Chapter 481: At the Bottom of the Magma

"Did such an incident happen? The Inner Academy students aren't supposed to know about the Heavenly Flame, are they?"

Indeed, the Jia Nan Academy had done well to keep this aspect secret. Ordinary students only knew that the Academy's Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower was very useful, and they never thought beyond that, especially when it came to Heavenly Flames.

Even the alchemists among them were in the same boat. Heavenly Flames were extremely rare. Xiao Ming had spent several years in the Central Plains and had never met a genuine alchemist who possessed a Heavenly Flame.

Besides, there were many places in the Dou Qi Continent where one could accelerate their cultivation. While they weren't plentiful, they weren't scarce either. These inexperienced young students naturally didn't dwell on such thoughts.

Even if they thought about it, they wouldn't dare to steal a Heavenly Flame from the Jia Nan Academy.

Would they truly believe that the Dou Ancestors in the Academy were only there for show?

Whoever dared to steal from Jia Nan Academy was either extremely brave or extremely stupid. When the Jia Nan Academy enrolled students, they kept records of the students' backgrounds. If someone dared to steal from the Academy, the Academy would track them down. What would they do then?

Could a force that sent students to the Jia Nan Academy compete with the Academy itself? It was highly unlikely!

So, who was audacious enough to attempt to do so?

Xiao Ming cleared his throat, and a name flashed through his mind.

The next moment, Su Qian uttered that name.

"Speaking of this person, he has some connection with you," Su Qian continued after a short pause. "His name is Xiao Yan, and he belongs to your clan."

As expected.

With a hint of resignation, Xiao Ming sighed.

Flame Mantra was the key to Xiao Yan's rise and the capital of his rapid growth. It was something he wouldn't give up easily.

Considering how rare Heavenly Flames were, how could Xiao Yan willingly give up the Heavenly Flame of Jia Nan Academy? Coupled with his reckless nature, his actions weren't entirely unpredictable.

"How did you end up handling this matter?"

"We originally considered abolishing his cultivation, but in the end, we let him go. After all, he's your clan member, and he didn't succeed in stealing the Heavenly Flame. We just expelled him from the Academy."

At this point, Su Qian let out a sigh. In fact, it wasn't just out of consideration for Xiao Ming's face that he let Xiao Yan go; it was also because he had high hopes for Xiao Yan from the very beginning.

Aside from being a member of Xiao Ming's clan, Xiao Yan possessed extraordinary talents, especially in the field of alchemy, which few in the Inner Academy could match.

Su Qian had originally intended to take him as his disciple, so he had arranged for the elders to give him special care and attention.

However, little did he know that Xiao Yan had set his sights on the Fallen Heart Flame from the moment he entered the Inner Academy.

His care for Xiao Yan was one of the main reasons why he almost succeeded in stealing the Heavenly Flame.

Thinking about this, Su Qian shook his head once more, a hint of disappointment showing on his aged face.

Xiao Ming wore a slightly awkward smile on his face. No matter what, he and Xiao Yan were from the same clan, and he couldn't help but feel somewhat helpless about the situation.

Su Qian had no intention of blaming Xiao Ming for what Xiao Yan had done. After all, the Heavenly Flame had not been stolen in the end. He simply believed that Xiao Ming was the one who had retrieved the Heavenly Flame, and he had the right to know the details.

"Well, let's not dwell on these unpleasant matters. Are you both ready?" Su Qian adjusted his mood and asked with a smile.

Xiao Ming smiled gently and flicked his finger, sending the trembling Fallen Heart Flame in his palm flying. He said, "We've been ready for a while. Just wait for us to return."

Zi Yan nodded slightly. "Don't worry, I'm quite strong now."

"Alright, be careful, both of you." Su Qian replied.

Xiao Ming smiled, no longer hesitating. In a flash, he transformed into a white light and directly entered the magma world through the passage below, while Zi Yan, who transformed into a purple light, followed close behind.

...

Gurgle, gurgle...

The magma seethed and bubbled like a pot of boiling water, its intense heat causing the air around it to shimmer and distort.

Zi Yan frowned slightly as she looked at the magma and stuck out her tongue in discomfort.

"Xiao Ming, you still haven't told me why you brought me to this scorching place. It's so hot!" she complained with a pout.

"I once sensed a spatial barrier beneath this magma world when I was cultivating. I believe there must be a huge secret hidden within it. Given your strong spatial abilities, I need you to travel with me on this trip."

"A huge secret?" Zi Yan's mesmerizing golden-purple eyes sparkled with intense curiosity.

"Then let's hurry. Maybe we'll find some treasures to bring back for my sisters. Oh, and for the little one in Sister Medusa's womb, hehe~!"

Having been accepted as Xiao Ming's woman, the now mature Zi Yan had completely shed any traces of envy or jealousy towards his other partners. Instead, she had developed a deeper fondness for them.

If the other girls heard her casual words, it was safe to say that they would be deeply touched.

Xiao Ming smiled and pulled her into his arms when he saw her eager expression. Flames burst from his body, forming a fiery shield that enveloped them both. With a final splash, they plunged into the magma, causing waves of molten rock to ripple around them.

This wasn't the first time Xiao Ming had entered the magma, and his speed had increased considerably. In less than a quarter of an hour, they had entered the depths of the magma world.

At the same time, Xiao Ming's pace slowed as he calmly observed their surroundings. He could sense several subtle auras rapidly approaching them.

"What's that?"

Zi Yan, who had been eagerly anticipating something, perked up in Xiao Ming's arms, but her interest quickly faded when she sensed that these creatures were rather weak.

"Just some strange creatures living deep in the magma, nothing to worry about."

With a stomp of his foot, Xiao Ming unleashed a huge surge of soul power from his forehead. In an instant, the surrounding magma was blasted apart. Many figures hidden in the magma suddenly let out a piercing, miserable screech...

Chi cui!

The magma fluctuation around them became even more intense after those screeches. They then saw the densely packed bright red figures rush in from all directions, completely surrounding them.

Xiao Ming's gaze swept over these lizard-like magma creatures, pausing at a spot a short distance away. There, two figures with milky-white scales stood out, looking considerably older than the others.

The most surprising thing was that the strength of these two lizard people had reached the Half-Saint realm!

"Humans, this is the Tomb of the God. It is not a place you should venture into. Return quickly. Otherwise, you will end up dying here if you awaken its guardian!" One of the white-scaled lizard men spoke in a somewhat awkward but still understandable tone.

Xiao Ming's eyes lit up when he heard these two terms. He knew they referred to the Tou She Ancient God Tomb and Zhu Kun.

But since he had come to find Zhu Kun, what was there to fear?

Just as he was about to speak, Zi Yan scornfully interjected, "Tomb of the God? Guardian? A mere gatekeeper dares to boast like that? See how we deal with them if they dare to stop us. Step aside, or we won't be polite."

Xiao Ming: ...