Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Seclusion Ends!
As if he had thought of something, Su Qian's expression tightened. Within a few flashes, he arrived at the black well in the center of the tower's base.
Seeing this, Zi Yan hurriedly followed.
The two of them looked down, and their pupils suddenly shrank at the sight before them.
The once calm magma world was now devoid of the massive formless fire serpent.
"???"
Su Qian was full of questions, wondering how the Hugeness No Falling Heart Flame of the Inner Academy could have disappeared.
"Xiao Yun!"
But Zi Yan, at this moment, was covering her mouth with one hand, her eyes moist as she looked at the figure in the center of the magma.
It was Jiang Yun!
However, at this time, he was far beyond what the two expected. Now he was skinny all over. Even with his eyes closed, they could see deep exhaustion in his brow.
Where was the handsome and spirited appearance he had a year ago!
Seeing this, Zi Yan's heart ached. With a slight motion, she wanted to leap to Jiang Yun's side.
"Wait," Su Qian reacted quickly, grabbing Zi Yan. He hurriedly said, "Jiang Yun is fine. He's at a critical moment now. Are you sure you want to disturb him?"
"Um—" Zi Yan stopped upon hearing this, but her teeth tightly bit her lip, her eyes red as she looked at the frowning Jiang Yun, her heart in pain.
Seeing Zi Yan regaining her composure, Su Qian sighed and muttered quietly as he looked at Jiang Yun, "I didn't expect it. In the end, it benefits you, this brat."
"Hope you treat her well!"
Although Jiang Yun appeared emaciated and his body was covered with blood streaks, Su Qian could still see the robust, steadily rising aura in him, knowing he had already passed the danger.
Next, it would just be the systematic refining of the Falling Heart Flame. Unexpectedly, the problem that had troubled the academy for so many years was solved by this kid.
With the protection of the exotic fire, Jiang Yun wouldn't be in any more danger. Wait, Exotic Fire?
Jiang Yun can actually absorb two Exotic Fires?
Regaining his senses, Su Qian turned to look at the cross-legged figure with a trace of shock, marveling in his heart with a bit of envy.
What a lucky kid.
Thinking this, Su Qian looked at Zi Yan, whose beautiful eyes hadn't left Jiang Yun, and softly said, "Jiang Yun is fine, and he's gained a great opportunity. You can rest assured now!"
Zi Yan didn't respond, biting her enticing lips, her grip on the well's edge slightly tightened. To the shock of the two elders behind, cracks slowly appeared in the well.
Their hearts skipped a beat!
Looking at the figure sitting in the magma, Zi Yan's usually carefree eyes revealed a look of heartache for the first time.
After taking a look around, Su Qian slightly frowned. Since Jiang Yun had set up a Spirit Gathering Formation here, the energy of heaven and earth had indeed thickened significantly. Correspondingly, the surrounding fire poison had also deepened.
Staying here for a long time was more dangerous than ever!
"Zi Yan, there's no use staying here, and it could harm your body. Let's wait for Jiang Yun outside, shall we?" Su Qian patted Zi Yan's shoulder with a hint of concern in his tone.
"No—"
"I want to stay here and watch over Jiang Yun to ensure his safety!"
A crisp and firm voice rung out. Zi Yan's gaze fell on Jiang Yun while she turned a deaf ear to Su Qian's advice.
"You—" Su Qian was momentarily speechless, deeply looking at Jiang Yun and Zi Yan. He sighed, "Well, be careful. If you can't hold on, leave. You wouldn't want Jiang Yun to see you heavily poisoned, right?"
Hesitant for a moment, Zi Yan finally nodded slightly.
Receiving the response, Su Qian left the tower's base with Elder Huang and Elder Shi. He had to handle follow-up matters while the two elders were due for a shift and to clear the fire poison from their bodies regularly.
After the three left, Zi Yan's purple Dou Qi wings slowly unfolded behind her, astonishingly leaping towards the center of the magma where Jiang Yun was.
"Rumble—"
Countless magma eruptions, carrying terrifying high temperatures, hit towards Zi Yan. However, they couldn't break through the thin purple shield around her body.
Easily reaching Jiang Yun, Zi Yan's heart trembled as she looked at him, now in an even more wretched state compared to before. Uncontrollably, her hand reached out, wanting to touch Jiang Yun's face.
"Girl, Jiang Yun is fine. It's best not to disturb him now," a hoary voice sounded. Qing Ming's figure slowly emerged, looking warmly at Zi Yan.
To Zi Yan, Qing Ming was not a stranger anymore. She had known her last time, and in truth, Qing Ming's presence was what brought her back to her senses earlier.
"Senior Qing Ming, how is Xiao Yun?" Despite already knowing the answer from Su Qian, Zi Yan couldn't help but ask.
"Unexpectedly fine. Yun'er has gained substantially this time!" Qing Ming smiled at Zi Yan, a gentle look in her eyes. She acknowledged this 'little dragon' who had coincidentally met Jiang Yun.
"That's good!"
"Compared to Yun'er, you, girl, must also be careful!" Looking at the slightly relieved Zi Yan, Qing Ming suddenly sternly addressed her.
"???" Fully relaxed, Zi Yan curiously looked at Qing Ming, her head full of questions.
"If I'm not mistaken, your true form's bloodline is extraordinary, one of the top on the entire continent. Previously, you inadvertently consumed the Shapeshifting Grass, transforming early into human form. And since you left your tribe young, your bloodline has never fully awakened, nor have you attained the inheritable supernatural abilities of your race."
"For unknown reasons, part of your bloodline has now begun to awaken on its own, and you should've received quite a bit of inheritance."
Qing Ming softly explained, having seen the abnormality in Zi Yan at their first meeting. Typically, those with powerful bloodlines need a bloodline baptism to fully awaken, gaining numerous benefits.
But as a displaced Taixu Ancient Dragon, Zi Yan had no one to help her awaken, which wasn't a big deal initially. However, her partial bloodline awakening last time and a more thorough awakening this time during her advancement were certainly dangerous without proper baptism. In the future, a slight misstep could even lower her bloodline grade.
Hence, Qing Ming expressed her concerns.
"Um—there is indeed more in my mind now!" Zi Yan covered her head in confusion, recalling numerous new pieces of information about the power of space, a few fighting techniques, and her race's origins.
"So... I belong to the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan!" Zi Yan murmured with a sense of loss after browsing her bloodline inheritance.
She questioned why she was parentless since childhood, why she was alone fighting for resources with powerful magical beasts, and why she appeared where she did...
Too many questions had troubled her until now, knowing her race. She felt surprisingly indifferent.
Is it because of him?
A sense of confusion passed through Zi Yan's amethyst-like eyes, with Jiang Yun's figure sitting cross-legged in them.
"Your bloodline has just begun awakening, so even though you may have many powerful techniques in your bloodline inheritance, remember, use them sparingly. These techniques often require strong bloodline support, and your bloodline isn't stable yet. You can't squander it," Qing Ming seriously warned hearing Zi Yan's muttering.
"Mm, I understand!" Zi Yan respected Qing Ming, knowing he was Jiang Yun's only family in this world and was knowledgeable and well-traveled. She took his words to heart.
"Speaking of which, I still prefer using fists to solve problems over those sophisticated techniques," Zi Yan said playfully, raising her small fist with a chuckle, revealing two adorable tiger teeth.
"Ha!" Watching the innocent Zi Yan made Qing Ming's mood lighten.
Relaxing, Zi Yan began to take a closer look around, seeing dark red magma everywhere, and the omnipresent aura of the Falling Heart Flame made her wrinkle her small nose in annoyance.
"Hmm? What's this familiar, intimate scent?" At that moment, a puzzled Zi Yan looked towards the earth.
She felt a faint, familiar yet strange aura from within, one that felt very close to her.
Trying to sense it carefully again, this aura disappeared like an illusion.
Finding nothing, Zi Yan frowned and, shortly after, gently shook her head, whispering.
"An illusion?"
Coming back to her senses, Zi Yan slowly approached Jiang Yun.
Qing Ming, who was always watching Zi Yan, had a flash in his eyes. His profound gaze looked towards the magma's depths, with a gleam of light crossing his eyes and understanding dawning.
"Who'd have thought it would turn out this way? No wonder I unconsciously brought Yun'er here back then." Glancing at Zi Yan and Jiang Yun, Qing Ming's eyes filled with a warm smile, content and satisfied. "Fate is truly marvelous!"
At this moment, Jiang Yun was quietly absorbing the source of the Falling Heart Flame inside his body, oblivious to everything outside.
Zi Yan, meanwhile, sat hugging her knees, her eyes sparkling as she stared unblinkingly at Jiang Yun.
The two seemed like a perfect painting, filled with peace and beauty.
After some time, as if recalling something, a blush appeared on Zi Yan's delicate face. Since her recent advancement, she seemed to have undergone some changes.
"Xiao Yun, no matter what kind of enemies you face, I'll always stand by you."
Zi Yan was perceptive. Since Qing Ming appeared, she had sensed something unusual about Jiang Yun, combining it with all his incredible feats so far.
Unknown Exotic Fire, mysterious formations, and endless unfamiliar fighting techniques hinted that Jiang Yun was no ordinary orphan but had an extraordinary background.
She had seen his thirst for strength and faintly realized he might be facing formidable foes.
None of this concerned her, though. She just knew she wanted to stand by his side and support him.
Making a resolution, flames of determination filled Zi Yan's eyes. After another look at Jiang Yun, she slightly frowned before closing her eyes to cultivate.
Though she disliked the environment here, she chose to stay and accompany Jiang Yun so he could see her first upon waking.
As the two plunged into cultivation, the underground space regained its calm, with only the gathering energies showcasing the presence of formidable individuals silently growing stronger inside.
Time flew by.
The crimson underground magma world remained lifeless, aside from the sounds of magma flowing and erupting, eerily quiet, like a deathly domain.
In this dead silence, deep within, two figures sat cross-legged in a faint blue shield, barely visible.
"Crack—"
At a certain moment, an almost non-existent cracking sound echoed in his soul.
The abrupt anomaly seemed to rouse the figure nearby. Her eyes moved slightly, slowly opening a pair of amethyst-like bright eyes.
Detecting the movements of the nearby figure, intense joy filled her eyes. Moving slightly, she stared unblinkingly at that figure.
At this moment, within Jiang Yun's body, the black dragon's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction, and the next moment, it burped as if it had eaten its fill.
With a spit of flame, an invisible flame slowly emerged, looking drained, with its body fading in and out.
The black dragon, much like a "scumbag," glanced dismissively at the Falling Heart Flame and leisurely returned to Jiang Yun's dantian.
The Falling Heart Flame could only watch the Sacred Heavenly Demon Flame leave, feeling lost. Its intelligence had been devoured, making it like a newborn Exotic Fire, forgetting the pain inflicted and unaware of who took everything from it, jumping at its original spot.
With the Sacred Heavenly Demon Flame returning to its place, Jiang Yun's aura surged past a barrier, sharply rising. An indescribable sense of comfort spread throughout his body, reaching every corner.
At this moment, Jiang Yun's long-closed eyes finally trembled and slowly opened.
"Shhh—"
As he opened his eyes, black-and-white flames burned within and shot out from his eyes, tearing two ten-meter-wide gaps into the magma sea beneath.
The flames passed, and the magma sea surged before slowly closing the gaps.
"Phew—"
Jiang Yun exhaled a scorching breath, and with it, his surging aura gradually calmed down.
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