The Canaan Academy was still a considerable distance from Peace Town, and by the time Xiao Yan and his group arrived, it was already noon. In the outer courtyard, Xiao Yan did not linger for long; after a brief pause, they hastened to the inner courtyard, which was situated deep in the mountains behind the academy. With their current speed, it took them less than half an hour to traverse the perilous-looking, dense forest that once seemed quite dangerous to them. When the familiar mountain stream appeared in Xiao Yan’s sight, he knew they had reached the inner courtyard.
Under the lead of Su Qian, the group easily entered the inner courtyard, hidden by the twisted space. Passing through the silver gate, they were greeted by a vast, verdant forest. Gazing at the familiar landscape, Xiao Yan felt a wave of nostalgia. Back then, he had entered the inner courtyard here, and the so-called ‘Fire Energy Competition’ had earned him a bit of a reputation among the new students.
“Haha, the records you set back then have yet to be broken by any of the new students. Every year, the freshmen still get a taste of the sophomores’ so-called intimidation. The incident where the freshmen managed to seize the fire energy, like when you did, has never happened again,” Su Qian said with a smile.
Listening to Su Qian reminisce about the youthful exploits of the past, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but smile, exhale softly, and say, “Let’s go…”
With that, his figure flickered, and he glided into the forest. Close behind, Su Qian and the others followed.
Exiting the forest, the vast inner courtyard once again came into view. Standing on the slope, Xiao Yan gazed down at the bustling courtyard. The inner courtyard had expanded somewhat compared to two years ago, and with the relaxed admission criteria over the years, it now exuded even more vitality. Of course, this also brought about fiercer competition. Those who could enter the inner courtyard were no ordinary people, and those with abilities naturally didn’t want to be overshadowed. The so-called ‘Strong Ranking’ was their goal, and to advance their rankings, many students trained relentlessly…
The group stopped at the main gate of the inner courtyard. However, Xiao Yan did not immediately follow Su Qian and the others. He wanted to visit the Pan Gate, the first faction he had ever established, to see how it had changed. Seeing this, Su Qian did not stop him, instead, he nodded and said with a smile, “You can ask around for the location of the headquarters of the Pan Gate. Once you’re done catching up, come find me in the Elder Hall.”
Without waiting for a reply, Su Qian turned and led Little Healer Immortal, Xiao Lie, and the others deeper into the inner courtyard, leaving Xiao Yan standing alone.
Watching Su Qian and the others disappear, Xiao Yan finally let out a deep breath. His young face gradually filled with a spirited smile, one that hadn’t graced his features in a long time. He had been under constant pressure, sometimes even forgetting that he was just in his early twenties, not a grizzled old man. Now, in the vibrant atmosphere of the inner courtyard, Xiao Yan’s mind felt lighter. He looked more like a young man fitting his age rather than a little old man.
Rubbing his face, Xiao Yan walked slowly through the broad inner courtyard. Along the way, he asked a random student for the location of the Pan Gate. After the student, slightly surprised, gave him the directions, Xiao Yan thanked him and moved on.
“Is this kid… a new student? How could he not know where the headquarters of the Pan Gate is?” The student muttered to himself as Xiao Yan walked away.
Following the directions, Xiao Yan arrived at the so-called Pan Gate headquarters within about ten minutes. Stopping before the massive compound, he was somewhat dumbfounded. Was the inner courtyard being too generous, giving such a luxurious place to a faction? Compared to the old days when they could only use the dorms as a base, this was a world apart.
Naturally, Xiao Yan, having been away for over two years, was unaware of the formidable influence the Pan Gate had gained within the inner courtyard. The top fifty of the Strong Ranking, which held the most prestigious positions, included many members of the Pan Gate. Even some of the new elders of the inner courtyard still carried the title of the Pan Gate. Furthermore, with the Pan Gate’s increased strictness, the cohesion among its members had grown stronger. This made the faction more disciplined and controlled compared to other, more loosely organized factions.
Admiring the place, Xiao Yan walked towards the large estate. As he approached, he glanced at the four stern-faced men at the entrance. Their auras indicated they were not to be trifled with, even within the entire inner courtyard. Using such skilled members as guards was something Xiao Yan had never seen before.
Seeing the four men patrolling with watchful eyes, Xiao Yan’s figure flickered, and he darted into the Pan Gate like a ghost, unseen and unheard. Smiling, he clapped his hands and proceeded deeper into the compound.
Walking through the Pan Gate, Xiao Yan felt the spaciousness of the estate once again. He chose a path at random and soon found himself in a clear, tidy area, from which a loud, suppressed cheer echoed.
Hearing the cheers, Xiao Yan looked up and saw a large, black-clad crowd. Amused, he strolled over, sensing a familiar presence. As he neared the crowd, he noticed a high platform in the center. On it sat a woman in a light blue dress, her exquisite beauty and alluring curves beneath her attire hinting at a cold, distant demeanor. She was the type of aloof woman who was hard to be conquered by any man. Her indifferent aura made it clear she was not to be trifled with. But what truly caught Xiao Yan’s interest was not her appearance, but the medicinal cauldron before her. Inside, flames flickered, and a faint scent of medicine wafted out. Evidently, she was a Medicinal Alchemist!
Xiao Yan scanned the cauldron, inhaling lightly, his surprise growing. He murmured, “It’s a fourth-grade pill, Heavenly Weather Pill. I didn’t expect someone so young to have the ability to refine such a pill. Her talent in alchemy is on par with Luo Ling, Gu He’s disciple.”
The blue-dressed woman was clearly fully focused on the cauldron. Droplets of perspiration occasionally slid down her smooth forehead, tracing the slightly gaunt lines of her chin. Despite the sweat, she showed no signs of exhaustion, her soul force carefully controlling the flames to nurture the pill. The thick medicinal aroma drew continuous gulps from the surrounding spectators, their low chatter emerging.
“Sister Xinlan’s medicinal alchemy skills are truly improving. At her age, she can already refine fourth-grade pills; she will surely achieve greatness in the future.”
“Hehe, indeed. Whoever can marry Sister Xinlan will never lack for pills in this life…”
“Tsk, dreaming again. Sister Xinlan’s standards are high. There’s no man in the inner courtyard that catches her eye. And she herself has said that to be with her, one must surpass her in alchemy. Who among the students can do that, except for some elders or mentors from the alchemy department?”
“Heh, who says there isn’t? Our Gate Master once competed in alchemy inside the inner courtyard and refined a fifth-grade pill!”
“Cough… Get out of here. Our Gate Master has been gone for two years, that doesn’t count…”
Listening to the conversations, Xiao Yan found them amusing, realizing he had become somewhat of a legendary figure.
As Xiao Yan inwardly chuckled, the blue-dressed woman suddenly shouted, raising her hand as a pill, fragrant and perfectly round, shot out of the cauldron and landed in her luminous, jade-like palm.
Cheers erupted, and flattering comments rang out. However, the woman remained cold, her icy gaze silencing the overly enthusiastic ones.
“Such a pity…” Xiao Yan’s gaze fell on the pill in her hand, and he shook his head slightly, muttering quietly.
Just as he finished speaking, he sensed a sudden hush. Looking up, he met a pair of clear, cool eyes gazing at him.
The blue-dressed woman, looking down at the vaguely familiar black-robed youth, spoke in a chill voice, “What do you mean, ‘such a pity’?”
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