Recruitment, Instructor Ruo Lin

For Xiao Yang, the main benefit of going to Jia Nan Academy was that he could obtain high-level cultivation techniques and fighting skills relatively easily, especially after entering the Inner Courtyard, where he would have a great deal of freedom.

Xiao Yang's system had the ability to travel through the myriad worlds, but he had been saving it up and had never used it.

The reason was that he was currently living with the Xiao Family. If he suddenly vanished for a period of time without a trace, it would obviously seem strange.

But once he went to Jia Nan Academy, he would have far more freedom.

Although Jia Nan Academy's recruitment team was stationed in Wutan City, its recruitment this time covered not only Wutan City, but also several other major cities in the surrounding area.

Thus, the square serving as the recruitment venue was packed solid with people.

Xiao Yang shook his head helplessly. No helping it—he could only find a way to sneak in.

Geniuses had privileges. A nine-year-old Dou Zhe naturally qualified to cut in line.

Relying on his small size, Xiao Yang squeezed through gaps in the crowd and soon reached the rear of the square.

Fully armed troops formed two or three layers of encirclement there. Their weapons gleamed coldly, reflecting a blinding glare beneath the sunlight.

Surrounded by those troops were several enormous green tents, where the Jia Nan Academy instructors in charge of recruitment were stationed.

Xiao Yang did not bother concealing himself and simply strode over openly.

"Little fellow, this isn't somewhere you can wander around. Go back." Seeing that Xiao Yang was only a child, the leading officer spoke far more gently.

"I'm here to register." Xiao Yang extended his hand, golden Dou Qi shimmering brilliantly in his palm.

Upon seeing the Dou Qi in Xiao Yang's palm, the officer's eyes widened in disbelief. "Little fellow, you... how old are you this year?"

"Nine." Xiao Yang remained perfectly calm.

"N-Nine?!" The officer could no longer suppress his shock and cried out.

The soldiers responsible for maintaining order likewise lost their composure. They sucked in sharp breaths, and their spears and armor immediately clashed together, producing a loud clamor.

The huge commotion outside clearly drew the attention of those inside the tents. A woman's voice, gentle as water and soft enough to make one's heart melt, drifted over with a light laugh. "Hehe, what an extraordinary little fellow. It seems this teacher may have stumbled upon a treasure this time."

The sudden female voice was so tender that it was almost intoxicating. Xiao Yang looked over and saw a woman in green standing there with a smile. A gentle smile rested on her lovely face, and her shifting eyes swept across the crowd. Her soft gaze was like a clear stream quietly flowing through one's heart, making it impossible not to lose oneself in the uniquely gentle and lively charm of a woman.

She appeared to be around twenty years old, yet her curvaceous and exquisite figure naturally radiated a mature allure.

Intelligent and gentle—the flattering phrase "a woman is like water" was perfectly embodied by her. Such a tender older sister possessed lethal appeal to any man.

She was presumably Instructor Ruo Lin from the original story.

Wearing an adorably soft and cute boyish face, Xiao Yang put on an obedient expression. "Hello, Instructor Sister."

Ruo Lin walked over and said with a smiling gaze, "Such a sweet-talking little fellow. You even know to call me Sister. But sweet words alone won't do. Have you truly reached the Dou Zhe level?"

Xiao Yang glanced around and quickly spotted several stone locks in the square, likely used by the soldiers on guard for their usual training.

Xiao Yang walked over. Golden Dou Qi wrapped around his fist, and then he brought it down with an expressionless punch!

Bang! The stone lock shattered on impact, turning into fragments scattered across the ground. The portion directly struck by his fist had even turned into drifting powder.

Xiao Yang raised his fist and blew on it. "Well, Instructor, do you believe me now?"

Instructor Ruo Lin's eyes widened in astonishment. She had sensed the Dou Qi fluctuations Xiao Yang had released just now with perfect clarity—they were at least at the level of a five-star Dou Zhe.

But how old was this little fellow? Judging by that childish face and those short little legs, he definitely was not yet ten.

Instructor Ruo Lin stared intently at Xiao Yang. "Little fellow, how old are you this year?"

"Nine." Xiao Yang remained calm.

Hearing that age with her own ears, Instructor Ruo Lin's eyes lit up completely. She had truly found a treasure this time.

Xiao Yang, meanwhile, did not care at all. That punch just now had merely been a casual strike. If he truly attacked with full force, even an ordinary Dou Shi would be unable to take a single punch from him.

Xiao Yang dared to reveal his Dou Zhe cultivation, but he would never let anyone know that his true combat strength was at the Dou Shi level, or even the Da Dou Shi level.

With the Vajra Glazed Body activated, a single punch from Xiao Yang could severely injure a Da Dou Shi. However, that punch would also drain every last bit of Dou Qi from his body.

The amount of Dou Qi at the Dou Zhe level was still too little; it was only enough for him to reinforce one fist.

However, the advantage of a Heaven-Tier Cultivation Technique was revealed at this moment. It would only take roughly two or three seconds for Xiao Yang's Dou Qi to fully replenish.

And if Xiao Yang used not the Heaven-Tier Fighting Skill Vajra Glazed Body, but Avici Dao Three Blades instead, he could squander his Dou Qi as he pleased.

At his current stage, Xiao Yang could divide his punches into three levels.

An ordinary punch: a punch thrown with all his strength using only the physical body nourished and enhanced by his own Dou Qi. It carried over a thousand jin of force and was enough to make a Dou Zhe of the same rank cough blood and suffer severe injuries.

A serious punch: a punch thrown with his supremely yang and unyielding Great Sun Glazed Dou Qi circulating through his body and wrapped around his fist. Any Dou Zhe who touched it would die, while a Dou Shi would cough blood and suffer severe injuries.

A full-power punch: a punch unleashed by using all his Dou Qi to activate the Vajra Glazed Body. A Dou Zhe would be reduced to pulp, while a Dou Shi would suffer shattered bones, torn tendons, ruptured organs, and die on the spot.

A Da Dou Shi's Dou Qi armor would shatter, leaving them vomiting blood with severe injuries and bedridden.

The above results had been personally tested and certified by the Xiao Family Great Elder—guaranteed genuine.

According to the Xiao Family's physician, the Great Elder could forget about getting out of bed for the entire year.

Besides that, Xiao Yang had also discovered something: his sense of pain seemed to be gradually weakening.

As everyone knew, force was reciprocal. If one punched a stone with force, one's own hand would hurt as well.

Yet when Xiao Yang punched a stone now, like when he had just smashed that stone lock, he felt nothing at all.

Based on Xiao Yang's judgment, pain was not simply about getting out. It was the body's warning of danger.

In other words, if the brain determined that the attack from the other side could not break through his defenses, then naturally, there would be no pain.

After all, the prerequisite for pain was that the other party had inflicted harm on him.

But for the current Xiao Yang, punching a stone was not fundamentally different from punching cotton.

"Mm..." Suddenly, Xiao Yang's vision went black, and his head sank into something soft.