Battle Through the Heavens: Beauties Abound Starting with Yunlan and Her Disciples

301: Section 301Instead, with an irresistible, crushing momentum, they ”reverse-hunted” all the older students involved in the event, stripping them of everything!

”...Could it be... could they be this year’s legendary, heaven-defying team of new students?”

”It seems so... besides them, who else would dare to say such arrogant words at a time like this?”

For a moment, the gazes of all the older students toward Yun Xiancheng’s group shifted from simple ”hostility” to a more intense, burning flame of jealousy and enmity!

One must know that almost every one of these older students in the Inner Academy had been ruthlessly plundered by their seniors when they first entered!

That was practically a ”fine tradition” passed down in the Inner Academy for many years!

But who would have thought that this year, some newcomers would escape this ”baptism” unscathed, and even turn the tables to completely rob the older students responsible for ”welcoming” them! On what basis?!

Doesn’t that mean the suffering and losses they endured back then were all for nothing?!

317 Han Yue

As the saying goes, because I was once soaked by the rain, I must now do everything possible to tear apart someone else’s umbrella!

Thus, these older students of the Inner Academy almost instantly and instinctively developed a strong, natural hostility toward this group of ”rule-breaking new students”!

However, despite their hearts being filled with enmity, they did not rush forward immediately to provoke these Young ladies who looked like they were not to be trifled with.

Firstly, because they were not fools.

From the rumors of the ”Fire Energy Hunting Competition” just now, they already knew clearly that these delicate-looking beauties were each ”monsters” whose strength far exceeded common sense.

Before figuring out the other party’s true depth, no one wanted to be the first bird to stick its head out, pointlessly paving the way for other predatory factions.

Secondly, it was because they were in front of the Heavenly Flame Training Pagoda.

For these Inner Academy students, any grievances or petty disputes seemed insignificant compared to the top priority of ”cultivation.”

Indeed, cultivation was more important.

Just as the hostile and explosive atmosphere on the square began to spread...

An old man dressed in the robes of an Inner Academy Elder, with an aura as steady as a mountain, slowly walked to the tightly closed gates of the giant tower. He waited for a moment, glanced at the setting sun, and then shouted in a loud voice filled with powerful Dou Qi:

”The time has come! Open the tower!” ”Rumble—!!!”

Accompanied by his thunderous shout, the heavy metal gates, dozens of feet high and tightly closed for hours, finally made a tooth-gritting, dull grinding sound and slowly opened inward!

”Charge!”

”Quick! Grab the best spots!”

Almost the instant the gates opened, the Inner Academy students who had been waiting outside for a long time...

...surged in like a breaking tide, letting out deafening cheers as they swarmed into the scorching tower! Yun Xiancheng looked at the frantic scene, comparable to the rush for tickets during the Spring Festival in his past life, but was not in a hurry at all.

He remained calmly seated, even having the leisure to pour another cup of hot tea for himself and the Young ladies beside him. Xue Ni felt a bit of a guilty conscience; for the first time entering the tower, the heart flame attack would occur. If the Young ladies weren’t warned, an accident might happen. As a senior sister, she hadn’t spoken up, even though Yun Xiancheng told her not to, but she still felt somewhat uneasy.

However, after seeing Yun Xiancheng’s gaze, that sense of unease dissipated significantly. Yes, they were geniuses; they surely wouldn’t be afraid.

After waiting for a long while until the surging crowd had completely disappeared into the tower gates, he finally stood up slowly.

Leading the group of Young ladies who were equally leisurely, he waited several beats before unhurriedly walking into the giant tower filled with a mysterious and scorching aura.

However, just as they stepped through the gates and their bodies had not yet fully adapted to the scorching environment inside, which had suddenly risen several times in temperature...

A sudden change occurred. ”Hmm?!” ”Ah!”

Aside from Yun Xiancheng, the expressions of all the other Young ladies—whether it was the weaker Xiao Mei and Hu Jia, or Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran, whose strength had already reached the peak of the Great Dou Master rank...

...even Xiao Xun’er, their faces all changed simultaneously!

An invisible yet incredibly domineering and strange flame, which seemed to directly scorch the soul, without any warning, from all directions, frantically...

...surged into their bodies!

That flame was so violent and difficult to tame that in an instant, it made them feel as if their meridians were about to be completely ignited and destroyed!

They didn’t even have time to let out a proper cry of surprise and could only rely on their powerful willpower to forcibly endure the piercing pain, sitting cross-legged right beside Yun Xiancheng.

Then, they immediately circulated the Dou Qi in their bodies and began to struggle with all their might to refine the violent ”heart flame” that had invaded their bodies! ”Hahaha! Look, look! This year’s batch of new students has indeed made the same mistake we did back then!”

”Tsk tsk, what a bunch of naive little rookies! They don’t even know the most basic first iron rule of the Heavenly Flame Training Pagoda...”

...and yet they dared to rush in so recklessly!”

”Now, they’re going to suffer! I bet they can only last for the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn before they’ll be forced out by this heart flame, crying and screaming!”

Just then, the surrounding older students who had already entered the tower and occupied favorable positions...

...burst into fits of undisguised, schadenfreude-filled laughter upon seeing the ”miserable state” of the Young ladies beside Yun Xiancheng.

”Eh? What’s going on? Why have more new students, without reporting in advance or being led by a senior, directly entered the Heavenly...”

...Flame Training Pagoda’s first floor?”

Just then, an Outer Elder with white hair and beard, responsible for maintaining order in the tower, also noticed the commotion. He frowned and walked out slowly from deeper within, speaking in a displeased tone.

”Oh, Elder, don’t worry about it!”

Some older students who were quite familiar with this Elder immediately approached him with grinning faces and said:

”You know how it is; every year, there are always a few arrogant, hot-headed new students who make this mistake. This... this is already an indispensable ’annual tradition’ of our Inner Academy!”

”Yes, yes, Elder,” another older student chimed in.

”Please be kind and let us enjoy the show! After all, this day-after-day of monotonous cultivation is really too boring.”

”Occasionally, having some fun like today for everyone to laugh at is something we definitely can’t miss!”

”Nonsense!” The Tower-guarding Elder huffed and puffed his beard upon hearing this, about to scold them. ”Alright, everyone, let’s say a few words less.”

At that moment, a cold, pleasant female voice, like a winter spring but with an innate sense of aloofness, from behind the crowd...

...slowly rang out.

”The new students have just arrived and don’t understand the situation; it’s unavoidable. As seniors, instead of offering a warning, you’re openly mocking them here. Is this the hospitality of our Jia Nan Academy?”

Along with the voice, a stunning Beauty dressed in snow-white clothes, tall and slender, with smooth silver hair cascading down like moonlight, stepped out from the crowd.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her features exquisite as a painting. Her temperament was even more cold and arrogant, like an untainted iceberg lotus growing atop a ten-thousand-foot snowy mountain, allowing people only to watch from afar without the slightest thought of disrespect.

Even for this stunning Beauty, who was used to seeing countless geniuses in the Inner Academy...

...when her gaze fell upon the white-clothed youth standing calmly in the center of the group of cross-legged Young ladies...

...a flash of unmistakable amazement involuntarily crossed those habitually calm, cold-pool-like eyes. She was slightly startled for a moment, but quickly suppressed that mysterious throb in her heart and resumed her cold and arrogant demeanor.

She turned her head, her cold gaze scanning the surrounding seniors who were still whispering. In a flat voice, she continued, ”Furthermore, the length of time one can endure when this ’heart flame’ first enters the body is, to some extent, the best way to directly and objectively demonstrate the level of one’s talent.”

”If, in a moment, the duration these freshmen you’re mocking can endure is longer than you so-called seniors...”

”...then shouldn’t it be you who truly loses face and feels utterly ashamed?”

318 He seems unaffected by the Sub-flame?

Her words were well-reasoned and logical.

Immediately, the seniors who had wanted to argue were left red-faced and speechless. Talent!

This word was like an invisible mountain, weighing heavily on the hearts of all the students present!

Talent was the label they, the chosen ones who had stood out from billions of practitioners to finally stand here, shared and took the most pride in!

Since everyone had talent, whoever had less would be the one embarrassed.

”Haha... Little Yue, I recall that this is the first time you’ve proactively spoken up for outsiders, isn’t it?”

The Tower-guarding Elder looked at the ’Ice Beauty’ before him, who also gave him a bit of a headache, and spoke with a kind smile. The newcomer was Han Yue—the ’Ice Goddess’ in the hearts of countless students, whose reputation spread far and wide throughout the Inner Academy.

She gave the Elder a slight nod as a greeting. Then, in her cold voice, she explained frankly:

”Reporting to the Elder, I simply feel that the talent of these new junior sisters is quite monstrous. Therefore, I wish to befriend them.” ”Oh? Just befriend?” Hearing this, the Elder’s face broke into a strange smile that said ’I understand’.

”Then what do you think of that man they are surrounding like stars around the moon, the one said to be named Yun Xiancheng?” This seemingly respected elder actually acted as a ’matchmaker’ openly in front of everyone without any reservation. ”What about him?”

Han Yue was incredibly intelligent and naturally understood the Elder’s implication immediately. However, she remained unfazed and directly played dumb.

”Are you referring to his realm? My apologies, Elder, but with my eyesight, I cannot tell yet.”

She paused, then added with absolute certainty, ”However, to have so many equally talented and beautiful women following him willingly, his strength certainly won’t be lacking.”

”Hahaha! Good! Well said!” The Elder clapped and laughed heartily upon hearing this. ”In that case, I think you, Little Yue, should interact with him more.”

Han Yue didn’t speak further, but her cold eyes involuntarily drifted back to the white-clad youth who was closing his eyes, seemingly resisting the invasion of the ’heart flame’.

Yun Xiancheng indeed felt a surge of violent and scorching invisible flames rushing into his body, like sharks sensing blood.

However, before Yun Xiancheng could even circulate the Dou Qi in his body to refine or expel this ’uninvited guest’, another anomaly occurred.

The ’heart flame’ that had just aggressively broken into his body began to tremble violently and intensely the moment it touched his river-like Dou Qi circulation, like a servant seeing its Master.

Then, it became incredibly docile—one could even say incredibly pious—as it abandoned all resistance and all its violence.

It proactively took its violent fire-attribute energy, condensed from the Essence of the Heavenly Flame, and completely, unreservedly decomposed and transformed it into the purest and gentlest refined Dou Qi.

Then, with utmost respect, it proactively merged into Yun Xiancheng’s ceaselessly surging Dou Qi circulation! The entire process was as natural as could be.

”Am I seeing this right?!” In Yun Xiancheng’s mind, Yao Chan’s voice, filled with shock and horror, suddenly rang out in an almost lost scream.

”Chenger! You... you... you actually... actually scared this Sub-flame of the Fallen Heart Flame to death?!” Even Cai Lin, who was watching from the side, was completely shaken by this scene that could be called a ’miracle’.

”The energy contained in that tiny flame just now was violent, but to this Queen, it was also something that could be crushed at will. However... to be like him, without using even a shred of Dou Qi, relying solely on his own aura...”

”...to make that highly spiritual Sub-flame, condensed from the Essence of the Heavenly Flame, be scared to death, submit, and even proactively decompose itself as a sacrifice... This sort of thing... even this Queen absolutely cannot do!”

This was clearly no longer related to a simple difference in cultivation realms! This was something more fundamental, originating from the level of life itself—absolute suppression.

”Mm, Master, Cai Lin, there’s no need to be so surprised.”

Yun Xiancheng responded calmly in his mind to the shocked exclamations of the two women.

He slowly opened his eyes, which were as deep as the stars, to protect the Young ladies who were still struggling to endure. And the moment he opened his eyes...

...his gaze happened to meet the gaze of that silver-haired, snow-clad Beauty in the distance who was staring at him intently, without any warning.

He didn’t dodge at all, nor was there any ripple of emotion.

Those deep pupils, which seemed to contain the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, and the stars of the universe, just looked at her quietly and indifferently.

The moment Han Yue made contact with that gaze, she felt as if her heart had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and even her breathing completely stopped at that moment.

What... what kind of eyes were these?

That gaze was so clear, so pure.

Yet, it carried a boundless depth that seemed capable of seeing through her entire being, even her entire soul. She felt her normally calm heart begin to beat violently and uncontrollably at this moment.

On her habitually cold and aloof face, which was as exquisite as an ice sculpture, a touching blush of ’panic’ appeared for the first time.

She didn’t even dare to look at him anymore and couldn’t help but dodge his gaze for a moment in a somewhat disheveled manner. What exactly was going on?

Han Yue thought in her heart with immense shock.

She couldn’t understand the various changes happening to her body at all.

She, Han Yue, usually prided herself on being cold and solitary, with a heart as still as water; she even had a near-pathological, severe germaphobia. Normally, she found even some of her female companions to be unclean and was unwilling to have any physical contact.

But for some reason, upon seeing the man before her, her proud heart, which had long been as hard as a rock, felt a strong sense of ’feeling inferior’ for the first time... ”Hello, Senior.”

Yun Xiancheng spoke and gave a greeting, interrupting Han Yue’s wild thoughts. ”Hello.”

Han Yue instinctively returned the greeting, and her whole person also calmed down.

319 The Talent of the Young ladies

Yun Xiancheng’s voice was light, like a cool breeze blowing through the scorched air inside the tower, drifting softly into Han Yue’s ears: ”When you first resisted this heart flame, Senior, how long did you last?”

His gaze fell upon the cold silver-haired Beauty, his tone carrying a slight, pure curiosity.

Han Yue’s eyes, as solitary as a cold pool, felt a nearly imperceptible ripple in her heart’s lake once more the moment they met Yun Xiancheng’s eyes, which were as deep as a sea of stars.

However, compared to the first time, it was much better now.

She had already forcibly suppressed the mental agitation from their first meeting, restoring her usual ice-mountain posture that kept people a thousand miles away.

That brief lapse and the act of turning her face away just now were no different from leaving a shallow scratch on solid ice to her. While not fatal, it was enough to make her feel a bit of embarrassment.

She would never allow herself to show any vulnerability in front of anyone, especially in front of a man who even she found stunning and who seemed a few years younger than herself.