After stepping out of the Tianfen Qi-Tower, Xiao Yan stood at the entrance, turned to gaze at the mysterious black tower that only showed a slender spire emerging from the ground, and couldn't help but take a deep, slow breath. For some reason, he always felt this black tower was far more than it seemed. "Hmm, I didn't expect it to have developed a sentient, emotionally aware 'Fire Spirit'—well, that explains why the inner courtyard is so meticulously organized, even going so far as to install the 'Spatial Prison,' a technique that only the most powerful Douzun-level warriors can fully execute." As Xiao Yan was pondering this, a sudden, surprised voice from Ye Lao echoed within his mind. Hearing Ye Lao speak, Xiao Yan paused slightly, maintained a calm expression, surveyed the surroundings, then waved gently at Wu Hao, who still appeared somewhat drowsy, before turning and walking back along the path he had come. "What exactly is the 'Fire Spirit' that Master mentioned?" Xiao Yan asked himself, walking steadily through the shaded forest path. "A unique form of life born from pure flame... The intangible fire serpent you previously observed—this very being is the spiritual intelligence emerging from the fallen heart flame. Indeed, one might say that this fire serpent is the very essence of the fallen heart flame within this Heaven-Burning Qi Tower!" The Elder of the Herbs spoke slowly. "What? The fire serpent is the fallen heart flame?" The steps of Xiao Yan suddenly halted. His face subtly changed, his mind filled with astonishment. "Yes, my senses are certain. Over time, these extraordinary flames of the heavens accumulate and evolve into diverse forms. For instance, the Qinglian Earth Heart Flame you encountered beneath the earth's crust—the plant-like, lotus-shaped form—is the result of the earth's core flame compressed and transformed over a thousand years." The Elder spoke with steady gravity. "Of course, the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire we encountered last time, though it had taken on a plant-like form, still lacked its own emotions and spiritual awareness. However, earlier... the fire serpent I truly felt its emotions. This flame body that now possesses its own wisdom—we call it a 'Fire Spirit.' Its intelligence has already reached a level comparable to that of some transcendent beasts capable of transforming into human form." "Then... then, once we obtain such a 'Fire Spirit,' how do we assimilate or subdue it? I also sensed the overwhelming power of this entity. Even a Duke-level warrior would likely struggle against it. How could we possibly consume or absorb it?" "The elder's words surprised Xiao Yan somewhat. He hadn't expected flames to possess their own consciousness. Now that this flame had such awareness, it surely wouldn't willingly be consumed and refined by others. Observing its earlier display of such formidable power, Xiao Yan immediately felt himself grow weak. 'Indeed, it's quite difficult... but there's nothing we can do. Of course, if you're willing to give up this Fallen Heart Flame and seek out other unique flames, then it wouldn't matter at all.' The elder smiled calmly. 'What kind of joke is that? How easy is it to find unique flames?' Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan immediately grew agitated in his mind. After years of perseverance, he had only recently, by sheer luck, obtained the Qinglian Earth Heart Flame. Now, after all this effort, he had finally secured the Fallen Heart Flame—how could he possibly part with it? 'Then we'll have to watch and see. Actually... even if we figure out what to do with the Fallen Heart Flame once we possess it, the very challenge of acquiring it in the first place has already proven to be overwhelming.' "The old medic's voice carried a hint of headache: 'Within this inner courtyard, the strength of the cultivators is overwhelming. In the earlier tower, I could faintly sense the presence of powerful yet subtly intense energies, especially in the lower levels—energies so strong that, with my current spiritual state, I simply cannot compete against them.' Xiao Yan also furrowed his brows, his fingers tightly clenched. 'Moreover, I'm now certain that the inner courtyard's ability to accelerate students' cultivation progress is almost entirely due to the fallen heart flame. They've sealed the fallen heart flames that reach the spiritual level within the Heaven-Burning Qi Tower, and when students approach it, the flame generates offshoots that respond to the students' inner resonance—these offshoots are then used to refine their meridians and extract combat qi.' 'They... they're actually... breeding the fallen heart flames!' The old medic exhaled a steady breath, speaking calmly. The hands clasped together trembled suddenly. Xiao Yan brushed a strand of cold sweat from his forehead without making a sound, deeply impressed by the bold and frantic actions of the Inner Courtyard. These people were truly astonishing—how dare they confine such a force of nature, capable of total destruction? Only after the old doctor's explanation did Xiao Yan fully grasp that the Inner Courtyard treated the "Falling Heart Flame" like a dairy cow, constantly drawing off its "milk"—the projected offshoots of the Flame—without ever letting it rest. Such behavior was indeed nothing short of mad. "It's truly true that those who are skilled are bold—this Inner Courtyard is no ordinary place," Xiao Yan murmured, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Hmph. Bold? I'd say they're setting themselves on fire," the old doctor sniffed. "What do you mean? It seems everything's going smoothly, doesn't it?" Xiao Yan asked, surprised. "Hey, right now they're relying on the spatial prison to keep them contained—indeed, they're not having any trouble. But that's merely a temporary measure. Simply relying on the spatial prison isn't enough to keep the Fallen Heart Flame locked within the tower indefinitely." The Elder of the Herbs chuckled. "Fire flows and spreads—it can't be completely blocked. This Fallen Heart Flame is a rare, celestial fire born from the heavens, possessing genuine destructive power. The current containment efforts are like building fortifications right at the mouth of a volcano. Have you ever seen a volcano successfully blocked? Right now, the pressure is merely storing energy. When it finally erupts, the Heaven-Burning Qi Tower will be utterly destroyed in an instant!" "Hmm, that's all we can do—our forces are weak, and coming out openly would serve no purpose..." the herbal elder nodded. "Then when exactly will this happen?" Xiao Yan rolled his eyes, sighed wryly. "Based on the counterattack from the fallen Heart Flame, it could be as early as one year, or as late as two—there might be a sudden development at any time," the elder mused for a while, then lowered his voice, speaking softly into Xiao Yan's mind. His eyes flashed rapidly. After a moment, Xiao Yan carefully glanced around. Aside from Wu Hao continuously tapping his dazed head, there was no other movement. The words the elder had just spoken carried profound implications for the very survival of the Inner Courtyard. "In the coming days, you must make good use of your time refining your cultivation within the tower, aiming to reach the Douling level within six months. With the addition of Qinglian Earthheart Fire and Yan Fen Shi Lang Scales, you will surely be dominant among Douling cultivators. Should you further employ the Buddha's Fury Lotus formed by the fusion of Purple and Qing Fires, even the Su Elder who previously faced you outside the forest might hesitate to single-handedly withstand your attack." "Master Yao's voice flowed like a bullet being fired—so much information in a single stream that Xiao Yan could only chuckle helplessly, taking a while to fully absorb it. 'Hmm, I think there are still the various materials needed for the Earth Spirit Pill, haven't I?' After carefully digesting Master Yao's numerous reminders, Xiao Yan paused thoughtfully and noticed a point he had overlooked. 'This one is also essential—without it, even if we later obtain the Fallen Heart Flame, we'd be too hesitant to wear it proudly.' 'Ah, yes—indeed. But those materials are quite rare; you'll have to be particularly careful about them,' Master Yao was momentarily surprised, then nodded in agreement. With a gentle smile, Xiao Yan raised his head and gazed at the azure sky, taking a long, deep breath. 'Well, this is quite a pile of troubles, isn't it?' 'What's all this sighing and groaning about? Because of the Pan Gate matter?' Suddenly, a voice echoed from behind. Xiao Yan turned to see it was Wu Hao, who now seemed to have regained his clarity from the haze caused by the heart-fire. "Not much," Xiao Yan chuckled. "Let's go—let's head back and check." With that, he quickened his pace and swiftly moved toward the path they had come from, followed closely by Wu Hao. After nearly forty-five minutes of continuous travel, the two gradually approached the newly established residential area and entered it. Yet, the quiet, empty road struck them as unexpected, causing both to pause in surprise. "Some people wanted to drag in new students, but no one agreed—those fellows just wanted to cause trouble, now even pressuring薰儿 and琥嘉 to fight!" "Who are they? Do you know them?" Xiao Yan's expression grew serious, and he hurried inside, pausing only to ask casually as he went. Hearing Xiao Yan's question, the new student hesitated slightly. This moment caused Xiao Yan to stop abruptly and command firmly, "Speak!" "The one leading the group... is Bai Shan." After being scolded, the student managed a wry smile. "Damn it! This traitor!" Upon hearing this, both Xiao Yan and Wu Hao's faces immediately darkened.