As they approached the borders of the Inner Academy, flying calmly through the sky with the subdued Snow Demon Heaven Ape following behind like a massive guardian shadow—
the atmosphere suddenly shifted.
A powerful aura descended.
Blocking their path—
stood an old man in simple robes, yet carrying an overwhelming presence.
It was none other than Dean Su Qian.
Before Xiao Feng could even open his mouth—
Zi Yan had already rushed forward, her small face filled with annoyance.
"Old man! Why are you blocking us?!" she shouted loudly, completely unrestrained, as if she was scolding someone familiar rather than the Dean of the Inner Academy.
Su Qian let out a helpless sigh, clearly used to her attitude.
His stern gaze softened slightly as he looked at her.
"You little girl… where did you run off to this time?" he said, his tone carrying both authority and faint indulgence.
Then his eyes shifted—
Landing sharply on Xiao Feng.
"And why," he continued slowly, "are you with a new student?"
Zi Yan immediately crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks.
"Hmph! I went out for something important!" she said proudly.
Without waiting, she began explaining everything in one breath—
How Xiao Feng had quietly slipped out…
How they met…
How they made a deal with the Snow Demon Heaven Ape…
How they fought, subdued it, and obtained treasures…
And even how Xiao Feng used pills and strength to win it over.
As she spoke—
Su Qian's expression gradually changed.
From calm…
To surprised…
To deeply thoughtful.
After she finished—
Xiao Feng stepped forward calmly.
He cupped his fists slightly and spoke respectfully,
"Dean, everything she said is true."
To confirm it—
He raised his hand and revealed several jade bottles, medicinal pills, and even faint traces of powerful fire aura still lingering around him.
At the same time—
The massive Snow Demon Heaven Ape behind them lowered its head slightly, showing no hostility… only submission.
Seeing this—
Su Qian's eyes narrowed slightly.
He remained silent for a few moments… clearly weighing the situation.
Finally—
He spoke.
"You may enter the Inner Academy."
Then his tone turned serious.
"But—"
His gaze locked onto Xiao Feng.
"If anything goes wrong…"
"You will be responsible."
He glanced briefly at the Snow Demon Heaven Ape.
"This beast…"
"If it causes trouble…"
"You will handle it."
There was a brief silence in the air.
Xiao Feng did not hesitate.
He nodded calmly.
"I understand."
Su Qian studied him for a moment longer—
Then slowly stepped aside.
The path to the Inner Academy—
Was opened.
And just like that—
Xiao Feng, Zi Yan, and their newly recruited guardian beast entered the Inner Academy together
After parting ways with Su Qian, Xiao Feng did not linger outside for long.
Without wasting even a moment—he directly headed toward the Fire Gang courtyard.
The moment he stepped into the courtyard—
A sudden surge of tension erupted.
From within—
Five figures rushed out at once.
Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, Bai Cheng, Jia Yun—
and standing at the center—
Xiao Yi Xian.
Their expressions were sharp.
Their auras flared instantly.
The moment they sensed it—
That overwhelming magical beast aura behind Xiao Feng—
Their bodies instinctively reacted.
Dou Qi surged.
Killing intent flickered.
Without hesitation—
All five of them took defensive stances.
Some prepared to attack…
Others positioned themselves to shield the rest…
The atmosphere—
Turned extremely tense in an instant.
But then—
They saw clearly.
The massive Snow Demon Heaven Ape…
Was not attacking.
Instead—
It was quietly standing behind Xiao Feng.
Obedient.
Submissive.
And beside him—
There was even a small purple-haired girl—
Clinging to him casually as if nothing was wrong.
The contrast—
Was too strange.
Slowly—
The tension faded.
Their auras calmed…
Their expressions relaxed…
Though confusion still lingered in their eyes.
Xiao Feng let out a faint smile.
"Relax… it's with me."
Hearing this—
They finally let down their guard completely.
Then—
Xiao Feng stepped forward and began introducing them.
"This is a magical beast I brought back," he said calmly.
All five of them instinctively turned their gaze toward the giant ape again—
Still cautious… but no longer hostile.
Then Xiao Feng looked at the Snow Demon Heaven Ape.
"You don't have a name, right?"
The ape paused for a moment—
Then spoke in a deep voice,
"…Just call me Snow."
The moment those words were spoken—
The entire courtyard—
Fell silent.
Han Yue's eyes widened slightly.
Lin Xiuya stiffened.
Bai Cheng and Jia Yun exchanged shocked looks.
Even Xiao Yi Xian's gaze trembled slightly.
"A… talking magical beast…?"
Their minds immediately connected the dots—
Only 6th-tier magical beasts—
Beings comparable to Dou Emperors—
Could truly speak like humans.
For a moment—
Shock filled their hearts.
But—
Lin Xiuya and Han Yue quickly regained their composure.
Their brows furrowed slightly as they observed more carefully.
"No…" Lin Xiuya muttered.
"This aura… it's strong—but not at that level…"
Han Yue nodded slowly.
"It's not a Dou Emperor level…"
Realization dawned.
They looked back at Xiao Feng—
Now even more curious than before.
Seeing their confusion—
Xiao Feng chuckled lightly.
Then he calmly explained,
"The Snow Demon Heaven Ape has a special constitution… and certain opportunities…"
"It can speak earlier than normal magical beasts."
His words were simple—
But the implication—
Was anything but simple.
Hearing this—
Everyone's eyes widened again.
A magical beast—
Capable of speaking before reaching the 6th tier?
That alone—
Was extraordinary.
At that moment—
Snow suddenly puffed out his chest proudly.
His massive body straightened—
As if he was showing off.
"Hmph."
The reaction—
Made the atmosphere lighten instantly.
Even Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help but smile faintly.
Seeing that everyone had finally accepted the situation—
Xiao Feng nodded slightly.
Then—
He began introducing everyone one by one.
"This is Han Yue…"
"This is Lin Xiuya…"
"Bai Cheng… Jia Yun…"
Finally his gaze softened slightly.
"And this is Xiao Yi Xian. my fiance ."He said,
As the introductions ended—
The courtyard, which had been tense just moments ago gradually filled with a strange sense of unity.
=========
Just then—
Xiao Feng stepped forward, his expression calm yet carrying a natural authority that made everyone unconsciously focus on him.
He slowly looked at each of them—
Then spoke in a steady voice:
"From now on…"
He slightly turned his head and gestured toward the massive figure behind him—
"Snow… will be our protector."
The moment those words fell—
Everyone's eyes shifted toward the Snow Demon Heaven Ape again.
Xiao Feng continued,
"Whenever we go out for training in the forest… he will accompany us."
He paused briefly—
Letting the weight of his words settle.
"And not just that…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"You can also spar with him here."
The moment this was said—
Lin Xiuya and Bai Cheng's expressions changed slightly.
Even Han Yue's eyes flickered with surprise.
Spar… with a magical beast of this level?
That wasn't just training—
That was tempering themselves against real danger.
Before they could react further—
Xiao Feng calmly added,
"I've already spoken with Dean Su Qian before coming here."
Hearing the name—
Their expressions became serious again.
"He has agreed…"
"Snow can stay in the Inner Academy."
This time—
There was no doubt left.
Then Xiao Feng looked at Snow again and said,
"From today onwards…"
"He will also be treated as an elder of our faction."
Silence fell.
An elder-level existence—
Inside their group.
But Xiao Feng's tone remained composed as he clarified,
"However…"
"Snow will not interfere in daily matters."
"He will only act—"
"When the academy faces danger…"
"Or when we truly need him."
The Snow Demon Heaven Ape gave a low grunt—
As if acknowledging the arrangement.
"And the rest of the time…"
Xiao Feng finished,
"He will focus on his own cultivation."
This time—
Everyone fully understood.
This wasn't just gaining a companion—
This was gaining a powerful backing.
A guardian.
A hidden trump card.
For a moment—
The entire courtyard fell into silence again.
After finishing the introductions—
Xiao Feng finally turned his attention to the "problem" that had been clinging to him the entire time.
Zi Yan—
Who was still hugging his shoulders tightly like a koala—
Showing absolutely no intention of letting go.
Xiao Feng sighed helplessly.
Then Without any warning—
He grabbed her lightly and pushed her forward.
"Stand properly."
Zi Yan stumbled a step ahead—
Turning back immediately with an annoyed expression.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" she complained, puffing her cheeks.
But before she could jump back onto him—
All eyes had already fallen on her.
Han Yue…
Xiao Yi Xian…
And the others—
Especially the three girls were momentarily stunned.
Because in a place like the Inner Academy—
Where every student was a genius—
Where strength determined everything—
The girl standing before them—
Looked like nothing more than a ten-year-old child.
Small and delicate—
Yet unbelievably eye-catching.
Zi Yan's long purple hair flowed down like fine silk, shimmering faintly under the light, carrying a mysterious luster that was impossible to ignore.
Her skin—
Was fair and smooth like jade—
Almost glowing with a natural softness.
Her face—
Was exquisitely delicate.
A pair of large, bright eyes—
Shone like amethysts, clear and lively, filled with intelligence, curiosity… and a hint of mischief.
Her small nose twitched slightly—
As if constantly catching scents in the air.
Her lips Soft and pink were currently pouted in dissatisfaction.
Even her expression carried a natural charm , Half innocent…
Half cunning.
She looked harmless Cute , Even adorable.
But for some reason—
Deep within that small body—
There was a faint, almost imperceptible sense of danger.
A contradiction—
That made her presence even more striking.
For a moment—
No one spoke.
Then—
Han Yue was the first to react.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"A… child?" she muttered, clearly confused.
Lin Xiuya narrowed his eyes.
"This doesn't feel right…" he said quietly.
Xiao Yi Xian, however—
Looked at Zi Yan more carefully.
Her gaze lingered for a moment—
As if trying to see through something deeper.
Because instinctively—
She could feel it.
This "little girl"—
Was not simple.
At all.
Meanwhile—
Zi Yan crossed her arms and huffed.
"What are you all staring at? Haven't you seen someone this cute before?" she said proudly.
The childish tone—
Completely shattered the tense atmosphere.
Xiao Feng shook his head slightly—
A faint smile appearing on his face.
Then he said calmly,
"This is Zi Yan."
He paused for a moment Then added meaningfully—
"Don't judge her by appearance."
Xiao Feng looked at their stunned faces, completely unsurprised by their reaction, and spoke in a calm yet steady voice that carried a quiet authority, "Although she looks like a child… she is actually older than everyone present here… except Snow."
The moment those words fell, the entire courtyard seemed to freeze once again, as everyone subconsciously turned their gaze toward Zi Yan, whose small figure and childish face made it almost impossible to accept such a statement. Zi Yan, however, only lifted her chin proudly, clearly enjoying their shock.
Xiao Feng continued without pause, his tone still casual as if he was stating something insignificant, "She is also a magical beast… just like Snow. But during her early growth stage, she consumed a Transformation Grass, and because of that, her body has remained in this childlike form ever since."
Hearing this, the expressions of Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, Bai Cheng, Jia Yun, and Xiao Yi Xian changed again, the shock in their eyes deepening further. A magical beast that had already taken human form was rare enough, but one that had done so at such an early stage—and remained like this—was something they had never even heard of before.
However, what came next from Xiao Feng completely shattered whatever composure they had left.
"She is the number one on the Inner Academy's Strong Ranking… the strongest among all students… second only to the elders."
For a brief moment, no one even breathed. Lin Xiuya's calm demeanor cracked, Han Yue's eyes widened, and even Xiao Yi Xian's usually composed gaze turned serious. Before they could recover, Xiao Feng added the final blow in the same steady tone, "And currently… she is a Dou King."
That single sentence struck like thunder in their minds. A Dou King—standing right in front of them—in the form of a little girl who looked no older than ten. The contrast was so absurd that their thoughts simply stopped.
"And from today onwards," Xiao Feng concluded, glancing at Zi Yan, "she will be joining our Fire Faction."
This time, the silence stretched even longer, not because they had nothing to say, but because there was simply too much to process. A magical beast in human form, a Dou King powerhouse, the strongest student in the Inner Academy, and the number one on the ranking list—which meant access to enormous cultivation resources every year—was now standing with them… as one of them.
Slowly, reality began to sink in. This wasn't just about gaining a powerful ally—it meant influence, protection, and an unimaginable boost in resources. Their Fire Faction, which had already grown rapidly, had now taken a leap that others could only dream of.
Bai Cheng was the first to break the silence, swallowing hard as he muttered under his breath, "Are we… dreaming?" while Lin Xiuya exhaled slowly and shook his head, his eyes fixed on Xiao Feng, "No… this is real."
Han Yue's gaze toward Xiao Feng had completely changed, carrying a depth she hadn't shown before, while Xiao Yi Xian quietly observed everything, her expression thoughtful yet calm. Because at this moment, all of them understood one undeniable truth—
Xiao Feng was no longer just a talented alchemist.
He was someone who could gather monsters around him… and stand at the very center of them all.