"Boom!" A massive flame storm erupted in the sky, rising like a mushroom cloud, its thunderous explosion sending countless people's ears ringing. The intense, surging heat radiating outward from the heavens left the crowd awestruck, their faces flushed with shock. At the very moment the pale-green mushroom cloud rose, a figure plummeted downward, as if struck by a heavy hammer, streaking through the sky, leaving a trail of crimson blood that shimmered like a vivid blood arch. As they watched this figure rush toward the ground, the elite warriors from Black Horn Domain all grew pale. Though the figure's aura was now extremely faint, there was no doubt—it was indeed Han Feng. The onlookers exchanged glances, beads of cold sweat forming on their foreheads. Their eyes turned toward another part of the sky, where a dark figure was gasping for breath, his once-vivid green flame wings now faintly visible, clearly weakened by internal strain. "This one... has actually defeated Han Feng?" "Everyone murmured in awe, their voices filled with palpable astonishment. Han Feng had long reached the pinnacle of the Battle Emperor rank, and with the unique Fire Spirit supporting him, he could even stand a chance against a junior Battle Sovereign-level powerhouse. Across the entire Black Thorns Region, only the combined forces of the two elder masters—Gold and Silver—could match him. Yet today, this highly respected figure in the Black Thorns Region, who was widely admired, was defeated in a surprisingly humiliating fashion by a young man seemingly only in his twenties. The entire arena fell silent. All understood that defeating a fighter of Han Feng's caliber—someone known throughout the continent—would bring immense prestige. Indeed, from now on, the name Xiao Yan would resonate throughout the Black Thorns Region, echoing in every conversation. The two who stepped forward were naturally the so-called Golden and Silver Elders. Han Feng was unlike Fan Lao—should he die, he would indeed die. His value was incalculable, and besides, the compensation for this assistance had not yet been paid; how could he be easily laid to rest? Gripping Han Feng, who was covered in blood, the silver-robed elder placed his palm gently on the man’s chest, feeling the faint but still present pulse. Only then did he exhale in relief. "Still alive, then?" asked the golden-robed elder, frowning. "Yes, he still has breath. Fortunately, he too possesses a unique fire aura protecting him. Otherwise, he would surely not have survived such an explosion." The silver-robed elder nodded, then pursed his lips, looking up toward the dark-robed young man. "Where did this youngster come from? I've never heard of anyone so powerful at the Cana College." "I don't know." The golden-robed elder shook his head solemnly, his gaze filled with lingering apprehension as he glanced at the immense, jade-white flame mushroom cloud rising in the sky. He then turned to the black-horned domain's seasoned warriors, who had suffered heavy losses, and murmured, "Now, things are beyond repair. We should move swiftly. That fellow is already severely injured and unconscious—there's no way we can secure the unique flames now." The silver-robed elder nodded thoughtfully, gave a subtle gesture to the black-horned domain warriors, and instantly, they darted forward, converging into a tight group, their eyes alert and watchful of the inner academy's warriors surrounding them. "Xiao Yan, are you all right?" Upon seeing Han Feng unconscious and critically wounded, Su Qian silently exhaled, relieved. With this leader gone, the black-horned domain warriors no longer posed a serious threat. Hearing Su Qian's shout, Xiao Yan managed a weak smile toward him, his pale complexion revealing his inner frailty. Though he was somewhat disappointed that Han Feng still had a trace of breath, there was little else he could do now—what mattered most was the Fallen Heart Flame. Ah, the Fallen Heart Flame… Xiao Yan's mind suddenly snapped into focus as his gaze swiftly swept toward where Su Qian had been moments before—his pupils instantly narrowed! Meanwhile, at the very moment Xiang Yan had been observing, he witnessed the precise instant when the Fading Heart Flame engulfed and consumed the flame mushroom cloud. This unusual action immediately intensified his growing unease. Though he wasn't entirely clear about the Fading Heart Flame's intentions, the manner in which it acted allowed him to form a vague yet reasonable conjecture. As a pure hetero-flame, the Fading Heart Flame naturally absorbed and assimilated other hetero-flames to enhance its own energy. The flame mushroom cloud, in turn, contained an exceptionally vigorous concentration of hetero-flame energy—something that was truly a natural, nourishing feast for such a refined and delicate flame. As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, Su Qian immediately moved. With a swift step, he materialized like a ghost ten meters from the body of the Fallen Heart Flame. However, before he could react, a massive wave of intense, intangible fire surged directly toward his face, forcing him to dodge swiftly. The Fallen Heart Flame consumed its surroundings with astonishing speed. Even during Su Qian's brief maneuver, the vast, mushroom-shaped cloud of flame was swiftly engulfed—within mere eyeblinks—by the intangible fire that was only a few feet wide. As this immense surge of flame energy entered Su Qian's body, the intangible form of the Fallen Heart Flame seemed to grow increasingly luminous and smooth. A more turbulent energy than before gradually surged from within, then spread throughout the entire inner courtyard. Feeling the renewed fury of the falling Heart Flame, everyone present grew pale. The two elder masters, in particular, could not stay any longer—they shouted and, in a matter of moments, a large crowd surged outward like fleeing refugees, leaving behind cold, mocking laughter that drifted across the sky. "Ha ha! Su Elder, now that this matter has escalated, I believe it's best you handle it. I hope you won't have to hear the news of the entire inner courtyard being wiped out tomorrow." Glancing coldly at the black-angled domain's warriors who were now making a hasty retreat, Su Qian turned sharply to the numerous students gathered at the rooftops and bellowed, "All of you—get out of the inner courtyard and head into the mountains!" Hearing Su Qian's command, the students clustered around the rooftops grew restless. Though the Heart Flame itself was not particularly vast, it radiated an overwhelming force of destruction. They had no doubt that should it fall, the entire inner courtyard would be consumed in flames within moments. "Wait, Xiao Yan's still there!" Zi Yan was tugged by Lin Yan, pointing at the dark silhouette high in the sky, her delicate, porcelain-faced expression growing pale under the pressure of the collapsing Heart Flame. "Don't worry—he can protect himself. Even the Medic Emperor Han Feng of Black Angular Domain has been defeated by him. He'll be safer than we are." Watching the sea of students fleeing like refugees, Lin Yan only offered a reassuring word before joining the crowd heading toward the inner courtyard. "All elders, form the array once again! The fate of the inner courtyard rests with you!" As the waves of students poured out of the inner courtyard, Su Qian addressed the elders with a solemn voice. The elders, now serious-faced, swiftly moved into position, forming an unusual formation that encircled the collapsing Heart Flame. "Xiao Yan, get out of here!" Su Qian shouted to Xiao Yan, who was within the formation. As soon as Su Qian's cry had faded, the fallen heart flame—after having consumed the strange fire and remained silent—suddenly emitted a sharp, piercing cry. On its jade-like surface, two glimmers of green light slowly emerged, resembling eyes. Immediately after the cry, the fallen heart flame burst forth with astonishing force, catching the senior elders off guard. Its path clearly aimed straight at Xiao Yan, who remained suspended in the sky. Now once again locked in place by the fallen heart flame, Xiao Yan's expression changed, and he quickly summoned all the qi within him, turning to dash outward toward the outer array. However, after activating the Buddha's Wrath Lotus, Xiao Yan's speed had noticeably diminished, while the fallen heart flame, having absorbed the strange fire mushroom cloud, had grown even stronger. As the two powers balanced each other, Xiao Yan was nearly caught up within mere eye blinks. "Senior Elder, quickly establish the array—otherwise, once that beast escapes, we'll never be able to stop it!" "Staring at the falling heart flame rushing toward Xiao Yan, one elder urgently shouted. Su Qian's face remained calm and still, his voice low and firm: 'Wait a moment—wait until Xiao Yan steps out!' 'It's too late!' Another elder's face changed, urgently interjecting. Su Qian's hands trembled slightly, his eyes fixed intently on the falling heart flame drawing closer to Xiao Yan. Amid his frantic escape, sweat poured down his forehead like a river. Feeling the intense heat behind him, Xiao Yan's heart tightened as if stretched on a taut string, never relaxing, his gaze locked steadily on the edge of the formation—once he passed that point, he would be free from the ever-present death-fire. 'Faster! Faster!' he murmured continuously. Yet, just as Xiao Yan was less than ten meters from the edge of the formation, the temperature behind him suddenly surged. He gasped, turning sharply around—directly facing the intangible flame, which surged forward, then engulfed him completely in a roaring tide of fire." "Heh, the positions of hunter and hunted have indeed been reversed. Yet, he still didn't manage to kill Han Feng, Master. I'm truly sorry—this time, I've also burdened you..." In his final moments of unconsciousness, Xiao Yan whispered a bitter reflection. The entire sky fell silent, as if the very heavens had frozen in that instant. On the tree canopies outside the inner courtyard, countless students gazed at Xiao Yan, whose body was being consumed by the falling Heart Flame, and all suddenly went utterly still—many female students even covered their mouths, emitting gasps of astonishment. At one tree canopy, Huo Jia, Wu Hao, Lin Yan, Zi Yan, and others felt their hearts gradually sink. Some members of the Panmen family stood motionless, utterly at a loss—this leader, who had never failed in their eyes, was now being completely consumed by the flames before their very eyes! At that very moment, Panmen's greatest strength seemed to crumble entirely. "Boom!" After devouring Xiao Yan, the Yulin Heart Flame was about to break free from the encircling formation when a sudden surge of energy materialized before it, pushing it back with a resounding shock. The sky remained silent. Su Qian's expression was cold and stern, and the senior elders likewise remained motionless, desperately channeling their qi to maintain the integrity of the energy barrier. In this battle that directly determined the survival of the Inner Academy, Xiao Yan's sacrifices had been unparalleled—had it not been for his decisive victory over two Dao-Phoenix-level warriors, the Inner Academy might have indeed fallen to the sudden assault from Black Angle Territory! Yet, as one of the Academy's most pivotal figures, he was ultimately extinguished in full view of all, by the merciless flames. "The Senior Elder...” Observing Su Qian’s actions, several elders were first taken aback, then suddenly comprehended what was unfolding, and immediately exclaimed in surprise. Ignoring the surrounding cries of astonishment, the radiance surging forth from within Su Qian grew increasingly intense. Yet as the light intensified, Su Qian’s face grew rapidly paler, eventually becoming translucent. Su Qian's face was pale, his breath thin and frail like a thread. With a gentle shift of his fingers, the ever-struggling remnants of the Heart Flame slowly descended toward the Tian Fen Qi Tower. As it reached the tower's apex, the flame seemed to sense something, and it fiercely resisted. Under the intensity of its struggle, the strange black net remained frozen at the tip of the tower, unable to descend further. Feeling the ever-descending heart-flame of the fallen heart, Su Qian moved his hand seal, and an eerie black glow surged forth from the tower, finally coalescing at the tower's apex into a profound, dark energy shield. On its surface, strange energy patterns curled like little serpents. As the seal solidified at the tower's peak, the last connecting passage between the tower and the deep earth also began to radiate a dense black glow, which gradually surged out, spreading like an ocean of darkness and completely filling the entire final layer. From then on, no one would ever enter this space again, and the fallen heart-flame sealed deep within the earth would never have the chance to emerge once more. As the seal stabilized, Su Qian's form in the sky tilted slightly and collapsed directly to the ground. Fortunately, an elder reacted swiftly and caught him, steadying his position. Gently opening his blurred eyes, Su Qian's current state of breath and vitality was no different from that of an ordinary elder. He glanced at the sealed Tian Fen Qi Tower, and thus, the great upheaval within the inner courtyard had finally been averted. Yet... the young man who had been destined to achieve true peak accomplishments across the continent had fallen here.