Training

Dragon Knight Warrior Academy, back mountain.

"Bang!" "Pow!" "Boom!"... Two red figures could be seen flickering and colliding within the jungle, with scorching waves of heat spreading wildly in all directions from the center of their clash.

The two parties engaged in combat were none other than Yao Lao and Xiao Yan.

"Kid, feel this move of mine!" Yao Lao let out a soft shout. His figure flickered, shifting and maneuvering through the air like a boundless flame, leaving no trace behind, appearing behind Xiao Yan in an incredibly eerie manner.

"Bang!" The hilt of his sword pressed against the nape of Xiao Yan's neck.

Knowing he had already lost, Xiao Yan gave a bitter smile, lowered the heavy ruler in his hand, and raised his hands above his head. "Yao Lao, when will I ever be able to beat you?"

"If you, a mere child, could easily defeat me, wouldn't my three hundred years of bitter cultivation become a joke!" Yao Lao tapped Xiao Yan on the head.

"Furthermore, the fact that you could force me to use the Power of Heaven and Earth while only a Level 7 Warrior means your strength is already no less than that of an ordinary Level 9 Warrior." After lecturing Xiao Yan, Yao Lao's expression turned serious.

Because his dantian was damaged, Yao Lao's battle qi reserves and intensity were only slightly stronger than an average Level 8 Warrior, far inferior to a Level 9 Warrior. The reason Yao Lao was still perceived as a Level 9 Warrior by outsiders was due to his formidable combat prowess; not only had he mastered techniques like "lifting the heavy as if it were light," but most importantly, he had grasped the Power of Heaven and Earth.

For Xiao Yan to force Yao Lao to use the Power of Heaven and Earth during their spar meant his own strength already surpassed that of Yao Lao when using the "lifting the heavy as if it were light" technique, making his strength comparable to a Level 9 Warrior.

"To master 'lifting the heavy as if it were light' in just half a year, Xiao Yan, your talent is the highest I have ever seen in my life. Even the founding emperors of the three legendary empires, those few gods, would at most be at this level."

"Hehe... Just luck, just luck." Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"You kid, every time I praise you, you say it's luck!" Yao Lao shook his head with doting affection.

"Now that you have mastered 'lifting the heavy as if it were light,' I can no longer teach you regarding the cultivation of the Power of Heaven and Earth. You must rely on yourself; go out and venture into the world."

"A greenhouse cannot raise a true powerhouse!"

As everyone knows, in the Coiling Dragon material plane, there are generally three major dungeons, ranked from easy to difficult: the simple dungeon Magical Beast Mountain Range, the difficult dungeon Church of Light, and the purgatory dungeon Plane Prison.

Currently, because of "Yao Lao," the Church of Light was highly likely already standing in opposition to Xiao Yan, and the Magical Beast Mountain Range on the Azeron Continent happened to be located within the sphere of influence of the Church of Light.

"To go to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, I must enter the territory of the Church of Light, this..." Xiao Yan looked at the map, his brows furrowed tightly.

"My relationship with Yao Lao is known to everyone in the Dragon Knight Warrior Academy. Given the vast influence of the Church of Light, they must have already received the news. With their domineering style of doing things, if I were to really head to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, it would be no different from a sheep entering a tiger's den!"

"After all, the only reason the Church of Light hasn't moved against Yao Lao and the Dragon Knight Warrior Academy is because of the Deterrence of the Zhongyuan Empire. But even so, Yao Lao hasn't left Starfire City for nearly twenty years, just to guard against the Church of Light playing dirty."

"For the sake of safety, it is best if I do not leave the sphere of influence of the Zhongyuan Empire."

Thinking this, Xiao Yan finally locked his gaze on an area at the border between the Roland Empire and the Zhongyuan Empire.

Sunset Forest, the second largest gathering place for magical beasts on the Azeron Continent, second only to the Magical Beast Mountain Range!

Night.

A figure clad in night-traveling clothes, like a reaper in the night, blended into the darkness without making a sound, gradually disappearing into the distance.

"This kid..." Standing on a pavilion, Yao Lao sighed leisurely.

On the other side, after moving far away from the Dragon Knight Warrior Academy, Xiao Yan increased his speed once more. Even on rugged mountain paths, he moved as if on flat ground, easily covering a hundred miles in an hour.

In just a few days, Xiao Yan arrived near the Sunset Forest, and the number of adventurers on the road began to increase.

"Eh!" Xiao Yan's gaze fell upon one of them.

The person was wearing the standard robe of the Imperial Capital Magic Academy of the Roland Empire, and her four companions—three men and one woman—were also dressed as mages, wearing the uniforms of other magic academies.

The other three men were dressed as warriors; one particularly tall man wore gleaming armor and carried a long spear on his back, another thinner man had a long saber tucked at his waist, and the last one was a fat man carrying a massive mace on his shoulder.

"Nina?" The young girl wearing the Ernst standard robe was none other than Nina, who had once met Lynn in person.

Xiao Yan naturally recognized her at a glance.

"I seem to recall Leiluo and Gates saying that Nina broke through to become a Level 5 Mage not long ago, becoming a high-level mage. According to the regulations of the Imperial Capital Magic Academy, she can apply for outside training."

"A seventeen-year-old Level 5 Mage; this Nina's talent is probably no weaker than the original body."

Xiao Yan sighed inwardly, but he had no intention of stepping forward to make acquaintances. After all, even if a seventeen-year-old Level 5 Mage is extraordinary, how would you respond if I pulled out a twelve-year-old Level 7 dual-cultivator of magic and martial arts?

"Friend, are you also heading to the Sunset Forest?" Suddenly, a voice rang out.

Xiao Yan turned his head to look and saw the armored youth from Nina's group smiling as he stepped forward.

"Let's get to know each other, I am Caesar, from the Roland Warrior Academy." The youth said with a warm smile.

"Chu Zihang, Kassel Warrior Academy." Xiao Yan had a sudden inspiration; when traveling abroad, one creates their own identity.

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's self-introduction, the expression on the golden-haired youth's face froze.

Kassel Warrior Academy? Is there such an academy within the Roland Empire? Could it be from the Zhongyuan Empire side?

Though his heart was filled with endless confusion, Caesar displayed a look of understanding on his face. "So Brother Chu Zihang is a genius from the Kassel Academy."

"I see that Brother Chu Zihang is heading in the same direction as the Sunset Forest. I happen to have put together a team and plan to explore the edge of the Sunset Forest. Why don't you join us, Brother Chu Zihang?"

"No need, I am more accustomed to being alone." Facing Caesar's invitation, Xiao Yan refused without hesitation, then quickly departed.

Facing Xiao Yan, who gave him no face, the smile on Caesar's face stiffened, his expression turning uncertain.

...Watching Caesar return alone, the fat youth carrying the mace teased: "Looks like that guy didn't accept the boss's invitation."

"I intended to make an acquaintance, but unfortunately, that person was too arrogant. Not only did he not think much of me, but he also insulted me." Facing the fat man's teasing, Caesar just gave a bitter smile.

Hearing the conversation between the two, Nina frowned and spoke up.

"I originally just thought his temperament was extraordinary, and seeing his appearance, he seemed very young, so I was prepared to kindly invite him to join the team to help him out and get to know him. Since he doesn't appreciate it, then forget it!"