Battle Through the Heaven: Purple Heaven

Upon hearing Su Qian's agreement, Xiao Bai's heart leaped with joy. He smiled warmly and said, "Many thanks, Great Elder!"

"Heh, you rascal!" Su Qian shook his head with a chuckle. "Follow me!"

They arrived at the edge of the energy barrier. Peering through it, the world below was a sea of fiery red, devoid of life. Only searing magma flowed freely, and a faint whiff of sulfur stung the nose.

A massive, invisible fire python, its full form obscured, reared its head high. Its triangular pupils glared upward with malice, radiating dense and ferocious energy.

"Down there is where this beast was born," Su Qian said, eyeing the Fallen Heart Flame below with a cold glint. "Fighting it in this environment puts you at a severe disadvantage. Be cautious!"

"Is even the Great Elder no match for it?" Xiao Bai glanced at Su Qian, noting his slightly disheveled state, and asked softly.

"I don't cultivate a fire-attribute technique," Su Qian replied. "In that environment, let alone fighting, even staying for long is unbearable! This Fallen Heart Flame is a marvel born of heaven and earth. Without a specific counter, even a Dou Zong like me can only ensure self-preservation."

Su Qian sighed, revealing Jia Nan Academy's predicament. If he had a way to withstand the energy of a Heavenly Flame, he would have long since diminished this beast's origin. How else could it have grown so strong, becoming the headache it was today?

Such marvels of nature required either another Heavenly Flame to counter it, overwhelming strength to subdue it, or a unique method to restrain it. Otherwise, this frustrating stalemate was the worst outcome.

"I see," Xiao Bai said thoughtfully, nodding as his eyes narrowed. His mind drifted to the goal of this venture: Yao Tian Huo, that old fellow.

Yao Tian Huo had been a man blessed with fortune, yet his rise and fall were tied to that very luck. He first discovered the Heavenly Flame below and, elated, subdued it. But then he found a second Fallen Heart Flame and, in his greed, attempted to fuse the two identical flames.

Who could have foreseen that, despite being the same type, they couldn't merge? The attempt left him gravely injured. For a Dou Zun, such wounds could heal with time, but he hadn't anticipated the fire salamanders lurking in the magma below.

A mighty Dou Zun fell in this very place.

"Though I don't know what gives you the confidence to descend," Su Qian said solemnly, turning to Xiao Bai, "if you truly have a way to stop this Fallen Heart Flame from causing trouble, Jia Nan Academy will be eternally grateful. Whatever you desire, as long as the academy can provide, it's yours."

He paused, then added with a playful smirk, "Except the Fallen Heart Flame, of course. As troublesome as it is, it's the foundation of the Inner Academy."

"Heh, you said it, Great Elder. I'll hold you to that!" Xiao Bai's gaze shifted subtly to Zi Yan, standing nearby.

"...!" Zi Yan froze.

The white-clad girl trembled, scurrying behind Su Qian. The fearless Zi Yan, who dreaded nothing, seemed genuinely intimidated.

Oh no! This guy's not after me, is he?!

Her small hands clutched Su Qian's sleeve tightly, her head peeking out, dark eyes glaring fiercely at Xiao Bai as she gritted her teeth.

Old man, hurry up and smack him!

"...!" Su Qian's expression darkened, his gaze boring into Xiao Bai.

If this kid dares make such a request, I'll break both his legs!

At worst, they'd let the Fallen Heart Flame wreak havoc. The Heaven Incinerating Qi Refining Tower still had the dean's seal, after all.

"...!" Xiao Bai, sensing their glares, felt utterly wronged. I was just thinking, since Zi Yan's here, maybe I could take her down to search for… where her dad went?

He hadn't expected his glance to spark such a misunderstanding. Waving his hands, he clarified, "That was just a joke, Great Elder. Don't take it seriously. The Thunder Valley has helped me greatly, and Jia Nan Academy has shown me kindness. If I can help, I won't refuse."

Su Qian exhaled in relief, smiling. "You're a student of Jia Nan Academy. Providing a suitable cultivation environment is our duty, not a favor."

Xiao Bai's expression grew subtle as he recalled Little Golden Dragon's antics. Glancing at Zi Yan, who pouted but seemed slightly reassured, he said lightly, "That Golden Bodhi Fruit… didn't taste great, did it?"

Zi Yan blinked, unsure why he brought it up, but nodded, her face scrunching. "It was awful!"

"Don't eat medicinal herbs raw in the future. Keep them," Xiao Bai said with a soft chuckle, amused by her wrinkled expression. "When I have time, I'll refine them for you. They'll taste better."

"Really?" Zi Yan's eyes sparkled. She'd overheard earlier that this guy was a sixth-tier alchemist.

"You've been munching on herbs raw all this time and never thought to have them refined?" Xiao Bai asked, curious at her excitement.

"Hmph!" Zi Yan rolled her eyes, waving a fist indignantly. "Of course I did! But those jerks in the Alchemy Department act like I'm some ferocious beast, dodging me like the plague!"

Elder Huo, standing nearby, pretended not to hear. Refining for this girl was a hassle, and her occasional threats didn't help. What alchemist could endure that?

"Haha!" Xiao Bai burst into laughter at her adorable outrage. Turning to Su Qian, who was gently patting Zi Yan's head with a slight smile, he said, "Great Elder, please guide me. How do I get down there?"

"In a moment, I'll have them briefly open the energy barrier. You'll go straight in," Su Qian said, his face growing serious. "But be quick. Don't give that thing an opening."

"Thank you, Great Elder," Xiao Bai nodded.

"What's with this flimsy barrier? Just slip through it!" Zi Yan muttered disdainfully, pouting.

Su Qian, overseeing the elders as they prepared to open the barrier, knocked her on the head and scolded lightly, "No sneaking through the academy's restrictions from now on!"

Then, turning to Xiao Bai, he said gravely, "Get ready. If you can't handle it, call for help. I'll pull you out."

Xiao Bai nodded again, his gaze fixed on the now-rippling energy barrier. He took a deep breath.

"Go!"

With Su Qian's shout, a flash of lightning streaked by. In the blink of an eye, the young figure vanished.

"Jii!"

A ferocious hiss echoed, jarring the elders' ears and dizzying their minds. Dark red fire-attribute energy surged through the barrier's gap, spiking the temperature in the lower space.

"Back off!"

A furious roar followed, and the scorching energy pouring through the gap began to wane. The elders seized the moment to restore the barrier, exhaling heavily in relief.

"Terrifying! We were shielded by the barrier before, but just facing a sliver of the Fallen Heart Flame's aftermath through that gap nearly overwhelmed me!" an elder said, wiping sweat from his brow, voice trembling.

"No wonder it's a Heavenly Flame, with such destructive power," Elder Huo said, a flicker of desire in his eyes before he shook his head. Even if the academy allowed someone to subdue it, he lacked the strength.

"Old man, is he okay?" Zi Yan stood on tiptoe, peering anxiously into the barrier.

"When I went down there, why didn't you worry about me?" Su Qian teased, glancing at the little girl.

"You're a Dou Zong. How could anything happen to you?" Zi Yan said matter-of-factly. "But he's just a Dou Wang. If something goes wrong, who'll refine those nasty herbs for me?"

"Don't worry, he's fine… hm?" Su Qian paused mid-sentence, frowning as he gazed below the barrier. "Why does it seem like the Fallen Heart Flame is… unusually interested in this kid?"

Xiao Bai felt it too. The invisible fire python, hissing softly, studied him with its triangular pupils. Its excitement was palpable, as if it were eyeing a delectable meal.

Is this beast trying to refine me?

He scanned the surroundings, where endless invisible flames were held at bay by his five-colored Dou Qi. The fire-attribute energy here is completely under its control. Absorbing it is nearly impossible.

"This cunning beast has a fine plan," Xiao Bai mused, frowning. "In this place, its power is near inexhaustible. There are only two ways out: break through with sheer force or outlast it in a war of attrition."

Little Golden Dragon slithered from Xiao Bai's sleeve, perching on his shoulder. Surveying the situation, it stroked its chin with a claw. "To break through by force, against this endless underground fire energy amplified by a Heavenly Flame, even a typical Dou Zong would struggle. My lord, this sly creature aims to trap and slowly refine you."

"Heh," Xiao Bai sneered. "Two options? I don't think so. I'll choose a third."

He'd expected a fierce battle upon descending, not this fire python playing mind games.

"A third?" Little Golden Dragon tilted its head, puzzled. Then, as the Fallen Heart Flame surged toward them, it yelped, "What?! Master, are you mad?"

Xiao Bai had dropped his defense, letting the Heavenly Flame flood into his body.

"Let's see how much flame your origin can produce," Xiao Bai said, smirking at the fire python, whose triangular pupils gleamed with mockery.

A layer of five-colored energy clung to his body—not to resist the flame but to protect his clothes. After all, his storage ring was destroyed, and losing his outfit would leave him stark naked.

As Xiao Bai released his Dou Qi, torrents of searing heart flame poured into every corner of his body, with the most intense cluster gathering at his heart.

At that moment, within his dantian, several interwoven lights flickered. The red light among them began to pulse, unleashing a tremendous suction force.

Instantly, the invading flame energy rushed toward his dantian like a bursting dam.

"So hot… I'm done for!" Little Golden Dragon hopped frantically on his shoulder, as if Xiao Bai were a red-hot iron radiating blistering heat.

Xiao Bai shot an exasperated glance at the dramatic dragon. You're not even flesh and blood. Why the act?

"Tch!" Little Golden Dragon, caught out, stopped pretending and lounged lazily, yawning. It shouted toward two distant, faintly glowing points, "Hey, you little snake, put some effort into it! Burn my master to a crisp, and I'll reward you handsomely—teach you the art of transformation!"

"...!" Xiao Bai's eye twitched.

"Jii!"

The fire python, seemingly provoked, let out an enraged hiss. A denser wave of heart flame, like heavy clouds, rolled toward them with overwhelming momentum.

"Hmph!" Xiao Bai grunted. The sheer volume of energy, even with his thunder-forged, five-element-nourished body, caused a sharp sting.

In his dantian, as the endless flame energy poured in, the red light blazed, illuminating the space crimson and nearly overpowering the other lights.

"My lord, you holding up? Want to rile it up some more?" Little Golden Dragon asked eagerly, noting Xiao Bai's flushed face and the white mist he exhaled.

Thanks for nothing.

Xiao Bai glared at the dragon, unscathed in the heart flame's embrace, and rolled his eyes.

"Heh," Little Golden Dragon turned away sheepishly, whistling. Moments later, it spun back, waving a claw excitedly. "Keep it up, my lord! That thing's heart flame isn't infinite. I can sense it weakening. If it wants to convert more fire energy into heart flame, it'll have to tap its origin!"

Sure enough, soon after, an furious, unwilling hiss echoed through the underground space. The overwhelming heart flame around Xiao Bai receded, coalescing back into the invisible fire python, now noticeably smaller.

Its triangular pupils glared venomously at the human, whose complexion had returned to normal. Confusion swirled in its mind.

This human's aura was weaker than the old man above, yet his small frame seemed to hold an infinite capacity for flames, swallowing every bit of heart flame it sent.

It had sensed a faint, alluring scent on this human—the kind that promised endless benefits if consumed. Heaven's gift! it had thought, thrilled at the prey delivering itself. It planned to trap and refine him.

But not only had it failed, it had lost a significant amount of energy—energy that would take ages to recover.

Rage flashed in its massive pupils. If trapping and refining wouldn't work, it would resort to direct force.

"Jii!"

A sharp cry rang out. A large mass of translucent, milky-white flame materialized, causing the dark red magma to boil. Countless bubbles burst, releasing a thick fire poison.

"Too predictable," Xiao Bai said, shaking his head. A Heavenly Flame's greatest strength, beyond its burning, lay in its unique attributes. But the Fallen Heart Flame lacked the versatility of the Nihility Devouring Flame or Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, which could wield Dou Techniques and boasted potent properties. Nor could it match Xiao Yan's explosive flair.

When neither flame nor attribute worked, it seemed far less mystical.

Ignoring the acrid sulfur stench, Xiao Bai flashed forward, appearing before the milky-white flame. Under the fire python's stunned gaze, he opened his mouth and sucked its trump card right in.

"Burp!"

Xiao Bai smacked his lips, letting out a satisfied belch. The swallowed energy flooded his dantian, where the red light—Little Bing—signaled a faint fullness. Absorbing more would hinder its ability to balance other attributes.

"Turnabout's fair play. You've burned me long enough. Now it's my turn."

Xiao Bai flashed a toothy grin at the fire python, his chilling gaze making its massive form quiver inexplicably.

"Don't run!"

As the fire python began to dissipate and the surrounding flames rapidly withdrew, Xiao Bai shouted. At his cry, the flames vanished even faster, gone in an instant.

Xiao Bai blinked, scanning the crimson magma world. Not a trace of the once-overwhelming flames remained.

"It's right there!" Little Golden Dragon, seeing Xiao Bai's confusion, pointed a claw at a spot. "My lord, with your soul force, you should sense it, right?"

"Less talk! Pinpoint its exact location. My great blade hungers insatiably!" Xiao Bai growled, glaring at the dragon without explanation.

"Where's this great blade? All you've got is a spear!" Little Golden Dragon muttered, but it dutifully indicated the spot.

"Perfect." Xiao Bai extended his hand, five-colored light surging from it.

"Holy—!" Little Golden Dragon gaped at the radiant glow, stammering, "It's… actually a great blade!"

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