BTTH: From Genius to Invincible

Word Count: 3,345 Words

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A Dou Ancestor-level strength—wasn't there one right here!

Queen Medusa was as breathtaking as ever, her peerless beauty and figure capable of toppling nations. Even with a cold indifference on her face, it did nothing to diminish her enchanting allure. One could only imagine how captivating she would be if she were to grace the world with a smile.

When he saw Queen Medusa appear, a gleam flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as his mind raced, and an idea suddenly came to him!

He immediately crouched by the wall, covering his face as if weeping. Even Mao Wu beside him mimicked his pitiful act.

"Your Majesty might not know, but after enduring countless hardships, this humble one has finally managed to infiltrate the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy and reach the location of the Fallen Heart Flame. However, I've encountered a dilemma and am too ashamed to face Your Majesty. Boo hoo hoo..."

"Meow meow meow… (boo hoo hoo…)"

Xiao Yan and Mao Wu covered their eyes while sneaking glances at Medusa through their fingers.

How could Medusa not see through Xiao Yan's intentions? Wasn't he just encountering trouble and hoping she'd help?

Her eyes narrowed, and a surge of killing intent burst forth from her. Xiao Yan's hair stood on end, and he immediately sat upright, assuming a well-behaved posture.

"Stop wasting words. Get to the point." Medusa gave a cold stare, still exuding an unrivaled charm.

Xiao Yan laughed awkwardly and said, "I believe Your Majesty has sensed the special Heart Flame energy surrounding this tower."

Medusa could certainly sense it. A wisp of Heart Flame appeared within her when she first emerged, but she instantly crushed it with her powerful strength.

"The Fallen Heart Flame is sealed here, and the entire space is filled with its energy. I originally planned to sneak into the Heavenly Flame space, refine the Fallen Heart Flame, and then use the energy from its space to reconstruct Your Majesty's physical body. However..." Xiao Yan's voice trailed off, his expression showing a hint of regret.

Medusa quickly asked, "But what?"

"Alas." Xiao Yan sighed deeply, expressing immense regret. "But man proposes, and heaven disposes. I never expected that the Fallen Heart Flame had already developed intelligence and transformed into a Fire Spirit."

"It almost broke through the seal set by the Dou Venerate. With my strength, how could I possibly defeat a Fallen Heart Flame that has become a Fire Spirit?"

Medusa finally understood what kind of medicine Xiao Yan was selling from his gourd-like mind. Turned out he couldn't defeat the Fallen Heart Flame and wanted her to help subdue it.

She knew even better than Xiao Yan how difficult it was to deal with a Heavenly Flame. Back then, even at the peak of the Dou Emperor realm, she had been seriously injured when facing the unintelligent Green Lotus Core Flame. Although part of the reason was that her Yin-cold constitution was restrained by the Heavenly Flame.

Now, although her strength had increased and she had evolved into the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, no longer possessing the Yin-cold constitution, the Fallen Heart Flame was not the same as the Green Lotus Core Flame. Not only had it existed for a longer time, but it also had intelligence, and its strength had definitely reached the Dou Ancestor realm.

A glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes upon seeing Medusa's hesitation. He said, "Your Majesty used the Green Lotus Core Flame to evolve and temper your soul. If you could reconstruct your physical body using the power of the Fallen Heart Flame, then I could use the Ten Thousand Beast Flame along with a secret technique to activate your bloodline strength and merge your body. At that time, with the combined power of three Heavenly Flames, reaching the Dou Venerate realm would be certain. Given time, you might even ascend to the Dou Saint realm, becoming a legendary Demon Saint remembered throughout the ages."

Xiao Yan's sweet talk was even more melodious than a song; he was already talking big about reaching the Dou Saint realm.

But there was no denying that what he said made sense. For someone like Medusa, who longed to pursue higher realms, obtaining greater talent and potential was a dream come true.

Xiao Yan saw that Medusa was somewhat moved. He immediately sighed and said sorrowfully, "Alas, if I can't refine the Fallen Heart Flame, I'll have to search elsewhere for another Heavenly Flame. But to find another Heavenly Flame space filled with such abundant energy is extremely rare."

Back then, the Green Lotus Core Flame didn't have that much Heavenly Flame energy and only produced eleven Core-Fire Lotus Seeds. After all, it had existed for a short time before being taken by Medusa.

However, the Fallen Heart Flame space was filled with violent Heavenly Flame energy, which was perfect for reconstructing her physical body.

Medusa cast an annoyed glance at Xiao Yan, her eyes brimming with complex emotions. With a captivating glance, she coldly said, "I can agree to help you subdue the Fallen Heart Flame, but you need to show me some results first."

This bewitching beauty, with such a demeanor, made Xiao Yan's heart flutter. He quickly recited Xun Er's name in his mind to steady himself and resist the temptation.

"Of course, no problem. Although the energy here is a bit lacking and it's not the most central location, it can still help accelerate Your Majesty's growth."

Just as Xiao Yan was about to use the Ten Thousand Beast Flame to manipulate the surrounding fire attribute energy and perform the secret technique, Medusa gave a cold snort and cast a sidelong glance at him.

A flash of seven-colored light, and she reverted to her snake form, letting her clothes float back into the Green Lotus for safekeeping.

"Tch!" Xiao Yan clicked his tongue, secretly regretting it. He had intended to use the Heavenly Flame during the secret technique to 'accidentally' burn her clothes, but she had seen through his intentions!

Damn it, it didn't work after all!

He quickly composed himself. The Ten Thousand Beast Flame appeared with a whoosh. Following the secret technique stored in his storage ring, he controlled the flame to envelop Medusa, who had transformed back into the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python.

Medusa didn't remain idle. She slightly opened her mouth and absorbed the surrounding Heavenly Flame energy.

After about half an hour, Xiao Yan stopped. It wasn't that he wanted to stop, but the surrounding Heavenly Flame energy had been completely consumed.

He chuckled bitterly and shook his head helplessly. When he first entered, the surrounding energy had filled the entire room, dyeing it a deep red.

Now, the entire space was bright and clear, revealing the original luster of the walls. Medusa had entirely consumed all the Heavenly Flame energy in this area.

"How is it, Queen Medusa? I didn't deceive you, did I?" Xiao Yan grinned as he looked at Medusa coiled on the Green Lotus.

Medusa's snake-like eyes stared at Xiao Yan. She could distinctly feel her own growth, but the Heavenly Flame energy here was too weak to significantly accelerate the reconstruction of her physical body.

"I will help you. If you dare to deceive me, I will definitely take your head off with my own hands." Her snake pupils flashed with killing intent.

Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together like a fly and grinned. "How could that happen? I only wish to obtain the Fallen Heart Flame. Moreover, Your Majesty and I are allies. Your strength is the strength of the Yan Alliance."

"Hmph, and don't forget about the Spirit Fusion Pill!" With that, Medusa retreated back into the Green Lotus to continue her slumber.

After putting away the Green Lotus, Xiao Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Meow!

"Well, at least we have help now. Now we just need to find an opportunity to sneak down to the bottom without being discovered."

Just as he was about to continue cultivating for a while, suddenly, there was a loud bang on the stone door of the cultivation room.

"Hey, you inside, come out!"

Xiao Yan's eyes turned cold, a flicker of intense killing intent flashing through them.

He was well aware of the rules of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. The higher one's status, the better the cultivation room one could occupy. Otherwise, even if you managed to secure a room, others might constantly disturb your cultivation.

Being disturbed while cultivating could disrupt one's Qi Method in minor cases, and in severe cases, it could cause Dou Qi backlash or even result in Qi Deviation.

Therefore, those lacking sufficient strength wouldn't dare to occupy high-quality cultivation rooms within the tower.

Xiao Yan had chosen the worst, outermost cultivation room for this reason. He didn't want to cause trouble. But he didn't expect that, despite avoiding trouble, trouble would come knocking!

Fortunately, he hadn't been at a critical moment in his cultivation. Being interrupted during a breakthrough would have been extremely problematic.

He slowly opened the door. The first thing he saw was a young man in light red robes. Though male, his features were somewhat feminine, with delicate brows that exuded a palpable softness. In Xiao Yan's words, this person was very sissy.

Yao Sheng saw that the inside of Xiao Yan's cultivation room was all white; all the Heavenly Flame energy had disappeared.

"Hey, what did you do? Why is all the surrounding energy gone?" Yao Sheng questioned Xiao Yan with a hint of effeminacy.

Due to Medusa's earlier absorption, the red mist around Xiao Yan's cultivation room had visibly thinned.

Xiao Yan roughly understood why this person had come knocking.

He smiled slightly, revealing a confident and radiant smile, and said, "Are those your last words?"

"Hmm?"

Xiao Yan's expression suddenly changed, his face turning gloomy. He took a heavy step forward, and where his foot landed, tiny cracks silently spread from the hard stone slab.

BANG!

A heavy punch landed squarely on Yao Sheng's effeminate face, smashing his nose flat.

Whoosh!

Yao Sheng was sent flying backward. He had no time to react at all. He never imagined that, as the second-in-command of the Splitting Mountain, one of the strongest factions in the Inner Academy, someone would dare to punch him upon meeting—and in the face no less!

"That's Yao Sheng! How did he get sent flying!"

"Heavens, who's so bold as to dare strike someone from the Splitting Mountain? This is showing no respect to Liu Qing!"

People in the rest area all stood up in surprise, looking from afar at Xiao Yan's cultivation room.

Yao Sheng got back up and touched his nose. Two streams of fresh blood flowed from his nostrils. His face instantly flushed with anger, becoming ferocious.

Just as Yao Sheng regained his composure, another explosive sound rang out as Xiao Yan charged at him once again.

A distance of over ten meters was nothing more than a blink of an eye for Xiao Yan's speed. However, those present were not ordinary people. Although his speed was extremely fast, their eyes managed to keep up with him.

Xiao Yan's figure flashed and appeared mid-air. Looking down at Yao Sheng below, a fierce killing intent surged on his face. He drew out the Heavy Xuan Ruler and swung it down fiercely. An ear-piercing sonic boom formed beneath the ruler, sharply reverberating throughout the entire sixth floor.

Sensing the intensity of Xiao Yan's powerful strike, even the angry Yao Sheng showed a hint of solemnity. His hands moved rapidly, and wisps of slightly dark, moist Dou Qi surged out swiftly. Finally, countless layers of Dou Qi water nets formed above his head at incredible speed.

Xiao Yan couldn't help but sneer when he saw this scene, "Using a water attribute Dou Technique in this kind of environment..."

The heavy ruler carrying immense power smashed onto the densely packed layers of Dou Qi water nets with a loud bang. Instantly, a visible energy ripple spread from the point of contact like water waves.

'Explode!' Xiao Yan shouted in his heart. He didn't use the power of the Flame Splitting Tsunami but instead infused the Heavenly Flame into the Heavy Xuan Ruler and directly detonated the Ten Thousand Beast Flame.

Boom!!

The blood-red Ten Thousand Beast Flame instantly incinerated the water nets, and the explosion scorched some of Yao Sheng's hair.

Yao Sheng's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He hadn't expected that, as a 7-star Dou Spirit, he would suffer a setback at the hands of Xiao Yan, a mere 3-star Dou Spirit. Although he wasn't injured, his appearance had become quite disheveled. How could someone who valued face as much as he did tolerate this?!

A low growl emerged from his throat. Yao Sheng's right hand suddenly curved into a claw shape. Traces of black Dou Qi rapidly enveloped it, eventually forming an extremely sharp black claw. The claw slashed through the air, its sharp nails tearing through the atmosphere as it clawed toward Xiao Yan in mid-air.

Putting away the Heavy Xuan Ruler, Xiao Yan's internal energy burst forth. His body flipped in the air, and finally, he turned and threw a punch that violently collided with Yao Sheng's claw.

The hidden force of the Octane Blast instantly erupted.

A deep, muffled sound rang out as both were forced to rapidly retreat from the rebounding force. When Xiao Yan landed, Yao Sheng also stomped heavily on the ground to stabilize himself. He cast a cold glance at Xiao Yan's foot, and upon seeing the large hole torn in his shoe, he let out a cold laugh.

Their lightning-fast combat was extremely dangerous, with heavy strikes from both sides. Any slight carelessness could result in serious injury. Such a spectacular fight made even the powerful onlookers nod in secret admiration.

Although Xiao Yan wanted to use the Flame Splitting Tsunami again, he couldn't because he sensed that someone was watching him.

If his guess was correct, it was First Elder Su Qian, who guarded the Inner Academy.

Elder Liu had already informed the First Elder that Xiao Yan had reached the sixth floor. Allowing Xiao Yan to get so close to the Fallen Heart Flame was natural since the First Elder would be watching him to prevent any accidents.

'Sigh, it seems there's a third problem. I'll have to shake off this First Elder. He'll probably be watching me every time I enter the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower in the future.'

The cultivation rooms were built with special materials that prevented the First Elder from peering inside. But once Xiao Yan came out, sneaking into that 'black hole' would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

He put away his Fire Crystal Card and turned to leave the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. With the First Elder present, he couldn't kill this idiot.

"Stop right there!" Yao Sheng shouted in a deep voice.

Xiao Yan coldly glanced back at Yao Sheng.

"If you have the guts, leave your name. You only had the advantage because of your fire attribute Dou Qi, which puts me at a disadvantage here in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Outside, I, Yao Sheng, will personally find you to avenge this punch." Yao Sheng's eyes were gloomy. Water attribute Dou Qi was indeed at a disadvantage here.

Xiao Yan merely gave a cold smile and said, "Xiao Yan of the Xiao Hall. Outside, you won't be so lucky."

After leaving the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, Xiao Yan stood at the entrance and turned his head to look at this mysterious black tower, of which only a portion of the spire protruded above ground. His eyes gained a hint of determination.

He absolutely needed this Fallen Heart Flame, and no one could stop him.

'To refine the Fallen Heart Flame, it would be safer to prepare a Ground Spirit Pill.'

'Sigh, there's no shortage of troublesome matters.'

'Whatever, let's head back first. I haven't eaten all day.'

After walking for about forty to fifty minutes, Xiao Yan gradually approached the freshmen's dormitory area. Just then, a figure suddenly ran out from within, panting heavily.

"Cousin Xiao Yan!" Xiao Mei shouted as she ran.

The figure of the now adult Xiao Mei was becoming more and more alluring. Her running had quite the visual impact.

Xiao Yan asked upon seeing her, "What's wrong?"

"While you were cultivating in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, some factions in the Inner Academy joined forces, claiming we've taken all the freshmen and broken the rules. They want to forcibly take people away," Xiao Mei hurriedly explained.

"It's still alright now with Cousin Xun Er holding them off, but I don't know how long she can hold them."

Xiao Yan's expression darkened slightly, then he smiled and said, "Just in time. We can catch them all at once without so much hassle."

…

A large crowd had gathered in an open space in the freshman dormitory area. In the midst of the crowd, two groups were glaring at each other like tigers.

"Big Brother Fu Ao, let's go back. We really can't afford to offend this Xiao Yan. Even Cousin Bai Feng was defeated by him!" Bai Shan was feeling dizzy at this moment.

Even Bai Feng, the second-in-command of their White Gang, had lost to Xiao Yan. It's better not to get involved in this mess!

"Bai Shan, why be afraid? No matter how powerful Xiao Yan is, he's just one person. He's now offended more than half of the factions in the Inner Academy. Over a dozen factions with hundreds of people are joining forces to deal with the Xiao Hall he established. We'll directly crush their arrogance and make it so they can't even enter the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Then we'll see if anyone still stays in that lousy Xiao Hall." A sturdy young man beside Bai Shan sneered.

As this young man spoke, his eyes occasionally swept over the curvaceous figures of Xun Er and Hu Jia.

Bai Shan fell silent upon hearing Fu Ao's words. If it were just his White Gang, they would indeed be wary of Xiao Yan. But now, Xiao Yan had offended quite a few senior students.

Two days ago, he had even declared that those factions who had taken Fire Energy from the freshmen had to return double the amount.

Such audacious actions undoubtedly angered the leaders of those factions that had long been entrenched in the Inner Academy.

A mere freshman daring to challenge the authority of senior students easily incited their wrath.

"But... but that Xiao Yan is really..." Bai Shan stammered. He was still extremely apprehensive of Xiao Yan.

Because the previous few times he faced Xiao Yan, he had been as confident as Fu Ao, but the result was that he was repeatedly slapped in the face, causing him to develop a psychological shadow.

"Bai Shan, I really what?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice that made Bai Shan tremble came from behind. He jumped like a frightened kitten, leaping far away and looking at the smiling Xiao Yan in horror.

"You... you... you... I... I... I didn't speak ill of you. This has nothing to do with me!" Bai Shan's teeth were chattering. In his eyes, Xiao Yan's smiling face had become demonic.

Fu Ao looked at Xiao Yan, snorted coldly, and said, "So you're Xiao Yan. Our White Gang, along with twelve other large and small factions in the Inner Academy, are jointly declaring war on your Xiao Hall."

"If you lose, your Xiao Hall must immediately disband, and all the freshmen will join us."

"And what if you lose?" Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke.

All the senior students looked at each other, momentarily stunned. Clearly, they hadn't considered the possibility of losing. They believed that with so many people dealing with Xiao Yan, a mere freshman, how could they possibly lose? They could exhaust his Dou Qi through sheer numbers.