Time ticked by, each second stretching like a silk thread.
"Dong!"
Suddenly, an ancient gong boomed through the training grounds, its echoes rolling over the crowd like distant thunder. With that single, mighty note, the bustling courtyard—once as noisy as a vegetable market—fell completely silent.
"Open the tower!"
As the final reverberations faded, a hoarse, elder voice called from within. The massive, jet‑black doors of the tower groaned—creak, creak—and swung open. Even from a distance, Xiao Yun felt a wave of scorching heat rush out, raising the air temperature around him by several degrees.
Perched on a branch overlooking the entrance, Xiao Yun waited for the jostling crowd to thin. After two or three minutes, he slipped down, blending into the stream of practitioners flowing toward the yawning doorway.
He paused just outside the entrance. Crimson Dou Qi surged from his dantian, enveloping him in a fiery aura. Fully armored in Qi, he stepped across the threshold.
No sooner had his boots touched the cool stone floor than his expression contorted, his face flushing as though he'd been doused in molten metal. A faint white mist seeped from his pores.
"Is the Fallen Heart Flame really this brutal? A mere spark shattered my Qi defenses!" he thought, freezing in place. He sent his awareness inward and spotted a strange, flickering flame dancing at the edge of his spirit sea.
The flame had no fixed shape, but its blistering heat was already burning through Xiao Yun's meridians, bone marrow, even muscle tissue—tingling pain flared through his organs.
He knew that if he let this flame continue unchecked, his meridians would collapse, battle Qi would cease to flow… and he'd be as good as useless.
Calming his mind, he poured a torrent of crimson Dou Qi from his lower abdomen. From his Nascent Space sprang the Amethyst Lion Fire, roaring like a hungry beast. Under Xiao Yun's precise guidance, the two energies raced through his meridians and crashed into the invisible heart‑flame.
Though the Fallen Heart Flame was ranked Fourteen—a mere "child spark"—it was no match for Xiao Yun's combined onslaught. In moments, the purple fire swallowed it whole.
"That it?" Xiao Yun muttered, scrutinizing the Amethyst Lion Fire. Its hue had dimmed slightly, but beyond that—no change in intensity, no boost in sharpness or warmth. Not even a fraction of a degree.
Inside the warmly lit tower, a cluster of onlookers had gathered around the motionless Xiao Yun. Every so often, a stifled chuckle drifted out.
"Move aside! Elder Liu is coming!"
Xiao Yun blinked back to reality. As the crowd parted, he saw the familiar figure of Elder Liu from yesterday's Fire‑Energy Hunting Contest. The old man had a plain robe and an even plainer expression—but behind his twinkling eyes lay the memory of Xiao Yun's dazzling performance.
"Ah, it's you, youngster," Elder Liu greeted, his eyes twinkling. "Rushing straight to the Refining Tower on your first day in the Inner Academy? Don't tell me you're impatient already."
"Greetings, Elder Liu," Xiao Yun bowed. "I admit to being eager, though I hope I haven't caused you any trouble."
"Trouble?" Elder Liu chuckled. "You escaped that mind-torching fire quite handily on your own. That was entertaining!" His smile faded as he scanned the emptying room. With a sharper tone, he barked, "Why aren't you lot training? Should I ask you to?"
The students scattered with embarrassing speed, fearful of landing in Elder Liu's little black book.
Once the room cleared, Elder Liu returned his attention to Xiao Yun. "I didn't step in earlier because I wanted to see how you'd handle the inner flame yourself. You fought off that heart‑fire with nothing but your own Qi—and that was something to behold."
Xiao Yun swallowed, awkward in the suddenly hush atmosphere. Elder Liu's praise felt good… but the silence made him feel like he'd been caught with his pants down.
"Since it's your first time in the Blazing Sky Tower, let me give you the grand tour," Elder Liu said, swiftly redirecting the mood. "That'll save you from pestering everyone else."
…
Inside, the tower's interior was vast—so vast it could easily hold five hundred people on a single floor. The space was arranged in concentric circles of practice chambers, each doorway crowned with a little red plaque reading "Advanced," "Intermediate," or "Beginner."
"In here, training rooms are claimed by merit," Elder Liu explained as they walked. "Stronger practitioners get the best rooms; everyone else… well, they make do with the outer rings."
"But the fee is the same," he added with a wink. "That's why these rooms are worth fighting for."
He waved a hand. "Also, you can stay as long as you have enough Fire-Energy. But beware accumulation of the Flame Toxin—it's why most people only last a week."
…
Before Xiao Yun knew it, they had circled the entire floor and returned to the ebony doors. Elder Liu paused. "So, where would you like to train? What floor?"
Xiao Yun hesitated, then said, "Elder, do you have a recommendation?"
Elder Liu stroked his beard thoughtfully. "With your Seven‑Star Dou Grandmaster strength, you could handle the second or third floor easily. But… rules are rules. New students must spend one week on the first floor, no exceptions."
He grew serious. "That heart‑fire toxins build up fast. Many talented fighters have had their Qi ruined forever by rushing in too quick."
"And each floor's heart flame burns exponentially hotter. You wouldn't want a repeat of your grand entrance—would you?"
Xiao Yun's head spun at the thought. "Very well. One week on the first floor, then."
"Excellent choice," Elder Liu smiled. "Follow me."
They stopped before a modest chamber. "This is where I usually meditate—intermediate level. It's nearly as good as the advanced rooms, and right now, there aren't any free high‑level chambers. You'll do fine here."
Xiao Yun was stunned. "But… isn't this your spot?"
Elder Liu laughed. "I'm proud friends with Master Huo—he owes me favors. Besides, I'm already a Dou King; the heart‑fire has no effect on me. A cave in this tower—anywhere is the same for me."
Xiao Yun bowed deeply. "Thank you, Elder Liu. I won't waste it."
"Go on, don't dawdle," Elder Liu teased, then watched as Xiao Yun slipped inside and closed the door.
Alone in the corridor, Elder Liu shook his head in admiration and muttered, "Such talent, yet so modest… Huo Elder is lucky to have him."