Originally, there had been ten people. Now three were absent: Xiao Yu, Qin Zhen, and Qian Mo. The three sat cross-legged to the side, quietly recovering.
Xiao Tian approached Xiao Yu and produced a healing pill—a sixth-grade one, formulated specifically for burns left by fire-attributed energy.
"Cousin Xiao Yu, take this."
At the sound of his voice, Xiao Yu opened her eyes and saw Xiao Tian standing before her.
"Cousin Xiao Tian, I've embarrassed myself…" She looked up at him, her expression full of shame, her head drooping in dejection.
"It's alright. Even if you didn't succeed, you've still gained a great deal. Your path to Dou Wang will be far smoother in the future—not nearly as difficult as before."
Xiao Tian kept one thought to himself: *Once the Xiao Family's Dou Di bloodline awakens, she won't even need to cultivate. She'll simply ascend. There's no need to fret over such things.*
"We can talk about that later. Take this pill first."
He cut her off before she could speak again. She opened her mouth, and Xiao Tian placed the pill gently onto her tongue. It dissolved into a stream of pure, soothing energy that began to mend the injuries throughout her body.
Xiao Tian glanced at the two other students nearby. After a brief moment of consideration, he produced two fourth-grade healing pills and sent them floating through the air to hover before them. The two had already been roused from their meditation by Xiao Tian and Xiao Yu's conversation.
"You two—these are healing pills, also formulated for burns."
Neither hesitated. They took the pills directly and swallowed them. It wasn't a matter of trust; it was simply that if Xiao Tian wished them dead, he could crush them with a single hand. There was no need to waste pills on a ruse.
The two elders stationed nearby observed Xiao Tian's actions and nodded in quiet approval. *This young man not only possesses extraordinary talent, but he is also generous toward others. Truly a promising seedling. He lives up to the Great Elder's special regard. Having such a student is a genuine blessing for the academy.*
Xiao Tian paid their expressions no mind. His focus had already shifted to Han Yue, who was still deep in the Body Tempering process. By now, the flush had largely faded from her face, the redness retreating. The others were much the same. The auras around them had grown noticeably firmer and more condensed—a sign they had reaped substantial rewards from the tempering. Lin Xiuya's aura, in particular, now hovered at the very threshold of Dou Wang. He would likely break through within a week.
Xiao Tian's gaze drifted toward the deep, dark pit. He didn't know whether it was his own Heavenly Flame suppressing it, but the Fallen Heart Flame—which by all reason should have erupted by now—showed no reaction whatsoever.
Roughly ten minutes later, the remaining seven completed their Body Tempering. One by one, they opened their eyes, assessing the changes in their bodies, satisfied smiles spreading across their faces.
After gauging her own improvements, Han Yue spotted Xiao Tian standing not far away, watching her with a warm smile. Her expression softened even further. She believed he had stood guard here for her for three full days. Emotion surged through her heart. Before she knew it, she was on her feet, pushing off lightly with her toes.
Like a butterfly in flight, she sailed directly toward him. Xiao Tian opened his arms and caught her seemingly delicate form.
Han Yue gazed up at his handsome face, the feelings inside her crashing like a tide. She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.
"Murder! Sheer murder! What sin have I committed? The moment I wake, I'm publicly slapped with dog food—and it's by the 'Ice Mountain Beauty,' the 'Cold Moon Fairy' herself, no less!"
Lin Yan threw an arm around Xiao Yan's shoulder and howled at the top of his lungs.
Han Yue was so mortified by his sudden outburst that she buried her face deep in Xiao Tian's chest.
"If you're so envious, I can grant you permission to kiss Xiao Yan right there beside you," Xiao Tian said, his eyes dancing with playful mischief.
When Xiao Yan heard those words and caught his brother's gaze, he instantly understood—his brother was seeing the world through thoroughly rotten-colored lenses. He immediately put as much distance between himself and Lin Yan as possible, his expression screaming, *I'm not, I didn't.*
Lin Yan stared at Xiao Yan's hasty retreat and clutched his chest in theatrical anguish. "Xiao Yan… you used to call me 'Little Sweetie.' Now you treat me as though I were filth."
Xiao Yan's face paled to ash. "I didn't. I'm not. Do not speak such nonsense."
"Hahaha!"
The others in the chamber erupted into laughter at the pair's antics. Even the two elders couldn't suppress their smiles, and the oppressive atmosphere left by the Body Tempering and the grim surroundings vanished in an instant.
"Xiao Tian, Xiao Yan—you two will remain. Everyone else, exit the Tower as quickly as possible. Elders Lin and Wang, one of you is responsible for summoning all elders to the Tower. The other will oversee the evacuation of all students in the surrounding area. No one is permitted within a hundred meters of the Qi Refining Tower."
"Now, all of you—get out!"
Su Qian's figure materialized in the chamber, his voice carrying a solemn gravity as he issued his commands.
The two elders acknowledged the orders with a nod. The rest of the students stared at the Great Elder with a mixture of confusion and fear, shaken by his stern, almost cutting tone.
Han Yue, still wrapped in Xiao Tian's arms, looked up at him. He leaned close and whispered against her ear, "Yue'er, leave first. Stay with Cousin Xiao Yu and the others. No matter what happens, do not approach the Qi Refining Tower. Remember—no matter what. Understood?"
Hearing his words, Han Yue's eyes clouded with worry. But she was never one to be unreasonable. She asked no questions. She only nodded, firmly and deeply.
Xiao Tian gave her backside a light pat. "Go with Cousin Xiao Yu. Get out of here."
A flush bloomed across Han Yue's face. She rose on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'll wait for you to come back."
Then she, Xiao Yu, and the others hurried toward the Tower's exit.
In the span of a breath, only three remained: Xiao Tian, Xiao Yan, and Su Qian.
"When will your people arrive?" Su Qian asked.
"They've already arrived. They will appear when the moment calls for them. Do not worry."
Su Qian gave Xiao Tian a long, searching look. He hadn't detected any other auras nearby. But he trusted Xiao Tian's character. He believed him.
As the majority of the Inner Academy's elders began to assemble, Su Qian moved to prepare the unsealing. But just as their hand seals began to form, the Fallen Heart Flame below erupted of its own accord. It had assumed Su Qian and the others were attempting to reinforce the seal. After enduring this cycle for countless ages, it no longer bothered to hide. It unleashed every ounce of its gathered power in a single, cataclysmic strike.
An invisible Fire Python, wreathed in countless pillars of blood-red magma, hurtled into the seal.
"Great Elder, don't unseal it yet. Let it break out on its own—that way, it will exhaust a portion of its strength," Xiao Tian said.
Originally, they had planned to unseal the barrier and lure it out. He hadn't expected the beast to be so impatient.
The Fire Python slammed against the barrier again and again, only to be driven back each time by the thin, dark membrane coating its surface. With every impact, it burned through the energy it had so patiently accumulated. And still, it hurled itself upward, again and again, against the barrier above.