was extremely dangerous, and countless people had been burned to death by it.

"Just handle it yourself. It's a pity about the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, but it's good to get rid of a potential hidden danger. Xiao Li, don't forget to recharge the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower after absorbing the Fallen Heart Flame."

We also need to refine a batch of Royal Extreme Pills for the academy. If we can refine Breakthrough Pills, that would be even better. Anyway, the Academy of Medicinal Herbs has already prepared them.

This will not only improve your alchemy skills but also enhance the academy's strength—it's a win-win situation!

Su Qian stroked his beard and smiled. Su Qian also knew that Xiao Li wanted to subdue the Fallen Heart Flame, and the two elders, Qian Bai and Er Lao, had also informed Su Qian.

Su Qian thought it would be good if the students or elders of Canaan Academy subdued the Fallen Heart Flame, which could explode at any moment, at least ensuring the safety of the students.

As for the problem that students can't quickly improve their cultivation after the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower is gone, these old guys can think of other ways. It's not like the Fallen Heart Flame is the only option.

If all else fails, just have the alchemy department put in more effort and refine more pills. The Canaan Academy area has good feng shui and abundant medicinal herbs, especially the area behind the mountain, which is full of rare and precious materials, more than enough to support the inner academy students.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for your care these past few days, Elder. When my alchemy skills reach the seventh rank in the future, I will definitely refine a Zongyuan Pill for you." Xiao Li stood up and cupped his hands to Su Qian.

In the past two years, Su Qian has taken good care of Xiao Li. Old Wang and Su Qian are old friends. After Xiao Li broke through to the Dou Wang level, his alchemy skills also reached the sixth rank. In Old Wang's opinion, Xiao Li has already graduated.

Old Wang gave Xiao Li all the alchemist inheritances, pill formulas, and notes from a seventh-grade alchemist that he had acquired.

It can be said that Old Wang gave Xiao Li his entire collection of his life's work, while he himself returned to the Jia Ma Empire.

Xiao Li also took a look at the pill formulas given by Elder Wang. Elder Wang's collection truly shocked him to the point of speechlessness. There were more than a dozen formulas for seventh-grade pills, and even formulas for eighth-grade pills.

Old Wang said that he obtained these seventh-grade and eighth-grade pill formulas from that peak seventh-grade alchemist. Given that alchemist's level and strength, it was indeed possible for him to obtain eighth-grade pill formulas.

The seventh-grade pill formulas include: Instant Qi Pill, Snow Soul Pill, Ancestral Origin Pill, Ancestral Wind Origin Pill, Yin Yang Life Soul Pill, Heavenly Yellow Pill, Life Return Pill, Pure Heart Pill, Transformation Pill, Mysterious Bodhi Foundation Building Pill, and Primordial Barrier Breaking Pill, etc.

The eight-grade pill formulas are: Purple-Green Supreme Pill, Poria Green Pill, and Gangfeng Supreme Pill.

To be honest, Xiao Li only felt that they were rich! Really rich!

. . . . . .

"Hehe, then I'll thank you in advance, old man. Be very careful when absorbing the strange fire. If it doesn't work, just give up. Don't lose your life because of the strange fire."

Su Qian reminded him again that he was very satisfied with Xiao Li, who was not only his old friend's disciple but also an outstanding student of his Canaan Academy, and he would help him as much as he could.

"Junior understands!"

. . . . . .

Half a month later, the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower was shut down.

Many students began to complain, but the academy's elders informed them that the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower had malfunctioned and needed to be shut down.

At this moment, the area around the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower had been cleared out. The students were no longer there, and most of the elders of Canaan Academy had gathered here, including the retired Elders Qianbai.

It is evident how important Xiao Li's refining of the strange fire was.

"Phew~ A little nervous." Xiao Li muttered to himself. The strange fire in his life was the key to his rise. Just as Xiao Li took a step forward...

Boom——

A deafening clap of thunder rang out, and in an instant, the bright sunshine turned gloomy, with dark clouds gathering and lightning flashing.

Boom——

Several bolts of lightning struck the ground, and then a human figure appeared.

"Hahaha, you're finally back. Hmm? What's going on? Did you all know in advance that I was coming back and hold this welcome ceremony?"

The speaker was an old man dressed in a blue robe similar to that of an elder of Canaan College. He had white hair and beard, a kind yet dignified face, and extremely deep eyes that seemed to see through everything.

The old man looked to be about seventy or eighty years old. If you didn't look at his face, you wouldn't know he was an old man. He looked more like a young man, with a straight back and a strong build.

"Dean?"

"Dean?"

The two elders, Qianbai and Su Qian, were the first to react. Then, the elders who had seen Mang Tianchi also realized that the person who came was the founder of Canaan Academy, the elusive Dean!

A Dou Zun level expert, Mang Tian Chi!

"Dean, you're not dead!" Bai Lie exclaimed.

"Hey! Bai Lie, what are you saying? Are you deliberately cursing me to die? Hmph! I think you need to be taught a lesson! And how come you're only a nine-star Dou Zong and haven't broken through to Dou Zun yet?" Mang Tianchi glanced at Bai Lie, clearly not angry at Bai Lie's words.

"Hmm, Qianmu has reached the peak of the nine-star Dou Zong realm, so why hasn't he reached the Dou Zun realm yet? That's true, even when I broke through to the Dou Zun realm back then, it was extremely difficult!"

"Hmm, Su Qian broke through to the Dou Zong realm? Not bad, not bad, keep up the good work! And it's been a long time since I've seen you guys."

Mang Tianchi walked over step by step, looking at the people he knew.

Chapter 39 Mang Tianchi: I disagree!

"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 venturing into Zhongzhou and offended a powerful Douzong faction. That faction wanted to publicly execute the graduate.

At that time, Bai Lie was still the Grand Elder of Canaan Academy. Upon hearing the news, 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 dares 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 Pills, and the Dou Huang elders took Qing Yuan Pills. 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, it's a good thing 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?" Qianmu 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 Heartflame already possesses sentience. Even if you manage to subdue it, what if it suddenly attacks when you let your guard down? You'd be finished! 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. Although 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 Dou Huang 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. Alas, 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 for?"

"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 just need an opportunity now. Once the little guy’s alchemy skills reach the seventh grade, I will ask him to help me once.” Qianmu stroked his beard and smiled.

"That is indeed a good idea."

Chapter 40 Absorbing the Fallen Heart Flame

Boom——

A few minutes later, Mang Tianchi reappeared in front of Xiao Li and the others.

At this moment, apart from his clothes being a bit dark, he was otherwise fine, and Mang Tianchi held a transparent flame in his hand.

"Phew, it took a bit of effort, but thankfully it went smoothly, hahaha! It's all thanks to my profound cultivation! I'll give you this Dou Huang-level Fallen Heart Flame, Xiao Li."

Mang Tianchi handed the Fallen Heart Flame to Xiao Li. As Xiao Li held the Fallen Heart Flame, he felt something invisible. This thing separated his hand from the Fallen Heart Flame, preventing it from burning his hand.

"This is a simple spatial barrier that I made. Boy, you must be careful. Even though it is a sub-fire, it is still a sub-fire of a different kind of fire. If you are not careful, it will be burned to ashes by the different kind of fire."

Mang Tianchi once again warned Xiao Li that absorbing a strange fire was no small matter.

"Okay. Dean, please take this for me while I get ready." Xiao Li returned the Fallen Heart Flame to Mang Tianchi, then sat down on the ground.

They took out all sorts of bottles and jars, big and small.

He took out the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, Heavenly Cold Qi, Blood Lotus Pill, Earth Spirit Pill, Ice Heart Pill, Concentration Pill, and Spirit Absorption Pill.

"Hey, you've prepared quite thoroughly, haven't you?" Mang Tianchi laughed.

"After all, it involves absorbing a different kind of fire, so we can't be careless. Caution is always a good thing," Xiao Li said calmly.

"Yes, that's right! In everything, 'stability' should be the priority. With this life, anything is possible; if you lose this life, nothing else matters to you."