Battle Through the Heavens: Starting with Cao Ying as an apprentice

"We were overthinking it!" Su Qian quickly bowed and apologized, finally showing a genuine smile on his face.

"The Dean... does act rather unpredictably, so we hope Elder Su will not take offense at our wariness. I will personally arrange accommodations for you all!"

Su Qian kept his word. Not only did he prepare the best courtyard in the inner courtyard for Su Baichen and his group to live in, but he also designated three surrounding courtyards to ensure that this newly promoted guest elder had absolute peace and quiet.

A Dou Zun powerhouse deserves such treatment.

Time flies, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

That morning, Su Qian personally came to the outside of Tian Shu Academy to request an audience. Su Baichen was meditating and cultivating in the courtyard when he sensed Su Qian's arrival and slowly opened his eyes.

"Elder Su." Su Qian said solemnly, "I have come today to ask you for a favor. This matter concerns the very foundation of the academy. I request that you accompany me to the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower."

Su Baichen nodded and stood up without asking any further questions. The two walked one after the other through the inner corridor, and the students along the way stopped to pay their respects, their eyes curiously scrutinizing Su Baichen—this newly arrived guest elder rarely left his home, yet he had become the biggest topic of conversation in the academy recently.

The Heavenly Flame Refining Tower stands in the center of the inner courtyard. The tower is soaring into the clouds and is made entirely of obsidian, with densely packed runes engraved on its surface.

Even before you get close, you can feel a scorching heat emanating from the tower, as if a sun is sealed inside.

"Such pure inner fire power." Su Baichen stopped in front of the tower, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"This is the Fallen Heart Flame!"

Su Qian smiled wryly, "It was originally a treasure for cultivation in the academy, but in recent years the seal has gradually loosened, and this strange fire has become increasingly violent. To be honest, Elder, it attempted to break through the seal three times last year, and the last time it almost broke out of the tower. The formation left by the Dean... I'm afraid it won't last much longer."

Su Baichen said no more and slowly walked towards the tower gate. The moment he stepped into the plaza in front of the tower, the entire Heavenly Flame Refining Tower suddenly trembled slightly, and the runes on the tower lit up one after another, flickering as if responding to something.

Su Qian and the others' expressions changed; this strange fire was unusually agitated today!

However, Su Baichen merely snorted softly, and without any visible movement, an invisible pressure quietly spread out. The tremors of the tower abruptly ceased, and the lit runes fell silent again, as if forcibly pressed back down by an invisible hand.

"The formation is simple, but the person who set it up is highly skilled." Su Baichen looked up at the top of the tower, his eyes sharp. "He used force to suppress the formation, rather than skill to seal it. This method is in line with Senior Mang's style."

Upon hearing this, Su Qian quickly explained, "This formation was indeed set up by the Dean, and it has been suppressing the Fallen Heart Flame for over a hundred years. However, the Dean... doesn't seem to be skilled in the art of formations."

“The Lei Clan has a profound foundation; how could their heritage lack the essence of formations?” Su Baichen shook his head and chuckled. “It’s just that Senior Mang is carefree and not proficient in this art. If he were willing to put in some effort, how could this Fallen Heart Flame possibly shake the grand formation he set up with his half-saint cultivation?”

As he spoke, Su Baichen closed his eyes slightly, and a vast soul power quietly spread out.

In an instant, the weather changed dramatically!

Centered on the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, the space within a ten-mile radius seemed to freeze.

The grass and trees stopped swaying, the birds hovered in mid-air, and even the movement of the air slowed down. Su Qian and the others felt an indescribable pressure enveloping their entire bodies, and an instinctive tremor came from the depths of their souls.

"This is... a Heavenly Realm Soul!" a white-haired elder exclaimed in shock, his voice trembling.

Su Qian was equally shocked.

The soul realm is divided into four stages: Mortal, Spirit, Heaven, and Emperor. The vast majority of Dou Zun only achieve the Great Perfection of the Spirit stage in their entire lives. Those who can enter the Heaven stage are all exceptionally talented individuals, and they all have the potential to become Dou Sheng in the future! This Elder Su is such a person!

At this moment, Su Baichen's mind was completely immersed in it. His Heavenly Realm soul surged like a tide over every inch of the tower, permeating every array pattern, and then extending downwards along the tower's base, penetrating hundreds, thousands of feet into the earth...

He "saw" the crisscrossing energy veins, "saw" the violent, invisible flame at the core of the seal, and "saw" the increasing number of cracks on the array nodes.

Deeper beneath the mature, fallen heart flame, another faint, almost imperceptible heart flame was quietly burning within the earth's veins, like a newborn infant, with a soul beside it.

Chapter 171 Two Solutions to the Fallen Heart Flame!

Time passed in silence.

An hour later, Su Baichen slowly opened his eyes, and the frozen space around him began to flow again. There were beads of sweat on his forehead, indicating that this exploration had taken a toll.

“I understand the situation.” Su Baichen turned to look at Su Qian, his expression calm: “Let’s go back and talk.”

With that, he flicked his sleeve, and the space in front of him was easily torn apart like cloth, revealing a deep spatial passage. Before Su Qian could react, a gentle force had already enveloped everyone and pulled them into it.

The next moment, the space in the conference room rippled, and the group had returned.

This effortless use of spatial manipulation once again instilled a sense of awe in the elders.

"Elder Su, how is the situation?" Su Qian asked hurriedly, ignoring his astonishment.

The other elders also cast anxious glances. The Heavenly Flame Refining Tower is the foundation of Canaan Academy. If the Heart Flame of the Fallen goes out of control, the entire inner academy will be destroyed.

Su Baichen sat down in the head seat, pondered for a moment, and slowly extended two fingers.

"Two solutions."

Everyone held their breath.

“Firstly,” Su Baichen’s fingertips glowed with a faint silver light as he traced intricate array patterns in the air, “I can reinforce and strengthen the existing array. With my understanding of array formations, the reconstructed seal will be enough to suppress that fallen heart flame for hundreds of years.”

Upon hearing this, the elders' faces lit up with joy, but then Su Baichen abruptly changed the subject.

"But this method has great drawbacks." He waved his hand to disperse the array patterns and said solemnly, "The stronger the seal, the more violent the backlash from the strange fire will be. The Fallen Heart Flame will continue to accumulate power within the seal, and when it breaks free, its strength will likely surge to the Dou Zun level. The destructive power it unleashes at that time will be far beyond what it is today."

A deathly silence fell over the conference room. A Dou Zun-level strange fire erupting? The entire Black Corner Region might be doomed!

"Then... what's the second option?" an elder asked in a hoarse voice.

Su Baichen's lips curled up slightly, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"The second method might be the long-term solution." He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, "Just now, during my investigation, I discovered another Fallen Heart Flame deep underground—"

"What?!" Su Qian suddenly stood up, knocking over the teacup beside her.

"—And it's still in its infancy." Su Baichen finished speaking, his gaze sweeping over the horrified faces of the crowd.

"This seed flame is weak, yet pure and gentle. If we nurture it properly, given time, we can cultivate it into a new core flame, replacing the current violent, mature one."

He paused, allowing everyone to process this earth-shattering news.

"At that time, we may be able to draw out the mature Fallen Heart Flame, either seal it or collect it, and solve the problem once and for all. As for the juvenile Heart Flame, it grows alongside the academy and is of one mind with the academy, so there is no longer any risk of backlash."

Su Qian slumped back into her chair, her chest heaving violently. The elders exchanged glances, all seeing shock and ecstasy in each other's eyes.

There are two approaches: one is to address the symptoms and alleviate the crisis that will last for centuries; the other is to address the root cause and lay the foundation for future generations.

"Elder Su!" Su Qian took a deep breath, stood up solemnly, and bowed deeply to Su Baichen.

"This matter concerns the survival of the academy. Please allow us to discuss it further before making a decision."

"nature."

Su Baichen accepted the greeting with composure, then turned his gaze to the towering black tower outside the window and said meaningfully, "No matter which path you choose, there's no rush. That seal... can hold out for at least another ten years or so."

After an incense stick had burned, Su Qian and the others returned.

This mysterious guest elder has only been at Canaan Academy for a month, yet he has already stirred up waves—who would have thought that the problem of the Fallen Heart Flame, which has plagued the inner academy for many years, would have two completely different solutions in his eyes.

"Elder Su." Su Qianqing cleared his throat and slowly announced the results of the discussion among the elders: "After careful consideration, we have chosen the second option—to cultivate that nascent Fallen Heart Flame."

As he spoke, his tone suddenly became hesitant, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed his cuffs.

Su Qian looked up at Su Baichen, her eyes revealing a hint of embarrassment that she found difficult to express.

He opened his mouth, but swallowed the words back. In the end, he only gave the other person a meaningful look—a look that contained the academy's difficulties, awe of the strong, and a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

Su Baichen, being the person he was, naturally understood instantly. He slightly raised the corners of his lips, his smile gentle yet carrying an undeniable certainty: "Elder Su, there's no need to be troubled. Since I've proposed a solution, I've naturally given it thorough consideration."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room: "I will have my disciple Cao Ying subdue that nascent strange fire."

After he finished speaking, the elders exchanged glances, but no one voiced any objection.

They knew perfectly well that if Su Baichen hadn't been there, the academy wouldn't have been able to suppress the rioting mature Fallen Heart Flame, let alone acquire a newborn Strange Flame.

“Of course,” Su Baichen continued, his voice calm and steady.

"After all, a strange fire is a treasure that alchemists dream of, and I will not let the academy suffer a loss in vain. As compensation, I am willing to offer two Royal Extreme Pills and one Breakthrough Pill."

He looked up and stared directly at Su Qian: "Elder, do you think this arrangement is appropriate?"

Upon hearing this, Su Qian was first taken aback, then her eyes flashed with unbelievable joy.

The Imperial Extreme Pill! That's a sixth-grade pill that can directly raise a Dou Huang powerhouse by one or two stars! And the Breakthrough Pill is an even more coveted breakthrough elixir that countless peak Dou Huang powerhouses cannot obtain, its value is immeasurable.

"No problem! Absolutely no problem!" Su Qian nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. The elders behind him also showed expressions of relief.

They got a great deal in this whole affair—they hired someone to resolve the crisis at the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, and not only did the other party agree to help, they even offered such generous compensation.

If it weren't for the dean's influence, Su Baichen could have easily taken the strange fire directly, given his strength. Who in Canaan Academy could have stopped him?

Su Baichen nodded slightly, seemingly having anticipated everyone's reaction.

He picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and continued, "Since it has been agreed, I will go to the tower tonight to retrieve the nascent strange fire. You may come and collect it tomorrow morning."

He put down his teacup and looked at Su Qian: "The academy should be able to support and nurture him on its own from now on, right?"

“Of course!” Su Qian solemnly promised, “This is simply our duty.”

Su Baichen nodded in satisfaction, then lightly waved his sleeve. Two streams of light flew out from his sleeve and landed steadily on the sandalwood table beside him—two pure white jade bottles, with faint energy fluctuations flowing around their bodies, clearly extraordinary items.

"The pills are here; please accept them," Su Baichen said calmly.

Su Qian quickly waved his hand, "This...this is too hasty. It's better to give it to Elder Su after he takes out the strange fire. How can we accept payment in advance?"

Su Baichen chuckled lightly, a hint of meaning in his eyes: "It's alright. Cao Ying and the other girls will still be cultivating at the academy in the future, so we'll need your help."

He paused, his tone becoming meaningful: "I don't intend to interfere too much in their lives. The path of cultivation must ultimately be walked by oneself. If I take care of everything for them, it's easy to cultivate delicate flowers that can't withstand the storms."

As he spoke, Su Baichen looked at the darkening sky and slowly added, "Besides, I may be leaving the academy for a while."

Upon hearing this, Su Qian's expression turned solemn, and he immediately made a solemn promise: "Elder Su, rest assured! We will take good care of Miss Cao Ying and the others during their stay at the academy and will never allow anyone to disturb their cultivation."

"With Elder Su's words, I am relieved." Su Baichen stood up, his robes fluttering even without wind.

"At midnight tonight, I will head to the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower. Everyone, please prepare yourselves to welcome the new spark tomorrow."

He walked towards the door, paused briefly at the threshold, and glanced back at the jade bottle on the table: "Keep the pills safe. The future of Canaan Academy may depend on these young sparks."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared into the deepening twilight.

Inside the room, Su Qian and the elders exchanged glances. After a long while, someone finally sighed softly, "Elder Su's actions are truly unfathomable..."

Chapter 172 The Amusing Man: Venerable Heavenly Fire!

At the third quarter of midnight, all was quiet.

Deep within the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, space tore silently apart. Su Baichen took a step forward and stood in the molten lava world.

The scorching heat wave rushed towards him, but quietly dissipated three feet away from him, turning into sparks.

"laugh--"