Heading to the Inner Academy

Heading to the Inner Academy

Two days later, Xiao Ling and Xiao Xun'er arrived together outside Vice Dean Hu Gan's study.

Several dozen people were already gathered there, scattered around the square. When Xiao Ling and Xiao Xun'er arrived, quite a few acquaintances cast them friendly looks, and Xiao Ling nodded in return.

Lin Xiuyai and Lin Yan, who had arrived at the square earlier, also came over to chat. The four of them gathered together.

Before long, Han Yue and Liu Qing also arrived at the square. However, Liu Qing had a beautiful, slender young woman following behind him. Her identity was obvious—she was his cousin, Liu Fei.

Liu Fei was indeed rather pretty. In the original story, though, she had been spoiled rotten by her cousin Liu Qing, offended that cheat Xiao Yan, and gotten taught a lesson.

Since they were acquaintances, Xiao Ling went over to greet her. Seeing her face flush slightly left him speechless. Why are you blushing like a damn kettle?

At this moment, many other students had gathered around the open space. In the hearts of all Outer Academy students, being able to enter the Inner Academy for training was an intensely coveted honor. Countless people had been striving toward that goal from the moment they entered the academy. Thus, every year when students who had passed the Selection Tournament entered the Inner Academy, many people came to see them off and watch.

More than ten minutes after Xiao Ling and Xiao Xun'er arrived, the tightly shut study doors finally opened. Vice Dean Hu Gan and several elderly men slowly emerged. At the sight of them, the whispers across the open space gradually fell silent, until not a sound could be heard.

Hu Gan slowly swept his gaze across the fifty students in the open space. After confirming that no one was absent, he nodded in satisfaction, stepped forward, and said in a clear voice, "Students, today is the day you enter the Inner Academy. First, I must congratulate you. Your long years of effort have finally been rewarded. I believe that after entering the Inner Academy, you may find its methods of training difficult to adapt to. However, there is one thing I can say with certainty: there, you will be able to draw out your potential to the greatest extent. Hehe, I am not exaggerating. As long as you remain in the Inner Academy for one year, you will undergo changes akin to being reborn... Some of you may know students from the Inner Academy. After all, they occasionally leave it during holidays. So you should understand just how enormous the difference is between those students after they come out and before they went in."

Hearing Hu Gan's words, a small number of students nodded slightly. They were clearly those who had once interacted with students who had come out of the Inner Academy. More people, however, wore eager and excited expressions. What Hu Gan had described was precisely what they sought. Wasn't their purpose in entering the Inner Academy to pursue greater strength? They believed that no matter how strange or harsh the Inner Academy's training methods might be, they would persevere!

Being able to stand out from Jia Nan Academy proved both their talent and diligence. None of those standing here believed that strength could be gained for free.

"The Inner Academy is the core of Jia Nan Academy. Due to its secrecy, most Outer Academy students, including instructors, do not know its exact location. Therefore, we will send you to a certain place." Hu Gan smiled and looked up at the azure sky in the distance. Ten black shadows were flying toward them. Moments later, the shadows grew larger, revealing themselves to be ten enormous Griffin Beasts.

Hu Gan waved at the Griffin Beasts in the sky. Their shadows descended, and amid gusts of fierce wind, the ten Griffin Beasts landed not far from the open space. A glance revealed that each Griffin Beast had two people riding it.

"All right, the time has come. Students, board them in groups of five." Seeing the Griffin Beasts land, Hu Gan pointed toward them and spoke to the students.

Upon hearing Hu Gan's words, the students in the open space immediately turned and swarmed forward. Like fleas, they leaped onto the broad backs of the Griffin Beasts amid a flurry of whooshing sounds. Yet the moment their feet landed on those backs, the slightly slick feathers made them suffer. Some who could not keep their footing slipped and rolled straight off. The repeated thuds of bodies crashing onto the stone slabs rang out one after another.

"Haha, lads, don't force yourselves. Seats have been installed on the Griffin Beasts. Don't even think about standing on their backs—that is something only Da Dou Shi can do." Hu Gan laughed, then turned to Xiao Ling and the others. "The top five, you five are one group. Get on."

Xiao Ling curled his lip and did not comply. These Griffin Beasts were nowhere near as impressive as riding his own Rayquaza. He patted Xiao Xun'er's wrist. Rayquaza, which had been coiled around it, shook its newly awakened head and darted before Xiao Ling. It let out a long cry toward the sky, its body instantly returning to a length of seven meters.

His eyes shifting slightly, Xiao Ling sent a thought toward Rayquaza. Rayquaza, which was connected to him in mind, turned its gaze toward him as well. It was as though an invisible connection had appeared between them.

Suddenly, Rayquaza's body emitted a dazzling white light, making the surrounding people squint. When the white radiance faded, the black skin covering Rayquaza's body had transformed into something that gleamed like gemstones, and its body structure had changed as well. Four long, golden, silk-ribbon-like appendages extended from its lower jaw and dragon horns. Its body became more slender, while the two golden portions of its tail fluttered in the wind. It could only be described in three words: cool as hell. This was Rayquaza's Mega form, an ability it had gained only after breaking through to the fourth tier and learning Dragon Ascent on its own. This was also the first time Xiao Ling had displayed it before others.

Sensing the changes in its body, Rayquaza flew into the sky and let out a long cry. It circled through the clouds once before descending in front of Xiao Ling.

The surrounding students, instructors, and elders were all dumbfounded by the sight. Rayquaza had already been incredibly cool before, but after Mega Evolution, it was simply cool beyond measure. Moreover, a magical beast capable of changing forms at will was something they had not merely never seen—they had never even heard of it. It was truly an eye-opener.

Having silently shown off, Xiao Ling maintained a calm expression and an imposing bearing, though inwardly he was overjoyed. With a flip, he leaped onto Rayquaza's back, then tilted his head toward Lin Yan and the others, who were still staring blankly at Rayquaza, signaling for them to climb on.

When had the boys ever ridden such a cool mount? They immediately climbed aboard and began chattering away, asking question after question. In short, they wanted one too and asked where they could catch one.

The two girls had been sitting in front of Xiao Ling for quite a while, yet their minds were still replaying the sight of him riding Rayquaza alone. His blue hair drifted in the wind, and he looked carefree and extraordinary. In their hearts, they cried, My husband is so handsome!