In the Magical Beast Mountain Range
"Brother Xiao Li, save me!"
"Lightning Flash Strike!"
A flash of purple lightning streaked past, and the vicious magical beast fell before Xiao Yi Xian. A young man stood with his back to her, then glanced over his shoulder.
"Are you all right?"
"Brother Xiao Li..."
Xiao Yi Xian sniffled twice, her face full of grievance. The next moment, she could hold back no longer and threw herself into Xiao Li's arms, sobbing as she wrapped both arms tightly around his waist.
The next moment, Xiao Yi Xian's sobs abruptly stopped. She raised her hands in terror, only to find them covered in blood.
"Brother Xiao Li, y-you're bleeding so much."
Xiao Li turned around calmly. A wound, deep enough to expose the bone, gaped across his chest.
"As long as you're all right."
The memory abruptly ended. Xiao Yi Xian jolted awake from her dream and touched her forehead, only to find herself drenched in cold sweat, her clothes clinging to her back.
Three days later
Xiao Yi Xian lowered her head reluctantly, afraid that if she looked at Xiao Li one more time, she would burst into tears. After spending a year together in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, she hadn't expected they would have to part now.
With his keen senses, Xiao Li noticed something was off about Xiao Yi Xian. He excused himself from the clan members chatting with him and went to her side.
"What is it? Can't bear to part with me?"
Xiao Yi Xian froze. Staring at the tips of the shoes before her, she slowly raised her head.
"Brother Xiao Li..."
"Your nose is about to start running."
"Ah—sniff! It is not!"
Xiao Yi Xian folded her arms and glared at Xiao Li in embarrassed fury. Honestly, what was wrong with this guy? Couldn't he see she was sad?
Seeing the little girl stomp her foot in mortification, Xiao Li laughed helplessly and naturally patted her on the head. "If anyone at the Xiao Clan gives you a hard time, go find Xiao Yanzi. He'll help you."
Enjoying Xiao Li's gentle pat, Xiao Yi Xian pouted.
"Oh..." Xiao Yi Xian felt a knot of frustration in her chest. It was nice that he remembered her, the little nobody, but for some reason, his words still made her a little annoyed.
"If that doesn't work, come find me at Jia Nan Academy. I'll stand up for you."
Xiao Li's gentle voice rang out. Xiao Yi Xian froze, then nodded firmly. "I-I'll come find you."
Now it was Xiao Li's turn to freeze. It seemed Xiao Yi Xian's feelings for him weren't quite ordinary.
He glanced at the increasingly mature little girl. She seemed to be twelve, and even in Wutan City, little brats had already started dating young.
He silently set aside the thought of treating Xiao Yi Xian like a little sister and looked at her seriously.
Xiao Yi Xian lowered her head shyly. Their eyes met, and between them lingered something they wanted but didn't dare to voice.
Xiao Zhan, who had been eavesdropping nearby, nearly blacked out. He pinched his philtrum. "No wonder that little brat Xiao Yan likes little girls. So that's why!"
"Someone, come quick! The clan leader has fainted!"
Although Jia Nan Academy's recruitment team was stationed in Wutan City, the area they were responsible for also included several nearby cities. So when Xiao Li hurried to the designated recruitment plaza the next day and saw a sea of people stretching almost beyond sight, he couldn't help feeling a headache coming on.
No one else from the Xiao Clan was coming with him. Xiao Yu had wanted to go, but the Great Elder thought she was too young and told her to wait a few years. The others either lacked the talent or didn't want to come.
Not everyone wanted to go. Some would rather stay with their clan, while others feared the dangers of traveling far from home.
Roars of commotion soared over the enormous plaza as countless young people desperately shoved their way inside. If the city lord's troops hadn't been deployed along the edges to keep order, the excited crowds would probably have charged in without a second thought.
But Xiao Li didn't need to squeeze in with them. Someone was taking him inside.
An official from the city lord's residence led Xiao Li through a special passage. With the Xiao Clan now the undisputed ruler of the city, the city lord's position had become so insignificant that, in a couple of years, someone from the Xiao Clan might well take over.
Xiao Li followed the official halfway around the enormous plaza before they stopped on the western side. They were already at the rear of the plaza, where fully armed troops formed two or three layers of cordons. Their weapons glinted coldly, reflecting the sun's rays in dazzling flashes.
After surveying the strict security, the official went forward alone, pulled out his credentials, and spoke quietly with a soldier who looked like an officer. Only then did he wave Xiao Li over, signaling that he could pass.
The middle-aged officer's grim gaze swept over Xiao Li from head to toe. After a long moment, he finally waved a hand and barked, "Let him through!"
The officer had been transferred from a larger city to oversee the examination sites in these several cities, so he naturally wasn't impressed by local strongmen like the Xiao Clan.
At the middle-aged officer's shout, the tightly packed wall of armored soldiers rang out with the synchronized clatter of colliding armor. A narrow path, just wide enough for one person, slowly opened.
As he passed the soldiers, Xiao Li could clearly smell the blood on them. They were elite troops, probably all veterans of the battlefield. Though they were only low-level Dou Zhe, they were skilled at fighting in formation. Even he would face near-certain death if surrounded by more than a hundred soldiers.
Xiao Li licked his dry lips. His extraordinary composure let him gradually shake off the pressure he felt. Whatever the case, with his current Da Dou Shi strength, he was already stronger than every soldier here.
The killing intent he had built up after slaying dozens of magical beasts in the Magical Beast Mountain Range was no weaker than theirs. In fact, he surpassed any one of them by far.
Seeing that Xiao Li remained unfazed and even seemed to carry a more imposing presence, a hint of admiration appeared on the middle-aged officer's expressionless face. "Looks like Instructor Su Fei will get a good student this time."
The official remained outside. "Second Young Master Xiao, you can go in on your own. I can't enter. Please forgive me."
Xiao Li smiled warmly. "It's all right. Sorry for the trouble, official."
The official hurriedly waved his hands, flattered. "No trouble at all, no trouble."
Xiao Li walked to the center of the plaza, where an open green tent came into view. From here, he could see the sea of people outside. In several passageways, young men and women who had passed the tests occasionally made their way toward the inner plaza, excitement written all over their faces.
Xiao Li approached the large green tent. In its cool shade, several men and women were huddled in a small circle, chatting casually with one another. Judging by how at ease they seemed, they were probably all students from Jia Nan Academy.
When Xiao Li arrived, a beautiful female student blinked her big eyes, and they seemed to brighten at once.
"Are you here for the examination? Come on, I'll take you inside."
Seeing how warmly the female student greeted Xiao Li, a male student in the group frowned.
"Li Fei'er, isn't that a little against the rules? You should make him stand out in the sun for a while first."
The female student called Li Fei'er glared at him. "Mind your own business, Li Lin. Keep sticking your nose into my affairs and I'll beat you to death!"
With that, she turned to Xiao Li, whose mouth was twitching, and her voice immediately became sweet again. "Come on, handsome."
Watching Li Lin silently and decisively retreat, Xiao Li felt a little puzzled. Wasn't some minor villain who had a crush on this girl supposed to show up right about now? Why had the guy backed down so quickly?
Wait, you really only stepped in because you thought it was against the rules?