Ancient Clan Visitors, Xun'er Leaves

Not long after, Lu Yu and the others walked out of the tent. As expected, they had all passed Jia Nan Academy's assessment.

What was worth mentioning was that during this time, Instructor Ruo Lin had also brought something up with Lu Yu and the others.

With Lu Yu's and Little Fairy Doctor's cultivation, they were not suited to cultivating in the Outer Academy. Perhaps they could enter the Inner Academy directly.

However, Jia Nan Academy was not hers alone to decide. She still needed to report the matter to Hu Gan, the Vice Principal of the Outer Academy, and see what his opinion was.

By the time they returned to the Xiao Family, the night had already grown deep.

Xiao Yan stopped on the bluestone path, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the black ring.

"Brother Lu, you can see me off here."

His voice was especially clear in the night as he slowly said, "I've already asked Instructor Ruo Lin for a year's leave. I'm preparing to go train on my own."

Lu Yu nodded slightly. He had long known what this brother of his was planning, and the two of them exchanged a smile.

"This time, I won't be able to go to Jia Nan Academy with you."

Xiao Yan paused. A confident smile surfaced at the corner of his mouth, and he said with certainty, "But one year from now, we'll meet again in the Inner Academy."

"Take care."

Lu Yu patted his shoulder and reminded him, "There's no need to force the matter of the Exotic Flame. Although the Method for Shaping Exotic Flame Spiritual Meridians works best with an Exotic Flame, using Beast Flame isn't out of the question either. The effects will merely be somewhat weaker..."

A trace of gratitude flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes, and he nodded solemnly.

Late at night, in a courtyard of the Xiao Family.

Xiao Xun'er sat there quietly, her slender fingers unconsciously rubbing the jade bracelet on her wrist. She looked up at the star-filled sky, a rare loneliness showing in her eyes.

"Miss, an order has come from the clan..."

Ling Ying's figure emerged from the shadows. He seemed to want to speak, yet hesitated.

Xun'er sighed softly. "Can I not stay a few more days? At least... until Jia Nan Academy begins..."

Ling Ying gave a bitter smile and shook his head, lowering his voice to an extreme. "The Elder Council has already sent people to bring you back. That thing hasn't been found after more than ten years, and the voices of opposition in the clan have grown louder and louder."

"This time... I'm afraid it can't be delayed."

"What did Father say?"

"The Clan Leader..."

Ling Ying hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "He did not object this time either..."

A trace of gloom flashed through Xun'er's eyes. After a moment of silence, she said softly, "At least... let me say goodbye to Brother Yu..."

Seeing this, Ling Ying could only nod silently and say nothing more.

Several days later, Jia Nan Academy's recruitment work had been successfully completed, and they were preparing to set off on the return journey.

In the thin morning mist, over a dozen enormous flying Magical Beasts were lined up neatly in Wutan City's square. These Tier Three Magical Beasts, "Griffin Beasts," spread wings that were fully ten zhang wide, with specially made passenger cabins fixed on their backs.

Beside each Griffin Beast stood a Jia Nan Academy beast tamer dressed in a blue-and-white uniform, carrying out the final checks.

"You're not coming with us to the academy?"

Lu Yu's brows were tightly furrowed, his gaze locked firmly on the young girl before him.

Xun'er lightly pressed her red lips together, her fair hands unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes. "Brother Yu, actually... I'm not from the Jia Ma Empire."

She raised her eyes. Complex light swirled within her golden pupils as she slowly said, "I come from a great faction in the Central Plains..."

Lu Yu looked at Xun'er before him. Although he had long known it in his heart, at this moment he could only put on a shocked expression. "The Central Plains... a great faction?"

"Mm."

Xun'er lightly bit her lower lip. Her slender fingers tightly clutched the corner of her clothes, her knuckles turning pale blue-white. Her golden eyes were filled with reluctance, yet there was nothing she could do. "There's a message from me for you in the Jade Slip... when you reach the Dou Wang Realm..."

Lu Yu could clearly sense her struggle. This proud daughter of the Ancient Clan, who had always been calm and indifferent, now had reddened eyes like an ordinary young girl.

"Do you have to leave?" he asked softly, his voice carrying the bitterness of a question he already knew the answer to.

Xun'er suddenly grabbed Lu Yu's sleeve tightly. Her eyes were red as she murmured in a low voice, "Brother Yu, I'm sorry, I..."

Before her words had fallen, four streaks of golden light suddenly tore across the sky. Four Golden-robed Elders stood in the air, their vast auras causing the surrounding Griffin Beasts to lower their bodies in terror.

The elder at the head said in a deep voice, "Miss, it is time."

Instructor Ruo Lin hurried over. When she saw this scene, she immediately sucked in a breath of cold air. "Walking through the air... this is at least..."

Her words came to an abrupt halt, and her expression became exceptionally grave.

Lu Yu's gaze swept over the four elders. Suddenly, he reached out and gently pulled Xun'er into his arms, whispering by her ear, "Wait for me in the Ancient Clan..."

"Brother Yu, you..."

Xun'er's delicate body trembled, her golden pupils filled with shock. No matter what, she had never expected that Lu Yu would actually know her true identity.

"Impudent!"

A golden-robed elder's expression changed drastically, his sleeves stirring without wind. A terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire place, and even the surrounding stone slabs began to crack. He said coldly, "A mere brat from the borderlands dares to..."

"Elder Gu Qian!"

Xun'er suddenly turned around, golden light blazing in her eyes. An aura of majesty in no way inferior to the elder's burst from her petite body. "He is the most important person to me!"

The atmosphere in the field instantly became tense and ready to snap. The other three elders looked at one another, clearly not expecting their young lady to react so fiercely.

Elder Gu Qian's expression shifted between dark and uncertain. In the end, he gave a cold snort and turned his face away.

In his eyes, this brat from the borderlands was nothing more than an ant who had luckily won their young lady's favor.

Once the young lady returned to the clan and saw those true favored sons of heaven there...

"Let's go."

In the blink of an eye, Xun'er's voice had returned to calm, but her fingertips trembled faintly inside her sleeve, revealing the turmoil still unsettled within her.

Elder Gu Qian swept Lu Yu with a cold glance, and a transmitted voice stabbed into his ears like ice. "Delusional brat. Cut off these thoughts while you still can."

Before his words had faded, he flicked a finger, and a streak of golden light sank into the void. With a crisp tearing sound, space was ripped open like cloth, revealing a pitch-black passage.

Xun'er looked back one last time, emotions surging in her golden eyes. A thousand words ultimately turned into a soft sigh. She turned and stepped into the Space Passage, the four elders following close behind.

The Space Rift slowly closed, and in the blink of an eye, heaven and earth returned to normal. Only the spatial ripples left on the ground proved that what had just happened had not been an illusion.

Lu Yu stood quietly where he was, his robes snapping in the wind. He stared into the void, a chilling sharpness kindling in his eyes.

"The Ancient Clan? Is it that strong?"

He murmured to himself, his tone revealing an unimaginable calm.

Instructor Ruo Lin walked over slowly and gently placed a fair hand on his shoulder. "There's no need to be too heartbroken. With your talent..."

Before she could finish, she suddenly froze. Lu Yu had turned around, and there was not the slightest trace of dejection on his face. Instead, he carried a startling edge. In those ink-black eyes, flames seemed to be burning.

"You misunderstand, Instructor."

Lu Yu's tone was calm, yet it carried an unimaginable sharpness. "I was calculating how many more years I'll need before I can make those old bastards shut their mouths..."