283: I am the number one genius in the inner court!

A quiet mountain valley near the Hong Family in the Northern Region of Central State.

Although the Dou Qi here was not as vast and soaring as in the core area of Central State, it possessed a unique kind of spiritual elegance.

Deep within the valley, an elegant small courtyard was built against the mountains and near the water. The courtyard was filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs, and a gentle breeze brought waves of refreshing, subtle fragrance.

On the terrace of the small courtyard, a woman wearing a long Red Silk dress was lazily leaning back in a lounge chair covered with soft animal fur.

She looked to be around twenty years old, with skin fairer than snow and features as delicate as a fairy in a painting.

However, unlike the pure and ethereal beauty of ordinary women, a faint, almost imperceptible charm naturally flowed between her brows, and the shifting gaze of her almond-shaped eyes seemed capable of captivating souls.

This was not intentional; rather, it was a bewitching aura naturally formed by the external manifestation of her powerful Soul Power, accumulated from years of cultivating profound illusion techniques.

This person was none other than Jiang Donghua's wife, Red Silk.

At this moment, she tilted her head slightly, one hand resting gently in front of her.

Her originally slender waist was long gone, replaced by a round, highly protruding belly.

The silk fabric was stretched taut, outlining the curve of life.

The warm sunlight shone upon her, yet she seemed somewhat preoccupied.

Her slender, fair fingers stroked her round abdomen sporadically. Feeling the occasional playful movement of the little life inside, her red lips pouted slightly, carrying a mix of complaint and anticipation as she murmured softly to herself.

"Little thing, kicking your mother again. Looks like you're a restless one, just like your heartless father."

Her voice carried a naturally charming languor that was incredibly moving.

Thinking of that heartless father, Red Silk's gaze drifted toward the distant horizon, in the direction of the Black-Corner Region.

"Jiang Donghua, you bastard!"

She spat softly, yet her tone was gentle, devoid of any real anger, containing only an overwhelming sense of longing and concern.

It was just that during pregnancy, women were naturally more sensitive and dependent.

Especially since she cultivated illusion techniques, her spiritual perception far surpassed ordinary people, making her longing for her husband surge like a tide, constantly present.

She took a light breath and adjusted her posture to make herself more comfortable.

Her other hand unconsciously touched her chest, where she wore a warm jade pendant that Jiang Donghua had personally placed on her before leaving, saying it could calm the spirit and nourish the soul.

"You must come back safely."

She gazed at the horizon, the bewitching quality in her eyes transforming into deep tenderness and a hint of imperceptible worry.

"The child and I are waiting for you."

The valley was quiet, with only the rustling of the breeze through the flowers and grass accompanying the beautiful pregnant woman's longing, drifting toward the man whose whereabouts were unknown.

On the edge of Jia Nan Academy's sphere of influence, within a desolate, rarely visited mountain range.

The ground here was cracked and dry, the air filled with a dense sulfurous smell, and the temperature was terrifyingly high.

In the center of the mountain range was a massive volcano crater. Dark red magma slowly churned at the bottom, occasionally swelling into a bubble that would then burst with a 'poof,' splashing scorching waves.

On a protruding rock platform on the inner wall of the crater, a shirtless figure sat cross-legged. His physique was muscular, his muscle lines sharp as if carved by a knife and axe, brimming with explosive power.

Fine beads of sweat covered his bronze skin, yet they were instantly evaporated by the high temperature the moment they appeared.

He was precisely Qin Xiao, the first on the strong ranking list of the Inner Academy, known as the thunder fire asura!

At this moment, violent energy enveloped his body: half of it was leaping, flickering silver electric arcs, crackling and exploding; the other half was scorching, surging crimson flames that warped the air around him.

Two equally fierce energies—thunder and fire—had achieved a delicate balance on his body and were being frantically absorbed into him.

He had been sitting here for dozens of days, utilizing the purest natural fire-attribute energy of this underground volcano to refine his Dou Qi and break through the Dou Wang bottleneck!

"Rumble!"

Just then, the silent magma lake below suddenly churned violently, and an even thicker, more scorching stream of lava erupted like a giant dragon, bringing with it an irresistible surge of natural energy!

Now was the time!

Qin Xiao's tightly shut eyes snapped open, and it seemed as if Lightning Light and flames exploded simultaneously within them!

"Break for me!"

He let out a low, thunderous roar, and it felt as if some barrier within his body was instantly shattered!

A mighty aura, several times stronger than a Peak Dou Ling, erupted violently from his body like a sleeping volcano!

Boom!

A powerful wave of air spread outwards from him, even forcing back the surging magma slightly!

Immediately afterward, brilliant Dou Qi frantically condensed behind him, transforming in the blink of an eye into a pair of enormous energy wings!

The left wing flickered with Lightning Light, wrapped in electric arcs; the right wing surged with flames, rolling with scorching waves!

Dou Qi Transformation Wings! Dou Wang Expert!

"Hahahahaha!!!"

Qin Xiao rose to his feet, feeling the endless, unparalleled power surging within him. He couldn't help but burst into maniacal laughter that echoed throughout the crater, shaking the mountain walls.

He tightly clenched his fist. The dual-attribute Dou Qi of thunder and fire intertwined on his knuckles, emitting heart-stopping destructive fluctuations.

"Dou Wang! This is the power of a Dou Wang!"

He was full of confidence and soaring ambition.

"With the terrifying offensive power of my Dual Cultivation of Thunder and Fire, now that I've stepped into the Dou Wang realm, even an ordinary six or seven-star Dou Wang Expert might not dare to take my full-force blow head-on!"

This feeling of overflowing power made him feel that the dozens of days of arduous cultivation had been completely worth every hardship!

"Awesome! This is too awesome!"

With a thought, the unique thunder and fire dual wings on his back vibrated fiercely.

Whoosh!

His figure moved like lightning, instantly shooting out of the crater and hovering high in the sky.

Looking down at the vast earth below, a heroic ambition to dominate the world spontaneously arose within him.

"My seclusion is over. It's time to return to the Inner Academy!"

Qin Xiao revealed a proud smile. He could almost imagine the massive sensation he would cause when he displayed his Dou Wang strength and returned to the Inner Academy, flapping his Dou Qi wings!

"first on the strong ranking list? Hmph, starting today, the level of Inner Academy students can no longer contain me!"

"I, Qin Xiao, will surely be the first genius among the Inner Academy students to break through to Dou Wang!"

"When I go back this time, I must show off properly and let everyone know who the true number one person in the Inner Academy is!"

Thinking of those gazes of admiration, shock, and envy, Qin Xiao felt even more exhilarated.

He did not linger. After identifying the direction of the Inner Academy, the thunder and fire dual wings on his back vibrated again, turning him into a streak of red and silver light that shot toward the direction of Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy with lightning speed.

He was already impatient to see the stunned expressions on everyone's faces.

Qin Xiao was high-spirited. The thunder and fire dual wings on his back shone brightly, accompanied by the sound of tearing wind. Like a meteor, he streaked across the sky and landed steadily on the central plaza of the Inner Academy.

He deliberately controlled the height and speed of his descent, allowing the incredibly magnificent Dou Qi wings to shimmer brilliantly in the sunlight for several seconds before slowly retracting them.

What he had anticipated was a tidal wave of gasps and countless gazes filled with shock and adoration.

However, something was definitely wrong with the situation.