Xiao Yan's face remained cold, his hand wielding the jade-purple lotus of flame, forcefully hurling it toward Leena, who stood wide-eyed with shock and fear. The intensity of the attack seemed devoid of any intention to spare. "Stop!" However, as the lotus neared Leena—just two feet away—the sudden, deep, resonant voice of an elder came from afar and grew closer. The strength of the aura infused in the voice shook the area so violently that the students instantly felt their eardrums ache. Upon hearing the voice, Xiao Yan's expression shifted slightly, and a flurry of thoughts raced through his mind. He managed to freeze his downward palm mid-motion, yet even so, the intense heat of the lotus instantly incinerated Leena's hair, reducing it to blackened ash. "Shhh—" At the very instant Xiang Yan's hand halted, a remarkably powerful gust of wind surged suddenly from above, yet it did not target Xiang Yan directly—it struck hard against Lei Na's body. Under the force of this fierce airflow, Lei Na's form resembled a kite with a snapped string, tumbling several times in midair before crashing heavily against the wall. Immediately, he coughed up a thick stream of blood, staining the dark floor a deep crimson. With Lei Na knocked backward, Xiang Yan lost his point of attack and slowly straightened his body, his palm cradling a small, palm-sized lotus of pale green and purple flame, turning his gaze together with the crowd toward the location where the cry had originated. The slightly hunched elder who appeared caught the attention of several onlookers, who immediately frowned and then gasped in surprise. These tower elders held high status within the inner academy—typically, they would never intervene in ordinary student brawls. Yet today, the chief administrator of the third level had personally stepped in, which left the students quite astonished. Not long after the elder arrived, four or five figures swiftly followed, all of whom were instructors from within the tower, having sensed the intense energy surge and come to investigate. "What are you all doing?" the elder, though slightly bent, scanned the surroundings with sharp, commanding eyes, his voice cold and firm. Upon hearing his question, the students immediately fell silent, for the prestige of these elders was unquestionable—displeasing them meant certain trouble. "Master He, how could we have disturbed you? This is merely a routine sparring match." "A slightly sweet, cheerful voice broke the silence, as Liu Fei hurried forward and smiled at He Elder. "Just a regular sparring session? Hmph! If we'd waited any longer, someone might have ended up dead!" He Elder coldly scolded, his gaze then settling on Xiao Yan. As his eyes swept over the jade-purple flame lotus in Xiao Yan's palm, they widened suddenly—He could feel the terrifying energy pulsing within the bloom. "Young man, can you first dissolve this flame lotus in your hand? I'll see to justice here." Taking a step toward Xiao Yan, He Elder paused—within this range, should anything unexpected occur, he could instantly intervene. "All instructions from the Elder shall be followed," Xiao Yan replied, hesitating slightly before nodding. He was well aware of the power these elders wielded within the inner courtyard, and naturally didn't wish to offend them lightly. Gently, the right hand covered the floating indigo-purple lotus hovering in the palm, and the soul energy surged forth, then seeped into the lotus, once again separating the tightly bound flame energies within. With his growing strength, Xiao Yan's command over the Buddha-angry lotus had become increasingly refined—once unable even to achieve a stable fusion, he now possessed the skill of effortless control and flexibility. As the soul energy penetrated the lotus, intense fluctuations began to ripple through its structure. Observing these fluctuations, Elder He's face grew increasingly tense, his dry, eagle-like hands slightly curling, with sharp combat energy subtly shimmering within his palms, ready to intervene at any moment. Fortunately, the worst scenario he had anticipated did not unfold. After a series of fluctuations, the indigo-purple lotus gradually became more ethereal, and within a short while, it simply vanished—disappearing entirely from the space within Xiao Yan's palm. As the terrifying flame lotus finally faded, Her Elder quietly exhaled, his tense body gradually relaxing. "Young man, you're Xiao Yan, aren't you?" While breathing out, Her Elder glanced over Xiao Yan carefully, recalling the earlier spectacle of the flame lotus, a touch of surprise flickering in his eyes as he addressed him. Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, not expecting his name to be known to this Elder. He quickly nodded with a smile, "My name is Xiao Yan. It's a pleasure to meet Elder Her." "Ah." With a warm nod, Her Elder's previously stern expression softened noticeably. He asked, "What happened here?" "Elder Her, you know this training room well—it's where Fei often uses it. Today, this person has taken it over. Brother Lian was only trying to seek justice on Fei's behalf, but this person proved surprisingly ruthless. Had it not been for Elder's intervention, Brother Lian might have perished right here." "Heard Elder He inquire about the circumstances, Liu Fei hurried forward a step, her delicate face slightly pained. Having spent a long time refining at the Third Level, Liu Fei had actually had several encounters with Elder He, and due to her beautiful appearance, Elder He had often been particularly gentle in his words toward her. Now that she had taken the initiative to speak, she naturally hoped to secure some form of reprimand for Xiao Yan. If this were a regular student, Elder He might have merely scolded her, considering the customary leniency toward men over women. But today, the one at fault is Xiao Yan—specifically designated by the Grand Elder as someone they were expected to care for. Thus, Liu Fei's hopes were clearly destined to fall short. Indeed, upon listening to Liu Fei's account, Elder He merely glanced calmly at her, showing no immediate response, and instead turned his gaze toward Xiao Yan, smiling and saying, 'Xiao Yan, tell me your side of the story.'" Upon seeing that Her Senior had ignored her entirely, Liu Fei was momentarily stunned, then reluctantly retreated. She knew well the strength of these elders; if her cousin had come personally, he might have afforded her a few face-saving gestures. But with her own strength and cultivation potential—well, she’d better save herself. With a calm, unimpressed glance at Liu Fei, who had been the first to raise her complaint, Xiao Yan’s face flashed a clear, un掩饰ed scorn. He bowed slightly to Her Senior and then delivered a detailed account of the entire incident, speaking plainly and honestly—without embellishment—since there were numerous onlookers present. As Xiao Yan spoke, Her Senior’s expression grew slightly more strained. He turned his head slightly, coldly glancing at Le Na, who was rising from the corner of the room. That single glance caused Le Na’s previously confident demeanor to falter, and his face paled noticeably. Liu Fei, listening to Xiao Yan recount her own involvement, found her face grow even more flushed with embarrassment. "Léi Ná, as a senior student, yet fails to abide by the rules of the Tower. He shall be penalized with thirty days' 'Fire Energy'—to be paid within three days. Should he fail to do so, he will be barred from entering the Sky-Burn Qi Tower for one month." After Xiao Yan had outlined the full circumstances, Heren Elder nodded slightly, then, under the gaze of all present, turned his eyes coldly toward Léi Ná and spoke firmly. The senior elder finally turned his gaze back to Xiao Yan, and softly commanded. Hearing the rather mild punishment bestowed upon Xiao Yan, the onlookers were once again stunned, exchanging glances before seeming to grasp the situation and falling into quiet contemplation. According to the rules, if one inflicted serious injury during a sparring session, they would face severe penalties—some even being barred from entering the Tianfen Qi Tower to train for one or two months. Compared to Xiao Yan's mere five-day "Fire Energy" penalty, this was truly a world of difference. No one had expected Xiao Yan to have such powerful backing, and both Liu Fei and Lei Na had now truly run into a wall. Hearing this, Liu Fei was furious. The senior elder rarely appeared these days—where could she even find him? As for the headmaster, since entering the inner academy, she had never once laid eyes on him, let alone seek him out to appeal her case? "Alright," said He elder, his gaze sweeping across the room. Those who met his eyes quickly lowered their heads in response. He glanced at Xiao Yan before turning and walking back along the path he had come. "Little one, next time when you spar, don't push yourself so hard. It's good to establish your reputation, but you mustn't go overboard—balance is key." As He elder walked away, Xiao Yan had just bent to offer a polite farewell when a soft, elderly voice gently lingered in his ear. Startled by the sound, Xiao Yan paused, then silently nodded. With Elder He's departure, the area once again fell into a quiet awkwardness. The glances now directed toward Xiao Yan carried an added sense of reverence—not due to He's favoritism, but because the terrifying fire lotus Xiao Yan had summoned was immediately evident. Anyone with sharp eyes could see that, had Xiao Yan continued his relentless attacks and if Elder He hadn't appeared, the current state of Renai would likely have been that of a corpse already.