Jia Nan Academy Guard Corps

Outside Ghost Suppressing Pass, tents had been set up one after another, and a large group of people was camped there.

Inside one tent, Lu Yunxiao stood quietly, a book in hand as he read in silence.

"Yunxiao, may I come in?" A gentle voice sounded from outside the tent, drawing Lu Yunxiao's attention.

Lu Yunxiao set down the book in his hand and said evenly, "Come in."

As his words fell, Mentor Ruolin's graceful, slender figure appeared. She stepped lightly inside, carrying a tray laden with steaming roasted meat.

Seeing Lu Yunxiao, she approached with a warm smile.

"It's already noon. I saw that you still hadn't eaten, so I brought you some food."

Mentor Ruolin set down the tray and spoke gently.

"Thank you, Mentor Ruolin. I got so absorbed in reading that I lost track of time."

"Please, Mentor Ruolin, have a seat."

Lu Yunxiao pulled out a stool and invited her in a soft voice.

"Alright." Mentor Ruolin smiled and sat down on the stool.

Lu Yunxiao pulled the tray closer, looked at the roasted meat on it, and began eating slowly.

The roasted meat could not be called exquisite, but it tasted quite good. Judging by how carefully it had been prepared, it did not seem like the work of those Rough Men. Instead, it seemed more likely that Mentor Ruolin had made it herself.

Come to think of it, Mentor Ruolin truly treated him well. Lu Yunxiao remembered this kindness in his heart.

When he arrived at the academy, he would perform a little more outstandingly as repayment for Mentor Ruolin. From what he understood, Mentor Ruolin was seeking promotion to become a Xuan-rank mentor. If he performed well enough, it should greatly benefit her rank evaluation.

Mentor Ruolin watched Lu Yunxiao eat, a faint smile on her face.

In her heart, beyond their relationship as mentor and student, Lu Yunxiao was like a younger brother from next door—and a particularly lovable one at that.

"By the way, Mentor Ruolin, we've already been here for two days, and the other recruitment teams have all arrived. When exactly will Jia Nan Academy's guard corps get here?"

After taking a few bites, Lu Yunxiao recalled something and could not help asking.

"Going by the schedule, they should be here soon. What, are you getting bored from waiting? With so many pretty senior sisters keeping you company, you can still be bored?"

Mentor Ruolin blinked and asked with a hint of playfulness.

The corner of Lu Yunxiao's mouth twitched as he said helplessly, "Mentor Ruolin, can we not talk about that? I feel like they're a bunch of female hooligans."

As the recruitment teams gathered, the numbers of both new and old students naturally increased considerably. The old students mostly knew one another, so before long, many students learned that this recruitment had produced a genius surpassing S-rank.

This sparked the curiosity of many old students, especially the female students. Led by several senior sisters who knew Lu Yunxiao, they came in groups to see him as if he were some national treasure.

Their words were especially bold as well. They would casually joke with Lu Yunxiao or tease him, leaving him utterly speechless.

Those women were truly terrifying.

"Giggle, giggle!" Hearing Lu Yunxiao's words, Mentor Ruolin could not help laughing. After laughing for a while, she said softly with an amused smile, "Most people would never get the chance to receive this kind of treatment. I've been a mentor for so many years, yet this is the first time I've seen a student as popular with girls as you."

"And Yunxiao, tell your mentor honestly—out of all these senior sisters, is there truly not a single one you fancy?"

Mentor Ruolin stared at Lu Yunxiao, her face full of curiosity.

"Mentor Ruolin, why are you so nosy? Are you really that interested in this sort of thing?" The corner of Lu Yunxiao's eye twitched as he replied irritably.

"I'm just curious. Besides, what is there to be embarrassed about in front of your mentor? If there really is someone you like, your mentor can help bring you together." Mentor Ruolin said with a smile.

"There really isn't." Looking at Mentor Ruolin's smiling face, Lu Yunxiao shook his head and sighed softly.

"Really no one?"

"Mm, really no one."

"What a pity. Is it that they aren't pretty enough, so you don't like them? Oh, right."

Suddenly, Mentor Ruolin seemed to remember something. She slapped her thigh and said with a look of sudden realization, "Speaking of pretty, there really is a female student under my care who's very beautiful. She's a true beauty, and she's single right now. Want your mentor to introduce her to you?"

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Lu Yunxiao waved his hand.

"It is necessary, it is necessary. Once we get to Jia Nan Academy, I'll introduce her to you." Mentor Ruolin said excitedly.

Lu Yunxiao: "..."

Just as Mentor Ruolin had said, by the afternoon, Jia Nan Academy's guard corps finally arrived late.

Third-tier Gryphon Beasts carried no fewer than two hundred guards. Every one of them exuded an iron-blooded aura; clearly, each was a true warrior tempered by bloodshed and hardship.

Of these guards, more than one hundred and fifty were Dou Zhes, each with an aura above that of a five-star Dou Zhe.

Around forty were at the Dou Master Stage, their strength formidable and their brows filled with chilling killing intent.

There were around ten Da Dou Shi-level Strong Persons. Each stood as straight as a spear, their auras whole and imposing, their might naturally flowing forth.

Yet the most eye-catching were undoubtedly the three leading them—two men and one woman. Each radiated a dense, steady aura. Simply standing there, they naturally gave off an extraordinary presence.

Without exception, all three were Dou Ling Strong Persons.

A Dou Ling was already the strongest beneath a Dou Wang, while a Dou Wang Strong Person, even within Jia Nan Academy, was qualified to serve as an Elder.

With three Dou Ling Strong Persons personally providing protection, so long as nothing unexpected happened, no one would deliberately provoke them even in the Black Corner Region. After all, the strength of a Dou Ling Strong Person was already quite exceptional.

The fact that Jia Nan Academy had dispatched three Dou Ling Strong Persons to protect the new students showed just how much importance it placed on their safety.

"So this is Jia Nan Academy's guard corps. They truly are an elite force. And those three at the front should be Dou Lings, especially that sole female Dou Ling. Her level is likely at the seven-star Dou Ling level, perhaps even eight-star Dou Ling. She counts as an Expert."

Watching the guard corps fly toward the encampment, Lu Yunxiao could not help murmuring softly.

"Yunxiao, your eyesight is quite good. You can even tell their exact levels?"

Beside Lu Yunxiao, Mentor Ruolin heard his murmur and spoke in surprise.

"I've only encountered similar pressure before, so I could tell at a glance."

Lu Yunxiao replied calmly.

After Hai Bodong's Dou Qi had been sealed, he had fallen from a five-star Dou Emperor to an eight-star Dou Ling. The female Dou Ling's aura was not much weaker than Hai Bodong's.

Thus, Lu Yunxiao, who was extremely familiar with Hai Bodong's aura, naturally recognized it at a glance. It was not difficult at all.