Stepping out of the cultivation chamber, perhaps due to the chime of the bell heard earlier, Xiao Yan noticed that the entire tower was bustling with activity—people flowing in and out constantly. Many doors that had been closed when he arrived were now fully open, with large groups of people pouring out and swiftly heading toward the main tower entrance. In the eyes of these individuals, Xiao Yan could see a faint glow of red. The feeling of crowding suddenly vanished, and Xiao Yan exhaled a deep breath of relief. As his eyes were about to sweep the surroundings in search of a passage into the next level, a figure suddenly materialized in front of him. Immediately, a slightly exasperated, low voice resonated in his ears: "You're such a rule-breaker! Didn't you know that when the ancient bell rings, all movement within the tower is strictly prohibited?" The figure in front of him caused Xiao Yan to halt instantly. Raising his gaze, he noticed the person was also a middle-aged man of similar age to Hou Hu, and, notably, wore a mentor's badge on his chest—just like Hou Hu. It seemed clear that he too was one of the mentors responsible for maintaining order within the tower. "This mentor..." Since he was a mentor, Xiao Yan naturally didn't dare to wander around any longer. However, just as he was about to open his mouth to explain, the mentor, with his expression as calm and composed as still water, waved a hand and frowned, saying, "Enough. Since your training has concluded, go back and rest. After you've resolved the invisible flame toxin tomorrow, come back to the tower to train again. The tower's inspection procedures are about to begin, and if they find you still lingering here, your flame energy will be deducted. The invisible flame toxin—should be the 'flame volatility factor' mentioned by Hou Tu. Though the terms differ slightly, the essence is quite similar. Seeing the mentor's stern demeanor, Xiao Yan felt a bit stressed, but fortunately, this stress didn't last long—it was quickly dispelled by a single voice. "Hm? Xiao Yan? How come you're still here?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan felt a surge of relief and promptly turned around, looking at Hou Tu who was approaching steadily, then gave him a quick glance. Seeing Xiao Yan giving him subtle gestures and expressions, Hou Hu felt a bit puzzled. He stepped forward and smiled at the middle-aged man blocking Xiao Yan, saying, "Qin Li, let me handle this—go about your business." Upon hearing this, the mentor hesitated, glanced at Xiao Yan, and then nodded, saying, "Very well. You need to get him out quickly, or else if we're discovered during the inspection, Li Elder will reprimand us." "Understood," Hou Hu replied with a smile. When he saw Hou Hu nod, the mentor named Qin Li finally turned and walked away. After watching Qin Li disappear around the corner, Hou Hu turned his attention back to Xiao Yan and asked curiously, "Xiao Yan, brother, your training is over, isn't it? Then why are you still lingering here?" "Hehe, Hou Brother, I actually have something I'd like to ask you for a favor," Xiao Yan leaned in slightly and smiled. "What is it?" Hou Hu blinked, asking. "Hehe, Hou brother, you know, with my current strength, the benefits I'd gain from training at the first level aren't very substantial. So I was wondering if you could possibly make an exception and allow me to train at the lower levels?" Xiao Yan spoke softly. "Lower levels?" Hou Tiger was startled at this, then shook his head and said firmly, "Xiao Yan, I understand that your strength might not yield significant results at the first level. However, according to the established rules, regardless of how strong a new recruit's abilities are, they must train continuously at the first level for one week before being allowed to move on to the lower levels. During that time, the intense heat will inevitably infuse a trace of fire toxicity into their qi. This isn't something we can afford to take lightly—over the years in the inner courtyard, countless individuals have suffered irreversible damage due to the accumulation of this fire toxicity." "Moreover, adapting to this inner fire takes time. Each time you descend one level of the Flame Refining Tower, the strength and intensity of the inner fire within the meditation chambers increase exponentially. You haven't even adapted to the first level yet, and you're already planning to go down? That would be quite risky." Hearing Hou Hu's rapid stream of words, Xiao Yan immediately felt dizzy, and only after a while did he shake his head in resignation, pointing to his eyes and saying, "Brother Hou, although the cultivation technique I'm using isn't particularly advanced, it does have a unique feature—it offers certain resistance to fire toxins and other poisons. So, don't worry about me suffering any damage due to the toxins entering my body. As for adapting to the intensity, rest assured—typically, cultivators with strength equivalent to five-star Battle Masters can reach the third level. I'm only now entering the second level, so there's no real issue." Staring intently at Xiao Yan's dark, ink-black eyes, Hou Hu was momentarily stunned. Having worked within the tower for many years, he was exceptionally well-versed in the nature of fire toxicity—enough to simply judge whether a person was afflicted by it by merely observing their eyes. Yet now, looking at Xiao Yan's eyes, it seemed as though he had not been touched by fire toxicity at all. "Well, I believe you have some resistance to fire toxicity," Hou Hu said, after a long pause, nodding with a sigh. "But even so, this still seems rather out of the ordinary..." He remained somewhat hesitant. Seeing Hou Hu's indecision, Xiao Yan stepped forward, flipped his hand, and with a subtle motion, placed another jade vial into Hou Hu's hands. Smiling warmly, he said, "Uncle Hou, you've been working here for so long. Though your strength is formidable, the fire toxicity you absorb daily through your body might still be difficult to fully eliminate. This pill is called 'Bing Ling Pill.' Though not of the highest rank, it does possess the effect of suppressing fire toxicity." The jade vial was once again pressed into his hands, causing Hou Hu's heart to leap. Upon Xiao Yan explaining the effects of the medicine in detail, Hou Hu immediately tightened his grip, as if afraid the vial might vanish at any moment. As Xiao Yan had mentioned, due to frequent work within the tower, the fire toxicity endured by the mentors themselves often surpasses that of the students. Combined with insufficient rest, this fire toxicity becomes particularly difficult to fully resolve. Over time, this inevitably leads to occasional surges in inner heat, causing disruptions in meditation and practice. Everyone is well aware of the risks associated with such disruptions. Thus, upon learning that this vial contained a medicine specifically effective in suppressing fire toxicity, Hou Hu was instantly filled with astonishment and delight. Though it was merely suppression, not complete expulsion, Hou Hu still felt profoundly satisfied. After a moment's pause, he smiled faintly, exhaled in resignation, and stared at Xiao Yan with an unusual intensity. "The things you offer always make it hard to refuse. Well, then, today I'll take a risk for you—come with me!" As he spoke, Hou Hu quickly scanned the surroundings, pulled Xiao Yan swiftly through the corner, and then hurried toward the central spot. Following behind, Xiao Yan breathed a long, steady sigh. Though the crafting of the "Ice Spirit Pill" had been somewhat intricate, it wasn't particularly difficult. He hadn't expected it to have such remarkable results when used as a means of persuasion—truly, excellent resources had been applied where they mattered most. After walking with Hou Hu for nearly five minutes, Xiao Yan finally sensed him slow down. He glanced forward and just happened to spot a spiral staircase at the corner ahead—likely the entrance to the next level. "Good thing it's me guarding the gate today; otherwise, I wouldn't have let you pass. Hey, stay put—be careful! There's a spatial mirror array here. If you rush in haphazardly, the force within it will push you back. You'd likely suffer at least serious injuries." Hurrying to the staircase entrance, Hou Hu spoke as he quickly pulled Xiao Yan back, preventing him from trying to go around. Upon hearing Hou Hu's warning, Xiao Yan realized the space at the entrance before him was subtly warped. He was startled, his palms now damp with cold sweat—indeed, the Heaven-Burning Qi Tower was full of mechanisms and traps. A single misstep could easily result in serious harm. After stunning Xiao Yan, Hou Hu then reached up and removed the badge from his chest, carefully inserting it into a subtle recess on the wall beside him. As the badge settled, the space before them subtly rippled, and within just a few moments, Xiao Yan noticed that the warping sensation had completely vanished. "Now may we enter?" Xiao Yan asked cautiously. "Yes," Hou Hu nodded. "The spatial mirror has been lifted. Now go down yourself. I'll need to maintain the seal until the tower gate opens again tomorrow, when I'll then release it." "Thank you, Elder Hou," Xiao Yan said, delighted. He bowed gratefully and then gently touched the empty space before him with his hand, only then feeling at ease as he descended the stairs. "Remember," Hou Hu added, "if you can't endure the heat of the second layer's flame, find a place to rest. Return tomorrow after the gate opens to resume your practice." "Hou Hu reminded Xiao Yan. 'Hehe, I understand, thank you, Hou elder brother.' With Hou Hu's kind reminder, Xiao Yan nodded with a smile and bowed once more, then flashed forward, vanishing into the corner of the spiral staircase.