Free Web NovelChapter 70: Chapter 70: Fire Rewards and a New Shadow
The return platform glowed orange-gold.
By now, the academy staff no longer looked shocked when Qin Yuheng’s team returned with unusual light.
They looked tense.
That was worse.
Shock faded quickly. Tension meant people had begun expecting the impossible.
The evaluation crystal displayed the result.
[Floor 6: Burning Grassland]
[Main Mission: Cross the Burning Grassland — Completed.]
[Side Mission: Collect 10 Flame Grass Seeds — Completed.]
[Side Mission: Defeat 20 Burning Grassland beasts — Completed.]
[Side Mission: Keep heat exhaustion below dangerous level — Completed.]
[Optional Boss: Flame Horn Rhino defeated.]
[Final Evaluation: SSS]
The hall erupted, but the tone had changed.
"Again..."
"Fourth SSS?"
"Is Qin Yuheng’s team still considered new students?"
"How are they clearing like this?"
"They must have hidden support."
"Or Qin Yuheng’s talent is stronger than announced."
Qin Yuheng heard the whispers.
He did not react.
But he knew Yu Qingmei had been right. freewebnovel.cσ๓
They were becoming too bright.
Han Shuren came over, inspected them, and said only one thing.
"Medical hall. All of you."
Qin Mo did not complain.
"That floor was hot enough that I agree with everything."
The healer treated heat strain, minor burns, and movement stress. Qin Yuheng’s legs were strained again, but less severely than before. His use of War Thunder Advance had reduced the burden of repeated evasive movement.
The reward panel appeared.
[SSS Evaluation Rewards]
EXP +1,300
Tower Coins x12,000
S Grade Burning Grassland Trial Chest x1
A Grade Flame Horn Rhino Core x1
A Grade Broken Flame Horn x1
A Grade Flame-Tempered Armor Fragment x1
B Grade Fire Resistance Fruit x5
A Grade Flame Grass Seed Bundle x1
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Qin Yuheng reached Level 5 after reward EXP.
His growth remained steady and powerful.
Later, Yu Qingmei summoned him again.
This time, Han Shuren and Xu Chengdao were both present.
Yu Qingmei spoke directly.
"Your team will pause Tower floor progression."
Qin Mo, who had accompanied Qin Yuheng because he had formation notes to submit, nearly smiled.
Qin Yuheng asked, "Academy order?"
"Recommendation with strong administrative weight."
"In other words, if I ignore it, you will make it an order."
"Yes."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"For how long?"
"At least ten days. Train. Stabilize. Attend academy theory. Participate in no unsupervised ruin missions. Your recent clear pattern is too noticeable."
Qin Yuheng accepted it.
"I understand."
Yu Qingmei’s expression softened slightly.
"You are not being punished. You are being protected from momentum."
That phrase stayed with him.
Protected from momentum.
Many climbers died not because they lacked power, but because success made stopping feel like failure.
Qin Yuheng bowed.
"Thank you."
That night, he opened the Burning Grassland rewards in private.
First, the S Grade Burning Grassland Trial Chest.
[S Grade Burning Grassland Trial Chest]
↓
[SSS Grade Ancient Flame Sovereign Grassland Chest]
Opening it gave:
[SSS Grade Ancient Flame Sovereign Core x1]
[SS Grade Skill Book: Flame Thunder Crossing Step x1]
[S Grade Fire Spirit Resistance Fruit x1]
[S Grade Flame-Tempered Battle Armor Blueprint x1]
[SS Grade Solar Ember Talisman x3]
The armor blueprint immediately interested him.
Combined with the Iron Blood War Armor Blueprint and Flame-Tempered Armor Fragment, the Qin family’s blacksmith might be able to create specialized defensive equipment.
He stored it for Tie Zhenshan.
Then he enhanced the S Grade Fire Spirit Resistance Fruit.
[S Grade Fire Spirit Resistance Fruit]
↓
[SSS Grade Primordial Flame Immunity Fruit]
The effect was powerful.
[Effect: Greatly increases resistance to fire, heat, flame poison, solar flare pressure, and low-to-high grade fire spirit corrosion.]
This fruit was extremely valuable.
But Qin Yuheng did not consume it immediately.
His current path was thunder-body, origin evolution, movement, and controlled combat. Fire immunity was useful, but perhaps someone else in the family could benefit more later. Or it could be saved for a dangerous fire floor.
Next, he examined the Flame Horn Rhino Core.
He chose Quantity Multiplication for the A Grade Flame Horn Rhino Core?
He hesitated.
A-grade boss core was rare. Multiplication could create many A-grade fire cores, useful for forging, formations, pills, and family training.
He selected Quantity Multiplication.
[A Grade Flame Horn Rhino Core x1]
↓
[A Grade Flame Horn Rhino Core x120]
Only 120.
Higher-grade item, lower multiplier.
Still enormous.
He stored them carefully.
Then he enhanced one Broken Flame Horn.
[A Grade Broken Flame Horn]
↓
[SS Grade Solar Flame Rhino Horn]
A premium forging material.
Tie Zhenshan would be pleased.
The next day, Qin Yuheng brought selected materials to the hidden forge.
Tie Zhenshan stared at the Solar Flame Rhino Horn and the Flame-Tempered Battle Armor Blueprint.
Then he looked at Qin Yuheng.
"You went to a grassland and brought back a sun beast’s horn?"
"Something like that."
Tie Zhenshan laughed.
"Good! Finally, materials worth sweating for."
Qin Mo muttered, "We sweated enough already."
The blacksmith began planning new equipment upgrades.
Not immediate full armor.
That would be too visible.
Instead, he proposed inner armor plates, heat-resistant boot layers, and weapon reinforcement components that looked ordinary outside.
Again, hidden strength.
While the Qin family prepared quietly, Blood Sun Hall received its newest report.
Xue Rong read the line about Qin Yuheng’s fourth SSS evaluation and the academy-enforced pause.
He did not smile this time.
Qin Yuheng’s growth was no longer merely interesting.
It was becoming dangerous.
A subordinate knelt before him.
"Envoy, should we increase pressure through Zhao Tianyu?"
"No," Xue Rong said.
"Then Zhao Lan?"
"No."
The subordinate hesitated.
"Then what is your order?"
Xue Rong opened an older file.
At the top was a name Qin Yuheng had not yet heard.
[Shen Wuji]
Affiliation: Blood Sun Hall outer disciple
Current cover: Wandering challenger
Specialty: Talent suppression duels, blood aura detection
Recommended use: Controlled academy-adjacent provocation
Xue Rong tapped the file.
"Send Shen Wuji to Heavenly Gate City."
The subordinate bowed.
"Yes."
Xue Rong looked toward the distant academy.
"Zhao Tianyu was too emotional. Zhao Lan is too cautious. We need someone who can test Qin Yuheng without caring about family face."
The red lamp flickered.
A new shadow began moving toward Heavenly Gate Academy.
And Qin Yuheng, for the first time in many days, was forced to stop climbing.
But stopping did not mean resting.
It meant preparing for the enemy who would come next.
