Chapter 267: Xuan Thunder Alliance vs. Fallen Heart Flame
At the bottom level of the Sky Flame Qi Refining Tower.
A young man with silver eyes sat cross-legged—it was none other than Mo Yu, who had just snuck into the deepest part of the tower.
Although Mo Yu's eyes were tightly shut, he could clearly feel an extremely hot flame suddenly appear inside his body.
This heart flame was incredibly intense and large, and in the blink of an eye, it spread throughout every part of Mo Yu's body. In that instant, it felt as though Mo Yu's entire body had been thrown into a furnace.
The heart flame that appeared in Mo Yu's body this time was far more violent than ever before. Even compared to the time when he was in the first training room on the sixth floor, the intensity of that heart flame was nothing in comparison—like a drop in the ocean!
Mo Yu's face flushed so red it almost turned purple, and blisters began to form on his skin. The overwhelming heat from within seemed like it would burn his entire body to ashes.
If it weren't for Mo Yu's naturally strong body, which gave him some resistance to the flames, and the fact that his "Thunder Body" had reached perfection not long ago, he would have been reduced to ashes the moment the terrifying heart flame appeared.
Even so, the heat spreading throughout his body made Mo Yu's expression change.
He could feel his blood boiling, his veins twisting, and his bones creaking under unbearable pressure. If things continued like this, it wouldn't be long before his entire body disappeared from this world.
"Hmph! Mere Fallen Heart Flame, don't get too cocky!"
The next moment, Mo Yu let out a cold snort and, enduring the excruciating pain, released his Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder.
With its appearance, red lightning crackled around Mo Yu's body, enveloping him like an electric battery.
Controlling the Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder, Mo Yu used it to push back the heart flame inside him. With the help of the thunder power, the intense heat within his body began to subside, and Mo Yu relaxed a little.
From the moment he first entered the Sky Flame Qi Refining Tower, Mo Yu's Xuan Thunder protected him from the flame and the poisonous fire energy. So, as he neared the Fallen Heart Flame on the bottom level, he didn't hesitate to unleash his Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder for protection.
However, just as Mo Yu began to relax, things didn't go as smoothly as he expected. The relief only lasted for a moment before a sudden change occurred.
It seemed that the heart flame took the appearance of the powerful thunder as a challenge. The Fallen Heart Flame's power began to surge, and the heart flame in Mo Yu's body grew even fiercer. An unprecedented heat engulfed him once again.
Faced with this surge in power, the Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder, which was supposed to be protecting Mo Yu, was caught off guard. The red thunder around his body began to retreat under the intense pressure.
"No wonder the Fallen Heart Flame is ranked 14th—it's far stronger than the Beast Spirit Flame!"
As Mo Yu's mind focused on the raging fire within him, a wave of exhaustion washed over him, and his face filled with seriousness.
He realized he had been too careless. The Sky Flame Qi Refining Tower wasn't restricted to elders above the Dou King level as a special privilege for high-ranking members of the academy; it was because, without supervision, the power of the Fallen Heart Flame was truly terrifying.
Even a top-ranked Dou Spirit student would not survive the unprotected tempering of this heart flame—instead of gaining a breakthrough, they would most likely be burned to death.
Even Mo Yu, with his powerful body and thunder protection, was being forced to take this extremely seriously.
Unlike the Beast Spirit Flame, which was ranked at the bottom of the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Fallen Heart Flame was ranked 14th—a mid-tier Heavenly Flame with immense power.
The Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder was able to devour the Beast Spirit Flame because, despite the Beast Flame being considered a Heavenly Flame, its power was only comparable to that of top-tier beast flames. The Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder, though ranked lower on the Xuan Thunder list, was still more powerful than some Heavenly Flames, which allowed it to devour the Beast Spirit Flame.
But the situation was different with the mid-tier Fallen Heart Flame. The Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder's advantage wasn't as great, and it was now being pushed back.
This created a dangerous situation for Mo Yu. If he wanted to refine the Xuan Thunder energy sealed within his body using the power of the Fallen Heart Flame, he had to first subdue the flame.
Otherwise, he would be burned to death by the heart flame before he even broke through to the Dou King level.
As Mo Yu contemplated this, the Fallen Heart Flame showed no mercy. It intensified, raising the temperature even further.
The Fallen Heart Flame seemed to sense that it was close to driving away the Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder.
Seeing this, Mo Yu's silver eyes narrowed. A surge of Xuan Thunder power, imbued with spatial energy, began to gather in his right hand.
"If one Xuan Thunder isn't enough, I'll use two!"
With these words, Mo Yu unleashed the Spatial Void Thunder. A wave of invisible spatial energy spread around his body, causing ripples in the air at the bottom level of the tower.
The appearance of this spatial power immediately caught the attention of the Fallen Heart Flame. Red light flashed as the heart flame inside Mo Yu exploded with even more terrifying heat!
Seeing this, Mo Yu showed no mercy. The Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder and the Spatial Void Thunder struck simultaneously, their combined power attacking the Fallen Heart Flame from both sides.
It was like a tug-of-war inside Mo Yu's body. Every time the heart flame flared up, the two Xuan Thunders would join forces to forcibly suppress it.
The Spatial Void Thunder, in particular, was unexpectedly effective against the heart flame. While the Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder had struggled, the spatial power created folds in space that trapped the heart flame's terrifying heat and destructive force, causing it to dissipate into nothingness.
Frustrated by the Spatial Void Thunder's relentless tactics, the Fallen Heart Flame intensified its flames even more, but despite its increased power, it could not overcome the spatial forces.
Though Heavenly Flames possessed the ability to destroy almost anything in their path, the Fallen Heart Flame was ranked 14th, and therefore could not burn through space itself like the higher-ranked flames.
With the help of the Spatial Void Thunder, the Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder regained its strength, and together they began to gain the upper hand against the Fallen Heart Flame.
This tug-of-war, however, brought excruciating pain—pain that few could endure.
Even a Dou King expert would likely be tortured to death if they let Xuan Thunder and Heavenly Flames clash inside their body.
Fortunately, Mo Yu's willpower was exceptionally strong, and his body was far more resilient than ordinary Dou Spirit experts. Despite the searing pain, he never wavered.
As he endured the agony, a wave of fatigue began to overtake him, and Mo Yu soon fell unconscious.
...
Time flew by. When Mo Yu opened his eyes again, a full day and night had passed.
His previously mystical silver eyes were now bloodshot, and his handsome face was full of exhaustion.
But when he checked the condition of his body, his expression changed, and a smile of joy spread across his face. A look of excitement filled his features.
"Six-star Dou Spirit!"
Sensing his newfound power, Mo Yu's hoarse voice whispered in delight.
In just one day, thanks to the intense tempering of the heart flame, Mo Yu had reached the level of a six-star Dou Spirit, with no sign of instability in his cultivation.
Not only that, but the tug-of-war between the Xuan Thunder Alliance and the Fallen Heart Flame had finally come to an end.
The once fierce heart flame within Mo Yu's body now resembled a withered plant, obediently refining his Dou Qi without resistance.
Clearly, the Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder and the Spatial Void Thunder, working together as the Xuan Thunder Alliance, had won a decisive victory over the Fallen Heart Flame.
Seeing this, Mo Yu's face lit up. With the Fallen Heart Flame subdued, he could now begin the process of absorbing the Xuan Thunder energy sealed within his body and proceed with his plan to break through to the Dou King level!
Thinking of this, Mo Yu no longer hesitated. Despite his exhaustion, his face took on a determined expression, and a large mass of intense heart flame surged inside his body.
Back on the sixth floor, the heart flame had appeared in small bursts, but here, at the bottom level, it flooded out in massive waves.
Moreover, its heat was far more intense—several times stronger than before. With such potent heart flame, the speed at which Mo Yu's Dou Qi was tempered had increased to an astonishing level, even making Mo Yu himself marvel at its power.
"No wonder they say the Fallen Heart Flame is the ultimate training tool before reaching the Dou Emperor level. The speed at which it refines Dou Qi here on the bottom floor could allow a talented novice to break through to Dou Emperor within ten years."
Feeling the vast and obedient heart flame refining his Dou Qi, Mo Yu let out a satisfied sigh.
He then quickly recalled his goal. His hands formed a series of seals, and with a loud crack, the Shen Gang Seal was broken.
Inside his body, an invisible heart flame swirled near his heart, as vast amounts of powerful Xuan Thunder energy surged through his meridians. Under the refinement of the heart flame, the energy flowed throughout his body.
As the Dou Qi reappeared, it had transformed from a thick stream the width of a thumb into a thin, crystal-clear line, resembling a jade-colored string.
Though the refining process had accelerated by several dozen times thanks to the intense heart flame, the high temperature still caused Mo Yu's meridians to sting with pain from time to time.
However, after being tamed by the combined efforts of the Vermilion Bird Sky-Scorching Thunder and the Spatial Void Thunder, the heart flame was far more manageable now. Its temperature had dropped to a more tolerable level.
If the heart flame had remained untamed, its mere presence would have made Mo Yu's body feel as though it were being torn apart.
Although the stinging pain was uncomfortable, it didn't slow Mo Yu down. He continued guiding the Xuan Thunder energy through his body, refining it with the heart flame.
As the Shen Gang Seal was completely undone, large amounts of Xuan Thunder energy poured out from within Mo Yu. Carefully controlling the energy, he refined it with the heart flame and absorbed it into his body, steadily increasing his strength.
Time passed unnoticed in the midst of cultivation, especially when one could feel their Dou Qi growing stronger and purer by the day.
Mo Yu remained motionless in the bottom level of the Sky Flame Qi Refining Tower for an entire month.
During that month, the academy's elders were busy preparing for the upcoming Strong Ranking Competition, so no one came to disturb Mo Yu's intense training.
As the month wore on, Mo Yu continued to refine the Xuan Thunder energy inside him, repeating the process of extraction, refinement, and absorption.
With each cycle, the youth's power grew at an astonishing rate.
Had anyone been present to witness Mo Yu's rapid rise in cultivation, they would have been left speechless.
Seven-star Dou Spirit, eight-star Dou Spirit, Dou Spirit peak…
While Mo Yu was quietly training at the bottom of the Sky Flame Qi Refining Tower, a sudden sound echoed across the Inner Academy's plaza.
Dong!
Amid the noisy crowd, the ancient sound of a bell rang out, reverberating throughout the plaza. The raucous noise gradually died down, and eventually, the plaza fell completely silent.
Whoosh!
As the bell's chime faded, the sound of something cutting through the air suddenly echoed from the sky. The students below looked up to see more than a dozen elderly figures appearing on the high platform in the center of the plaza.
Leading them was a white-haired elder in a black robe—the Inner Academy's Grand Elder, Su Qian, who had previously observed Mo Yu's battle with Liu Qing.
Su Qian stepped forward, raised his hands, and pressed down gently. Instantly, the entire plaza grew even quieter, leaving only the sound of breathing. Su Qian's deep, raspy voice then echoed in the ears of every person present.
"Ranked contestants, enter the arena!"
As soon as Su Qian's voice fell, numerous figures darted from the high platform, drawing arcs in the sky before landing one after another in the center of the plaza.
The Strong Ranking Competition was about to begin!
(End of Chapter)
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