Feeling the vast, cold serpent's gaze slowly sweeping over them, every person in the sky instantly went rigid. The strange fire—the most powerful force of destruction in the heavens—possessed the true ability to scorch the heavens and boil the seas. Facing such power, except for those legendary masters who had refined their qi to match the heavens themselves, few would not feel a tremor beneath their very being. Su Qian's expression grew increasingly serious at the very moment the seal membrane ruptured. He no longer bothered to pay attention to the two elder figures—Jin and Yin—standing nearby, exchanging puzzled glances. Compared to these invading strongholds from Black-Corner Domain, he was more concerned about the fallen heart flame within the tower. The strange fire was already formidable, and when it had evolved to possess a degree of intelligence, it became truly terrifying. Though the Black-Corner Domain representatives were greedy and ruthless, no matter how much they might strive, even if they possessed a hundred more daring spirits, they would never dare to attack the students from the inner academy. These students came from all corners of the continent, each often backed by certain influential factions. While individually these factions might not be particularly powerful, together they would form an overwhelming force—perhaps even overwhelming the Black-Corner Domain itself. Moreover, the fact that the Cangnan Academy had stood strong for so many years across the continent spoke volumes about its depth and strength. Yet, certain reserves were typically held back until the very moment of life-or-death crisis. For instance, the elder guarding the mysterious valley where Xiao Yan and the others secured the top five spots in the selection tournament—his strength was certainly no weaker than Hu Qi Dan. If those elders had intervened, the black-angled domain's forces would have already suffered major defeats. "Inner Court Elder, form the array!" Su Qian suddenly roared with sharp intensity, completely ignoring the two senior elders—gold and silver—standing not far behind, as well as the numerous watchful champions from the black-angled domain, and directly addressed the group of elders. Upon hearing Su Qian's command, the elders were momentarily stunned, glanced around at the black-angled domain's warriors, hesitated slightly, then swiftly moved to form the previously established sealing array above the Tian Fen Qi Tower. Observing the actions of the inner court elders, the black-angled domain's warriors quickly gathered together, their eyes fixed with growing interest on the broken apex of the Tian Fen Qi Tower. "Hehe, Mr. Han, now the Inner Court elders are preoccupied with their own affairs—this is precisely the moment when we can strike and defeat them." A stern-featured elder, watching the elders desperately channeling their qi to try to reseal the strange flame, chuckled at Han Feng beside him. "Haha, Master Ban, don't rush. After the previous battle, the Inner Court elders have suffered considerable exhaustion, while the strange flame has been resting and gathering strength. Now, if they wish to reseal it, it won't be easy—indeed, they might even suffer significant losses under the flame's pressure." Han Feng smiled, yet shook his head. "Why not wait until both sides are worn out, and then launch our attack to seize the strange flame?" "Speaking thus, Han Feng's mind held a different thought. Though he had now gathered his class allies and gained the upper hand, he was far from naive—he fully understood the strong foundation of Cana College. If he truly provoked them to their core, he feared that every single person present would suffer serious consequences. His real aim was merely the unique flames; he genuinely did not wish to incur a life-or-death enmity with Cana College. In the sky, as the spiritual energies surged forth from the bodies of the senior elders, a faint energy barrier reappeared—yet this time, it was noticeably weaker than the one before, clearly bearing the toll of their recent battle. While the others were conversing, a sudden streak of blood flashed in, carefully weaving its way through the crowd, fixing a cold, determined gaze upon the young man in the black robe, full of both resentment and a hint of fear. The figure who had entered was none other than Fan Lu, though his current appearance was utterly unlike his earlier self—wan and frail, as if he might fall at any moment. Watching Fan Lu's disheveled state, the black-angled domain masters around him were initially filled with a mixture of amusement and sympathy, but mostly, they were struck by astonishment and seriousness. How could a master of such strength have been reduced to such a state by that slender young man? Was he truly that formidable? "Master Fan, are you all right?" Han Feng was also momentarily stunned by Fan Lao's appearance. After a brief pause, he furrowed his brows and withdrew a pill from his jade bracelet, quickly handing it to the former. Fan Lao took the pill with almost a sense of urgency, pressing it to his mouth and swallowing it swiftly. He exhaled deeply, and a flush of color rose on his pale face. With a fierce, cold gaze fixed on the black-robed young man far off, whose azure-flame wings vibrated steadily, his voice came out dry and strained: "That man's unique fire perfectly counters mine. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament." As for this explanation, everyone remained silent, having observed the earlier clash between Fan Lao and Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan's techniques were clearly no weaker than Fan Lao's. Even without any elemental synergy or counter-effect, it was likely that he would have eventually fallen. Han Feng's eyes flickered, fixed on the young man in the distance, his thoughts swirling: "This youth managed to defeat Fan Lao, a four-star Duke of Battle. Even excluding the element compatibility factor, his strength should be within the range of five-star Duke of Battle. Should he encounter him alone, he'd likely be able to overcome him." Although Han Feng was aware that Xiao Yan commanded a solid battle technique, as a sixth-rank alchemist, he regularly prepared pills and potions for others, and naturally received valuable gifts. While a top-tier battle technique might be rare for others, it didn't stir any sense of astonishment in him. "It's time to find out this young man's background, then seize him at the right moment..." The emerald flames of Qing Huo's wings slowly unfurled as Xiao Yan watched Fan Lu, who had slipped into the circle of elite warriors in the Black Corner Domain. His brows furrowed tightly. This cunning old man now had so many powerful protectors surrounding him—killing him would surely prove difficult. Still, although today's battle hadn't claimed his life, it had dealt him a serious blow, and if things went poorly, he might even suffer from lasting injuries that would hinder his progress. Then, no matter what strategies Fan Lu employed, he would likely be unable to advance to the next level. As these thoughts passed through Xiao Yan's mind, he suddenly grew alert, sharply shifting his gaze to Han Feng beside Fan Lu. Their eyes locked, each silently conveying a cold, sharpened intent that had just dawned upon them. The five fingers gradually clenched, yet at that very moment, the subtle voice of the medicine elder suddenly arose within his mind: "Do not act hastily. There are many strong contenders surrounding that man. Even if you fully harness the power I've lent you, you won't achieve a favorable outcome. As I've always said, unless you reach the Battle King level, you should strive to avoid direct confrontations with him. You know well how formidable the 'Burned Decree' becomes when one masters it, absorbing the unique flames. Though he has only the partial scroll of the cultivation technique, that should not be underestimated." With a firm bite of his teeth, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before slowly uncurling his tightly clenched fists. Indeed, now was not the time to act impulsively... Yet, to advance to the Battle King level—ah, even with his speed, it would likely take at least two years. The gap between them was simply too vast. That line—long considered the ordinary threshold between the common and the exceptional on the continent—was far from easily crossed. Exhaling a long, steady breath, Xiao Yan turned his gaze toward the pinnacle of the Tian-Fen Qi Tower, his heart stirring with determination. This item would be the decisive factor in his swift ascent to Duke Rank—no matter what, he had to secure it. Amidst the crowd on the sky, each person harboring their own thoughts, the sealing array controlled by Su Qian once again radiated intense light. However, just as its brilliance peaked, the once-still pinnacle of the Tian-Fen Qi Tower suddenly erupted in a sharp, piercing cry. Instantly, tangible sound waves rippled outward at high speed, utterly shattering the already chaotic surroundings. As the sound waves surged, the massive figure burst forth with a thunderous roar, under the collective gaze of those in awe. Vast, formless flames surged like a storm, crashing forcefully against the surrounding energy barriers. Under the force of this relentless impact, ripples swiftly spread across the barriers, and cracks began to form—clear signs of imminent collapse. At the moment of impact, many of the elders' faces grew slightly paler, and their breaths grew noticeably weaker. "Indeed... this is the extraordinary fire of the Inner Court? Heaven's sake! I never expected it to have evolved nearly into a tangible form!" Gazing at the immense, formless serpent filling the sky, the black-horned domain masters who had just encountered it were instantly astounded, gasping in awe. Han Feng was equally struck by the sheer size of the heart-fire's physical form, yet soon his face lit up with unmistakable joy—should he succeed in fully absorbing and integrating it, he was certain he could break through the barrier between the Battle Sovereign and Battle Master realms. "Kreee!" A strange, resonant cry echoed across the sky. The intangible fire serpent, sensing that the seal was about to shatter, heaved its massive tail and, with a body that surged like lightning, struck with tremendous force against an energy barrier, sending ripples of shock through the very space around it! "Crack…" With the powerful impact this time, the rapidly swelling energy barrier finally gave way, emitting a clear, strained sound. Then, under the stunned gazes of the elders, a small crack suddenly appeared, soon spreading out like a spiderweb to completely engulf one side of the barrier. Watching the barrier, now riddled with fissures and on the verge of shattering, Su Qian knew the seal had failed. Free from constraints, the intangible fire serpent did not immediately retreat but instead suddenly lifted its head, its pair of cold, serpentine eyes firmly locking onto Xiao Yan and Han Feng, radiating a highly human-like hunger and desire.