The peaceful town, nestled at the border between the Black-Corner Region and the Canaan Academy, basked under the sunlight that poured down from the sky. The rays of light fell upon the signboard at the entrance, illuminating the three ordinary-looking characters, which glimmered with a reassuring luster under the sun: “Peaceful Town!”
“Peaceful Town!” When Xiao Yan and his companions climbed the peak and caught sight of the small town below, their hearts felt as if a great weight had been lifted. A long, deep breath escaped their lips, gradually dissipating into nothingness. The journey here had truly been torturous.
“Let’s go, once we enter Peaceful Town, the pursuers will no longer be a threat… Canaan Academy has already received the news, and there are many strong practitioners from the academy waiting to receive us in the town.” Su Qian slowly turned his gaze away from the town and smiled.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly and glanced back, where figures could be faintly seen moving. Greedy and resentful gazes shot forth from the dark corners.
“Truly, a bunch of relentless fellows.” A cold smile appeared on Xiao Yan’s lips; he shook his head and ignored them. With a wave of his hand, he leaped off the mountain top, transforming into a black shadow and swiftly heading towards Peaceful Town. Behind him, members of the Xiao Gate and strong practitioners from Canaan Academy followed, laughing loudly, having grown tired and annoyed by the persistent pursuers.
As they watched Xiao Yan and his group flash away toward the town, the trailing figures could only grind their teeth in frustration and disperse. Only a few stubborn ones remained, hopefully waiting for some unforeseen situation to occur and take advantage of it.
But their hoped-for situation did not come to pass. Xiao Yan and his company entered Peaceful Town smoothly and vanished from their sight…
At the top of a towering tree, a figure in a gray robe stood mid-air on a branch. Beneath the gray robe, cold eyes gazed at the retreating backs of Xiao Yan and his comrades. After a moment, the figure raised its head, revealing a familiar, grim face—it was Han Xue.
“My good younger brother, your elder brother will not give up so easily. Wait and see, after slaying the three elders of Demon Flame Valley, your good days will be over. But for now… let you enjoy a period of peace.”
A cold, sinister smile played on Han Xue’s lips, and he let out a low, chilling laugh. The laugh was followed by an eerie, freezing cackle from beneath the gray robe, and then the figure slowly faded into nothingness.
Just as Xiao Yan and his group entered Peaceful Town, the air above the town was filled with the sounds of people darting through the sky. In a short time, the rooftops surrounding the spot where Xiao Yan and his companions appeared were filled with wary figures. When these figures saw Su Qian, their wary expressions quickly dissolved, replaced by undisguised surprise.
“It’s the Grand Elder! They’ve returned!”
The excited cry spread quickly through the town, and almost immediately, more than a dozen imposing figures dashed out of the town, appearing before Xiao Yan and his group in a blink. The badges on their chests revealed them to be some of the elder practitioners of the academy.
“Old man, you finally returned. If we hadn’t heard from you in two more days, I would have led a search party into the Black-Corner Region,” a deep, powerful voice sounded from behind. An elderly, spirited man emerged, walking with a forceful gait. The other elders hastened to clear a path for him.
“Hu Gan, you old fellow, still as rude as ever… If you don’t learn to control your temper, advancing to Battle Sect might take a lifetime,” Su Qian chuckled, eyeing the elder whom Xiao Yan was familiar with.
“Pah, advancing to Battle Sect has nothing to do with my temper,” Hu Gan retorted, then his gaze landed on Xiao Yan. He scrutinized him from head to toe, whistling in admiration, “I never expected this. When you first entered this peaceful little town, you were just a Da Dou Shi. And yet, in such a short time, you’re already a Battle Emperor… Your cultivation speed is unparalleled even in Canaan Academy.”
“Xiao Yan greets Vice Principal.” Xiao Yan smiled and bowed respectfully to Hu Gan.
“Enough of the formalities. And with your strength, I can hardly accept such courtesy,” Hu Gan said, though the smile on his face suggested he enjoyed the gesture. He patted his beard and turned to the curious onlookers on the rooftops, shouting, “Little rascals, this is the Inner Academy’s Pan Gateway Guild Master, Xiao Yan—now a genuine Battle Emperor. You know the experts who protect you during your training missions in the Black-Corner Region? Pan Gateway was his creation, very different from those who need protection.”
Hearing this, the crowd on the rooftops was astounded. Their eyes flashed as they scrutinized Xiao Yan, whispering excitedly like a swarm of flies.
“Is that Senior Xiao Yan? Indeed, he’s quite young and also looks good, better than the statue.”
“Hehe, does this little girl have a crush? But plenty of people in the academy admire and are curious about this mysterious senior. Your sister will be your strongest competitor too.”
“Sigh…”
Two girls, similar in appearance, burst into giggles as they whispered, their slim waists trembling, drawing the gazes of many male students around.
“I never expected Senior Xiao Yan to become a Battle Emperor at such a young age. No wonder he founded Pan Gateway…”
“Pan Gateway is now the strongest faction in Canaan Academy. More than thirty members of the top fifty Inner Academy’s rankings belong to Pan Gateway. Even among the elders, several hold positions within Pan Gateway. Such power, none can surpass it…”
“…”.
As the whispers and the strange, starry-eyed looks from the girls, especially the ones seemingly eager to rush over, reached him, Xiao Yan’s face turned slightly red. He hadn’t expected anyone to remember him after two years away. But the youthful vitality and energy of the young men and women around him made his tense heart relax. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, “Youth is so wonderful…”
As he spoke, he seemed to forget that he wasn’t much older than these youths.
“Hehe, boy, in the entire history of Canaan Academy, very few geniuses have achieved the respect you have here. You’ve lived here for a few years, and you should know that the students here are the best of the best. Gaining their recognition is no easy feat.”
Hu Gan patted Xiao Yan’s shoulder, smiling. Xiao Yan could only chuckle awkwardly.
Ignoring Xiao Yan’s expression, Hu Gan continued, “When you first came to Canaan Academy, I knew you’d amount to something. Turns out, I still have a pretty good eye.”
“Old man, don’t boast…”
Su Qian shook his head and waved, “Let’s return to Canaan Academy. Instruct the Law Enforcement Team to keep a close watch. If anyone from the Black-Corner Region tries to enter, don’t report, act directly.”
“Already done. The temptation of the Bodhi Transforming Body Fluid is quite significant… Who’s this?”
Hu Gan nodded, his gaze shifting to Little Healer Immortal beside Xiao Yan. The faint, oppressive aura emanating from her made him feel uneasy. This sensation was usually only felt occasionally from Su Qian, but not as strongly. He asked casually, “Who’s she?”
“She’s Little Healer Immortal, a friend of mine,” Xiao Yan replied with a smile.
Hu Gan was surprised, then sighed, “You, kid, the people around you are extraordinary. You’re no longer the naive little guy from before…”
He then turned to the crowd on the rooftops, shouting, “Alright, disperse, the Law Enforcement Team will patrol.”
Reluctantly, the students dispersed, but their gazes lingered on Xiao Yan a while longer before they left.
“Come on, let’s return to Canaan Academy. The Inner Academy’s Sky Fire Refining Qi Tower needs to be re-activated. And I think, after two years, you should visit Pan Gateway again. After all, you are its founder.”
As the crowd dispersed, Su Qian breathed a sigh of relief, turning to Xiao Yan with a smile.
Xiao Yan nodded, his gaze lifting to the direction of Canaan Academy. Inwardly, he sighed, two years later, he had finally returned to the place that transformed him from a naive youth into a formidable warrior…
“Pan Gateway, I wonder how it is now,” pondering the young faction he had created, Xiao Yan’s heart quietly warmed.
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