Chapter 545: Re-entering the Underground Magma World

"Ding-dang! Ding-dang!" The crisp sound pierced the sky, like the sound of an ancient bell, announcing that the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower was opened again.

The sound echoed throughout the entire college, instantly breaking the tranquility of the square.

As if they had heard the clarion call of a charge, the Canaan Academy disciples who had been waiting in the square for a long time instantly became excited.

There was a fiery light flashing in their eyes, which was a desire for power and a yearning for breakthrough.

These disciples were wearing different clothes but all embroidered with the academy logo, and the corners of their clothes rustled in the wind.

"Hurry up, don't dawdle! We must stay in there for a longer time this time. I have completed many tasks and accumulated a large amount of fire energy!" A burly disciple shouted while struggling to squeeze forward.

"Hmph, you are the only one who is anxious. Everyone thinks the same way!" A sturdy disciple next to him was not willing to be outdone. He quickened his pace and quickly approached the tower gate.

People flocked to the Tianfen Refining Tower like a tide, fearing that if they were slow, they would miss this rare opportunity to practice. For a moment, the square was bustling with footsteps and shouts.

For example, the Fallen Heart Flame in the Burning Qi Tower today is no longer the one that Xiao Ling sealed when he was still a student in the inner courtyard of Canaan College. It is the young Fallen Heart Flame that Xiao Ling obtained from the Skyfire Venerable.

Under the careful care of the elders of Canaan College day after day, this once tender Fallen Heart Flame has grown strong and powerful. It has established a deep bond with Canaan College and has become the guardian fire spirit of the inner courtyard.

Unlike the previously sealed Fallen Heart Flame, this new Fallen Heart Flame was very friendly to the students of Canaan College. Not only did it not resist releasing fire energy, but it was also very happy to provide the heart fire to the students for cultivation.

Thanks to this change, the students' training progress and efficiency in the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower have been greatly improved, which is a qualitative leap compared to the past.

Such outstanding effects also attracted more academy disciples to come and practice in the Tianfen Qi Refining Tower. The area in front of the Tianfen Qi Refining Tower became more and more lively, filled with the expectant and excited figures of the students.

However, over the years, under the influence of various factors, Canaan College has now experienced rapid development and is no longer what it used to be.

Countless talented disciples, with a yearning to reach the pinnacle of martial arts, have enthusiastically joined Canaan Academy.

The number of students in the inner courtyard today has increased exponentially, which is completely incomparable compared to when Xiao Ling and others were still in the academy.

This booming development has also led to a difficult problem. As the academy's holy place for cultivation, the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower consumed countless rare materials and the efforts of top masters when it was first built. It has a very deep foundation and a wide space.

However, as time went by, the number of students in the inner courtyard had increased explosively. The extremely large base made it difficult for the once spacious Tianfen Refining Qi Tower to accommodate the cultivation needs of so many students.

There are too many monks and too little porridge, and the originally spacious training locations are now in short supply.

This situation becomes more prominent every day when the gas refining tower is opened.

The students' eyes were filled with a burning desire for power, and they rushed in regardless of everything. The scene was simply too crowded.

They looked so anxious, as if if they were a step slower, they would miss this precious opportunity to practice.

The limited training space seemed extremely scarce in the face of the huge number of students. There were too many people and too little space, and the competition became increasingly fierce.

In order to seize the training ground, the students used various means and refused to give in. Under the fierce competition, conflicts were inevitable, and occasionally fistfights would break out.

The elders in the inner courtyard looked at this crowded and noisy scene every day, feeling helpless but also gratified.

The inner courtyard is like a small society, cruel and real, where everything must be fought for with one's own strength.

At Canaan College, struggle has never been prohibited. After all, moderate competition is the source of progress.

The unwritten rule in the academy is that as long as the fight is not too extreme and does not cause irreparable injuries, there will be no excessive interference.

The elders are of course always keeping an eye on the students' movements. With them on hand, serious accidents generally won't occur.

Moreover, most of these students know what they are doing and how to strike a balance so that they can hone themselves while not letting the conflict get out of control.

However, as the competition became increasingly fierce, everyone in the academy knew that the expansion of the Tianfen Refining Tower was imminent and the time had come to put it on the agenda.

Of course, rebuilding the Tianfen Refining Tower is by no means an easy task, and it is not a small project that can be implemented immediately. This is a large-scale and far-reaching move that must be carefully considered and weighed repeatedly.

The reconstruction of the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower, the holy place for cultivation of Canaan Academy, involves many complex factors.

From the preparation of rare materials, to the invitation of top craftsmen, to the formulation of design plans, every link is crucial and cannot be neglected.

Without several years of careful preparation, it would be difficult to meet the conditions for starting the reconstruction project in terms of human, material and financial resources. Therefore, there is no need to worry about this right now.

……

"This scene is much more lively than when I was a student in the inner courtyard. Look over there, there are still people sparring and competing with each other. It's really full of vitality."

In a corner of the square surrounding the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower, Xiao Ling looked at the bustling scene in front of him, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and he sighed softly.

"After all, the cultivation quota of the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower is limited. In recent years, the number of students in the inner courtyard has increased a lot. Even if we have increased the control of fire energy, it is still inevitable that the supply cannot meet the demand. In order to improve their cultivation, these little guys will naturally fight more fiercely."

At one side, Elder Su Qian stroked his beard, his eyes full of satisfaction, and said with a smile as he looked at the lively scene in front of him.

Zi Yan held Xiao Ling's hand and stood quietly by the side, not interrupting Xiao Ling and Su Qian's occasional chat.

She looked at the lively scene around her with great interest, especially the students' sparring scenes.

Such a lively scene could arouse some interest for Zi Yan, and she also had a lot of fun on the side.

After talking for a few more sentences, Xiao Ling, Zi Yan and Su Qian decided not to stay there for long.

Xiao Ling waved his sleeves gently, and a powerful force of space instantly spread out from his body. In the blink of an eye, a dazzling silver light flashed.

In an instant, the figures of the three people disappeared like smoke, hiding in the void. On the square, the previous lively and vibrant scene continued, as if nothing had happened.

……

At the bottom of the Tianfen Refining Tower in the inner courtyard, it was quiet and deep, filled with wisps of hot breath, making the air seem abnormally dry.

Suddenly, a strange ripple appeared in the void, as if a stone was thrown into a calm lake, and layers of waves spread out in all directions.

Immediately afterwards, Xiao Ling's tall figure was the first to emerge from the ripples, and Su Qian and Zi Yan followed closely behind and jumped out.

On the side, the elder who was on duty at the bottom of the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower keenly noticed the unusual movement.

He turned his head suddenly, his eyes instantly locked on the ripples that appeared in the void.

As the ripples gradually dissipated, the figures of Xiao Ling and the other two emerged clearly. After seeing clearly that the people coming were Xiao Ling and others, the elder hurriedly turned around, straightened his robe, and bowed slightly respectfully to the three people, his movements full of respect.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling and Su Qian both looked kind and nodded in return, while Zi Yan did not move at all. She just held Xiao Ling's hand and looked around from time to time.

Seeing that they had arrived at the destination Xiao Ling had mentioned before, the bottom of the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower, Zi Yan was full of curiosity. She couldn't hold back her doubts and asked crisply:
"By the way, Xiao Ling, you said you would bring me to the bottom of the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower. What's the matter? You were so mysterious before, and you even rushed back from Zhongzhou specially."

Su Qian, who was standing by, also cast a curious look upon hearing this. When he heard Xiao Ling mention that he was going to the bottom of the Tianfen Refining Tower, he had many questions in his mind, but thinking that since Xiao Ling was so serious, there must be a reason, he did not ask too many questions and just took the initiative to come and accompany and escort him.

"Haha, this is a secret. To be honest, I'm not sure what the specific situation is yet. It's just some guesses in my mind."

Xiao Ling chuckled and did not respond directly, but cleverly changed the subject.

Xiao Ling naturally had already made a proper plan in his mind for the purpose of this trip.

This time, he wanted to bring Zi Yan to meet his old father, the patriarch of the previous generation of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, the old Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun, whose strength has reached the peak of the contemporary Douqi Continent.

However, Xiao Ling knew clearly in his heart that he could not say this directly at the moment.

Not to mention that there are many secrets involved, which are beyond the reach of Xiao Ling now. Just the sudden news alone is unlikely to be explained in a short time.

It would be troublesome if it caused unnecessary misunderstandings or disrupted the original plan.

Seeing that Xiao Ling was keeping her in suspense again, Zi Yan couldn't help but pout, but in the end she didn't ask any further.

She knew in her heart that if Xiao Ling really had something wrong, he would definitely not hide it from her as long as he could.

After all, they have a deep friendship and trust each other. If Xiao Ling knows any details, he will tell her without reservation.

Seeing Xiao Ling's vague words at this moment, Zi Yan was more inclined to think that perhaps Xiao Ling didn't quite know what was hidden under the Tianfen Refining Gas Tower, and he just made some discoveries by chance, so he wanted to come over to find out.

"Okay, Great Elder, you don't have to send us off any longer. We can go there on our own from now on." Then, Xiao Ling's expression straightened up, he nodded slightly towards Su Qian, and said with a gentle smile on his face.

"When I went down earlier, I did encounter some fire lizardmen. They should not be underestimated. The power of their flames is quite extraordinary. And the deeper you go, the stronger they become. You have to be careful."

Su Qian had no intention of dissuading him. After all, with Xiao Ling's current strength, he couldn't dissuade him easily. He just gave him some serious instructions out of concern.

In response to Su Qian's instructions, Xiao Ling just smiled and nodded, but he was quite calm in his heart. After all, he knew much more about the situation below than Su Qian. Moreover, this was not his first time to step into this underground magma world. He was already familiar with everything there and did not feel too unfamiliar.

Not long after, Su Qian used his means to open the passage at the bottom of the Tianfen Refining Gas Tower leading to the underground magma world.

The passage was pitch black, so deep that it seemed to swallow everything, and there was a faint hot breath blowing towards him. Seeing this, Xiao Ling took Zi Yan's hand without hesitation, and then jumped and went straight towards the passage.

In the blink of an eye, the two figures were like two streaks of light, quickly sinking into the endless dark hole and soon disappeared without a trace, leaving only the slightly fluctuating air at the entrance, as if there were still traces of their departure.

……

The scorching hot magma was like a pot of boiling water that was burned by a fierce fire, bubbling continuously.

The bubbles burst one after another, making slight sounds, as if the magma was venting its hot power.

The surrounding air could no longer bear the heat of the magma and began to distort. Wherever one could see, the scenery seemed to be covered with a layer of illusory gauze.

Under this high temperature, everything presents a different, dreamlike and strange appearance.

Zi Yan looked up at the red magma, her brows slightly furrowed, she pouted her small mouth and stuck out her tongue, her face full of dislike for the hot environment.

She turned to look at Xiao Ling, with doubt and some reluctance in her eyes, and asked:
"This place looks unbearably hot, what good things can there be? Xiao Ling, we won't make this arduous trip only to return empty-handed, will we?"

"Don't worry, I guarantee that there must be good stuff hidden deep in the underground magma. Otherwise, Lord Skyfire wouldn't have fallen here, and I wouldn't have had the chance to take her away. I would have picked up such a 'bargain'." Xiao Ling chuckled and responded patiently.

As he spoke, he immediately circulated the Dou Qi in his body and released the Bone Spirit Cold Fire that contained extreme cold and heat.

The bone spirit's cold fire spread rapidly, and in the blink of an eye it formed a layer of crystal clear flame curtain, which firmly enveloped him and Zi Yan.

Thanks to the unique ice-fire counteracting properties of the Bone Spirit Cold Fire, the scorching hot magma from the outside world that seemed to melt everything was instantly isolated outside, and not even a trace of heat could get in.

However, the flame curtain remained extremely cool, which was a stark difference from the scorching hot environment outside.

Zi Yan's originally furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and the discomfort on her face also faded a lot. She closed her eyes slightly, feeling the rare coolness, and muttered: "Well, this is much more comfortable."

Xiao Ling just smiled faintly and didn't say anything more. After this little episode, the two of them didn't delay any longer and tacitly accelerated their pace towards the depths of the magma. (End of this chapter)