BTTH: From Genius to Invincible

Word Count: 2,069 Words

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Seeing that they were still discussing among themselves, Xiao Yan directly said, "How about this. If you lose, you give me ten thousand Fire Energy."

"Ten thousand?!"

Ten thousand Fire Energy was an astronomical figure within the Inner Academy. With the "gold-devouring beast" that was the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, most people couldn't save up much Fire Energy at all.

Take the recent Fire Energy Hunting Competition for example. The top fifty from the previous year had been in the Inner Academy for a whole year, yet their Fire Crystal Cards only held a pitiful ten or twenty days' worth of Fire Energy. Only Luo Hou and Bai Feng, the two Dou Spirits, had fire energy amounts exceeding three digits.

Even if all the members of their dozen or so factions pooled their resources, gathering ten thousand Fire Energy would be a daunting task.

"What's wrong? If you don't have the means, don't try to imitate others by initiating faction wars and making bets," Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke.

"Big Brother Fu, don't agree to his terms. That guy has some trump cards, and I always feel his strength isn't just what it appears to be. I'm afraid even Cousin Bai Cheng might not be able to defeat him. If things go south, our White Gang could be in big trouble without Fire Energy, and lacking Fire Energy will affect this year's Strong Ranking Grand Competition," Bai Shan hurriedly pulled Fu Ao aside. He was truly terrified of this freak, Xiao Yan.

Fu Ao exchanged glances with members of other factions, then coldly snorted, "Hmph, why should we bet with you? All of us together outnumber you freshmen; you definitely won't be able to withstand us!"

Fu Ao was clever; he knew Xiao Yan wasn't easy to deal with. He planned to target the weaker freshmen, forcing them to leave the Xiao Hall and isolate Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, and a hint of madness and ferocity flickered in his eyes as he laughed, "Is that so? Then I, Xiao Yan, will do nothing else but wait for the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower to open each day and follow you all. Whichever cultivation rooms you enter, I'll blast them one by one."

"I'm still a freshman with five years ahead of me, but some of you will be graduating this year, won't you?"

Even Fu Ao frowned deeply when he heard Xiao Yan's mutually destructive approach. If they couldn't get rid of Xiao Yan, they wouldn't have an easy time either.

Just as both sides were at an impasse, a voice suddenly came from behind.

"Competing with him? Our Splitting Mountain is very interested as well."

Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed; from the voice, he knew it was Yao Sheng, with whom he'd just had a conflict.

There were several other members of the Splitting Mountain besides Yao Sheng. They all followed behind a young woman, seemingly taking her as their leader.

The young lady at the forefront wore a snow fox fur dress. Her appearance was quite beautiful. An oval face, cherry-like lips, willow-leaf eyebrows as if drawn, and bright, limpid eyes. All these features combined to give people a pleasing aesthetic experience. No wonder she was so adored.

"It's Lei Na! And Yao Sheng! They're the second and third-in-command of the Splitting Mountain!"

"And in the middle—isn't that Miss Liu Fei? Could it be that even Liu Qing, ranked third on the Strong Ranking, is going to take action?!"

Seeing the effeminate Yao Sheng, the towering Lei Na, and the sweetly smiling Liu Fei, Fu Ao acted as if he had seen his master. He quickly stepped forward respectfully, "Brother Lei Na, Brother Yao Sheng, and Miss Liu Fei, long time no see. How has Brother Liu Qing been lately?"

A gentle, sweet smile graced Liu Fei's face as she softly replied, "Cousin Liu Qing is doing well. He's currently cultivating for this year's Strong Ranking Grand Competition and doesn't have time to come out."

Fu Ao was momentarily stunned before exclaiming in surprise, "There's still over half a year until the Strong Ranking Grand Competition, and Brother Liu Qing is already preparing!"

Yao Sheng approached Xiao Yan with a cold smile and said, "I told you, I, Yao Sheng, won't let you off easy."

"Oh? Your nose has healed, and now you're aiming for your mouth this time?" Xiao Yan lightly flicked his sleeves and said indifferently.

Yao Sheng's face instantly darkened. Pointing at Xiao Yan, he said with a furious laugh, "Good! You really have some skills. My hands have been itching for days. Let's see if you can still be so mouthy without the advantage of terrain."

As Yao Sheng's words fell, a formidable aura of a 7-star Dou Spirit burst forth from his body. The intense oppressive force made some of the nearby students involuntarily take several steps back.

"What a powerful aura!"

"Yao Sheng has actually reached the 7-star Dou Spirit stage! No wonder he's ranked seventeenth on the Strong Ranking!"

Just then, a delicate hand as soft as boneless jade gently grasped Xiao Yan's tightly clenched fist. He turned to look at Xun Er beside him, who nodded slightly.

Xiao Yan smiled faintly. The two had long since developed a tacit understanding. He then looked at Yao Sheng and said, "I, Xiao Yan, on behalf of the Xiao Hall, formally declare war on you bunch of nobodies. Seven days from now, at the Inner Academy's Fighting Arena. Bring as many people as you like; I'll take you all on!"

...

Meanwhile, in a spacious and brightly lit grand hall, over a dozen elderly figures sat scattered around. Under the soft glow of the lamps, one could clearly see the special badges on their chests, badges that only elders had the right to wear.

Though the hall was large, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. After a long silence, an elder with graying hair seated at the head lightly coughed, breaking the quiet. His aged voice slowly echoed in the hall: "I believe all of you have noticed that the Fallen Heart Flame has begun to show signs of instability in recent days."

The other elders all frowned deeply. From their expressions, it was evident that the Fallen Heart Flame had gradually become a major concern.

"From our observations over this period, I've found that the fluctuations emitted by the Fallen Heart Flame have become much more intense than before. Moreover, judging from the emotions it exudes, it's becoming increasingly irritable. The seal laid down by the Headmaster is taking longer and longer to suppress it," the aged voice continued. "At this rate, I fear that within a year, it will launch a major backlash. If not handled properly, it could become an extremely troublesome matter, possibly even causing a catastrophic disaster for the Inner Academy."

"Should we join forces to reinforce the defenses again? If that doesn't work, perhaps we should notify the Headmaster. If the Fallen Heart Flame truly erupts and breaks through the seal, I'm afraid those desperadoes in the Black-Corner Region will charge in with bloodshot eyes to seize it. Although our Inner Academy is located deep in the mountains, it's not far from the northern Black-Corner Region. That 'Medicine Emperor' is always scouring for news of Heavenly Flames," an elder pondered aloud.

"Reinforcing the defenses is certainly necessary, but back then, the Headmaster mentioned returning to his clan, and it's been over ten years since he left without any news. No one knows where he is now," First Elder Su Qian slowly shook his head. If the Headmaster were still here, the Fallen Heart Flame would naturally not be a cause for concern.

After a moment of silence, Su Qian suddenly raised his head and cast his gaze toward an elder in the corner. "Elder Liu, was the recent disturbance of the Fallen Heart Flame related to the Heavenly Flame possessed by Xiao Yan?"

Elder Liu, who had once met Xiao Yan, quickly stood up and respectfully replied, "It should be. We can confirm that there is some connection between Heavenly Flames. The appearance of the Fallen Heart Flame back then was probably just to sense Xiao Yan's existence before quickly returning."

Su Qian nodded slowly and said, "Not long ago, Xiao Yan cultivated on the sixth floor for a day and a half. Not only was he unafraid of the fire poison, but he could even absorb the violent Heavenly Flame energy surrounding the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower."

! ! ! !

The elders present all showed astonishment. The energy within the tower contained extremely fierce fire poison. Forget absorbing it; even staying inside for too long would result in the fire poison invading one's body.

Yet Xiao Yan, a mere Dou Spirit, could actually absorb it without restraint!

How truly terrifying!

Su Qian's aged voice turned somewhat somber. "Sigh, I really didn't expect it. The Fallen Heart Flame allowed our Inner Academy to rise, and now, a little fellow not even twenty years old also possesses such a miraculous treasure alone. It truly makes one envious."

"Fellow elders, if you encounter this young man, please accommodate him as much as possible. Perhaps, when the Fallen Heart Flame erupts in the future, we might have to rely on his strength. We must not underestimate the power of a Heavenly Flame. Such rare treasures born from the essence of the world possess destructive capabilities. If we're not careful, the Inner Academy might face the calamity of destruction," First Elder Su Qian sighed and shook his head.

"Understood!" The dozen or so elders, highly revered by the Inner Academy students, all stood up at this moment and respectfully responded.

The black-robed First Elder slowly stood up after everyone had left the hall. As he straightened, his body became more and more illusory. By the time he fully rose from his seat, his figure had already mysteriously vanished from the hall.

They still didn't know that this fellow Xiao Yan was up to no good, secretly hoping for the Fallen Heart Flame to erupt sooner.

…

Not long after, news of the upcoming faction war between Xiao Yan's Xiao Hall and the alliance of over a dozen senior student factions spread throughout the Inner Academy.

Moreover, Xiao Yan generously covered all the Fire Energy costs for the Xiao Hall's freshmen to enter the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower during these seven days, allowing them to rapidly enhance their strength.

The entire Xiao Hall formed groups to enter the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower to improve their cultivation. Only Xiao Yan, having just advanced by one star, didn't plan to enter the tower. Instead, he began cultivating his Dou Techniques.

"Ahhhh!!!"

"Meow meow meow!!!"

"What the hell, is this really possible to cultivate?!" Xiao Yan shouted until his throat was nearly hoarse, his voice tinged with raspiness. Forget sounding like a dragon's roar; it was more like a ghost's wail.

Xiao Yan sat on the ground, panting heavily. He picked up a kettle chilled with Ice Spirit Cold Fountain from the ground and gulped it down. Instantly, a refreshing chill soothed his throat, which felt as if it were on fire.

He had left the Inner Academy and had been cultivating his Dou Techniques in the vast forest outside for seven days now. Yet he hadn't even seen a shadow of the 'Ancient Dragon Roar' reaching the entry-level stage.

Had he not been smart enough to prepare some throat-protecting medicinal liquids himself, he might have lost his voice before mastering the 'Ancient Dragon Roar.'

Xiao Yan picked up the scroll, his mind sinking as his Spiritual Strength delved into its contents.

The 'Ancient Dragon Roar' scroll not only recorded the Dou Qi circulation paths and the methods to fuse dragon aura with Dou Qi but also included a vivid spiritual memory scene.

In that memory, an enormous dragon coiled atop mountain ranges. Under the sunlight, its scales shimmered with strands of purple-golden light. A pair of dragon wings blotted out the sky, and its body stretched like mountain ranges, with half of it hidden in the void. Only the boundless void could accommodate such a massive creature.

The Ancient Void Dragon seemed to have been provoked by something. Suddenly, its dragon eyes snapped open, and it let out an earth-shattering, soul-stirring roar into the distance.