52: Inner Courtyard Storm and Soul Palace Hidden Hands

The Inner Academy selection competition finals were interrupted by the sudden attack from the Soul Hall. Although the result of Xiao Chen and Zi Yan jointly claiming the championship did not go through the final arena battle, no one raised any objections. The strength and tacit understanding they displayed during the crisis, especially their joint feat of confronting a Dou Huang from the Soul Hall, earned them the recognition of the entire academy.

After urgent discussions between the Outer Academy and Inner Academy high-level officials, Xiao Chen, Zi Yan, Liu Qing, Lin Xiuyai, and other top ten students from the selection competition were all approved to enter the Inner Academy and received corresponding "Fire Energy" rewards.

Upon entering the Inner Academy, Xiao Chen truly experienced the profound heritage of Jia Nan Academy as the continent's foremost educational institution. The Inner Academy was located in a separately opened space, where the energy concentration far surpassed the outside world. The most eye-catching feature was the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower, which soared into the clouds and constantly emitted an invisible Heart Flame.

Xiao Chen was assigned a small pavilion located in an area with rich energy. He did not rush to the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower to cultivate, but first visited Instructor Ruolin and Elder Mu She to thank them for their protection. Elder Mu She praised him for being safe and making breakthroughs after the Soul Hall attack, and warned him that the Inner Academy was not a pure land, with even more intense competition, especially the strong ranking list, which was related to the allocation of cultivation resources, urging him to be careful.

The rules of the Inner Academy were simple and direct—strength was paramount. The strong ranking list was updated monthly, and students could freely challenge opponents ranked higher than themselves. Although Xiao Chen had shone brightly in the selection competition, his "no Dou Qi" characteristic still left many older Inner Academy students with doubts, believing that he relied more on the 詭異 of his soul power rather than true hard strength.

Sure enough, on the third day of his stay in the pavilion, challenges came one after another. A six-star Great Dou Master ranked ninety-eighth on the strong ranking list, presuming his Dou Qi to be abundant, wanted to test Xiao Chen's depth. However, the outcome of the battle left all onlookers stunned. Xiao Chen did not even move his feet, relying solely on a soul sword condensed into a tangible form, and with one move of "Startling Soul Stab," he broke through his opponent's Dou Qi defense, pointing directly at his glabella, causing him to instantly lose his mind and be defeated.

In the following days, several higher-ranked students came to challenge him. Xiao Chen either trapped enemies invisibly with the "Illusionary Dream Realm" or simulated fierce attacks with the "Soul Heart Flame," all achieving easy victories within a few moves. His soul battle techniques became increasingly refined and eerie, making him unpredictable. The name "soul sword" Xiao Chen quickly spread throughout the Inner Academy, and his strong ranking list ranking also climbed all the way to eighty. No one dared to underestimate this young man who seemed to have no Dou Qi fluctuations anymore.

On this day, Xiao Chen was concentrating on cultivating and consolidating his Spirit Realm Soul on the top floor of the pavilion when a petite figure, like a ghost, flipped in. It was Zi Yan. She blinked her big eyes and unceremoniously grabbed the medicinal ingredients Xiao Chen had prepared for synthesizing pills from the table and stuffed them into her mouth, saying indistinctly, "Xiao Chen, do you still have those sweet pills? Give me a few more, okay?"

Xiao Chen looked helplessly at this powerful yet childlike Ancient Void Dragon girl, and an idea sparked in his mind. He was worried about his lack of understanding of the many secrets and major forces within the Inner Academy, and Zi Yan, as an old powerful expert of the Inner Academy and an Ancient Void Dragon, surely knew a lot of information. "I can give you the pills," Xiao Chen took out a few "candies" that were synthesized with special techniques, tasted sweet, and contained pure energy, handing them over. "However, you have to tell me some things about the Inner Academy, for example, which forces cannot be easily provoked? Which floor of the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower has the best cultivation effect?"

Zi Yan snatched the "candies" and stuffed her cheeks, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction: "Since you're so sensible, this young lady will tell you!" She sat cross-legged on the table and recounted like a treasure trove: "The biggest forces in the Inner Academy, well, it used to be Lin Xiuyai's 'Wolf Fang,' Liu Qing's 'Liu Gate,' and Han Yue's 'Moon Spirit.' Now... hehe, of course, the place I cover is the biggest! But there are a few guys in seclusion whose strength is not weaker than Lin Xiuyai's, so you'd best not cause trouble on their territory."

"The lower floors of the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower have too thin energy, it's boring. The further down you go, the fiercer the Heart Flame, the greater the benefits for cultivation, but also the more dangerous. I usually cultivate on the sixth floor now. Your small body... hmm, I guess the fourth floor is about right for you, isn't it?" Zi Yan sized up Xiao Chen, her tone carrying a hint of provocation.

Xiao Chen smiled faintly, noncommittally. With his Spirit Realm Soul protecting him, his resistance to the Heart Flame far exceeded ordinary people, so he naturally wouldn't be limited to the fourth floor. Through his conversation with Zi Yan, he gained a clearer understanding of the Inner Academy's situation.

However, the peaceful days of cultivation did not last too long. Xiao Chen's keen soul perception noticed that since the Soul Hall attack, there seemed to be some faint, chilling gazes around the Inner Academy. He knew well that the Soul Hall would never easily give up their covetousness for his "high-quality soul."

One late night, Xiao Chen returned from cultivating at Elder Mu She's place. As he passed through a secluded forest, the surrounding air suddenly became bone-chillingly cold. Several black figures, as if blending into the night, appeared and surrounded him. The leader was surprisingly a Dou King expert dressed in Soul Hall attire! His aura was even stronger than the one who attacked the square before, clearly having come prepared.

"Xiao Chen, obediently come back to the Soul Hall with us, and you can avoid the pain of soul searching." The Dou King's voice was hoarse, carrying an undeniable tone of command.

Xiao Chen's heart sank, knowing that a fierce battle was unavoidable. He secretly raised his soul power to its limit, and a faint golden clan mark flickered between his eyebrows. "Do you few hidden cowards really think you can capture someone in Jia Nan Academy?"

"Stubborn! Attack!" The Soul Hall Dou King snorted coldly, and with a wave of his hand, several chains entwined with black mist shot towards Xiao Chen like poisonous snakes. These chains specialized in countering soul bodies, emitting a heart-palpitating suction force.

Facing the encirclement, Xiao Chen unleashed the Swimming Fish Steps to its maximum, his figure weaving through the gaps in the chains. At the same time, he formed hand seals, and the Illusionary Dream Realm instantly unfolded! The forest scenery twisted and changed, countless illusions emerged, interfering with the Soul Hall members' judgment. He focused on the Dou King, condensing all his soul power, and a strengthened version of "Startling Soul Stab" pierced directly into his mind!

The Soul Hall Dou King grunted, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes, but he quickly stabilized his mind, clearly having strong soul defense. "Indeed, you have some tricks, but it's not enough!" Black mist surged around him, and a giant ghostly claw condensed, grabbing towards Xiao Chen's true body with overwhelming death qi.

Just as Xiao Chen was about to take the blow head-on, an incomparably sharp sword qi, like the Milky Way from the nine heavens, poured down, precisely striking the ghostly claw!

"Sizzle!"

The ghostly claw shattered instantly! A figure stood with a sword, blocking in front of Xiao Chen. It was Lin Xiuyai! His gaze was cold as he looked at the Soul Hall members: "The Soul Hall's claws have stretched a bit too far!"

Almost simultaneously, a delicate shout came from the other side. Zi Yan's small figure, carrying a terrifying gust of wind, crashed into the battle, and with one punch, she sent a Soul Hall Great Dou Master flying back, spitting blood: "Dare to bully someone I'm covering? You're asking for death!"

It turned out that Xiao Chen, at the very beginning of the attack, had secretly sent a distress signal to Zi Yan and Lin Xiuyai through his Soul Imprint. Their timely arrival instantly turned the tide of the battle.

Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the Soul Hall Dou King's eyes flashed with unwillingness, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Retreat!" The black figures quickly blended into the night and disappeared.

Lin Xiuyai sheathed his sword and looked at Xiao Chen: "Are you alright? The people of the Soul Hall are vengeful, so you must be more careful in the future."

Zi Yan, on the other hand, angrily waved her small fists: "If this young lady encounters them again next time, I'll definitely break their bones and use them as firewood!"

Xiao Chen solemnly thanked the two, a warm current flowing through his heart. After this incident, his relationship with Lin Xiuyai and Zi Yan grew much closer, and he now had friends in the Inner Academy with whom he could fight alongside. However, he also knew that the threat of the Soul Hall was like a sword hanging over his head, and he had to improve his strength as quickly as possible.

The next day, Xiao Chen no longer hesitated and walked straight towards the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower. He ignored the entrance to the fourth floor, went directly down the spiral staircase, passed the fifth floor, and after a slight pause at the entrance to the sixth floor, he continued downward, stepping into the seventh floor!

The burning power of the Heart Flame on the seventh floor suddenly doubled. Even an ordinary low-level Dou Ling would feel immense pressure here. But Xiao Chen's Spirit Realm Soul operated at full capacity, not only resisting the erosion of the Heart Flame but also guiding the invisible flames to temper the impurities in his soul. At the same time, the efficiency of the system's [Energy Extraction] increased by several times here!

He found an empty high-level cultivation room and sat down cross-legged. The Spirit Nurturing Art and the power of the Heart Flame tempered him internally and externally. His soul power began to grow slowly and steadily under pressure, impacting the barrier of the mid-Spirit Realm. The reserves in his energy pool also began to increase at a visible rate.

While Xiao Chen was diligently cultivating, unbeknownst to him, the news of him entering the seventh floor of the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower had already caused quite a stir in the Inner Academy. And deep within the Inner Academy, a pair of ancient eyes also watched the situation inside the tower through layers of space, muttering softly: "Spirit Realm Soul, Dou Di Bloodline... Little fellow, how far can you go? I hope you can catch the upcoming opportunity for the Heavenly Tomb to open..."

A new storm was brewing. Xiao Chen's life in the Inner Academy was destined to be turbulent and magnificent.