33: Canaan Shadow, Heart Flame Movement

The white light from the Teleportation Formation gradually dissipated, and Lin Chen's vision slowly cleared.

He was standing in a dense ancient forest, with the morning sun filtering through the leaves, casting dappled light and shadows on the ground.

The air was filled with a rich concentration of Heaven and Earth Energy, several times purer than that in the Black-Corner Region.

"This is the outer forest of Jia Nan Academy..." Lin Chen took a deep breath, and the Shadow Erosion Dou Qi in his body unconsciously accelerated its circulation.

He quickly checked his condition, and after confirming he wasn't being tracked, he began to observe his surroundings.

In the distance, the towering academy buildings were faintly visible, and at the edge of the forest, a faint blue energy barrier shimmered—this was Jia Nan Academy's protective Formation.

According to the original description, unauthorized individuals could not break through this barrier.

Lin Chen took out the blood-colored token he had obtained from the Hall of Souls elder from his Storage Ring; the token's surface was engraved with a ferocious skull pattern.

He tried to inject a wisp of Dou Qi into it, and the token immediately emitted a faint red light.

"It works, as expected." Lin Chen's mouth curved into a slight smile.

This token was not only a proof of identity but also a special item that could interfere with the protective Formation.

Hall of Souls had clearly made thorough preparations to infiltrate Jia Nan Academy.

He didn't act rashly but first found a tall ancient tree and climbed it.

Standing at the top of the tree, the entire outer layout of Jia Nan Academy was visible.

The main academy buildings were arranged in a circular fashion, with a huge lake in the center, which should be the location of the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Pagoda in the Inner Academy.

"I must first find Xiao Yan's whereabouts." Lin Chen narrowed his eyes and took out a transparent crystal shard from his Storage Ring.

This was a detection tool he had specially made in the Black-Corner Region, capable of capturing residual energy fluctuations from Heavenly Flames.

When the crystal shard was pointed towards the academy, a trace of green light immediately appeared at its edge.

"Green Lotus Core Flame... Xiao Yan has indeed arrived."

Suddenly, a bone-white light flashed in the center of the crystal shard; although it was fleeting, Lin Chen still keenly captured it.

"Bone Chilling Flame? Yao Chen has also appeared?" This was not good news.

Yao Chen's Soul perception was extremely sensitive; if he got too close, he might be discovered.

Just as Lin Chen was contemplating a countermeasure, a commotion came from the distant forest.

He immediately concealed his aura and looked through the gaps in the leaves.

He saw a team of students wearing unified uniforms heading this way, led by a tall, purple-haired woman with a special badge pinned to her chest.

"Enforcement Team..." Lin Chen recognized the identity of these people.

They held strange, disk-shaped instruments and seemed to be searching for something.

"Captain Wu Hao, the detector shows abnormal spatial fluctuations nearby," a team member reported.

The purple-haired woman, Wu Hao, frowned, "Continue searching; it might be a spy from the Black-Corner Region.

The Inner Academy hasn't been peaceful lately, so everyone stay alert."

Lin Chen held his breath, and the Shadow Erosion Dou Qi formed a perfect disguise on his body.

When the Enforcement Team passed under the tree where he was, not a single person noticed him.

Only after their figures disappeared at the other end of the forest did Lin Chen slowly exhale a turbid breath.

"It seems the movement of the Teleportation Formation still attracted attention." Lin Chen was secretly wary.

He decided to change his original plan and not rush into the academy, but instead go to another key location—Canaan City.

This was a small city attached to the outer perimeter of the academy, specifically providing various services for students and mentors.

According to the original plot, Xiao Yan would briefly stay here before entering the Inner Academy.

Lin Chen silently slid down the tree trunk and moved in the opposite direction of the academy.

His movements were as light as a cat's, each step precisely placed where it would make no sound.

This was a skill he had honed through countless assassinations.

Two hours later, Lin Chen stood outside the gates of Canaan City.

This city had no walls, only symbolic stone archways.

The streets were bustling with people, mostly young people in academy uniforms and various vendors.

Lin Chen changed into an ordinary gray robe, suppressed his aura to the Dou Master level, and naturally blended into the crowd.

He appeared to be casually strolling, but his ears were perked up, catching all useful information.

"...Have you heard? A formidable character emerged in this Inner Academy selection competition..."

"...That new student with the black ruler? They say even Luo Hou was defeated by him..."

"...The Fire Energy Hunting Competition is about to begin..."

These fragmented pieces of information quickly pieced together in Lin Chen's mind.

It seemed Xiao Yan had already passed the selection competition and was about to participate in the famous "Fire Energy Hunting Competition."

This was a tradition of Jia Nan Academy, where older students would form teams to "rob" new students of their Fire Energy—a special currency used in the Inner Academy.

"The opportunity has come." A glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

The hunting competition took place in the forest, and the chaotic scene was a perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

He stayed at a secluded inn and began preparing for the upcoming operation.

First, he took out various medicinal herbs and tools from his Storage Ring and concocted several special potions: "Illusion Breath Powder" to temporarily alter one's aura, "Soul Concealing Ointment" to interfere with Soul detection, and most crucially—the "Heart-Corroding Poison" he had learned from Elder Scorpion Mountain.

This poison was not fatal but could cause Dou Qi circulation to become sluggish for a short period.

Lin Chen specifically adjusted the formula to halve its effect on those with Heavenly Flames—he didn't want to accidentally harm Xiao Yan.

As night fell, Lin Chen changed into a set of night clothes and quietly left the inn.

His target was the intelligence exchange in the city, where he could buy detailed information about the hunting competition.

The exchange was located underground, its entrance disguised as an ordinary pharmacy.

After Lin Chen presented the token he had obtained in the Black-Corner Region, he was led into a dimly lit room.

"What information do you want?" the old man behind the counter asked without raising his head.

"The route map for the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, and..." Lin Chen lowered his voice, "all information about that new student who possesses a Heavenly Flame."

The old man finally looked up, a glint flashing in his cloudy eyes: "This information isn't cheap."

Lin Chen directly threw out a pouch of gold coins: "Is this enough?"

An incense stick's worth of time later, Lin Chen left the exchange satisfied.

Not only did he obtain the detailed plan for the hunting competition, but he also learned a pleasant surprise—Hall of Souls's people had already infiltrated Jia Nan Academy, and they were among the participating older student teams!

"This is getting more and more interesting." Lin Chen returned to the inn and carefully studied the newly acquired intelligence.

The hunting competition would begin in two days, at the "Beast Hunting Forest" north of the academy.

The terrain there was complex, with many high-level Demonic Beasts, perfect for his plan.

Early the next morning, Lin Chen left Canaan City early and headed to the Beast Hunting Forest to scout the area.

He needed to familiarize himself with the terrain in advance and set up some necessary traps and escape routes.

A cordon had already been set up at the edge of the forest, with several Enforcement Team members patrolling.

Lin Chen bypassed it to a hidden canyon, which was the best observation point he had found based on the intelligence.

Just as he was about to set up a monitoring Formation, he suddenly sensed an abnormal energy fluctuation.

Lin Chen immediately hid, only to see the ground not far away slowly bulge, forming a mound, and then a short figure emerged.

"Someone from the Earth Spirit Gate?" Lin Chen recognized the earthy yellow clothing on the person.

The Earth Spirit Gate was a second-rate force in the Black-Corner Region, skilled in Earth-element Cultivation Techniques, and often took on tunneling jobs.

The Earth Spirit Gate Disciple cautiously looked around, and after confirming no one was present, he took out a scroll from his Pregnant and buried it underground, then silently burrowed back into the earth.

After the person left, Lin Chen immediately went forward and dug out the scroll.

Upon unrolling it, it was a detailed map of the Beast Hunting Forest, with more than a dozen red dots marked on it, and a line of small characters:

"Act according to the plan, target—the Green Flame holder."

"As expected..." Lin Chen sneered.

It seemed that not only Hall of Souls, but other forces in the Black-Corner Region were also coveting Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame.

He reburied the map and left without a trace.

Returning to his temporary base, Lin Chen began to adjust his plan.

The current situation was more complex than anticipated, with multiple forces eyeing Xiao Yan.

This was both a crisis and an opportunity—the more chaotic the scene, the easier it would be for him to act in the shadows.

Two days passed in a flash.

On the day of the hunting competition, Lin Chen had already ambushed himself in an ancient tree in the forest.

This tree was located beside a necessary path, offering an excellent view.

As the morning sun just began to fall, a noisy clamor of human voices came from the distance.

Soon, teams of new students entered the forest led by their mentors.

Lin Chen immediately recognized Xiao Yan in the crowd—that iconic xuan heavy ruler was simply too conspicuous.

"Remember the rules, if you persist until sunset, you pass," the mentor announced loudly, "Now, the competition begins!"

The new students immediately scattered, each finding a hiding place.

Xiao Yan, however, did not rush to act but stood still, seemingly waiting for something.

Soon, sharp whistles sounded from various parts of the forest—the older students had entered.

Lin Chen saw five teams entering the forest from different directions, each with five people, all of them Dou Master and above in strength.

One of these teams was particularly eye-catching.

They wore unified black uniforms with silver badges pinned to their chests.

Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly—it was them, Hall of Souls's infiltrators!

"Xiao Yan, you are indeed here." A cold voice suddenly rang out.

Three black-clad figures emerged from the bushes, surrounding Xiao Yan in a triangular Formation.

Xiao Yan's expression remained unchanged as he slowly drew his xuan heavy ruler: "You are not from the academy."

"Clever." The leader of the black-clad figures sneered, "Hand over the Heavenly Flame, and we can leave your corpse intact."

A battle was imminent.

Although Xiao Yan was only a Great Dou Master, with Yao Chen's help, his strength far surpassed those of the same rank.

As the xuan heavy ruler swung, green flames entwined, and he actually managed to contend with the three Battle Spirits for a time.

Lin Chen did not rush to act but continued to observe.

Sure enough, the other two teams of older students were also attracted by the commotion here and were rapidly approaching.

Just as Xiao Yan was forced back to a large tree, a sudden change occurred!

The ground suddenly collapsed, and four chains burst out of the earth, instantly wrapping around Xiao Yan's limbs.

This was an ambush by the Earth Spirit Gate!

"We got him!" A sharp voice came from underground.

Xiao Yan struggled fiercely, but strange runes flickered on the chains, actually suppressing the Heavenly Flame temporarily.

Seeing this, the three black-clad figures immediately pounced.

At this critical moment, a black shadow descended from the sky!

Lin Chen finally made his move.

He held a pitch-black short blade in each hand, with wisps of black Qi entwined around the blades, precisely stabbing towards the backs of two black-clad figures.

"Shadow Calamity Finger · Double Kill!"

The two black-clad figures reacted extremely quickly, hastily turning to block.

But Lin Chen's attack was merely a feint; the real killing move was the third attack hidden in the shadows—a wisp of Shadow Erosion Dou Qi, as fine as hair, silently burrowed into the third person's body.

"Ah!" That black-clad figure suddenly screamed and knelt on the ground.

It was as if countless small insects were wriggling under his skin, and in the blink of an eye, he lost his combat ability.

Xiao Yan looked at this sudden helper in surprise, but quickly became wary again: "Who are you?"

"Just passing by." Lin Chen lowered his voice, deliberately changing his vocal tone, "Watch out for underground!"

No sooner had he spoken than the ground shook again, and five Earth Spirit Gate Disciples burst out of the earth.

At the same time, the other two teams of older students also arrived at the scene, and the situation instantly became chaotic.

Lin Chen took the opportunity to retreat to Xiao Yan's side and whispered: "Team up?"

Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, but seeing more and more enemies around, he still nodded.

The ensuing battle was fierce.

Xiao Yan's xuan heavy ruler, combined with the Green Lotus Core Flame, delivered powerful blows; Lin Chen, like a ghost, weaved through the shadows, specifically targeting the enemies' weaknesses.

The two stood back to back, actually fending off the encirclement of nearly twenty people for a time.

But Lin Chen knew this was only temporary—he noticed a silver figure on a distant treetop, coldly observing everything.

"A Battle Ancestor from Hall of Souls..." Lin Chen's heart tightened.

He had to implement the next step of his plan as quickly as possible.

Just as the battle reached its climax, Lin Chen suddenly pulled out a metal sphere from his Pregnant and violently smashed it onto the ground.

"Close your eyes!" he roared.

Blinding strong light, accompanied by dense smoke, instantly erupted.

This was Lin Chen's specially made flashbang, also mixed with special powder to interfere with Soul perception.

In the chaos, Lin Chen grabbed Xiao Yan's arm: "Go!"

The two, using the smoke as cover, quickly fled into the depths of the forest.

Angry roars and chaotic footsteps came from behind, but they were quickly shaken off.

After running several miles in one breath, Xiao Yan suddenly shook off Lin Chen's hand: "Enough! Who exactly are you?"

Lin Chen stopped, slowly turning around.

He deliberately let his hood cover most of his face, revealing only a meaningful smile: "Someone... with the same goal as you."

"What goal?" Xiao Yan's vigilance did not diminish, his xuan heavy ruler already held across his chest.

"Fallen Heart Flame." Lin Chen softly spoke the name, watching with satisfaction as Xiao Yan's pupils contracted sharply, "Don't be nervous, I'm not your enemy.

On the contrary, I can help you deal with those who covet the Heavenly Flame."

Xiao Yan was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "Are you from Hall of Souls?"

"I used to be." Lin Chen revealed the brand on his wrist, "Now... I'm just a defector who wants to survive."

This half-truth, half-false identity was carefully designed by him.

Given Xiao Yan's hatred for Hall of Souls, this identity would instead make it easier to gain trust.

Sure enough, Xiao Yan's expression softened slightly: "Why do you want to help me?"

"Because only you can control the Fallen Heart Flame." Lin Chen said in a deep voice, "And I... need its power to remove Hall of Souls's brand."

This reason was logical.

Xiao Yan exchanged glances with Yao Chen for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, I'll trust you for now.

But now we have to deal with the pursuers first."

Lin Chen showed a smile of a plan succeeding: "Follow me, I know a safe place."

He led Xiao Yan towards a cave in the depths of the forest.

That was a hiding place he had prepared in advance, with enough supplies and some... special arrangements inside.

Just as the two were about to reach the cave, the entire forest suddenly shook violently!

In the distance, from the direction of Jia Nan Academy, a crimson pillar of light shot into the sky, dyeing the sky blood red.

"This is... the Fallen Heart Flame going berserk?" Xiao Yan looked at the red light in shock.

Lin Chen also pretended to be surprised, but secretly rejoiced in his heart: the plan was going even smoother than expected.

Hall of Souls's people had clearly triggered the Seal of the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Pagoda in advance!

"We must hurry to the Inner Academy!" Xiao Yan said urgently.

Lin Chen nodded: "I know a shortcut."

The two changed direction and sped towards the location of the pillar of light.

Lin Chen observed Xiao Yan's expression as he ran, calculating his next moves.

The Fallen Heart Flame's rampage meant that the most exciting chapter in the original story was about to begin.

And this time, with his variable joining, what would the outcome be?

Lin Chen touched the special container hidden in his sleeve, a faint, imperceptible cold smile playing on his lips.

This container was specially made from a source core fragment, specifically for... stealing the Origin of Heavenly Flames.