I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 924 Burning the Academy
Jiang Nan's voice was full of grievance, and her big, bright eyes stared at him with a misty look.

However, seeing Jiang Nan's little expression, Zhang Chen laughed: "Do I not know you? You are the kind of woman who will never give up until you achieve your goal. How could you leave in a huff so easily?"

He didn't have many girlfriends in his past life, but he certainly had quite a few. He had experienced many of the tricks women used to manipulate men.

Although Jiang Nan is very knowledgeable about tea, he still falls short of the top tea masters of the 21st century.

"You heartless bastard! I'm in this state and you don't even try to comfort me." Jiang Nan stomped her foot in anger, then turned and walked back to Zhang Chen's side: "I have something I want to ask Zhong Xiang for help. Since you and Zhong Xiang have a close relationship, could you put in a good word for me?"

"No!" Zhang Chen refused without hesitation: "I have no reason to help a woman who looks down on me."

Jiang Nan looks down on Zhang Chen, otherwise she would have married him long ago. Why would Zhang Chen help a woman who looks down on him?

Driven by desire? Zhang Chen has plenty of money; wouldn't it be better to buy a courtesan from a brothel?
"You..." Jiang Nan was speechless when she saw Zhang Chen's merciless rejection, pointing at Zhang Chen.

“In my eyes, you are no different from Shen Ling. The only difference is that she has been slept with by other men and is already tainted and dirty, while you have only been slept with by me and are still innocent.” Zhang Chen’s words were merciless.

“If you don’t help me, and if I can’t get to know Zhong Xiang and use his strength to intimidate those with ill intentions, I’m afraid I’ll be cornered by others soon. If you want to see me become corrupt, then just stand by and watch!” Jiang Nan stared at Zhang Chen: “I just don’t believe that a grown man would sit idly by and watch his woman be forcibly violated by another man.”

Zhang Chen looked at Jiang Nan speechlessly. This woman really knew how to manipulate a man's mind. But was Zhang Chen an ordinary man?

"If you don't marry me, you'll marry someone else eventually. It's only a matter of time before you're humiliated by other men. Why should I help you?" Zhang Chen smiled nonchalantly, showing no intention of helping the other party.

"I've offended Gong Chun! I got into the academy using Gong Chun. He promised to send me there, and then I'd become his concubine. Then I stood him up. Now Gong Chun is pressuring me harder and harder. If I can't find a new backer, I'll be taken down by Gong Chun sooner or later." Jiang Nan looked at Zhang Chen: "I heard you have a grudge against Gong Chun. You wouldn't ask him to kill me, would you?"

"Gong Chun? What a pitiful creature, completely fooled by you." Zhang Chen was taken aback upon hearing this, feeling somewhat sorry for Gong Chun.

"You wait here. After Zhong Xiang wakes up, I'll ask her to protect you for a while," Zhang Chen said to Jiang Nan.

He might not help Jiang Nan, but he'd be happy to cause trouble for Gong Chun.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan beamed with joy, leaned closer to Zhang Chen, and said with a soft, fragrant breath, "Could you pass on your cultivation techniques to me?"

Zhang Chen subtly took a step back, resolutely refusing, "No!"

"Why can you send it to her but not to me? I've been intimate with you, how could your relationship with her be any closer than mine?" Jiang Nan questioned.

Zhang Chen shook his head upon hearing this: "You are different! I can have many, many women with whom I have physical intimacy, but Zhong Xiang is the ally I have chosen for the future. There are very few comrades-in-arms whom I can truly entrust everything to. One is a plaything for my venting, and the other is a comrade-in-arms I can turn my back on. Which one do you think I should trust?"

“I can be your comrade-in-arms too!” Jiang Nan leaned closer and pressed him.

Zhang Chen glanced at Jiang Nan and said without any mercy, "You woman only treat men as playthings. Men are all fools in your eyes. You are not worthy of my trust at all."

Zhang Chen reached out and pressed down on Jiang Nan's approaching head: "Keep your distance from me, don't tarnish my reputation, otherwise how will I find a wife in the future?"

He used the same excuse he used on Shen Ling on Jiang Nan. Jiang Nan rolled her eyes, angrily shook off Zhang Chen's hand, and walked away, panting heavily.

Neither of them spoke for the next half day. Then Zhong Xiang opened his eyes, and a strange aura emanated from his body. Even though the entire capital was suppressed by dragon energy, flames still emanated from Zhong Xiang's body.

"This is the Fire of Creation!" Zhang Chen was shocked when he saw the flames emanating from Zhong Xiang's body. He recognized the origin of the flames at a glance, since he had dealt with the Fire Spirit of Creation before and was very familiar with the flames of creation.

However, Zhang Chen quickly realized that he had misjudged it; it was just a Qilin Fire with some of the power of the Creation Flame.

"So what Zhong Xiang had previously integrated into his body was actually a wisp of the Heaven-Opening Flame. No wonder even the Qilin Flame couldn't suppress it," Zhang Chen realized.

It should be noted that the Qilin Flame is the most supreme flame in the world, no less powerful than the True Fire of the Sun or the Fire of the Earth, yet it still could not suppress the flame that had invaded Zhong Xiang's body, which is truly strange.

Seeing the flames emanating from Zhong Xiang's body, Zhang Chen suddenly realized that the flames of creation contained the most fundamental rules of heaven and earth, and the power of the laws of heaven. No wonder Zhong Xiang's Qilin Fire could not suppress them. It was also understandable that the dragon energy of the capital could not suppress Zhong Xiang's flames, after all, it was the power inherited from the Four Creation Spirits, one of the four most ancient powers in the world.

The power of the dragon vein comes from the Creation Spirit of Heaven and Earth, which is the ancestor of the earth. The Creation Fire Spirit is equivalent to the Creation Spirit of Heaven and Earth, so it is normal that the power of the earth dragon energy cannot suppress the power of the Creation Fire Spirit.

"You can actually unleash your bloodline power even under the suppression of the dragon energy in Kyoto?" Jiang Nan was stunned when she saw the flames emanating from Zhong Xiang's body, her eyes filled with disbelief.

This is Kyoto! The dragon's aura suppresses all magic; everyone else is just a mortal being. You alone can wield supernatural powers? How are we supposed to compete? From now on, Kyoto won't be under your control anymore?
The power of the Heaven-Opening Flame was too overwhelming. The icy pool around Zhong Xiang was instantly evaporated into mist that shot into the sky, and the waterfall behind him dried up completely. The mist floating in the air was decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen by the scorching power, and then ignited. The earth-shattering explosion shook the entire academy.

The academy was shaken as if by a major earthquake; the hundred-story buildings swayed violently, and rocks tumbled down from the mountains. Everyone looked at the flames shooting into the sky and rushed over.

"I'm sorry, I've only just refined and suppressed this wisp of flame, and I can't fully control it yet!" Zhong Xiang looked at Zhang Chen, and the rocks beneath his feet began to melt.

"I'll be waiting for you in the pavilion." Zhang Chen sensed that people were coming from all directions after hearing the commotion, so he quickly retreated. His figure flashed and disappeared without a trace.

It wasn't that he was afraid to meet people, but rather that he didn't want people to associate Zhong Xiang's transformation with himself, which would only cause him trouble.

"By the way, this woman has gotten into some trouble. Could you keep an eye on her for me?" Zhang Chen took a few steps, his voice carrying over from afar. Zhong Xiang, who was standing still, glanced at Jiang Nan but didn't say anything.

"I'll also need Miss Zhong to hold off the Gong family for me," Jiang Nan said with a smile.

Zhong Xiang gave the other party a cold look, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but silently closed his eyes and tried to control the flames in his body.

Soon the rocks at the foot of the bell have turned into lava, and the lava is spreading throughout the entire waterfall area.

Scholars and teachers from the academy rushed over, and when they saw Zhong Xiang standing in the flames, a look of shock appeared in their eyes.

"That's Zhong Xiang! He actually suppressed his weakness!" The Third Prince, Chai Wenxin, stared at the flames surrounding Zhong Xiang, his eyes burning with desire: "What kind of flames are these? They can actually break through the dragon's seal? If I can marry Zhong Xiang, who in the entire imperial city can rival me?"

Chai Wenxin immediately realized Zhong Xiang's value. As the only extraordinary being in the imperial city, Zhong Xiang could practically control the entire situation.

"What terrifying flames! They can even scorch the dragon's energy. The Great Victory Royal Family must be feeling very uneasy. If this is not handled properly, the Zhong family will definitely be feared by the Great Victory Royal Family, who will do everything in their power to eliminate them. After all, how could the royal family allow anyone who threatens their rule to exist?" Mr. Zhu Xun walked over from a distance, looking at the flames on Zhong Xiang's body with a look of caution in his eyes.

"How terrifying is the clock!"

"I wonder how the royal family will react to this great victory!"

……

The onlookers were abuzz with discussion, their eyes filled with shock as they stared at the flames engulfing Zhong Xiang.

At this moment, a member of the Gong family came over. Gong Chun saw Jiang Nan standing with Zhong Xiang and couldn't help but glance at her. Then he waved to Jiang Nan from afar and said, "Miss Jiang, please come this way."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan looked at Gong Chun without speaking, then turned to look at Zhong Xiang, whose eyes were closed. Zhong Xiang suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Gong Chun with contempt: "From now on, I will protect Jiang Nan. You people from the Gong family, get as far away from me as possible. If I ever see you bothering Jiang Nan again, I will break your third leg."

Gong Chun's expression changed immediately upon hearing this: "Zhong Xiang, how can you be so domineering? Jiang Nan and I are in love with each other. No matter how forceful you are, you can't break us up!"

"Didn't you hear me?" Zhong Xiang asked coldly.

Upon hearing this, Gong Chun stood there, her face turning pale and then purple, but she dared not utter a word in rebuttal, for the flames on Zhong Xiang's body were simply too terrifying.

Jiang Nan looked at Gong Chun with a wronged expression: "Young Master Chun, I offended Zhong Xiang. Zhong Xiang insists that I stay by her side, I...I..."

As she spoke, she made a tearful gesture, which broke Gong Chunxin's heart. She quickly said, "Miss Jiang, don't cry. Just stay with this female demon for now. I will find some helpers and will definitely stand up for you and rescue you from the demon's den."

(End of this chapter)