Xiao Yan eyed the lush green color outside as he walked out of the tower’s door. He felt the warm sunlight that scattered down from the sky and involuntarily had an introspective feeling. He opened both his arms before he suddenly laughed bitterly. It was really unexpected that this retreat, which was not even a month long, nearly caused his mind to be overly sensitive.

Since the Heavy Xuan Ruler had basically become Xiao Yan’s signature item at this moment, he did not frequently carry it on him in order to save some trouble. Although it would affect his training this way, it also caused Xiao Yan to have much less of a need to worry.

Xiao Yan followed the road and walked for nearly half an hour before he returned to the new student residence area of ‘Pan’s Gate.’ He eyed those guards standing as straight as a pen at the entrance and involuntarily praised quietly. It was really indeed as Xun Er had said. This ‘Pan’s Gate’ was basically undergoing changes like day and night. By observing the aura of just these few guards of ‘Pan’s Gate,’ it was likely that they were all around the peak of the Dou Shi class. Clearly, quite a number of members of ‘Pan’s Gate’ were training within the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’ during this one month. Moreover, it appeared that the effects of the tower were quite beneficial.

Xiao Yan slowly walked toward the entrance. Those few guards on sentry duty actually still remembered Xiao Yan’s face. After being initially startled, some excitement swarmed onto their faces instantly. When the former walked closer, the few of them pulled their throat as they shouted in unison, “Chief!”

The loud and clear voices pulled over the gazes of some of the people coming and going. Xiao Yan parted his mouth, and smiled foolishly at the few of them and helplessly shook his head. He walked forward, patted one person on his shoulder before swaying leisurely as he walked into the new student area. He left behind the guard whose face was shocked from being favored due to Xiao Yan’s actions.

“Hee hee, after not having seen him for one month, Chief’s strength appears to have advanced quite a lot. Looks like an elite Dou Ling will appear in our ‘Pan’s Gate’ very soon. At that time, we will not need to watch other people’s expressions to do things.” The guard, whose shoulder was patted by Xiao Yan earlier, could not help but part his mouth and speak with a smile as he eyed the partially visible back of Xiao Yan.

“Che, who is the chief afraid of now? All of you have also recently been training frequently within the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.’ Don’t tell me that you have not even heard of that incident? Hee hee, shocking a four star Dou Ling until the latter lost his fighting strength with just one strike. How many people in this Inner Academy can do this kind of thing?”

“I have also heard of that incident. Ha ha. Now, no other faction look down on us, like in the past, upon hearing that we are members of ‘Pan’s Gate’ while we are training in the tower. This is mostly because of Chief!”

Xiao Yan was naturally unable to hear the conversation of these guards. However, since he had entered the new students area until now, the occasional members of ‘Pan’s Gate’ coming and going would be initially startled upon seeing him before they immediately gave way. Their gazes were filled with respect and fear as they eyed Xiao Yan who walked past them with some doubt.

Xiao Yan walked back to the small pavilion home. After he entered the door, he discovered that Xun Er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao were present. Even that Lin Yan was also unexpectedly in the hall.

Xun Er was the first among the four people in the hall to discover Xiao Yan in the doorway. However, the one who had the most intense reaction was Lin Yan. One could see him jumping from the chair like a rabbit as his body moved toward Xiao Yan’s side in a lightning-like manner. After which, he grabbed Xiao Yan’s sleeves under the latter’s stunned gaze and frantically scolded, “You, little fellow, are finally back. Hurry up. The ‘Ice Spirit Pill’ and the ‘Marrow Washing Cold Spirit Liquid’ have all been used up. I have already waited for you for three, maybe four days. If you did not return by tomorrow, I wanted to go into the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’ to look for you.”

Xiao Yan used all his might to pull back his sleeve which was pulled by Lin Yan. He rolled his eyes and said, “Why are you in such a hurry? You won’t die just because the poison isn’t expelled for one or two more days...”

Xiao Yan ignored Lin Yan after he said this. He walked into the hall and sat on a chair before speaking with a smile toward Xun Er and the two others, “How is it? Have there been any problems with ‘Pan’s Gate’ recently? That ‘White Gang’ did not make any movements, right?”

“Ah, originally, there were still members who said that they had met some people from the ‘White Gang’ coming to find trouble while they were training in the tower during the first one to two days of your retreat. However, thanks to your recent prestige within the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’ after that, now the ‘White Gang’ does not dare to be too presumptuous. They reduced some of those small actions. I think that your deterrence had some effect.”

“Moreover, there are currently quite a number of older students who were free agents that want to join our ‘Pan’s Gate.’ After some assessment, the current size of ‘Pan’s Gate’ is around a quarter larger than before your retreat. Moreover, the strength of those older students was not bad. Most of them have the strength of the Da Dou Shi class.” Xun Er personally poured a warm cup of tea for Xiao Yan as she pursed her mouth and smiled.

“Oh?”

Xiao Yan was startled when he heard this. He immediately smiled in a stunned manner and said, “I only used Lei Na’s matter to serve as a warning because I wanted to make it so that no one would disturb me during my retreat. It is really unexpected that there were these kinds of benefits...”

“Hei, there is indeed some benefit. However, there is also quite a lot of disadvantage. You caused Lei Na to become bald. Now, he will grit his teeth upon mentioning you. Moreover, you even offended Liu Fei, that woman who is all chest and no brains. Originally, offending her is nothing. However, you should not forget what kind of person her older cousin brother is. Tyrant Spear Liu Qing. This name is not some nameless individual within the Inner Academy. Hee hee, if he wants to speak for Liu Fei, perhaps even your green-purple fire lotus could do nothing to his ‘Mountain Splitting Spear.’” Seeing Xiao Yan returning, Lin Yan also calmed down his anxiety. He crossed the hall and coldly laughed.

“How strong is that Liu Qing?” Xiao Yan could not help but frown as he inquired upon hearing the name Liu Qing once again.

“You can ask Wu Hao. Recently, he has lingered around the Fighting Arena frequently and should have some understanding of Liu Qing.” Lin Yan shrunk back into his chair. He felt that explaining this kind of thing was the most troublesome. Hence, he merely curled his lips toward Wu Hao.

Wu Hao shook his head helplessly when he saw Xiao Yan’s gaze shoot over. He mused for a moment before saying, “Tyrant Spear Liu Qing is a top expert among the top ten of the ‘Strong Ranking.’ One can count the number of students in the Inner Academy who are able to defeat him with one’s fingers. Additionally, in the Fighting Arena, he was one of the few extremely strong people who had once maintained eight consecutive victories. There are quite a number of people in the Inner Academy who view his name with reverence.”

Xiao Yan took a shallow sip of tea from the teacup in his hand and quietly nodded. With Wu Hao’s strength, he still lost more than he won in the Fighting Arena where strong people were as numerous as the clouds. Hence, Xiao Yan could vaguely guess just how difficult the so-called eight consecutive victory was. It appeared... that this Liu Qing was indeed a person that was extremely difficult to deal with.

“However, you can rest assured that that fellow doesn’t have the time to help speak out for Liu Fei for the time being. In another half a year’s time, it will be the Inner Academy Grand Competition that is held once every five years. He is currently spending every day behind closed doors. Even if he occasionally has the time to come out from the tower, it would be to practice his Dou Skill in the Fighting Arena. Thus, he will not come and find trouble with you before the Grand Competition is over. After that, however... hee hee, it will be hard to say.” Lin Yan gloatingly spoke with a smile.

“Inner Academy Grand Competition?” Xiao Yan’s brows formed a straight line as he asked feeling surprised, “There is this Competition? Why is it that I have never heard any news of it before?”

“This Grand Competition has nothing to do with you... this is a competition between the experts on the ‘Strong Ranking.’ Ordinary people can only watch the fun from below. Hence, all of you naturally don’t have the qualifications to know about it.” Lin Yan curled his lips and said, “As long as one is able to enter the top ten in this competition, one will have the qualifications to become someone that can be chosen to become an Elder. Moreover, one would even obtain the qualification for a chance to enter the ninth level and receive the forging of one’s body by the source of the Heart Flame!”

“Do you know what the source of the Heart Flame is? Simply put, if one was to receive the forging of one’s body by the Heart Flame’s source, one would obtain a pass that leads one to advance to the Dou Wang class provided that one was not someone who is so dreadfully unlucky. Do you understand if it is said in this manner?”

“A direct pass to the Dou Wang class?” When these few words entered their ears, the eyes of Hu Jia and Wu Hao became instantly hot. In the training of Dou Qi, the Dou Wang class was basically a watershed class that nearly opposed the heavens. Countless numbers of people, who had quite good training talent, were stuck at the edge of the Dou Ling class and were unable to take that one step forward for a long time.

“Heart Flame’s source?”

Compared to the two of them, Xiao Yan placed his focus on this other vocabulary instead. Source... could it be that it is saying... the original body of the ‘Fallen Heart Flame?’

The teacup in his head trembled slightly. Some of the tea splashed out. Xiao Yan forcefully suppressed the shock in his heart as he slowly placed the teacup on the table. He raised his head and asked Lin Yan, “What requirement must one have in order to enter the ninth level?”

“You can forget about having such hope.” Lin Yan rolled his eyes and replied faintly, “Putting it simply, it is impossible for the students to enter deep into the ninth or tenth level. Only the Elders of the Academy have such qualifications. Therefore, most of those fellows who can graduate and leave, instead stay in the academy with the intention of becoming an Elder. This is because only by becoming an Elder will one be able to enter the ninth or even tenth level to train. This way... it would enable them to swiftly touch the barrier to the Dou Huang class.”

“A strong Dou Huang...” Xiao Yan gently sighed. He exchanged glances with Wu Hao by his side and saw a shock within the other party’s eyes. This class could enable one to become an imposing authority of a group even when placed within the entire continent. It was really unexpected that some fellows within the Inner Academy actually had such ambition.

“That ‘Grand Competition’... is it a competition that only those who have entered the ‘Strong Ranking’ can participate?” Xiao Yan gently tapped his finger on the table and asked softly.

“Yes. After all, even if one were to lower the competence level, do you hope that some of those new students, the ones who entered the academy recently, are able to possess the qualification to be potentially selected as an Elder?” Lin Yan’s words were still that direct. He appeared to have forgotten that the four people in front of him were novices who had entered the Inner Academy less than two months ago.

Xiao Yan could only helplessly shake his head at the vicious tongue of this fellow. He raised his head slightly and eyed the ceiling. The glow in his eyes was flickering indefinitely. This was perhaps... an opportunity.