Elder Su's eyes widened as he looked at Xiao Tian in disbelief, his voice gradually growing louder.
Xiao Tian calmly met Elder Su's gaze. A Dou Wang's aura slowly emanated from him, and he said with certainty, "Elder Su, won't you know if you feel it yourself?"
Elder Su sensed the aura on Xiao Tian's body. It was indeed the Dou Wang realm, and it didn't seem like he had just entered it.
His pupils suddenly constricted, and a storm surged in his heart. His face constantly shifted through expressions of shock, disbelief, and complexity.
Those outside stretched their necks, all peering at the inside of the protective shield. Elder Su's astonished expression, like a face-changing act, further piqued their curiosity.
"You… how did you do it? At your current age… it's simply unbelievable."
Elder Su's voice trembled slightly. He tried his best to calm himself down but couldn't for a long time — mainly because a young man barely over eighteen was already a Dou Wang. This was unheard of and unseen in the entire Black-Corner Region.
Xiao Tian smiled faintly and did not take up the conversation.
"I was presumptuous."
Elder Su recovered, knowing that this was Xiao Tian's secret and that he had overstepped a bit.
"With your cultivation, you have already met the requirements for our academy's Elder election. Why do you still want to come to our academy for further study? And you are also with…"
"I signed up for the academy two years ago. I was delayed by something before, but now that I'm done, I've come. Also, I heard that the academy's cultivation environment is very unique, so I plan to try it out. The most important thing is that Xun'er is here, so I also have to be here. I do have a relationship with Heaven Suppressing Hall, but I have no ill intentions toward the academy. You can rest assured. I will also not be an enemy of the academy."
Xun'er, who was nearby, heard a certain sentence from Xiao Tian, and her eyes lit up, her emotions constantly overflowing.
Elder Su didn't speak but stared intently into Xiao Tian's eyes, as if verifying whether Xiao Tian's words were true or false.
"Good, I believe your words. For a cultivation genius like you, our academy is very welcoming. No matter what, you are now a member of our academy, and you will not lack any of the resources you should have."
Elder Su looked kindly at Xiao Tian, who also smiled and nodded at his words.
Elder Su directly withdrew the Dou Qi protective shield and returned to the high platform. He planned in his heart to report everything to the Great Elder in detail after the competition ended, letting him make the decision. However, Elder Su still intended to befriend this super genius.
Time slowly passed amidst the conversations of various small teams. During this period, Bai Shan, who had abandoned many teammates before, also appeared here.
As the time reached night and the last new student arrived at the finish line, Elder Su on the high platform stood up, came before the new students, and announced loudly, "This year's Fire Energy Hunting Competition, the winners are the new student teams."
Upon hearing Elder Su's words, the surrounding old students showed expressions of shame, anger, and unwillingness — their reactions varied.
"Before, you were very puzzled when you heard about the Green Fire Crystal Card, so I will formally introduce it to you here. In the Inner Academy, Fire Crystal Cards are divided into five colors from low to high: black, blue, green, red, and purple. A Black Fire Crystal Card only grants the qualification to cultivate on the first and second floors of the Heavenly Flame Training Pagoda, while blue is for the third and fourth floors, and so on. To upgrade a Fire Crystal Card, you need to pay Fire Energy… Black to blue is one hundred, blue to green is two hundred…"
Xiao Yan and the others nodded in understanding, and Elder Su continued, "As the winners of this Fire Energy Hunting Competition, all the new students present will receive twenty days of Fire Energy. In addition, Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Yu, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia will receive an extra reward of a Green Fire Crystal Card plus thirty Fire Energy. Xiao Tian will receive an extra reward of a Red Fire Crystal Card plus fifty Fire Energy. And apart from them, those who participated in the battle against the White Fiends Team can receive an additional ten Fire Energy."
Xiao Tian and the others, as well as the old students outside the Arena, burst into exclamations upon hearing these rewards.
The other new students were also very happy, surprised by the rewards for Xiao Tian and the others but without jealousy — these were all earned by their strength.
Only Bai Shan gritted his teeth, his face full of gloom.
As for the old students, what surprised them the most was Xiao Tian's reward. They all discussed why Xiao Tian would receive a Red Fire Crystal Card, their eyes full of envy.
Elder Su waved his hand, and five green and one red crystal card flew toward the six of them, finally stopping in front of them.
They reached out and grasped the crystal cards, feeling very excited inside. A Green Fire Crystal Card alone was worth three hundred Fire Energy. Xiao Tian's Red Fire Crystal Card was even more valuable, worth six hundred Fire Energy. Xiao Yan and the others, as well as the old students, looked at the card in Xiao Tian's hand with envy and eagerness.
Afterward, Xiao Tian and the others transferred the Fire Energy from their black crystal cards to their new crystal cards, then returned the black crystal cards to Elder Su. As for the rewards for the other new students, they were distributed by the steward following behind the Elder.
"Alright, follow me into the Inner Academy."
After Elder Su finished speaking, he walked up the gravel steps behind him, and Xiao Tian and the new students hastily and orderly followed.
After walking for a couple of minutes, they stood at the highest point and saw the full view of the Inner Academy. The Inner Academy was located within a huge meteor crater, its end invisible to the naked eye.
Xiao Yan excitedly looked at the Inner Academy in front of him, muttering in his heart, Fallen Heart Flame, I'm here.
Subsequently, under Elder Su's arrangement, everyone except the six of them was taken to other places to settle down. Following Elder Su, they walked for about ten minutes inside the Inner Academy and arrived in front of a quiet courtyard pavilion.
When they opened the door, the first thing they saw was a large courtyard, and behind the courtyard was a three-story pavilion.
"From now on, this will be your place of residence."
Elder Su pointed at the courtyard in front of them, smiling.
"Elder Su, you're making us three girls live with those three big men?" Hu Jia was slightly stunned upon hearing his words and asked in surprise.
"There are so many rooms here, all very private. It's just letting you live in the same courtyard, not asking you to sleep in the same room. Do any of you others have objections?"
Xiao Tian and the others shook their heads, indicating no objections.
"Hu girl, if you're unwilling, then I'll take you to another place. Let these five people stay here."
Hu Jia immediately shook her head and said, "I think living here is quite good. I have no objections."
She was unwilling to move to another place. Her grandfather had also told her that upon entering the Inner Academy, they should stick together. If she was alone and bullied, she wouldn't find anyone to help her.
"In the Inner Academy, unless your strength is exceptionally formidable, I still advise you to stick together. That's why I arranged for you to live in the same courtyard. In the Inner Academy, forming factions and dividing territories is not prohibited. In the Inner Academy, only the strong are respected."
When Elder Su said this, he gave Xiao Tian a deep look. With Xiao Tian's strength, he could probably walk sideways.
Everyone understood Elder Su's painstaking efforts, and Hu Jia sincerely thanked Elder Su.
Elder Su continued, "The academy organizes students to enter the Heavenly Flame Training Pagoda once a week as a group." Then, Elder Su introduced them to the academy's Dou Technique Hall, Cultivation Technique Pavilion, and the Arena.
Upon hearing about the Arena, Wu Hao's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but want to run to the Arena to see it right away.
Elder Su briefly explained various issues of the Inner Academy and then left, letting them digest it themselves. Xiao Tian and the others all chose their respective rooms. The boys stayed in rooms on the second floor, while the girls were on the third floor. As for the first floor, it was for meetings and as a backup.