"Junior Xiao Tian, under your and your younger brother Xiao Yan's leadership, this year's new students are truly in a league of their own."
Xiao Tian spread his hands. "Senior Han Yue, you flatter me. It's just that the new students of my year have suffered a bit."
"From Junior Xiao Tian's words, you only worry about other new students, with no concern for yourself. It seems you are very confident in your own strength. I presume you are already aware of some of the divisions within the Inner Academy now, right? I wonder if Junior has any considerations?"
Han Yue's bright eyes fixed on Xiao Tian's, and she asked tentatively.
"Senior, I heard your Moon Spirit only recruits female students. I am a male. There's no need for further probing; you'll know everything eventually anyway."
Xiao Tian chuckled. He still had an impression of Moon Spirit; this faction was entirely composed of women and only recruited women.
"If Junior Xiao Tian were to join, I think I could still make an exception, and with Junior Xiao Tian's peerless appearance, I believe the others would very likely not object either."
Han Yue used her cool voice to utter such tempting words — truly pure yet seductive.
"Then I absolutely cannot join. A man needs to protect himself when he's out and about."
"Hehe, Junior Xiao Tian speaks so amusingly."
Hearing Xiao Tian's words, Han Yue could no longer maintain her cool demeanor and couldn't help but cover her mouth with a light chuckle.
Elder Liu, standing by, even suspected that the Han Yue in front of him was a fake. She wasn't like this before. Could a honey trap truly be so devastating?
"We have already established a new student faction. It's already set up, and most new students have joined. So, Senior Han Yue, I must decline your kind offer."
"You mean you've formed a faction, and it's entirely made up of new students?"
Han Yue frowned tightly, looking at Xiao Tian in surprise. Even Elder Liu on the side cast a bewildered glance.
"Senior Han Yue, are you trying to say that because we only recruit new students, it's easy to incur the displeasure of other factions?"
Xiao Tian looked at their expressions and roughly guessed what they wanted to say.
"It seems Junior Xiao Tian also understands the intricacies within. New students entering from the Outer Academy are the best and most crucial time for various factions to replenish fresh blood. What you've done truly…"
Han Yue shook her head helplessly, her expression grave as she spoke.
"I understand that, but I am fearless. If they dare to cause trouble, I am not to be trifled with. If one has to be timid when doing something, how can one pursue higher goals?"
Xiao Tian stood with his hands behind his back, his face serious and earnest, exuding an aura of looking down on the world.
With righteousness and truth in hand, even passing dogs would get two slaps.
"It seems Junior Xiao Tian already has a plan."
Han Yue recalled the aura he had erupted with when refining the Heart Flame before, and indeed, he had the capability to say such words.
Because of her cultivation method, she could sense a terrifying aura emanating from Xiao Tian.
"Since that's the case, I won't bother Junior Xiao Tian anymore. If you ever change your mind, the doors of my Moon Spirit are always open for you. If you ever need help with anything in the future, you can come to me, and I will do my best to assist."
"Also, my Moon Spirit has always been a neutral faction and will not be your enemy; you can rest assured."
Han Yue knew that the die was cast and spoke sincerely to Xiao Tian.
"Then I thank Senior Han Yue in advance."
Xiao Tian smiled and nodded upon hearing Han Yue's words, knowing that Han Yue was willing to speak this way because of his talent and potential.
In a world where strength is respected, this was normal behavior; no one wanted to spend too much time on a useless person.
If anyone else heard that Xiao Tian was integrating new students to establish a faction, they would probably distance themselves from Xiao Tian. At least Han Yue still gave him warnings and offered what help she could, which was already far more than most people would do.
One should know that Xiao Tian's actions were equivalent to making an enemy of all the factions in the Inner Academy.
Just as the two were talking, Xiao Yan, who was beside them, also successfully diluted the Heart Flame and opened his tightly closed eyes.
He felt that in just a few minutes, his strength had advanced slightly.
"As expected of the Fallen Heart Flame, known as a cheat for cultivation. It truly is wonderful."
Xiao Yan thought silently, his heart growing even more fervent.
"Little guys, very good. You two are even brothers. I truly envy your family for being able to produce two geniuses."
Elder Liu glanced at Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan and said with a smile.
Xiao Tian also introduced Elder Liu and Han Yue to Xiao Yan. This time, Han Yue merely nodded to Xiao Yan, and they exchanged brief greetings.
"Alright, Junior Xiao Tian, I won't delay your time anymore. I also need to go cultivate on the sixth floor. We can talk again when we have time. My Moon Spirit looks forward to your arrival."
Han Yue bowed slightly to the three people present, said a final word to Xiao Tian, and then left.
Xiao Tian watched Han Yue's departing figure and smiled faintly.
"Xiao Tian, you are the only man in Moon Girl's many years in the academy who has been able to shake hands with her. I think highly of you."
Elder Liu came to Xiao Tian's side with a beaming smile, and even Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Tian teasingly.
"Elder, please don't play matchmaker. Senior Han Yue and I are barely even friends right now."
Xiao Tian glared unhappily at the elder who seemed like a living matchmaker.
Xiao Yan also looked at Xiao Tian teasingly. He knew very well that his brother was quite a flirt, and who knew, that silver-haired woman might suddenly become his sister-in-law one day.
"Now, I'll take you to learn about the Heavenly Flame Training Pagoda."
"Then we'll be troubling you, Elder Liu."
"It's no trouble. This is also part of my duty."
Under Elder Liu's guidance, Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan toured the entire first floor of the Heavenly Flame Training Pagoda. During this, Xiao Yan, as always, approached the black hole that trapped the Fallen Heart Flame Fire Python.
During this time, both of them came to fully understand the entire Heavenly Flame Training Pagoda.
Regardless of the floor, it was divided into high, medium, and low-grade cultivation rooms. The cultivation speed varied, but the cost was the same, and it was all based on strength to snatch a spot.
Fighting was not prohibited inside the tower; as long as no one died, the elders would not intervene.
Elder Liu found a medium-grade cultivation room for the two. "When you need to cultivate, just place your crystal card into the groove on the stone platform."
"A cultivation room generally only allows one person to cultivate. This time, it's for you to experience it, so we're making an exception for you once."
After Elder Liu finished speaking, he turned and left the cultivation room, the door closing behind him.
Xiao Tian flicked his hand, and a crimson crystal card landed steadily in the groove.
As soon as the two sat down cross-legged, the invisible flame mysteriously appeared within their bodies, and they closed their eyes and began cultivating.
Half a day passed, and at the prompt, the two finished their cultivation. What was originally a day's worth of Fire Energy could only be used for half a day due to there being two people.
Xiao Tian felt his Dou Qi become more concentrated, and he even vaguely sensed that his Gui Shui Spirit Thunder, which was being condensed, had devoured a bit of the Heart Flame, though it wasn't obvious.
During this period, Xiao Yan also successfully broke through to an Eight-Star Da Dou Shi.
"Let's go. Boundless Gate has just been established, and we've been out for half a day. We need to go back and help, otherwise Hu Jia will probably jump up and scold us."
Now that Boundless Gate had just been established, although he wanted to be a hands-off manager, he couldn't completely let go at this time.
The two left the cultivation room, and after bidding farewell to Elder Liu, they walked toward their residential pavilion.
At this moment, two factions were confronting each other at the entrance of the pavilion.
One side was Boundless Gate's people, and the other consisted of about ten young men in white clothes. The leader looked very handsome.
Boundless Gate's people looked at this young man with disgust. It was precisely Bai Shan, who had betrayed the new students during the Fire Energy Hunting Competition by abandoning them.
"Xun'er, Hu Jia, it seems Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan are also cowards. Maybe they've already run away."
Bai Shan looked very high-spirited, with a wide smile on his face.
"Do you think everyone is like you? A piece of trash who betrays his companions."
Hu Jia looked at Bai Shan coldly, directly mocking him. Bai Shan's smiling face immediately darkened upon hearing this.
"Bai Shan, I already told you to stop with the pointless talk. Just defeat them, and those new students will naturally leave."
A rather burly-looking man walked out from behind Bai Shan.
"Then I'll leave it to Brother Fu Ao."
The burly young man named Fu Ao stepped forward, looking teasingly at Xun'er, whose elegant, small face was filled with icy coldness.
"I don't need too many new students. Just hand over five new students to me, and that will be enough."
Bai Shan's expression changed upon hearing this. His mission today wasn't just five people. Just as he was about to speak, Fu Ao continued with a smile,
"These five people must include Junior Sister Xun'er. Otherwise, you can just wait for my wrath."
"Oh, I'd really like to see what your wrath looks like."