Chapter 26: The Inner Academy!
"Jiang Yun, we meet again. It seems these past few years, you have not failed to live up to your talent!"
Su Qian looked at the youth now standing before him. A trace of reminiscence flickered in his eyes, as if recalling the time when they had first met—back then, Jiang Yun had already displayed extraordinary talent.
Now, it seemed, Jiang Yun was destined to soar through the highest heavens.
"First Elder!" Seeing Su Qian, Jiang Yun bowed with great respect and propriety. Su Qian had saved his life—he was one of the two and a half people in this world whom Jiang Yun held in his heart.
"In this Fire Energy Hunt, you have taken first place. Wait here for now. Once the remaining students arrive, we shall proceed." Su Qian looked at Jiang Yun with satisfaction. Although he had not managed to probe this little fellow's true depth, what had already been revealed was more than sufficient.
As for the rest—he would wait until they were inside the Inner Academy to see! Su Qian believed the Inner Academy would become very lively indeed thanks to the arrival of Jiang Yun and Zi Yan.
Hearing Su Qian's arrangements, Jiang Yun raised no objections. Under the faint, lingering gazes of the many elders, he walked to Zi Yan's side and sat down cross-legged.
"Excellent! You didn't embarrass me, Zi Yan!"
Jiang Yun had only just sat down when a slender yet powerful arm reached over and hooked around his shoulders.
Then, Zi Yan's face, filled with gratified approval, appeared before Jiang Yun's eyes.
"This is still largely thanks to Zi Yan's usual excellent guidance," Jiang Yun offered a flattering compliment. Watching the smugness rising in the depths of Zi Yan's eyes, he chuckled inwardly. See? Zi Yan was still very easy to read.
"Let me see how much Fire Energy you have now. Wow—over fourteen hundred!" Zi Yan reached over and took Jiang Yun's Fire Energy card, exclaiming in surprise at the bright red number upon it.
Then, her large eyes darted about slyly. She murmured under her breath, "Are these Inner Academy old students really this loaded?"
"Don't you go causing trouble. If you're short on Fire Energy, you can take mine for now. But don't go setting your sights on the Inner Academy old students. If you turn the whole Inner Academy into a mess, just watch how the First Elder deals with you."
Jiang Yun rapped Zi Yan's smooth, fair forehead with his knuckles and placed his own Fire Energy card into her hand.
"Ouch— Alright, alright, I get it, I get it. It's just a few days of Fire Energy. I'll earn it myself."
Zi Yan rubbed her not-at-all-painful forehead, handed Jiang Yun's card back to him, and said with a touch of tsundere pride.
Jiang Yun shook his head with a rueful smile and sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing. Throughout this entire gauntlet of battles, although under the support of the Crimson Fire Treasure Tome, Jiang Yun's Dou Qi consumption had been near negligible, the exhaustion of his mental and spiritual energy from fighting all the way here couldn't be so easily recovered. A brief period of regulation would restore his condition.
Seeing Jiang Yun close his eyes to recover, Zi Yan also quieted down. She silently sat cross-legged beside Jiang Yun, propping her little head up with her hands as she watched him. The corner of her mouth slowly curled upward into a faint arc.
Approximately a little over half a day later, the other students finally began appearing as well.
However, compared to Jiang Yun's calm composure, their appearances were far more battered and disheveled. One by one, they looked utterly listless and drained—the very picture of having just received a harsh lesson.
Even Ling Feng and the others, who were among the Outer Academy's top five, had not been spared.
The old students arranged by Jia Nan Academy were indeed very strong. Although Jiang Yun had already dealt with a significant portion of them, the remaining old students still had more than enough ability to handle these new students.
The old students of Jia Nan Academy had, at minimum, the strength of a 4-star Da Dou Shi. The Outer Academy, in contrast, only had the top ten at the Da Dou Shi level.
Under such overwhelming odds—the many bullying the few—they had been robbed quite a few times along the way.
"Jiang Yun—"
Seeing Jiang Yun already present and looking completely unruffled, expressions of astonishment spread across the new students' faces. Ling Feng and the other three somewhat dejectedly hung their heads. Was the gap truly this vast?
The news that there was a fierce powerhouse in the Outer Academy had already reached their ears from the old students. Although they had long suspected it was Jiang Yun, seeing it with their own eyes still dealt a heavy blow.
"This Fire Energy Hunt is now officially concluded. Next, we will proceed with rewarding those new students who performed exceptionally well in this hunt."
Once everyone had assembled, Su Qian declared in a loud, clear voice. Everyone's gazes immediately fell upon Jiang Yun. This reward could belong to no one but him.
"Jiang Yun, as the first to defeat every opponent along the way and arrive at the finish line, is hereby rewarded with fifty days of Fire Energy and one Cyan Fire Crystal Card."
Another Cyan Fire Crystal Card?
The reward was so generous that many of the old students couldn't help but breathe more heavily, their eyes brimming with envy.
One had to know that a Fire Crystal Card not only determined which floor of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower one could access, but also required at least three hundred days of Fire Energy to exchange for. How could these old students not be envious?
Jiang Yun accepted the Cyan Fire Crystal Card. After transferring the Fire Energy from his own black card, he returned the black card to Su Qian.
After retrieving the black card, Su Qian then turned his gaze to the remaining new students. "The remaining new students are each rewarded five days of Fire Energy."
Upon hearing this, all the new students gasped in surprise. After all, despite their utterly battered state, they were actually receiving a reward—it was truly a cause for delight.
Even as they rejoiced, a trace of gratitude crept into the gazes directed at Jiang Yun. They also knew that had it not been for Jiang Yun's outstanding performance, bulldozing through all the old students along the way, the First Elder would certainly not have made an exception to reward them, the new students.
"As for everyone else's rewards—once you've found your lodgings, I will arrange for someone to deliver them to you. Now, you have all passed the Fire Energy Hunt. Follow me into the Inner Academy first."
Having spoken, he took the lead and turned around, walking slowly up the slope along a flight of fragmented stone steps.
Jiang Yun and the rest immediately followed, stepping foot into the Inner Academy that was the envy of all.
Very quickly, the group arrived at the top of the slope. Sweeping their gazes forward, the scene that appeared within their field of vision made them slowly inhale a breath of slightly cool, crisp air.
"So this is the Inner Academy?"
Behind the slope lay an enormously vast sunken basin. Judging by the shape of this basin, it looked as though a colossal meteor had fallen from the sky and smashed it into existence.
Within this basin, towering buildings stood clustered in dense forests. Looking down from this high vantage point, one could see shadowy figures, darting and leaping across the rooftops like fleas.
Gazing further outward, the area of this basin was astonishingly massive. Even at the very edge of one's sightline, one could still only see towering architecture and lush, verdant greenery.
"Alright. Since the Hunt has concluded, all new students follow me back to the Inner Academy. Let's get you settled first—you can take a proper look around the Inner Academy later." Su Qian looked at the shocked new students and spoke with a smile. These expressions, he witnessed once every single year—long since a common sight to him.
The new students nodded. From the old students, they had already glimpsed the benefits of the Inner Academy.
One of the several elders called out to the crowd of new students, while the mass of old students scattered like birds and beasts. They had to spread the news that two truly ruthless figures existed among this year's new students.
Those with insufficient strength should take a detour if they saw them. Those with sufficient strength should go properly teach them a lesson on their behalf, lest they think the Inner Academy had no one worthy of note.
In the northeastern corner of the Inner Academy, there stood a cluster of courtyard residences. Five bright, spacious courtyards, each with its own loft, were opened one by one, welcoming their new occupants.
The elder leading the way smiled as he pushed open the door and said, "This courtyard—from now on, it will be the residence for the two of you."
"Two people?"
Jiang Yun's brow arched. As he recalled, according to the Inner Academy's rules, wasn't the arrangement five people to a single dormitory?
Seeing the question in Jiang Yun's eyes, the guiding elder explained, "Originally, according to Inner Academy rules, new students are housed five to a dormitory. However, the First Elder specifically instructed that the young friend Zi Yan likely would not enjoy sharing quarters with others. Thus, an exception was made to prepare a separate dormitory for you."
Having finished speaking, the elder discreetly observed Zi Yan's expression. Seeing the delight surfacing on her face, he immediately felt relieved.
He too was one of the elders who had accompanied the Fire Energy Hunt. He had personally witnessed Zi Yan's dazzling, unmistakable Dou Qi wings and knew exactly how much power was hidden within that seemingly harmless little girl's body.
Even now, he could still feel a chill deep in his heart, a persistent unease. This was the human body's natural reaction when facing a threat—clearly, this elder was no match for Zi Yan.
Jiang Yun suddenly understood. He smiled and rubbed Zi Yan's head. "It seems I'm benefiting from your influence!"
"Hmph— naturally. Don't you worry. Stick with Zi Yan, and I guarantee you'll feast on the finest delicacies from now on!"
Praised by Jiang Yun, Zi Yan's tail immediately shot up to the heavens. She tilted her head high, clasped her hands behind her back, puffed out her chest, and strode grandly inside.
Jiang Yun shook his head with an amused chuckle. After bidding farewell to the unnamed elder, he followed behind Zi Yan.
As Jiang Yun and the other new students settled in, the events of the Fire Energy Hunt quickly spread among the old students of the Inner Academy.
Everyone learned that this year's new student batch contained two truly ruthless figures. One was a purple-haired little girl who dared to call the First Elder 'old man' to his face. Either her background was heaven-shaking, or she was a junior of the First Elder himself. Her strength was unclear, yet she was definitely not someone to provoke lightly.
There was also a new student named Jiang Yun, reportedly only twelve or thirteen years old, who had already reached the strength of an 8-star Da Dou Shi. He had single-handedly defeated the Black Fiend and White Fiend Teams.
This caused a great uproar among the Inner Academy old students. One had to know that this time, the Black Fiend and White Fiend Teams were captained by Sun Hai and Wu Qiu, both 5-star Dou Ling—all renowned experts on the Strong Ranking.
The two of them combined—even an 8-star Dou Ling would not have full confidence in victory. Yet Jiang Yun had accomplished it.
Regarding the news of Jiang Yun and Zi Yan, there were disbelievers, those who were wary, and those who didn't care at all. In any case, Jiang Yun and Zi Yan had now initially entered the line of sight of the Inner Academy's old students.
Jiang Yun remained utterly unaware of all this. Even if he had known, he would not have paid it any mind. Right now, he was busy breaking through to 9-star Da Dou Shi. He had already lingered at 8-star for many days. Spurred on by the Fire Energy Hunt, he had smoothly found the catalyst for his breakthrough.
The next day.
Within the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy, Jiang Yun, having successfully broken through, walked alone at a leisurely pace toward the cluster of buildings in the northern part of the Inner Academy's massive crater.
As for Zi Yan—
She had vanished early that morning without a trace. Right now, she was either ransacking some demonic beast's lair or raiding the medicinal ingredient storehouse.
The Inner Academy's ingredient storehouse was also in for disaster!!!
The area of the Inner Academy was astonishingly vast. There were quite a few buildings along the way, and it was common to see battle circles where people were sparring with heated intensity. Outside these circles, there were always quite a few onlookers gathered.
Jiang Yun had absolutely no interest in these sparring crowds. Placed in the Outer Academy, these Inner Academy students were absolute elites—the majority were geniuses from various nations across the northwestern continent. But in Jiang Yun's eyes, the vast majority were utterly mediocre.
Quite a few old students also spotted Jiang Yun. Jiang Yun was very easy to recognize. Even those who had never seen him in person knew of him.
All one had to do was spot a youthful, tender figure—it was either Jiang Yun or Zi Yan. They were the youngest students in the Inner Academy. The vast majority of the Inner Academy students were young adults eighteen and above.
Seeing Jiang Yun in the flesh, expressions of astonishment still surfaced on everyone's faces. He was simply too young—no, young wasn't the word. Juvenile.
The old students whispered and murmured amongst their companions, their gazes toward Jiang Yun full of probing curiosity.
However, mindful of Jiang Yun's battle record and uncertain of his temperament, none of these students stepped forward to greet him.
Jiang Yun also had no interest in conversing with the crowd. After a single glance, he left.
"That's Jiang Yun, right?"
"Hmph— not very old, but plenty arrogant. He sees so many of us seniors and doesn't even come over to greet us."
"Tch— you? He's a 'monster' who defeated two 5-star Dou Ling. You're a mere 2-star Dou Ling—what makes you qualified for him to seek you out?"
"'Monster'? The Inner Academy has no shortage of monsters. Sun Hai and Wu Qiu are just a pair of worthless failures, losing to this wet-behind-the-ears brat."
"Then why don't you go teach him a lesson?"
"Me? Just wait! Someone will make him pay!"
The discussions behind him, Jiang Yun did not hear. Even if he had heard them, he would not have cared. Jiang Yun had no interest in engaging with them. He walked straight toward the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
As for getting lost—there was no need whatsoever to worry about that. The Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower was the most explosively popular location in the Inner Academy. At every moment of every day, countless students were making their way there.
All one had to do was follow the flow of people to reach the place.
The Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower was a black tower buried deep underground, only a sliver of its spire exposed. From a distance, one could sense that the space above the spire was faintly, subtly distorted.
That was a seal placed by the Dean of Jia Nan Academy, Mang Tian Chi. Only a Dou Zun had the power to seal the Fallen Heart Flame—ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking—and convert it for their own use.
Otherwise, relying solely on the academy's Dou Zongs, they would be utterly incapable of sealing the Fallen Heart Flame, whose power rivaled that of a Dou Zong.
Once it erupted, even a high-tier Dou Zong would have to avoid its ferocious edge. That was the terrifying power of a Heavenly Flame.
In the original story, most of the people who possessed Heavenly Flames came from Dou Di clans. The Gu Clan, the Yan Clan, the Yao Clan, the Hun Clan—which of them lacked Dou Saints in residence?
Even the Burning Flame Valley and the Pill Tower had Dou Saints overseeing them. One could say, Heavenly Flames were simply not something a lone wanderer could play with.
Xiao Yan and Han Feng succeeded in refining wild Heavenly Flames by relying on the Flame Mantra. Yao Chen was also a man of tremendous fortune. Apart from these few individuals, everyone else without exception had refined their Heavenly Flames since childhood with the aid of their elders.
One could say this thing was a tempting, luscious cake—yet one filled with lethal poison.
Before the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower stretched an enormous open clearing. As Jiang Yun walked slowly forward, the closer he drew, the more the Saint Demon Flame within his body began to tremble.
Belonging to the same category of heaven-and-earth spiritual objects, a natural resonance existed between flames. Even though the Saint Demon Flame was not a product of the Dou Qi Continent, it still reacted anomalously.
Jiang Yun mobilized the Dou Qi within his body, soothing the Saint Demon Flame. Very quickly, the trembling of the Saint Demon Flame subsided considerably.
Whether it was Jiang Yun's imagination or not—the Saint Demon Flame suddenly transmitted a sensation of... hunger.
(End of Chapter)