Under the stunned gazes of all present, the column of blood-red lava, flowing with intense heat, surged forth in a sweeping wave, breaking through the final seal. It then struck the tip of the Tianfen Qi Tower with tremendous force. "Boom!" A deep, thunderous sound, like a meteor impact, suddenly roared in the ears of everyone. Amidst this collision, Xiao Yan and the others could clearly feel the entire Tianfen Qi Tower trembling violently. The crowd, their faces slightly pale, gazed at the blazing lava erupting from the deep fissure. Though shielded by the energy dome, they could still sense the intense heat radiating outwards. The blood-red magma column struck the tip of the Tianfen Qi Tower with tremendous force, yet the tower did not shatter under the relentless, aggressive impact. At the very moment of collision, a thin layer of dark energy instantly emerged on the obsidian tip—though it appeared barely thick enough to span the width of a fingertip—this delicate layer of dark energy successfully withstood the fierce magma column. The impact failed. Countless fragments of stone erupted from within the magma and splashed against the surrounding energy shield. Upon contact, they were immediately shattered into powder by the turbulent energy surging across the shield's surface. Yet after the failure, the crimson magma column did not retreat—it merely descended several dozen meters. Continuous waves of intense heat surged upward from the top of the magma, and soon, a sudden surge of power caused a colossal, transparent fire serpent to emerge slowly from the waves, its massive and fearsome head peering out. "What in the world is this?"望着 only the large, prominent head and a portion of the body of the intangible fire serpent, even with the composure of Lin Xiu'ya and the others, they could not help but gasp in astonishment. Fixing their gaze firmly on the intangible fire serpent swirling within the molten rock, Xiao Yan's throat subtly moved. This was the first time he had seen such a vast serpent so closely. Moreover, he sensed that the intangible fire serpent within the magma column was precisely the mysterious entity he had first encountered when entering the Tian Fen Qi Tower—the one hidden deep within the cavern's base—the very essence of the Fallen Heart Flame! "It's surprising how this fallen heart flame has evolved into such a form. Right now, it's almost indistinguishable from ordinary beasts." The elder pharmacist's voice, previously so astonished, suddenly echoed out, indicating that the impact of this intangible fire serpent had been profound. Inside, Xiao Yan nodded in awe. From a mere formless flame, through countless years of accumulation and refinement, it had evolved into such a state—what a marvel of nature's wonders. The massive, bulbous head extending from the magma column, also sensing the several small creatures nearby—like ants—several white triangular pupils subtly glanced toward their location. Under the steady gaze of these white pupils, even with her normally composed demeanor, Zi Yan slightly retreated, let alone the others who had grown pale with fear. The invisible fire serpent, indifferent to the group that appeared as mere ants in its eyes, merely glanced at them and then turned its attention upward, fixating on the dark, ink-black tower tip. There, a circular band of black energy rotated slowly, appearing fragile yet possessing an astonishing defensive strength. "Crick!" Suddenly, the intangible fire serpent emitted a piercing screech, and an invisible wave of sound surged forth, crashing forcefully against the surrounding energy walls, instantly causing ripples of intense vibration to spread across them. Observing the rapidly oscillating energy waves, Xiao Yan couldn't help but swallow a lump in his throat—this seemingly casual screech possessed a destructive power far surpassing his "Lion-Tiger Gold Chant." As the sharp screech gradually faded, the colossal fire serpent opened its massive mouth, and an immense surge of intangible flame erupted forth! Even with the energy walls providing separation, the temperature at the scene rose dramatically, forcing the group to channel their ki to envelop their bodies, only then feeling a slight relief. The intangible flame surged straight toward the layer of dark energy membrane at the far end of the energy wall, rippling along its path and causing varying degrees of spatial distortion—much like creases on a garment. At such temperatures, capable of warping space itself, human bodies would likely be incinerated instantly, leaving not even ashes behind. Though the intangible flame moved at a moderate pace, it wasn't until nearly thirty seconds later that it finally reached the dark energy membrane, carrying with it an intensely scorching heat. Upon contact, instead of producing the thunderous explosion witnessed earlier, the flame interacted with the membrane as if hot oil met ice—emitting a continuous hiss and steam. Despite its delicate thinness, the dark energy membrane exhibited remarkable resilience, remaining steadfast even under the relentless searing. Observing this, the intangible fire serpent emitted sharp, piercing cries, and then, without apparent effort, unleashed waves of flame that flowed forth continuously. Although the dark energy membrane was extremely powerful, it could not endure the continuous, relentless burning, and thus, over time, it grew progressively thinner and more ethereal under the watchful eyes of Xiao Yin and the others. As the strength of the membrane weakened, the intangible fire serpent emitted another series of cries—this time, even Xiao Yin and his companions could detect a note of exhilaration in the sound. Immediately, the latter poured forth the terrifying, boundless intangible flame with even greater vigor. The persistent burning gradually thinned the membrane further, and nearly five minutes later, it had become so faint as to be almost imperceptible, clearly approaching the brink of collapse. "This fallen heart flame truly is formidable—it has even managed to evade the seal of the Heavenly Burned Qi Tower. It seems breakthrough is inevitable," Xiao Yin murmured to himself, gazing at the membrane on the verge of dissipation. "You youngsters—how come you're still here?" Just as Xiao Yan and the others were staring in disbelief, suddenly十几 figures flashed out from the corridor. Leading them was Su Qian himself. When he saw Xiao Yan and the others still standing there, he couldn't help but bellowed. At the sound of his voice, Xiao Yan and the others regained their composure, turning their gaze toward the group of figures who had emerged. Clearly, these were all senior elders from the Inner Courtyard. Nodding carefully and preparing to retreat, they found that after Su Qian's loud exclamation, he immediately shifted his attention from them to the increasingly translucent dark energy membrane, being slowly consumed by the invisible flames of the Fiery Python. "Oh no—the seal of the Heavenly Burned Qi Tower is breaking! This seems to have employed some new method, causing its own energy to surge dramatically," Su Qian said, his usual composure shaken, his voice now sharp and urgent. "Senior Elder, what should we do now?" "One elder hurriedly asked, all of them well aware that once the Heart Flame of the Fallen Star broke its seal, the consequences would be catastrophic. Su Qian's face alternated between gloomy and tense. After a moment, he suddenly raised his hand and commanded sharply, 'All elders, follow me immediately! The seal of the Tian Fen Qi Tower can no longer hold much longer. We must now use the array left behind by the former headmaster—see if we can reseal it!' With that, Su Qian made no pause at all. He flashed into motion, swiftly darting outward toward the outer reaches of the Tian Fen Qi Tower. As he passed by Xiao Yan and the others, he roared, 'You still haven't moved? Once you step outside the tower, stay far away—no one is to come near!' Hearing Su Qian's sharp command, Xiao Yan and the others stiffened, hesitating only briefly before a wave of figures surged past them at lightning speed, leaving only streaks of motion as they swiftly departed the Tian Fen Qi Tower. Stunned by the elders' speed, the group of Xiao Yan and others could hardly linger any longer, and hurriedly rushed toward the tower's outer edge. As they were about to step out, Xiao Yan glanced back once more and took a sharp breath—what he saw was astonishing: the dark energy membrane, continuously being burned by the invisible flames, had grown increasingly dim. "It seems the Heavenly Burn Qi Tower won't be able to contain the Fallen Heart Flame after all," he thought. "Now it's up to the elders. I hope they can give me a chance." With that, Xiao Yan turned and burst out of the Heavenly Burn Qi Tower. Xiao Yan suddenly lifted his head, only to be startled to find nearly twenty figures floating in the sky, their aura wings of various colors gently vibrating, vivid and striking. These figures stood in a scattered, seemingly casual formation, yet beneath the surface, subtle and mysterious patterns seemed to emerge—upon close inspection, it became clear that at the very center of this arrangement stood the Heaven-Burned Qi Tower. A soft, multicolored energy field enveloped the twenty figures, and delicate energy filaments, invisible to the naked eye, quietly spread outward. As the formation in the sky solidified, Xiao Yan's heart leapt sharply—simultaneously, the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire flowing through his meridians surged, releasing a slightly warmer, more intense temperature. "Something is breaking through..." Xiao Yan murmured, as though sensing it. As the sound had just faded, a thunderous roar shook the heavens, and immediately, the sturdy tip of the Celestial Incineration Qi Tower cracked and exploded, gushing forth a column of scorching lava, visible to a crowd of awestruck onlookers at a distance!