Soul Offering Old Shop

Not long after Xiao Yan and the others boarded the flying beast, the Steel Giant Eagle, the enormous creature's wings slowly began to beat. Wisps of Wind Attribute energy coiled beneath it, carrying its massive body up into the sky.

With a clear, piercing cry, the Steel Giant Eagle, under the Beast Tamer's command, suddenly shot into the air and swiftly flew in the direction of the Black-Corner Region.

"It feels like riding an airplane."

Sitting in the room on the Steel Giant Eagle's back, Xiao Yan propped his chin in his hand and looked through the window at the faint Clouds and Mist streaking past outside. A scene buried deep in his memories kept surfacing before his eyes.

"Wow! We're flying!"

"This is amazing! They can actually tame such a huge flying Magical Beast!"

"I remember that only Dou Ling experts can glide for a short time, and only Dou Wang can fly long distances!"

An ordinary flying Magical Beast would need several days to fly out of the Jia Ma Empire, but the fourth-rank Magical Beast, the Steel Giant Eagle, only needed half a day.

"Young Clan Leader! Look, we're actually above the clouds!"

"Xiao Yan Gege, look, look!"

Xiao Mei grabbed Xiao Yan's clothes and shook them hard, the excitement on her face completely undisguised.

Xiao Yan smiled gently and said, "I know, I know. Sit properly and fasten your seat belts, or you'll get thrown off in a bit."

"What's a seat belt?" Xiao Mei asked in confusion.

"Uh, I mean grab your chairs tightly and be careful." This was also Xiao Yan's first time riding a flying Magical Beast; he had not known this world had no such thing as seat belts.

Beside him, Xun Er said with a soft laugh, "Xiao Yan Gege doesn't seem like this is his first time riding a flying Magical Beast."

"You're the one who seems like it isn't your first time, Xun Er," Xiao Yan said with a smile, firing the question back.

Half a day passed quickly. The Steel Giant Eagle had already flown out of the Jia Ma Empire's territory and entered the Black-Corner Region.

"Students, we have now entered the Black-Corner Region. As your teacher, I must remind you of one thing here: no matter the reason, you must never enter the Black-Corner Region alone." Ruo Lin Mentor was uncharacteristically stern as she gave the warning.

"Because of its special terrain, the Black-Corner Region has practically become the most chaotic region on the entire continent. Powerful people who have fled from various countries and fallen into trouble gather here, building the most savage rules. Even if you are a Da Dou Shi, you cannot say you will definitely come out of the Black-Corner Region alive."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan looked down through the window, but unfortunately the Steel Giant Eagle was flying too high. Looking down from above, he could only see a sea of white clouds, along with the faint outlines of some buildings, mountains, and forests.

"Students, Jia Nan Academy's Peace Town is almost here. Peace Town is the buffer zone between Jia Nan Academy and the Black-Corner Region. Killing is strictly forbidden within Peace Town, and you will also receive the academy's protection there."

Only after hearing Ruo Lin Mentor's words did Xiao Yan pull his mind back. The Steel Giant Eagle slowly descended onto the top of a small slope beside a yellow dirt road lined with lush trees outside the town. Standing on the giant eagle, Xiao Yan gazed into the distance and could just make out, between two majestic mountains far away, a faintly visible small town.

At the entrance to the town stood a large tree with Branches clawing wildly in every direction, and corpses hung from it one after another.

Xiao Yu said quietly, "That is Jia Nan Academy's famous Dead Spirit Tree. In the past, the corpses of two Dou Wang and one Dou Emperor were hung on it to warn the forces of the Black-Corner Region that Jia Nan Academy must not be violated, or that would be their fate."

Even now, corpse after corpse and white bones still hung from the Dead Spirit Tree, a truly frightening sight.

Among the forks of the Branches, some corpses had been directly skewered and hung there. When a light breeze blew over, they swayed back and forth, producing hair-raising creaks.

The group of new students heard this, and their throats slowly bobbed as cold sweat quietly fell from their foreheads.

Ruo Lin Mentor led all the new students down from the Steel Giant Eagle and said loudly, "Everyone, keep up. Tonight we will spend the night in Peace Town. Tomorrow morning, someone from the academy will lead us into the academy."

It had already taken Xiao Yan and the others half a day to fly from Wutan City to Peace Town, and the sky had long since begun to darken. Between Jia Nan Academy and Peace Town lay an extremely large stretch of primeval forest, a place provided for students to train, so the academy needed to send people to control griffins and carry them to Canaan City.

The moment Xiao Yan's foot stepped through the town gate, he sensed two strange waves sweep over his body.

"Everyone, there is no need to mind it. This is a soul detection wave, used to check whether anyone is wanted or has been marked with a special imprint," Ruo Lin Mentor gently explained to the new students.

"As expected of Jia Nan Academy. How miraculous."

"Exactly. The world is so vast, there's nothing too strange to exist."

Seeing Xiao Yan stop, Xun Er asked softly, "What's wrong, Xiao Yan Gege? Is there a problem?"

Xiao Yu and the other Xiao Clan People also noticed Xiao Yan had stopped and halted one after another. Before they left Wutan City, Xiao Zhan had already instructed them that inside Jia Nan Academy, everyone was to obey Xiao Yan, the Young Clan Leader, and follow his lead.

Seeing Xiao Yan standing there in a daze, Luo Bu curled his lip in a cold smile and mocked, "No wonder. Here, forget an Eight-Star Dou Zhe—even if you're an eight-star Dou Shi, one careless moment and your head could leave your body. If you're scared, there's still time to go home."

"If your bones are itching, I can put you on the ground again," Xiao Yan said as he came back to himself, twisting his neck with a cold smile.

Luo Bu's face turned livid. "Xiao Yan, don't think that little bit of talent of yours is so amazing! There are plenty of people in Jia Nan Academy stronger than you!"

Xiao Yan shrugged and said indifferently, "Yes, yes, there are always heavens beyond the heavens and people beyond people. In any case, you aren't one of them."

"You! Once we enter the academy, you'll know that being strong by yourself doesn't count for anything!" Luo Bu's eyes turned cold as he strode quickly toward the lodgings that had been arranged in advance.

Xiao Yan patted the back of Xun Er's hand and comforted her, "I'm fine. I just sat for too long, that's all. Let's go. Don't make Mentor wait too long."

Xiao Yan's gaze covertly flicked toward a small alley on the right, but he did not enter it.

Deep in the night, at the inn where Jia Nan Academy's new students had settled, a figure silently slipped out through a window.

Wearing a large black robe, Xiao Yan walked into the pitch-black alley. The complicated little alley twisted and turned, but strangely, Xiao Yan seemed to have been here before, moving with practiced familiarity into its depths.

At the end of the alley was a dead end. In a place like this, not to mention a person's shadow, there was not even a Ghost Shadow.

Yet in this deep alley where there was not even a Ghost Shadow, there was actually an old, dilapidated shop. The run-down old shop was covered by a broken wooden door, and when a gust of wind blew over, it gave off a creaking sound that made one's skin crawl.

Xiao Yan raised his head. The signboard had the four large characters "Soul Offering Old Shop" written on it. Who knew how long it had gone without being maintained? It was covered in dust, battered and shabby, giving the impression that it could fall down at any moment.

Xiao Yan took the Pitch-Black Token out from his Storage Ring. It was not that Xiao Yan had been here before; rather, this strange token was emitting a kind of soul wave that guided Xiao Yan to this place.

Tonight, Xiao Yan had discovered two soul waves sweeping over him. One had been Jia Nan Academy's inspection, while the other had actually been because of this token!

What Xiao Yan did not know was that the depths of this alley had actually been shielded by someone using spatial means. Only those possessing a Special Item could enter. Even if the headmaster of Jia Nan Academy came, he would not be able to discover it.

Xiao Yan's brows knit tightly. One look told him this place was definitely not anything good. Moreover, he had not forgotten that this token came from Soul Hall, and Soul Hall was not any good organization either.

It was gloomy and terrifying, as if it were haunted.

"Heh heh heh. Since you have come, why not enter the shop?"