Deep within the inner courtyard, in a quiet pavilion's room with a window facing the garden, two figures stood still. One wore a broad black robe, his hair and beard completely white, his face calm and serene as that of an elderly monk, with scarcely any emotional fluctuation. He stood by the window, gazing at the lush shade outside, and after a while, softly said, "Qin Xuan, how has the activity in the Heavenly Burner Tower been recently?" "The Heart Flame that has fallen has grown increasingly restless. It now surges almost every two weeks. Should it not be for the combined efforts of many senior elders setting energy mirror arrays, the students practicing within the tower would suffer significant casualties," replied the other, a yellow-robed elder whose posture was slightly bent, bowing respectfully. "Is it getting faster and faster..." the elder, known as the Grand Elder, sighed softly, murmuring, "When the Headmaster first discovered this fallen heart flame here, he established the Inner Court. Back then, he had stated that suppression and sealing could only provide temporary relief—indeed, the harder the seal, the more powerful and catastrophic the eruption would become when it finally broke through. The current surge of unusual flames clearly indicates such strength. If we're not careful, the entire Inner Court might be destroyed." "What should we do?" asked the yellow-robed elder, a touch of anxiety visible on his face, speaking in a low tone. "Shall we notify the Headmaster to return?" "The Headmaster has been traveling extensively, rarely seen these days. How can we reach him?" The Grand Elder shook his head and waved his hand. "Starting today, all Elder rest periods are canceled. The tower guardians must return to their posts. As soon as any unusual activity is detected in the fallen heart flame, they must immediately collaborate to seal it—absolutely no room for it to fully erupt, for the consequences would be too severe." "Understood!" "Additionally, prepare a backup plan. During the uprising of the Fallen Heart Flame, evict all students from the Tower and ensure no one enters!" The Senior Elder spoke with steady composure, issuing his commands one after another in a well-ordered manner. "Notify the Outer Academy as well. The senior practitioners there should be ready to respond at any moment. Should the Fallen Heart Flame erupt, the spatial mirror encasing the Inner Academy will likely be breached too. At that point, the people from Black Angle will surely feel the powerful surge of the eruption. Once they arrive to investigate, chaos will surely ensue." "Is the Senior Elder concerned about the medicinal master Han Feng from Black Angle?" the yellow-robed elder paused and then asked. His eyes flickered slightly, and the Senior Elder slowly nodded. "Han Feng is a master of alchemy. The rare flames are especially alluring to him. He had already suspected the presence of such flames within the Inner Academy years ago, though he couldn't confirm it with certainty. Thus, he remained cautious—after all, the Gan Nan Academy is no entity to be taken lightly." "This uprising of the Soul-Consuming Flame this time will be stronger than any previous one. Once the seal is broken, with Han Feng's exceptionally sharp, almost supernatural soul perception, he will surely detect the fluctuations of the divine flames. At that point... he will definitely come at any cost to seize it!" "If he were merely a typical peak-tier combatant of the Du Phong rank, we wouldn't need to fear him at all. But... this man's other identity—as a Sixth-Rank Alchemist—is something quite remarkable. His alchemical skill is so refined that even the Fire Elder from the Alchemical Division cannot match it. Over the years, he has established an extensive network of connections throughout Black Angle Domain, with numerous factions now intertwined with his influence. Should he decide to seize the unique flames, he would surely leverage these connections. You must understand, a Sixth-Rank Alchemist commands an immense level of influence. Moreover, according to the intelligence I've gathered, Han Feng himself appears to be controlling a unique flame as well." The elder's final words carried a subtle sense of gravity. "Wait—so that man also possesses a unique flame?" "Heard that, the yellow-robed elder immediately looked stunned. For a cultivator of Han Feng's caliber, possessing a unique fire was truly a game-changer—evidence of this could be seen in Xiao Yan, who, despite being only at the Battle Spirit level, was capable of producing medicinal pills of fifth rank or above. The impact of such a unique fire on a medicator was truly immense. "Don't forget who his master is," the senior elder said calmly. "Master Yao, Master Yao Chen!" The yellow-robed elder's face slightly changed, uttering a name once highly prominent across the continent. Only after being struck by the weight of that name did he regain his composure, frowning, "It's said Master Yao Chen also possessed a unique fire. He has now passed away—perhaps the fire was passed down to Han Feng?" "It's rather unclear. The way Master Yao fell was too strange. Aside from Han Feng, no one else really knows the full details. However, Han Feng claims he died from a backlash of his alchemy practice—well, that excuse seems rather forced. How could a master of such unparalleled skill in pharmaceutical alchemy make such a mistake? Perhaps there's something more going on." The Senior Elder chuckled coldly. "Indeed, I'll handle this right away," the elder in yellow nodded. The senior elder gave a slight nod and then asked, "By the way, how has the new recruit, Xiao Yan, who also possesses a unique fire, been progressing?" "Heh, it seems he has been training deep in the mountains for two months. When he returned, he had already advanced to the Battle Spirit stage—what a remarkable pace! Moreover, during his recent alchemy competition against Han Xian, he successfully produced five-rank alchemical pills." The elder in yellow spoke with clear admiration. "Oh?" The senior elder's composed expression slightly shifted, and he nodded, saying, "Xiao Yan is also an alchemist, and from what I see, his alchemy skills are quite solid. Combined with his strong cultivation potential, such a swift progress is quite understandable. I'll instruct the others to avoid unnecessary difficulties with him—let him take the lead as he sees fit. Who knows, he might prove to be a valuable asset in the future." "Understood." "The Yellow Robe Elder nodded again. Previously, they might have thought little of a young, inexperienced disciple, but since it was revealed that Xiao Yan could craft fifth-rank pills, their perception of him has significantly changed. A fifth-rank alchemist—this status—can be far more prestigious than that of elders who hold the strength of a Battle King rank. When placed side by side, a fifth-rank alchemist and a Battle King, any reasonable invitee would undoubtedly choose the alchemist. Though the Battle King possesses formidable strength, that strength pales in comparison to the value generated by an alchemist's craft. This point is well understood by all the elders in the Inner Court. "Go ahead and step out. Deliver my instructions to each of the elders." The Senior Elder waved his hand, intending to send the yellow-robed elder away, yet his expression suddenly shifted—his usually calm and composed demeanor now revealed a clear astonishment. His gaze, passing through the green shade outside the window, fixed directly upon the distant mountain range. "Senior Elder?" The yellow-robed elder, observing this, called out in mild surprise. With his own capabilities, he still couldn't sense that powerful energy surge at such a distance. "How strong that energy is! Such a disturbance—this level of intensity is only possible when a sixth-rank pill is fully forming!" His eyes flashed with intensity, as if his gaze had pierced through the spatial gap and directly landed on the peak deep within the mountains. "Sixth-rank pill?" At the same time, the yellow-robed elder's face paled, exclaiming, "In our inner courtyard, no one has ever been able to produce a pill of this caliber! "I need to check on this—could it possibly be Han Feng, the one who, as I previously mentioned, is capable of crafting sixth-rank pills?" Murmuring these words, the Senior Elder's face suddenly turned extremely grave. Such a formidable opponent, if quietly infiltrating the inner courtyard, would indeed be most troublesome. As soon as the words fell from his lips, the Elder's body trembled. When the Yellow Robe Elder raised his eyes, the black silhouette before him had slowly faded away, leaving only a faint, fleeting shadow in the sky. The young man in blue robes possessed a strikingly elegant appearance, with long black hair flowing down to his shoulders. A distinct, unusual fragrance of medicine seemed to emanate from his body at all times, creating an immediate sense of warmth and familiarity. "Such fluctuations... this must be the signature of a sixth-rank pill just beginning to take form," he murmured softly. After a moment, he slightly furrowed his brow, saying, "The other end of the mountain should be where the Ganan Academy is located—perhaps the old fire-wizard is at work? Yet, considering his skill in pill-making, I would have thought it difficult for him to produce a sixth-rank pill. Hasn't his technique improved significantly in recent years?" "Within the Ganan Academy's grounds, however, it's difficult to investigate these fluctuations directly. Though I am not afraid of them, if the old masters notice, I'm certain I'll find myself facing a few more complications." Shaking his head, the man in the green robe slowly turned around. On his chest, a simple medicinal cauldron emblem was embroidered, with six shimmering golden waves gently pulsing beneath it—so bright they caused a stinging sensation in the eyes. These six golden patterns were typically reserved for sixth-rank alchemists in the field of pharmaceutical crafting. Yet this man, who appeared only in his thirties, carried them proudly—a rarity in Black Angle Domain. Indeed, such a level of mastery was matched by only one person: the Pharmacopean Emperor, Han Feng!