Chapter 553: The Pre-Uprising of the Fallen Heart Flame

Xiao Yan was slightly startled when he heard the old voice that resounded next to his ear. He immediately sat up on the stone platform and swiftly retrieved his Fire Crystal Card from within the notch. He muttered with shock within his heart, “What happened?”

“The energy within the tower has become much more wild and violent. I think this should be due to the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’.” Yao Lao’s voice carried a little surprise as it sounded within Xiao Yan’s heart.

“Fallen Heart Flame?” Xiao Yan was immediately stunned when he heard this. He spoke in his heart while being surprised, “Didn’t you say that there was still at least another couple of months? Don’t tell me that the uprising has been accelerated?”

“From the looks of the situation, it has not completely erupted yet. It should be some slightly larger writhing of the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’.” Yao Lao smiled and said, “However, from the looks of this churning, it confirms that what I said was correct. At the very most half a year or at the very least two to three months from now, the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’ within this ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’ will rise up completely. At that time, our chance to snatch the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’ might come.”

Xiao Yan nodded slightly. His heart had also quietly become a lot hotter. However, this was not the time to be thinking about this. Currently, the violent and wild energy within the tower was no longer suitable for training. Therefore, he should leave quickly. Otherwise, it would really leave one speechless if he ended up being dragged into some other unexpected event that might occur.

Xiao Yan leaped down from the stone platform and swiftly rushed out of the no. 1 training room. The moment he left the room, an irritable hot energy came pouncing toward him, causing Xiao Yan’s face to feel a kind of fiery pain.

The corridor was a little chaotic at this moment. The door of some training rooms were being repeatedly opened and one by one, students with faces that were at a loss immediately squeezed out. They looked at one another as they knit their brows tightly together. This was the first time that they had encountered such a situation.

“Hey, Xiao Yan, are you alright?” The no. 9 training room that was not far away was also opened not long after Xiao Yan came out. Lin Yan sprang out in an agile monkey-like manner. His gaze looked all around him and he hurriedly shouted upon seeing Xiao Yan.

“I’m fine.” Xiao Yan smiled to Lin Yan by the side as he shook his head and said.

“I wonder what happened. This kind of situation has never occurred in the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’ before.” Lin Yan rubbed his head and asked in a somewhat doubtful manner.

Xiao Yan shook his head slightly, only to suddenly turn it around. He threw his gaze toward the large dark-black metal door at the end of the corridor. At this moment, he sensed his ‘Green Lotus Core Flame’ rapidly rising within him. Wisps of green flame suddenly swarmed into Xiao Yan’s eyes. In an instant, his pair of dark-black eyes transformed into a pair of green fire eyes.

Xiao Yan felt a warm feeling overflowing his eyes the moment the green flame swarmed into them. Immediately, he was surprised to realize that the black darkness behind the metal door began to gradually disperse under his green fire eyes. Hence, all the activity in the deep darkness appeared within Xiao Yan’s sight.

That was a distorted space. Within that space, an invisible flame appeared like an elf that was wildly wiggling around. Suddenly, an extremely strange roar sounded. Quickly following this, that invisible flame appeared to be like a volcano erupting as it surged explosively and shot toward the top of the tower.

“Small Space Sealing Mirror, seal!”

Dozens of low and deep old voices sounded from within the black darkness. Soon after this, a majestic, vast, powerful energy surfaced. Finally, it formed a colorful light curtain on the distorted space. The invisible flame collided heavily with the light curtain. The two of them collided intensely and powerful circular energy ripples, that were enough to convulse a Da Dou Shi to an instant death, began to swiftly spread out. Finally they smashed against the dark-black wall around them before slowly being annihilated and scattered.

The surface of the light curtain was like a water wave under the collision of the invisible flame. It was in repeated turmoil. It appeared to be nearly about to break, but ultimately did not truly turn into nothingness. In an instant, it actually managed to endure under that extremely frightening shapeless flame.

“You little fellows who don’t know the immensity of the heavens and earth. The First Elder has already told all of you to leave the tower immediately. Why are you still delaying?” Just as Xiao Yan’s eyes were utterly focused on the ferocious collisions between the two groups, a low cry suddenly sounded. This caused Xiao Yan’s eyes to become blurry. The green-colored flame in his eyes instantly withdrew, and the back of the metal door once again returned to darkness. No matter how one looked at it, that person would not be able to see the high level fight behind it.

“That invisible flame should be the original body of the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’, right? Its power is indeed frightening. If it is not blocked, it is likely that it would have destroyed this ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’... That light curtain should be something that the Elders in the tower formed together, right? It is really abnormally strong to actually be able to forcefully seal the eruption of a natural, unique object like the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’. Unfortunately, I cannot continue to watch the fight between the two parties. Otherwise, I would at least have a little baseline when I come into contact with the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’ in the future.” Xiao Yan sighed regretfully in his heart. He turned his head only to see an anxious faced Elder standing at the exit of the corridor, repeatedly shouting sternly at the students who were stopping at the exit of the corridor.

Lin Yan shrugged his shoulders when he heard the cry of that Elder. He did not make any clever remarks as he pulled Xiao Yan’s hand and hurriedly walked out. The energy within the tower was growing increasingly violent. He kept feeling a little uneasy as he stayed at that place.

Xiao Yan was a little unwilling as he took a last glance at the metal door. He could only follow Lin Yan and swiftly leave this ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’ which was experiencing increasingly greater activity.

Xiao Yan and the others followed the human flow and swarmed out of the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’. At this moment, the entrance to the tower was in a state where it was crowded with people. The complete body of black mass and noisy sounds caused Xiao Yan, who had just come out of the tower, to feel like his eardrum were bursting.

These people at the entrance were clearly those that had just run out of the tower. Therefore, they were discussing the change within the tower earlier in a somewhat panicked and uncertain manner. The first experience of such a change in the tower worried them enough to cause them to form a fear within their hearts.

Xiao Yan did not join these meaningless discussions. His gaze merely quietly watched the top of the large section that protruded out of the ground. Perhaps it was because the tower had some seals added to it, but the feeling of the violent and wild energy paled to an extent that it was difficult to sense. However, by relying on a certain connection between the ‘Green Lotus Core Flame’ and the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’, Xiao Yan was still able to sense that an extremely intense collision between sealing and uprising was currently progressing within the tower.

“I wonder if the Elders in the Inner Academy will be able to suppress the uprising of the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’ this time around. If it is possible, I would perhaps like some additional preparation time. If it is not possible... I’m afraid that I must act now. It is just that in such haste, my chances of success are likely not going to be high.” Xiao Yan frowned intently. He naturally understood that he could only take the opportunity to act once the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’ broke through the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’. Otherwise, once this ‘Fallen Heart Flame,’ which possessed an intelligent spirit, were to escape, it would definitely hide itself. Where would he go and look for it at that time?

“Relax. The uprising of the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’ this time around is not considered very strong. Moreover, these Elders within the Inner Academy are no ordinary people. With the First Elder taking charge, this ‘Fallen Heart Flame’ will have some difficulty breaking the seal.” Yao Lao smiled and comforted Xiao Yan’s tensed heart.

Xiao Yan only quietly sighed in relief when he heard Yao Lao speak.

“Let’s go. Xiao Yan, it is pointless to continue staying here. The Elders will resolve these matters.” Lin Yan by the side suddenly spoke. A layer of space seal was wrapped around the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Naturally, he could no longer sense the intense exchange going on within it. Hence, he did not want to wait here for long.

Xiao Yan mused for a moment before immediately shaking his head. How could he leave now? Therefore, he randomly searched for an excuse and stalled for time.

Lin Yan could only helplessly smile and stare when he saw that Xiao Yan was unwilling to leave, “You can continue to stay if you want to. I will return first. Hee hee, remember, if we are to meet in a match when the ‘Strong Ranking’ Grand Competition begins four days later, you can forget about me holding back.”

Although Xiao Yan was currently anxious, he still mustered up a smile which he gave Lin Yan. After watching the latter’s back disappear within the crowd, Xiao Yan turned his head once again and placed all his attention on the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’.

Following the flow of time, the number of people stopped outside the tower swiftly reduced. Not long later, the originally extremely crowded place had become empty. Only Xiao Yan alone was still standing on the top of a tree outside the tower. His eyes were shut as he sensed the intense exchange within the tower that left one stunned.

Although Xiao Yan was able to sense the energy movements within the tower by borrowing the help of the ‘Green Lotus Core Flame’, he was unable to clearly see the collision between the two groups like he did in the tower earlier. Hence, after the deadlock continued until the sun had set, he was finally able to sense that the wild and violent energy within the tower had begun to gradually weaken.

“Looks like the Elders have obtained the upper hand.” Xiao Yan sensed the ‘Fallen Heart Flame’ that had once again become quiet. Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief. With the Inner Academy’s Elder dragging things out, he would be able to gain sufficient time to allow himself to be fully prepared.

Xiao Yan let out a soft laugh. He let down the huge stone that was in his heart. However, just as his body had turned around on the top of the tree, it suddenly stiffened. His gaze was stunned as he eyed a black-robed, old man suspended in the air not far in front of him.

TL: let down the huge stone that was in his heart - put down a great burden

The old man was wearing a black robe and had a white beard. His pupils were as cold as sharp blades. A mere sweep of his gaze across Xiao Yan caused the pores on the latter’s body to shrink tightly. The thing that caused Xiao Yan to be surprised was that this person was actually that old man who had arrived in the mountains after being disturbed by the ‘Ground Spirit Pill’ that Yao Lao had refined the last time!

Xiao Yan’s throat rolled a little. He used all his strength to suppress the emotional ripple within his heart. If his emotions were to fluctuate slightly in front of such a strong person, the latter would be able to sense it. Hence, it was a long while later before he cupped his hands together and asked, “This Elder, may I know why you are blocking this student?”

The black-robed old man glanced at Xiao Yan. There was an unknown meaning within those eyes. It was a long while later before he opened his mouth and said faintly.

“You should have seen and sensed the activity within the tower earlier, right?”