As the tower gate opened, the crowd instantly erupted into chatter, and Xiao Yan had to pause his introduction, simply spreading his hands toward Han Yue and gazing at the increasingly wide gate opening. Once the main gate was fully open, the crowd surged forward in a wave, like a tide rushing in. Taking advantage of the crowd's momentum, Xiao Yan and his companions surged into the Tianfen Lianqi Tower in a rush. After entering, Han Yue, due to differing routes, parted ways with the group of women and went her separate way, reminding Xiao Yan to keep a close eye on the movements of the "Bai Hall." Xiao Yan naturally appreciated Han Yue's kindness. Gazing at their retreating figures, he turned to face the members of the Pan Gate. When he had first entered the tower, he had already informed them in advance to be cautious about the initial scorching from the heart flame, and had also shared the specific techniques for properly countering it. Thus, although the new students now only appeared stiff, with closed eyes and flushed faces—without any more pronounced unusual symptoms—everything was proceeding as expected. After nearly two minutes of waiting, Xun'er opened her eyes first, her face glowing with a delicate radiance, clearly indicating that the refinement of her qi through the heart flame had yielded significant benefits. As for Xun'er's ability to awaken so swiftly, Xiao Yan was somewhat astonished. Since he now understood the method to resolve the heart-fire, the initial trial of heart-fire exposure naturally lost its evaluative effect. Thus, the previously established standard—that the longer one endured, the better the performance—had become irrelevant. Instead, what mattered now was who could most rapidly dissipate the intensity of the heart-fire to achieve the refining effect on their battle energy. Therefore, Xun'er's speed left Xiao Yan quite impressed. Following Xun'er, as expected, came Hu Jia, and then gradually, the members of the Pan Gate began to awaken one after another. Although their awakening times varied, the glowing complexion of each person clearly indicated significant benefits from the heart-fire exposure. It was evident that the fallen heart-flame indeed provided substantial advantages for cultivation. "Indeed, the Heavenly Burn Qi Tower must be quite remarkable—no wonder the senior students have made such swift progress. It seems the inner courtyard has always relied on it..." Xun'er's face bore a streak of wonder, though beneath that wonder there seemed to be a subtle nuance others might have missed. "Practicing here truly yields results far exceeding expectations." Beside her, Huiga nodded with excitement. "With just under a year of training within the Heavenly Burn Qi Tower, I'm certain I'll reach the Battle Spirit level!" The other members of Panmen also expressed their delight, eager to join in, as if they already wished to find a spot to settle down and begin practicing immediately. "Ah, this must be Xiao Yan, right?" Just as Xiao Yan was preparing to lead the group to locate the training rooms, a middle-aged man approached swiftly, smiling warmly at Xiao Yan. "I'm Xiao Yan, student. May I ask what your esteemed mentor needs?" Xiao Yan glanced at the special badge on the middle-aged man's chest—a mark that could only be worn by inner courtyard instructors—and promptly replied with courtesy. "I've been instructed by Master Liu to guide you to that particular 'Intermediate Training Room'..." the man murmured with a gentle smile. Looking at this training room, which appeared notably worn compared to others, Xiao Yan and the others couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. Noticing their expressions, the middle-aged instructor seemed to understand exactly what they were thinking and smiled gently before stepping inside. Standing at the doorway, Xiao Yan hesitated slightly before leading the group in. As their feet touched the floor, a subtle coldness rose from the stone plates, climbing up through their soles, giving Xiao Yan and the others a refreshing sense of coolness. The room was illuminated by a soft, gentle light—neither glaring nor dim—offering ample space to comfortably accommodate forty people. At the center stood a spacious platform formed by stacked dark stone, about two inches higher than the floor level. "Xiao Yan, the black stone area in the center is where training takes place." A middle-aged man smiled and walked to the edge of the black stone platform, bending down to point at a clearly defined strip among the marked areas. "Each of you has ample space for cultivation. There's a raised recess here—just insert your fire crystal card into the slot, and as you practice your techniques, a continuous flow of inner flame will emerge within your body. With this flame, you can refine your battle energy, strengthen your meridians, bones, and enhance your overall strength." Hearing this, Xiao Yan and his companions quickly gathered around, indeed seeing on the black platform areas delineated by an unknown dye, each with a stone slot about an inch high. "Since this is your first time entering the Tian Fen Cultivation Tower, I'll need to explain the rules you should follow." The middle-aged man straightened up, paused thoughtfully, and said, "Heart-fire refinement indeed enables you to rapidly enhance your strength, yet it cannot compel you to forget meals or sleep here continuously, because the heart-fire contains a wild, turbulent flame force. As it purifies impurities from your qi, this turbulent force is inevitably mixed in as well... This turbulent flame force cannot be neutralized by qi alone—it must be gradually harmonized through time. Therefore, with your current strength and resistance to the heart-fire, it is best to train for half a day, then rest overnight. That routine is ideal. "The mid-career mentor solemnly reminded them. Hearing the mentor's words, Xiao Yan and the others nodded in agreement. Seeing this, the mid-career mentor smiled and waved a hand, saying, 'Since you've understood, now go ahead and make the most of your time in training. The first time you train in the meditation hall makes a significant difference—many outstanding new students advance during their very first session. I hope you can achieve the same.' With that, he swept his sleeve and turned to head toward the door. As he walked away, Xiao Yan paused to think, then quickly followed. Just as he reached the door and was about to see the mentor off, he suddenly whispered, 'Mentor, please wait a moment.'" Hearing Xiao Yan's words, the middle-aged mentor couldn't help being momentarily stunned. While he was still in thought, Xiao Yan quickly slipped a small jade vial into his hands, smiling lightly, "Today, I'm really grateful to you. This is just a pill that helps one focus and meditate—it's not particularly precious..." At first, the mentor had just been about to step back when he felt something placed in his hand. Upon hearing that it was a pill capable of calming the mind and aiding meditation, a spark of surprise flashed across his eyes. He hesitated slightly, then smiled warmly and carefully took the vial, glancing around before softly saying, "Don't worry, young one. I happen to oversee this area, so, hehe, just go ahead and meditate in peace." "Thank you, mentor," Xiao Yan replied with a smile. "If you don't mind, from now on, you can call me Hou Hu, the elder brother." The middle-aged mentor spoke with a hearty laugh. "Then that young man will have to follow your lead," Xiao Yan chuckled lightly. "Alright, go on in and begin meditating—don't waste any time," Hou Hu waved cheerfully. Xiao Yan nodded and then turned to close the door. Looking at the now-closed door, Hou Hu couldn't help but smile and shake his head, speaking softly, "This young fellow knows how to treat people. Indeed, quite good. I like him." "...Hm, such an unusual method of cultivation—truly something I've never heard of." As soon as he entered the room, Xiao Yan heard Hugua's voice. Turning toward the sound, he saw her continuously stroking the black stone platform. Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, then stepped forward, gently touching the black platform with his palm. A gentle warmth flowed through his fingers, and under this peculiar warmth, it seemed his internal qi circulation had become slightly more vibrant. "Indeed, quite remarkable," he said, chuckling. "Everyone, please find seats. Let's see how many of us can advance during this very first cultivation session!" Xiao Yan drew out the massive, heavy purple-and-gold staff from behind his back, flipped it over in his palm, and neatly stored it within his storage amulet. With a leap of his body, he took the first position on the left side. Seeing Xiao Yan lead the way, the members of Panmen followed suit, swiftly moving to find their own spots for meditation and cultivation. Sitting cross-legged on the stone platform, feeling the steadily intensifying warmth, Xiao Yan exhaled deeply. With a gentle finger tap, a jade-green flame crystal card appeared in his palm. He firmly grasped the card and carefully inserted it into the recessed slot before him. A subtle crackling sound was heard, and a faint glow burst forth from the slot. As the glow emerged, Xiao Yan clearly observed the number 148 on the card decrease by one—clearly indicating that one day's cultivation fee, equivalent to one unit of fire energy, had been deducted. Not long after the fire was deducted, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes, forming meditation hand seals with both hands, his body remaining perfectly still, as if a monk had entered a state of meditative stillness. Following him, Xun'er and the others inserted their Fire Crystal Cards into the slots. One after another, a delicate series of crisp clicking sounds echoed through the room, and a soft, diffused glow gradually illuminated the space, nearly dimming the room's ambient lighting. As the glow faded, the once quietly conversing room gradually settled into silence, save for the steady, rhythmic breaths that gently resonated throughout.