"Who's talking?"
Hearing the sudden voice, the young senior student's face instantly darkened as he scanned the new students.
"Don't think that just because you won the competition, you can act arrogant in the Inner Academy. As a senior student, I can teach you a good lesson."
"Oh really? Then I'm very much looking forward to seeing how a good-for-nothing like you plans to teach me a lesson."
Laughter rang out again, and the crowd parted, revealing Xiao Tian and the four others.
"It's Senior Xiao Tian and Senior Xiao Yan!"
When the new students saw Xiao Tian and the others emerge, they immediately cheered. Xiao Tian's strength and Xiao Yan's leadership in resisting the senior students had already earned them considerable prestige in their hearts.
"Are you Xiao Tian? Are you standing up for them?"
The young man's face instantly became serious and wary when he saw Xiao Tian. This was the person rumored to have defeated Luo Hou. His strength could not be underestimated.
"I am Xiao Tian. Didn't you say you wanted to teach us new students a lesson? They and I are all new students this year, so of course I'm going to help them. Or should I be helping you?"
Xiao Tian crossed his arms, looking at him with playful disdain.
"Don't think that just because you defeated Luo Hou, you can act arrogant in the Inner Academy. There are many in the Inner Academy stronger than Luo Hou, and our Green Mountain's Mountain Lord is also stronger than Luo Hou."
The senior student's face immediately turned very ugly when he heard Xiao Tian's words, and he brought up his backer.
Xiao Tian's figure flashed, appearing directly in front of the senior student. He slowly raised his right hand before the man's eyes. The young senior student wanted to resist, but his body couldn't react at all. In his terrified gaze, the hand swung down.
Slap.
A crisp sound rang out. A figure was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, clutching his face. His eyes were filled with terror and pain. He spat out a mouthful of blood, which contained two large teeth.
"It seems your bones aren't very hard after all. But your face is quite thick — it made my hand go numb."
Xiao Tian pretended to shake his hand. His eyes were devoid of any pity, filled only with disdain and mockery.
The senior student's face turned pale, then green, upon hearing Xiao Tian's words. He stood up with the help of the other senior students.
"You… just wait. Our Green Mountain… will not let this rest."
The senior student was carried away by the others. After uttering a threat, his speech came out broken due to the missing teeth, and then he vanished in a flash.
"Welcome to come back. Remember to bring more healing medicine. Also, don't you want your teeth back?"
Xiao Tian watched the disappearing senior students and called out with a smile.
Xun'er and the others laughed at Xiao Tian's teasing words.
"Thank you, Senior Xiao Tian, for helping us out."
The new students watched the retreating senior students, then came before Xiao Tian and bowed in gratitude.
Xiao Tian nodded, then looked at the new student who had been confronting the senior student earlier and asked, "You and I are both new students. Helping each other is only normal. What's your name?"
"Me? Senior Xiao Tian, my name is Wang Tai. You can call me A Tai."
The young man instantly straightened up upon hearing Xiao Tian's words, speaking with respect.
"I remember him. When I started the resistance against the Black Fiends Team earlier, he was the leader of the first small team to come and meet me."
Xiao Yan had found this person very familiar and, after thinking back, spoke up.
"I didn't expect Senior Xiao Yan to remember me. It's truly an honor."
A Tai scratched his head shyly.
When Xiao Tian heard this name, he remembered that A Tai was one of the important cornerstones of Boundless Gate. He had been involved in most of Boundless Gate's development.
"The few of us have decided to establish a force in the Inner Academy. Are you interested in joining us?"
Xiao Tian extended an invitation to A Tai and the new students. As soon as Xiao Tian spoke, the new students exchanged glances.
"Senior Xiao Tian, since you have such courage, all of us will join. Rather than joining the senior students' forces and being bullied, it's better to follow you."
Xiao Tian's strength had deeply impressed them, and having a force to protect them also gave them a greater sense of security.
"Good. As long as you join our Boundless Gate, we will definitely give you enough protection so that you will no longer be bullied by the senior students."
Xiao Tian raised a hand and spoke loudly.
"Boundless Gate! Boundless Gate!"
The new students cheered happily, their faces flushed with excitement.
"Cough, cough. My beautiful and charming Xun'er…"
Xiao Tian coughed twice, rubbed his hands together, and turned to Xun'er with a bright smile.
"Stop. Don't say another word." Xun'er's face flushed faintly when she heard Xiao Tian's words. She reached out and directly interrupted him to prevent him from saying anything more embarrassing, her eyes filled with helplessness and indulgence. "I know what you want to say. Leave them to us."
Seeing his demeanor, Xun'er knew he wanted to be a hands-off manager.
She turned and chatted with Hu Jia and Xiao Yu for a few moments. The two didn't hesitate much and directly nodded in agreement.
"Xun'er, this A Tai is also a talented individual. You can entrust some matters to him."
Xiao Tian whispered a word of instruction into Xun'er's ear. Xun'er glanced at A Tai and nodded lightly.
Afterward, Xun'er and the two others led the new students to the pavilion to arrange the procedures for joining Boundless Gate.
…
"Brother Tian, we're just leaving like this, leaving everything to them. Isn't that…"
Xiao Yan and Xiao Tian walked along the Inner Academy road, and Xiao Yan asked.
"They can handle it. Or do you want to go back and help?"
Xiao Tian tilted his head and looked directly at Xiao Yan.
"Me? I'd rather not. I'm afraid I'd just make things more chaotic, and then they might just kick me out. I'm already regretting being talked into taking this Vice Gate Master position by you. I'll have to miserably refine medicine now."
Xiao Yan rubbed his head helplessly, as if already seeing endless days of medicine refining beckoning to him.
"Don't worry. I, the Gate Master, am in the same boat. These days will pass quickly, and then it won't be like this anymore."
At that moment, in a pavilion somewhere in the Inner Academy, a young man who was refining medicine suddenly shivered. The pills in the medicine cauldron were instantly burned to ashes by the flames. The young man looked around but found nothing unusual. "That's strange. Why do I have a bad feeling? Did I refine too much medicine?"
He patted his face, recovered his state, and began a new round of alchemy.
…
"Let's go. I'll take you to the place you most want to go."
Xiao Tian patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and, after speaking, walked toward the north of the Inner Academy.
"The place I most want to go? Could it be…"
Xiao Yan repeated Xiao Tian's words. Then, remembering what Xiao Tian had told him before, his eyes instantly lit up, and he quickly followed.
The two were in a chase. Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Tian, who seemed to be moving slowly but instantly appeared in the distance with a single step. He quickly activated his movement Dou Technique to catch up.
"It seems I need to get my teacher to help me cultivate that movement Dou Technique as soon as possible."
Xiao Yan watched himself maintain a fixed distance from Xiao Tian, knowing that Xiao Tian was deliberately holding back. His desire to learn a good movement Dou Technique grew even more fervent.
After about twenty minutes of travel, Xiao Tian stopped on a large tree. Three breaths later, Xiao Yan also arrived beside Xiao Tian.
"Here. It's right here."
Xiao Yan followed Xiao Tian's gaze. Below was a large crowd of people, seemingly waiting for something. He looked past the crowd to the very front, and his eyes suddenly widened in surprise.
"This is…?"
Before them was a black tower-shaped building. But this building was buried underground, with only a section of the spire and a dark entrance exposed.
"This is the Heavenly Flame Training Pagoda."
After Xiao Tian finished speaking, he directly transmitted a soul message into Xiao Yan's mind. "This is where the Fallen Heart Flame is located."
Xiao Yan's heart jolted when he heard Xiao Tian's words, and a fiery gleam instantly flashed in his deep eyes. His breathing became a little rapid. His gaze fixed on the dark entrance, wanting to see the Heavenly Flame inside the black tower. A flash of light passed over the black ring on his hand.
"Xiao Yan Zi, calm down first. It's not that easy to get it right now. You need to wait for the right time."
Xiao Tian directly patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. His voice carried some soul power, and Xiao Yan instantly sobered up.
"I was too excited. You must be laughing at me, Brother Tian."
Xiao Yan controlled his emotions and returned to his normal demeanor.
Xiao Tian smiled and said nothing. He could roughly understand Xiao Yan's excitement.
"Hmm?"
Xiao Yan's slightly surprised voice rang out.