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At Canaan Academy, Su Qian, as the Grand Elder, handled the academy's daily affairs. However, compared to the past, he was now far more relaxed.
Ever since Xiao Yan arrived and established Pan Gate, followed by the founding of Xiao Gate in the Black-Corner Region, and the eventual merger with the Flame Alliance of the Jia Ma Empire, a massive force had formed in the northwest continent. As one of the key benefactors of the Flame Alliance, Su Qian was well taken care of. With the aid of medicinal pills, his strength had reached the level of a Nine-Star Dou Zong.
Canaan Academy also benefited from an influx of resources, greatly enhancing the overall strength of its elders. As a result, Su Qian had far more free time than before.
"Old man." A crisp and melodious voice rang beside Su Qian's ear.
Su Qian instinctively looked up and saw a stunning young woman standing before him, her presence unnoticed until that moment. She wore a purple-gold gown adorned with dragons and phoenixes that seemed to come alive, exuding an undeniable air of nobility. Her features were almost unnaturally exquisite.
"Who are you? Are you calling me?" Su Qian rose from his seat, frowning. His experienced eyes and perception quickly told him that the woman before him was of extraordinary status and possessed a strength far above his own.
"Old man, I've grown up. Don't tell me you don't remember me." Zi Yan's ruby lips curled into a mischievous smile. She placed her hands on her hips—a habitual gesture from her childhood when she was in a bad mood.
"You're... Zi Yan?" Su Qian hesitated to recognize her. The once mischievous little girl now looked every bit like an empress, from her bearing to her attire.
"You finally recognized me," Zi Yan giggled. "Old man, it's been a long time. You look much younger than before."
"All these years, I thought you'd been killed by the Gu Clan... Thank heavens." Su Qian's eyes grew moist. He had no children of his own and had truly treated Zi Yan like a daughter. Back when Qian Renhan was being hunted by the Gu Clan, she escaped with Zi Yan into the magma beneath the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower and never came back. Su Qian had believed Zi Yan had been slain by a Gu Clan powerhouse.
Zi Yan curled her lips in disdain. "The Gu Clan? That trash family has already been wiped out. I'm now the Dragon Emperor of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan."
"Zi Yan, you mustn't speak recklessly," Su Qian admonished her. The Gu Clan was one of the truly ancient clans—a dominant force on the continent.
"Hehe, I know you don't believe me, old man. Here." Zi Yan's storage ring flashed as she laid out a pile of incredibly valuable pills and Heavenly Rank techniques and combat skills onto the table. When she opened the jade bottles, the thick fragrance of the pills flooded the room.
Su Qian took just a few breaths and immediately felt the bottleneck at his Nine-Star Dou Zong level begin to loosen.
"Old man, all of these are techniques, combat skills, and pills taken from the ancient clans. Now do you believe me? Don't worry, I'll protect you from now on. There are only a handful of people on this continent stronger than me now. Canaan Academy might need to be rebuilt soon."
Zi Yan spoke confidently, and for once, she wasn't exaggerating. With her Six-Star Dou Sheng Dragon-Phoenix physique, only five Nine-Star Dou Sheng powerhouses on the continent surpassed her—Qian Renhan, Zhu Kun, Hun Tiandi, Gu Yuan, and the Nihility Devouring Flame. All Eight-Star Dou Shengs had already perished, and even if she couldn't defeat the Four Demon Saints of the Soul Clan, she wouldn't lose to them either.
Su Qian sighed emotionally, "You've truly grown up."
"You really care about that little girl, huh? In that regard, you're nothing like Hun Tiandi."
Beside the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, the Nihility Devouring Flame joked to Qian Renhan. He hadn't expected Qian Renhan to wait patiently while Zi Yan reminisced with Grand Elder Su Qian instead of immediately heading into the magma to open the Ancient Emperor's Estate. If it were Hun Tiandi, not even the death of his own son would have fazed him.
"Mind your own business."
Zi Yan, who never caused Qian Renhan any trouble, arrived at the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower within a minute.
The Nihility Devouring Flame extended his hand, and a brilliant orb of light rose into the air, hovering above his head. Within the orb, misty energy swirled, gradually taking the form of an illusory, aged figure.
With the appearance of the aged figure, the energy between heaven and earth began to boil. A pressure akin to that of a sovereign of the world descended from the heavens.
"Tuoshe Ancient Emperor!"
Just a single strand of energy left behind in the Ancient Emperor Jade for millennia was enough to obliterate any peak late-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng. This was the might of a Dou Di powerhouse.
The figure radiated a brilliant light that enveloped the entire Inner Academy of Canaan Academy. The ground trembled, buildings and the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower crumbled, the land cracked, and the churning sound of liquid grew louder as crimson magma erupted from the earth. Within moments, the entire Canaan Academy was submerged.
Fortunately, all faculty and students had already been relocated by Zi Yan. After all, this was the place where she had grown up, and Su Qian was like a foster father to her.
The searing lava surged up like a crimson tide, spreading rapidly through the Black-Corner Region. At this rate, the entire region would soon become a sea of magma.
Amidst this molten sea, a vortex the size of Ancient Holy City spun violently, indicating that the Ancient Emperor's Estate buried deep beneath the magma was being summoned to the surface.
"Hiding isn't your style, Hun Tiandi."
Standing above the magma and awaiting the emergence of the Ancient Emperor's Estate, Qian Renhan turned his gaze to a patch of white clouds in the sky. Possessing an Emperor Realm Soul, his senses were razor-sharp. Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan, who also possessed Emperor Realm Souls, could not hide from his perception.
The white clouds dispersed, replaced by roiling black clouds that soon blanketed the sky over the Black-Corner Region. The clouds surged, and countless figures shot out from within.
At the center of the black clouds, dozens of figures stepped through the void. Leading them was, unsurprisingly, Hun Tiandi. What surprised the Nihility Devouring Flame, however, was the presence of Gu Yuan among them. Beside him stood the Four Demon Saints of the Soul Clan and several other Dou Shengs of the Soul Clan that the Nihility Devouring Flame did not control—likely their last remaining powerhouses.
The Nihility Devouring Flame sneered. "Gu Yuan, have you forgotten who destroyed your Gu Clan? Who killed the Three Immortals of your clan?"
Gu Yuan's already dark expression grew twisted. "Shut your mouth, Nihility Devouring Flame! You, Hun Tiandi, and Qian Renhan... I'll make you pay for everything you've done to my Gu Clan, one by one!"
For the moment, neither side made a move. Qian Renhan held back because he had Zi Yan with him, who was a liability in this situation. He was waiting for Zhu Kun to break free from his seal, which would bring their side to full strength. On the other hand, Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan hadn't fully recovered their strength and didn't want to waste energy unnecessarily. Both sides understood that there was only one chance to break the stalemate—by seizing the opportunities within the Ancient Emperor's Estate and becoming a Dou Di.
(End of Chapter)