BTTH : Emperor Yang

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"This kind of fluctuation… it's a Heavenly Flame!" Xian'er's eyes locked on the distant sky, her voice rising in astonishment.

Off in the distance—

A peculiar, subtle ripple of energy was rapidly spreading outward like waves, extending in all directions.

This faint ripple could only be clearly sensed by those who possessed a Heavenly Flame.

"Fallen Heart Flame." Wei Yang's brows twitched. With a stomp of his foot, his figure shot forward like lightning.

"Let's go!"

Swish! Swish!

Behind him, Xian'er and Qinglin quickly followed.

The three of them darted across the forest canopy, turning into three streaks of fiery light that blazed through the sky, racing straight toward the origin of the fluctuation.

After about ten minutes of swift travel, their figures finally came to a halt.

Standing atop a towering ancient tree, Wei Yang and the others looked toward the front.

The space ahead seemed faintly distorted and wrinkled, as if gentle ripples were spreading through the air. The light looked subtly twisted and blurry—like watching a reflection ripple on water.

Looking through the slightly distorted space, one could still see the endless, monotonous forest beyond—no apparent barriers, no visible change in scenery.

But Wei Yang knew very well… what they were seeing was a carefully constructed illusion.

They were now standing in front of the spatial barrier that concealed Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy.

This spatial barrier was like a giant, transparent bowl flipped upside-down over the land, shielding the area within from prying eyes.

To set up such a massive defensive formation covering the entire Inner Academy would require, at the very least, the power of a high-tier Dou Zun.

Dou Zong could only begin to touch the concept of space.

But Dou Zun were on another level entirely. Their mastery over spatial force allowed them to even open void tunnels for instant travel.

They could also do things like this—manipulate the elusive force of space to construct a protective dome-like formation.

As for Dou Sheng powerhouses, they were even more terrifying. They could carve out stable miniature worlds of their own.

And as for Dou Di powerhouses… their strength was utterly unimaginable.

They were practically beings of another dimension.

The kind who, once they achieved enlightenment, could elevate everyone connected to them—classic "one person ascends, and even their dogs and chickens ascend too" territory.

Even relatives sharing their bloodline could benefit directly, becoming Dou Shengs just by association.

Wei Yang and the others stood on a horizontal branch high atop the giant tree, their gazes locked on the water-like rippling void not far ahead.

From afar, it was nearly impossible to detect anything unusual.

Only by getting close could one notice that the spatial texture here was subtly different from the surroundings.

Even so, ordinary Dou Qi practitioners—even if they got close—would at most find the lighting a bit strange, a little different from elsewhere.

They wouldn't sense anything out of place with the space itself. If they blindly charged forward, they'd slam headfirst into the spatial barrier like hitting an invisible wall—rebounding off and probably landing face-first with a bruised nose.

Only Dou Wang and above, or those with exceptionally sharp spiritual senses, could faintly perceive the unique nature of this area and avoid such a foolish collision.

"Brother Yang, this is a spatial barrier… To set up something like this, the strength required is unimaginable!" Xian'er said gravely.

Even though she had only begun to dabble in spatial force, she couldn't help but be in awe of the one who had constructed such a profound formation.

However—

"I'm confident I can force open a small breach… just give me a bit of time," Xian'er said softly.

"No rush. Let's wait for now," Wei Yang said calmly. "The main character hasn't shown up yet."

Buzz—

A layer of invisible soul force suddenly spread from Wei Yang's body, instantly enveloping the three of them and concealing all traces of their presence.

Then, leaves and branches gently shifted around them, naturally forming a cover that completely hid their figures.

After finishing the setup, Wei Yang smiled. "Now… let's just sit back and enjoy the show."

Beyond the spatial barrier was a sunken basin.

From above, it looked like a perfect conical crater—just like the aftermath of a massive meteor strike.

In the center of the crater, one could faintly make out the radial shock patterns spreading outward from the middle—gradually rising in elevation as they extended, forming concentric rings like ripples on a pond.

This was the typical aftermath of a violent impact followed by an explosion—clear evidence of devastating force.

But with the passage of time, the traces of that long-ago event had gradually faded, buried beneath the earth.

Now, the basin was full of life. The entire depression teemed with lush vegetation—flowers, trees, and grasses flourishing everywhere.

Starting from the outer rim of the basin, rows upon rows of buildings stood in neat formation, spreading steadily toward the very center.

At the heart of the basin lay another sunken area. And within it, buried deep beneath the earth, stood a massive black tower. Only the tip of the tower and a pitch-black entrance protruded from the surface.

A black tower, buried in the ground.

Such an unusual sight was nothing short of astonishing.

And this mysterious structure was none other than the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower—the core of Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy.

Entering through the dark opening at the tower's peak, one would find a wide and spacious interior. Numerous cultivation chambers were arranged in perfect order.

This was the first floor of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

And the deeper one went, the broader the space became. However, the number of cultivation chambers decreased accordingly.

The second floor. The third. The fourth...

Layer by layer, all the way down to the very bottom of the tower.

The scene here was completely different from the upper levels.

A scorching heat filled the vast underground chamber, distorting the air and making even vision appear blurred and illusory.

Just inhaling the air felt like swallowing fire—it scorched all the way down to the abdomen.

A fiery red glow seeped from an unknown source, illuminating the entire space at the bottom of the tower in a brilliant light.

In the very center of the space was a massive, deep pit.

The mouth of the pit spanned several dozen meters wide, and rather than pitch-black nothingness, it was filled with a faint, dark-red glow—like thick, coagulated blood.

Around the pit was a visible energy barrier, cylindrical in shape, tightly sealing the opening.

On the surface of this barrier were countless intricate and mysterious patterns, like the winding tracks left behind by a serpent's crawl.

Moreover, the energy shield itself was incredibly violent. Waves of powerful energy continuously radiated outward, and if one listened closely, they could even hear faint, muffled bursts—like low-pitched explosions.

Rewind to a dozen minutes earlier.

At the edge of the deep pit, at the base of the tower—

Not far from the energy barrier sat an elderly man, cross-legged, with white hair and beard but a ruddy, healthy complexion.

His eyes were half-closed, and from his body pulsed a formidable Dou Qi pressure. His spiritual perception expanded outward, enveloping the entire bottom floor of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Any subtle movement would be instantly detected.

Suddenly—

In the silence of the chamber, a soft, flowing sound broke out.

It was faint, like the gentle trickle of running water—burble… burble…

Yet this seemingly insignificant sound made the elder's already-serious expression change dramatically.

His eyes snapped open, two beams of sharp light shooting straight toward the central pit.

The sound… came from there.

In a flash, he stood up, and the next moment, his figure reappeared beside the pit.

Gazing through the energy shield, his eyes pierced downward into the pit like bolts of lightning.

But after a moment, the soft sound of flowing liquid vanished completely, as if it had never existed. Silence returned.

The old man frowned, hesitating for a second. Then, slowly, he pressed his palm against the turbulent energy barrier in front of him.

Buzz—

A force strong enough to injure a Dou Wang with ease was suddenly tamed—like a wild beast submitting to its master.

With both hands extended, the elder slowly pulled to either side.

Rip—

The surface of the cylindrical energy shield silently split open, forming a narrow passage just wide enough for a person to pass through—as if a tightly-stretched fabric had been torn in two.

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