A calm voice, tinged with sharpness and a domineering aura, rang out. The speaker was a tall young man dressed in a simple cloth shirt, his presence naturally commanding.
"Brother Liu Qing, I... I just offended someone I shouldn't have," Yao Sheng admitted, lowering his head in embarrassment.
The person approaching was none other than Liu Qing, the fourth-ranked "Overlord Spear" on the strong ranking list. His expression was serious as he towered over Yao Sheng.
"Who did you provoke?" Liu Qing asked, frowning slightly.
"Demon King Xiao Jietian!" Yao Sheng confessed.
"How did you manage that?" Liu Qing asked, his tone even but sharp.
"It was my big mouth," Yao Sheng muttered.
Liu Qing's expression remained unchanged. He knew Yao Sheng's reckless personality—always seeking to show off and provoke others. Reaching out, Liu Qing attempted to dissipate the pressure that Xiao Jietian had left on Yao Sheng. However, the energy rebuffed him, forcing him back several steps.
The onlookers gaped in astonishment.
"Liu Qing was repelled just by the residual pressure of Demon King Xiao Jietian! What kind of strength is that? It's terrifying!"
Liu Qing's face darkened. He had heard rumors of Xiao Jietian's Dou Wang breakthrough, but the overwhelming strength from just residual pressure shocked him. Summoning his resolve, he threw another punch at the lingering aura, only to find that it had mysteriously vanished. His fist, unable to retract, collided directly with Yao Sheng's shoulder, sending him flying and rolling across the floor.
Quickly redirecting his Dou Qi prevented serious injury, but the humiliation was undeniable.
"In the future, restrain yourself a bit," Liu Qing said solemnly. "The Inner Academy is vast. Use your time to cultivate properly." He didn't glance back at Yao Sheng and walked off toward the cultivation rooms.
Meanwhile, Xiao Jietian, smiling faintly, walked toward Cultivation Room Number One with Zi Yan.
"Xiao Jietian, why the mischievous smile?" Zi Yan asked, noticing his crooked grin.
"Nothing, just thinking about something interesting," he replied.
They arrived at a spacious but unremarkable cultivation room. Zi Yan began to explain, "The materials here are specially made to prevent powerful energy from leaking and affecting other areas."
Xiao Jietian's gaze drifted to a dark iron door at the corridor's end. He thought, Is that where the Fallen Heart Flame is?
"Don't go near there. Even approaching it could get you put in solitary confinement," Zi Yan warned.
Xiao Jietian nodded. The Fallen Heart Flame wasn't of interest now; he had other priorities.
"You go in and cultivate. One day here consumes thirty Fire Energy. You have enough, right?" she reminded him.
"Yes, more than enough for now," he said, well aware of Zi Yan's fast-depleting Fire Energy.
"Be careful not to get Fire Poison," Zi Yan cautioned as she skipped toward the tower's exit, popping a pill into her mouth on the way.
Xiao Jietian pushed the cultivation room door open. Rich energy, condensed into a pale red mist, immediately filled the space.
"Not bad. Cultivating here gives twice the results with half the effort," he muttered. Inserting the Fire Crystal Card into its slot, he sat cross-legged, formed hand seals, and circulated his cultivation method.
A large ball of Heart Fire rose in his chest, and as his Dou Qi passed through it, it became incredibly pure and dense. Xiao Jietian's newly attained One-Star Dou Huang cultivation stabilized and strengthened. The Fire Energy also enhanced the condensation of his Spiritual Lightning.
Lightning and fire coexist… maybe that's why this works so well, he thought, noticing the Deep Water Lightning in his body had grown by another half strand.
During this time, he balanced work and rest, cultivating Dou Qi during the day and training physically at night in the Eternal Heaven World. Fire Poison was no threat, neutralized instantly by Spiritual Lightning and Heavenly Flame.
Zi Yan visited once but chose not to disturb him, leaving with a hint of resentment and biting hard into her medicinal herb.
After fully absorbing the Fire Energy, Xiao Jietian removed the Fire Crystal Card and stepped outside.
"This is impressive. No wonder everyone is eager to climb the strong ranking. Although collecting Fire Energy costs a lot, the returns outweigh the investment." He noted the other rooms, where many were cultivating diligently.
The tale of Xiao Jietian teaching Yao Sheng a lesson had already spread, and everyone steered clear, wary of provoking him. Rumors circulated: If you see someone handsome, don't offend him. That's Demon King Xiao Jietian.
Stepping out into the cooler outside air, he breathed deeply, leaving the heavy, hot energy behind. Pan Gate members he passed greeted him respectfully, and he returned their smiles, appearing gentle—far from the tyrant they had imagined.
Meanwhile, in the Inner Academy's Alchemist Pavilion, the head seat was occupied by Han Xian, a Rank 4 Alchemist and leader of the Medicine Gang, the largest medicine-selling organization in the academy. The hall was tense. Second- and Third-Rank Alchemists barely dared to breathe.
"Are you just going to sit there? How do we solve the Pan Gate problem?" Han Xian demanded, his face dark.
A Third-Rank Alchemist shook his head. "Gang Leader, Pan Gate's pills fit the Academy's needs perfectly. Unless we can match them, there's no solution."
Han Xian slammed the table. "Bang! You're all a bunch of good-for-nothings! All Alchemists, yet none can rival a newly established gang? What's the point of training you? Truly useless—a bunch of trash!"
Despite the chaos in the pavilion, Xiao Jietian was oblivious, already several steps ahead in his cultivation, steadily increasing his power, leaving both friends and rivals to catch up.