Chapter 153: I, Lu Bu, Never Lie!
Morning came, and Lu Bu leisurely strolled back to the Saint Gate. A great storm was brewing, but Lu Bu didn't feel the least bit worried.
Why would he worry when he had the entire map open?
After the previous night, Lu Bu had a clearer grasp of the situation. Lei Na and Bei Jing were undoubtedly Han Feng's pawns. After the two had split up, Lu Bu delivered a sneak attack on Bei Jing, knocking him out cold. While searching Bei Jing's storage ring, Lu Bu discovered two or three blue scrolls.
The energy fluctuations sealed within those scrolls were intriguing they seemed to be tied to the Sea Heart Flame. With this, Lu Bu could more or less deduce Han Feng's plans.
The only question that remained was: How did Han Feng know about the Fallen Heart Flame in the Inner Academy?
Han Feng wasn't supposed to know. If he did, he would have acted on it long ago!
"Eh? Lu Bu? You're only just coming back now?" Xiao Yan's voice rang out, his tone laced with amusement. "Out with another senior sister again?"
"Zi Yan, of course," Lu Bu replied with a light chuckle.
Xiao Yan laughed. "Ah, that little troublemaker. Looks like you've gotten yourself into a bind she's as clingy as they come."
"By the way, Xiao Yan, how's the Earth Spirit Pill coming along?" Lu Bu asked, a sly glint in his eyes.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan frowned. "Still missing the Green Wood Celestial Vine. Without it, I can't refine the pill… Wait a minute. Lu Bu, don't tell me you've been hoarding it!"
This guy really has a sharp eye…
"Absurd!" Lu Bu exclaimed righteously, his voice booming with indignation. "I, Lu Bu, am a man of integrity! How could I ever do something so petty and self serving?"
Xiao Yan squinted at him, trying to detect a trace of guilt or deceit, but Lu Bu's expression remained unflinching. Xiao Yan was left unsure, though doubt lingered in his heart.
Lu Bu, on the other hand, maintained his calm exterior. I wasn't lying, he thought. I don't do anything petty or self serving. But the Green Wood Celestial Vine benefits me, so this doesn't count!
See? Lu Bu never lies.
In truth, Lu Bu had already surmised that Xiao Yan wouldn't be able to refine the Earth Spirit Pill in time for the impending chaos with the Fallen Heart Flame. Without that pill, even with a hundred times the courage, Xiao Yan would only be able to watch from the sidelines.
The Fallen Heart Flame wasn't comparable to the Ten Thousand Beast Flame it was a being even Su Qian, a three star Dou Zong, couldn't fully subdue.
Heh, I can't wait to see Xiao Yan's expression when he finally sees the Fallen Heart Flame… Lu Bu's eyes gleamed mischievously as he suppressed a grin.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan was preoccupied with his own thoughts. Days had passed since he laid down his bait, yet neither Han Feng nor Lu Bu had made any significant moves.
Han Feng's response was understandable. While he hadn't acted personally, he had sent numerous Black Ranking experts to search for the Nirvana Pill. As for himself, he seemed tied up with something else.
But Lu Bu's lack of reaction was puzzling. The "Soul Ascension Method" rumor had already reached his ears, yet Lu Bu remained completely uninterested. He neither sought an alliance with Xiao Yan to take down Han Feng nor attempted to gather intel on the Nirvana Pill.
Strange… This isn't like him. Xiao Yan knew Lu Bu to be someone who never passed up an opportunity. Why the sudden change?
"Teacher, do you think he's seen through our plan?" Xiao Yan asked internally, unable to shake his doubts.
"…Unlikely," Yao Lao replied after a moment of thought. "The Nirvana Pill wasn't my creation. It has little to do with me. Han Feng only knows about it because of my teachings."
"Even if Lu Bu had access to top tier intelligence, there's no way he could unearth something I casually mentioned decades ago."
Xiao Yan fell silent, his suspicions temporarily quelled. For now, all he could do was wait. The downtime could be spent on cultivation something he desperately needed.
"Xiao Yan, I'm heading to the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower for closed door cultivation," Lu Bu announced. "I'll have to trouble you all to manage the Saint Gate in my absence. If anything urgent comes up, you can find me on the fifth floor."
With that, he waved and turned to leave, leaving a baffled Xiao Yan behind.
Could it be that the Soul Ascension Method doesn't interest him? Or is he just waiting for Han Feng to make the first move?
All Xiao Yan's questions were left unanswered as Lu Bu disappeared from sight.
Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower, Fifth Floor
Lu Bu sat cross legged in a high tier cultivation chamber, his eyes half closed as a massive cluster of Heart Flame floated before him. Dou Qi surged through the flame, constantly being tempered and refined before returning to the Sea Urchin Dou Crystal within him.
Thanks to the Devouring Ancient Talisman, the Heart Flame operated without pause, generating an endless stream of Dou Qi that roared like waves crashing against the shore.
The Fallen Heart Flame really lives up to its reputation, Lu Bu thought, a trace of admiration in his heart. At this rate, he estimated it would take just three or four days to break through to four star Dou Ling.
The only uncertainty lay in whether the two pawns would give him that much time.
Still, Lu Bu smiled faintly. Whether the Fallen Heart Flame erupted sooner or later, it worked in his favor. Time is on my side, he thought confidently.
With that, he pushed aside all distractions and immersed himself fully in cultivation. Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, several days had gone by.
Zi Yan visited briefly during this period but left after only a few minutes. She disliked staying in the tower, as most non fire attribute magical beasts instinctively feared Heavenly Flames.
On the third night of Lu Bu's closed door cultivation, a moonless, overcast sky set the scene.
Inside the fifth floor of the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower, where silence reigned and all were deeply immersed in their cultivation…
BOOM!
A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from a mid tier cultivation chamber, shaking the entire fifth floor. The tremors were so intense that even the fourth and sixth floors felt them clearly.
Instantly, everyone was jolted awake, their faces pale with shock. They hurriedly pushed open the doors to their chambers, confusion and fear etched across their faces.
Most students on the fifth floor had been in the Inner Academy for at least a year, so they were no strangers to occasional flame outbursts. But an explosion this close? It was a first for everyone.
"Bei Jing, are you insane?" one student roared, pointing at the figure at the epicenter of the blast. "You caused this? Are you trying to get us all killed?"
Some students remained silent, their expressions grave. They weren't fools Bei Jing was only a Dou Ling. How could he have caused such a devastating explosion?
And then there was the strange blue flame. It radiated intense heat, yet its appearance resembled the cool depths of the ocean…
Amid the chaos, Lu Bu's eyes glinted sharply. They've made their move.
"What's going on here?"
A booming voice rang out as an elder, accompanied by two mentors, rushed onto the scene. It was Elder Qu, the overseer of the fourth through sixth floors, a powerful Dou Huang.
Students from the fourth and sixth floors also poured in, drawn by the commotion.
"Heh… Elder Qu," Bei Jing said, his face twisting into a manic grin. "I'm going to die, so I've decided… you're all coming with me!"
"Ahahahaha! So many talented students from Jia Nan Academy, all dying alongside me… What a glorious death!"
With a wild laugh, Bei Jing raised his hand, revealing a blue scroll. With a sharp crack, he crushed it.
Lu Bu's expression darkened. He had expected chaos, but not… mass murder.
"Retreat!" Elder Qu bellowed, sensing the violent, scorching energy emanating from the scroll.
A massive beast of blue flame roared forth, charging directly at Elder Qu. But with students behind him, Elder Qu had no room to dodge.
Letting out a battle cry, Elder Qu summoned a surge of crimson Dou Qi, unleashing it in a fiery torrent to meet the blue flame head on.
"Ahahahaha! Impressive, Elder Qu!" Bei Jing laughed maniacally. "But don't forget the students aren't nearly as strong as you!"
Bei Jing clenched his fist, hurling out the Sea Heart Flame. The fire transformed into massive serpents dozens of meters long, expanding as they surged toward the onlooking students.
"Damn it, Bei Jing! Are you insane?"
"Bastard, what happened to you? Did someone steal your girl?"
The students quickly scattered, hurling curses as they dodged. Their Dou Qi flared into bursts of multi colored energy to counter the blue flame serpents. Inner Academy students were not the type to let such things slide.
But their efforts were futile.
The Sea Heart Flame, sealed by Han Feng himself, wasn't something the students' power could suppress.
"Damn it!"
"We can't hold it back!"
"Fall back, now!"
Shouts of panic echoed as the blistering heatwaves surged toward them. Their Dou Qi defenses, hastily erected, were as fragile as paper before the Sea Heart Flame.
Just as disaster seemed inevitable, a blue green flame screen suddenly materialized like a steel wall, blocking the serpents.
Lu Bu's face was somber as his body was enveloped in cyan flames. He stepped forward, positioning himself between the fire serpents and the students.
"You… What?!" Bei Jing gasped in shock. Someone had managed to block his master's Heavenly Flame?
Impossible!
"Come here!" Lu Bu roared. With a sharp motion, his hand reached out into the void, an invisible force pulling Bei Jing toward him.
The students sighed in collective relief. They had been saved!
Meanwhile, on the Fourth Floor
The Tower Guardian Elder and the instructors had already left, and most of the students' attention was drawn to the commotion on the fifth floor. Now was the perfect time to act.
Clenching his teeth, Lei Na produced two Sea Heart Flame scrolls. With a step forward, he flashed toward the center of the tower.
He flipped his hand, slamming one of the blue scrolls against the spatial barrier.
BOOM!
The fourth floor shuddered violently as countless glowing arrays flickered into existence.
CRACK!
A small breach was blown into the barrier, and searing heat radiated from the gap, nearly knocking Lei Na off his feet.
Gritting his teeth against the hot waves, he slammed another flame scroll into the opening.
The scroll slowly descended through the breach, drifting toward the magma pool far below.
"Heh… Now explode!" Lei Na cackled, forming a hand seal and shouting with maniacal glee.
BOOM!
From the tenth floor to the first, a raging pillar of blue flames erupted skyward, piercing through the tower like a lance.
As the Sea Heart Flame exploded, deep within the magma pool, a pair of blood red, serpentine eyes snapped open in the void. A flicker of rage glimmered within their depths.
"My task is complete…" Lei Na muttered, his voice laced with exhaustion. But in the next moment, he was seized by a furious student.
"What the hell did you do?!" Lin Yan bellowed, clutching Lei Na by the neck.
Having recruited the alchemists from the former Medicine Gang, Lin Yan had been peacefully guiding them through their training. He hadn't expected this calamity to unfold.
"Heh… If I were you, I'd start running," Lei Na sneered coldly.
Lin Yan didn't understand what he meant until the ground beneath his feet began to quake violently. Tremors spread through the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower like ripples across water.
"Attention! All students must evacuate the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower immediately!"
"All elders and instructors are to gather at the tower at once!"
The commanding voices of two powerful figures resonated throughout the Inner Academy, shaking everyone to their core.
Lin Yan's face turned pale as cold sweat dripped down his back. He recognized the voice it belonged to none other than Elder Su Qian, the Grand Elder of the Inner Academy.
What on earth did Lei Na do to provoke Su Qian?
The students, sensing the gravity of the situation, wasted no time. They activated their movement techniques, retreating from the tower as quickly as possible.
With the fourth floor mostly cleared, Lin Yan dragged Lei Na toward the exit.
Whoosh!
At the same time, Lu Bu appeared, hauling Bei Jing behind him.
"Is this…" Lin Yan's eyes widened in shock. Could the chaos on the fifth floor have been caused by the person in Lu Bu's grasp?
"We'll talk once we're out of here!" Lu Bu said sharply.
"Understood!" Lin Yan nodded, leading the way to the tower's exit.
But as the two reached the first floor, the blue flame pillar that had pierced through the entire tower began to dissipate.
Lin Yan's expression grew tense. Sometimes, the end of an anomaly wasn't a relief it was a harbinger of something worse.
BOOM!
His fears were confirmed when a deafening crash echoed through the air.
A massive pillar of blood red magma erupted like a fiery rainbow, smashing against the tower's apex.
CRACK!
The entire Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower trembled violently. A dark energy barrier flickered into existence at the tower's tip, shielding it from the magma's devastating force.
Lu Bu's expression remained calm. With swift, decisive steps, he carried Lin Yan and Bei Jing out of the tower.
"What… What is that?!" Lin Yan exclaimed, his voice trembling in terror.
At the source of the magma pillar, an ethereal image of a colossal flame serpent shimmered faintly. Its crimson eyes glowed with malice, its massive, ferocious head framed by a body as thick as a barrel. Only its head was visible; its tail stretched far beyond sight.
Had it not been for the tower's recent chaos, Lin Yan would have dismissed it as a hallucination. But the reality before him was undeniable.
Lu Bu's gaze flickered. So Lin Yan doesn't even know this is the Fallen Heart Flame… Looks like Jia Nan Academy's secrecy is quite impressive.
"Let's move!" Lu Bu barked, pulling Lin Yan along as they left the tower.
Outside the Tower
The night sky was illuminated by the vibrant hues of Dou Qi as countless students and instructors gathered, their attention drawn to the unfolding disaster.
In the distance, the howling wind heralded the arrival of elders and instructors rushing to the scene.
At the tower's apex, however, only three figures stood firm: Grand Elder Su Qian, the Guardian Elder Liu, and a wind element Dou Huang who had arrived quickly.
"All students, retreat to a hundred zhang distance! All instructors, form the Thousand Layer Seal Array!" Su Qian commanded.
But before his words could fully settle, a piercing screech echoed across the sky.
"Screeech!!"
CRACK! CRACK!
The faint sound of shattering reverberated from the tower's tip as fiery red cracks spread like veins across its surface. Blood red magma seeped through, casting a sinister glow in the darkness.
High above, Zi Yan hovered, her lilac wings beating anxiously. She bit her thumb, her face filled with worry.
Though she often called Su Qian a "grumpy old man," she cared for him deeply. After all, he was the one who had brought her to the Inner Academy and given her the life she now had. Without him, she might never have met Lu Bu.
But where was Lu Bu? Where had he gone?
Zi Yan's lavender eyes darted around in search of that familiar figure.
The students watching from afar shivered in fear. The Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower was trembling violently.
Su Qian, a Dou Zong, was one of the most powerful beings in the Black Corner Region. Few could rival him. Yet here he was, pushed to his limit.
"Damn beast…" Su Qian growled, his face dark and foreboding.
BOOM!
A torrent of magma surged upward, engulfing Su Qian and the two Dou Huang elders in a blazing sea of crimson light.
From the shadows, Yao Lao and Xiao Yan stared at the massive, intangible flame serpent with grave expressions.
"Hehe… That Su Qian dared to harbor a Heavenly Flame and got burned for it," Yao Lao remarked with a sardonic chuckle, his voice echoing in Xiao Yan's mind.
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