Jia Nan Academy

The Northwest Region was one of the most impoverished areas on the Dou Qi Continent. There were no overwhelmingly powerful factions ruling over it, nor were there any vast empires. Hundreds of nations and tens of thousands of sects and factions, large and small, divided this land between them. These tangled relationships made the region exceedingly chaotic, and its most notorious representative was the infamous Black Corner Region.

The Black Corner Region lay at the intersection of seven nations and was comparable in size to an ordinary empire. Powerful fugitives from every country fled here. In this world where strength reigned supreme, even more savage rules had been established. Arson, murder, plunder, and robbery were everyday occurrences in this region, with no laws to restrain them. Morality had become the cheapest thing in this peculiar land.

The Black Corner Region had not disgraced its name. Powerful individuals died here every day, while others poured in from outside every day. This region was filled with death, but it was also filled with challenges and temptations.

Yet at the heart of this utterly chaotic region stood an area of order and safety. Even ruthless figures who had massacred entire cities outside would have to obey the rules once they arrived here, not daring to cause trouble.

This was the territory owned by Jia Nan Academy.

The corpses of anyone who dared cause trouble here would appear on a large tree at the border between Jia Nan Academy and the Black Corner Region.

It was said that twenty-four years ago, the Black Corner Region and Jia Nan Academy had clashed in a massive conflict. Both sides fought bitterly for three days and three nights, and in the end, three headless corpses—two Dou Wangs and one Dou Emperor—were hung from the tree's branches.

From then on, no one dared stroke the lion's whiskers again.

Behind this tree, known as the Death Spirit Tree, lay Jia Nan Academy's first gateway: Heping Town.

Heping Town was not large, with a population of roughly five thousand. Its residents were ordinary people protected by Jia Nan Academy or the family members of academy personnel. Within the Black Corner Region, it was one of the most peaceful places.

Two lovely figures, one tall and one small, landed in the clearing before the Death Spirit Tree. They raised their heads to look at the enormous tree, nearly two hundred feet tall. Four or five rusty hooks and chains hung from it, carrying a faint chill beneath the sunlight.

"They really love showing this off. Back then, that little fellow Su Qian nearly ended up hanging from it." Gongsun Yu wore a veil and folded her arms across her chest as she sighed nostalgically.

"That happened?" Liuli was startled. After Gongsun Yu had taken a single step with her across the great plains of the Black Corner Region, the two had begun walking toward Jia Nan Academy. Along the way, Gongsun Yu had told Liuli about her old acquaintance—Su Qian, the Great Elder of Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy—and their past.

A century ago, Gongsun Yu had left the Sword Clan for a time, sealing away part of her strength to travel the continent. In the Black Corner Region of that time, she had saved a seven-year-old child whose parents had been slaughtered. She brought him to live in the Northwest Region for five years, and when she finally returned to her clan, she entrusted him to Mang Tian Chi, who happened to be at Jia Nan Academy at the time, so that he could raise and train him.

"Back then, that little brat called me Sister Yu every other word. He had no idea that I was already over a hundred years old, an old hag." Gongsun Yu smiled.

"Mom, have you ever seen such a beautiful old hag?" Liuli flattered her with a grin.

"Only your mouth is this sweet!" Gongsun Yu laughed, then tapped Liuli's nose.

"We are Jia Nan Academy's Execution Team. Please state your names and identities, and cooperate with our inspection!" Just as the mother and daughter were laughing and teasing each other, more than a dozen Blue-robed Personnel appeared before them. The man at their head spoke flatly.

"I... am Gongsun Yu, and this is my daughter, Gongsun Yu. We are from the Jia Ma Empire," Gongsun Yu answered honestly.

"After declaring your identities, please take these pills." The man nodded and summoned two pale red pills from his Storage Ring. He explained, "These are pills specially refined by the academy's Alchemy Department. They can detect killing intent. If you harbor murderous intentions, the pills will emit a red glow inside your bodies, and our Enforcement Team will come to inspect you. When you wish to leave, collect the antidote from the town center. We will naturally escort you out."

Gongsun Yu frowned. Though it was a reasonable precaution, the feeling of placing one's life in another person's hands was truly unpleasant.

"Ah..." She sighed softly, and a strand of Spiritual Sense separated from her and flew toward the interior of the academy.

"This is our duty. Please cooperate." The man handed out the two pills and emphasized it once more. Since they were women, and though both wore veils, their bearing and figures still revealed much, his attitude was somewhat gentler.

"These two are honored guests of the academy. There is no need for this!" An aged voice drifted over from the horizon. A Black-robed Old Man appeared before the group.

When the Enforcement Team members saw the old man, they all bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Great Elder!"

Gongsun Yu wore a teasing expression, her tone carrying a hint of amusement. "Oh my, Su Qian. It's been so long, and you've become quite the grand figure."

The old man froze for a moment, then smiled bitterly. "Please stop making fun of me."

Everyone was shocked. As the Great Elder of Jia Nan Academy, he was the academy's stabilizing pillar beneath only the headmaster. The old man was usually stern and dignified, never smiling lightly. They had never seen him look so gentle. There was even a trace of... fawning in his expression?

"Hiss—" The people around them all sucked in a breath. This veiled woman was truly extraordinary, terrifying beyond belief.

"Let's go inside and talk." Su Qian smiled and turned, leading the mother and daughter into the academy.

Although Jia Nan Academy was located in the central region of the Black Corner Region, its territory was immensely vast, equivalent to the combined area of more than a dozen large cities. Of course, most of it consisted of undeveloped mountain ranges and forests, home to countless Magical Beasts. On one hand, they served as a barrier for the academy; on the other, they provided a place for students to train.

Liuli sat atop a gigantic Griffin, using her Soul Power to scan the Magical Beasts below.

Most of the Magical Beasts here were around Second-tier to Third-tier. A Fourth-tier Magical Beast could become a regional lord here, while Fifth Rank Magical Beasts could already call themselves kings and tyrants. As for Sixth-tier Magical Beasts, they had likely long since become Magical Cores in Jia Nan Academy's stores.

After Gongsun Yu and Su Qian brought her into Heping Town to complete her enrollment procedures, they had someone bring over a Griffin before disappearing without a trace, presumably to catch up on old times.

"Ah, my poor father. Mom's charm is just too great." Recalling the way Su Qian had looked at her mother, Liuli sighed. When Gongsun Yu had left the clan to travel a century ago, who knew how many young admirers she had gathered?

Of course, young admirers had their uses. For instance, she had been directly admitted to the Inner Academy and even received a Purple Fire Energy Crystal Card loaded with 800 points of Fire Energy.

Within Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy, the most important item was the Fire Energy Crystal Card. Students who possessed one could use the Fire Energy stored within it to enter the academy's sacred ground—the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower—to cultivate. Imprisoned within this Black Tower was Fallen Heart Flame, ranked fourteenth on the Exotic Flame Ranking. The energy filtered and purified layer by layer through the Black Tower was especially effective for cultivators, particularly those who possessed Fire Attribute Dou Qi, allowing them to achieve twice the results with half the effort.

And over the next year, her plan was to continuously compress and solidify her cultivation within this tower, truly comprehending the power of the Peak Dou Huang realm!

As her plan settled into place, the Griffin crossed over a mountain peak, and an enormous basin appeared before the Young Girl.