Black-Corner Region
Xiao Li tugged at his tattered black cloak, looking a little helpless. "That Black Storm really was dangerous."
He had been gone for nearly two or three months. The Thunder Sect had grown more prosperous, and Deacon Li had told him they'd recruited many new disciples. The Blood Sect's destruction had made quite a name for them, and Elder Qian had even put on a display of walking through the air in front of a crowd, drawing the attention of the entire Black-Corner Region to the Thunder Sect.
"Thank you, Elder Qian, for helping me make a name for myself." Xiao Li offered his sincere thanks. The Two Elders Qian and Bai had helped him a great deal over the past year, and he would surely repay them in the future.
Elder Qian waved a hand. "It was nothing. The two of us hadn't been out and about in a long time, either. We took this opportunity to spend a year out here, and it was quite nice."
Elder Bai nodded. "Our year is up. The two of us will escort you back to the Inner Academy."
Xiao Li nodded, a hint of excitement in his eyes. The Inner Academy—there were geniuses everywhere there. With more rivals, he would train even harder, and there would also be more worthy talents to recruit.
The students of Jia Nan Academy, in character and talent alike, far surpassed the riffraff of the Black-Corner Region. Trying to find treasures among the riffraff was absurdly difficult.
As for the Thunder Sect, Xiao Li planned to return once in a while. Everything he had now was built upon his own strength, and his strength clearly didn't yet live up to the Thunder Sect's reputation. Secluding himself to cultivate was the true path.
They left as soon as they'd said their goodbyes. After giving Deacon Li a few instructions, Elder Bai and Elder Qian strode through the air in full view of the crowd, taking Xiao Li with them. Their departure drew another wave of admiration and awe.
With a Dou Zong expert in the sect, the people of the Black-Corner Region probably wouldn't dare trouble the Thunder Sect over a remote patch of land in the northwest.
At that moment, fifty students had gathered on an open field at Jia Nan Academy. They were this year's entrants into the Inner Academy, and among them were Liu Qing, Lin Xiuya, and the others.
Hu Gan was about to speak when three black-robed figures descended from the sky. "Hold on, Hu Gan. Take Xiao Li along, too."
Though Hu Gan hadn't heard the name Xiao Li in a long time, he still remembered it vividly. This was the ruthless newcomer who had taken first place in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament.
Hu Gan wasn't the only one. Every student from this year's class knew the name. They had all been there, after all, and had witnessed Xiao Li take first place with their own eyes.
Lin Xiuya turned toward the voice. Seeing Xiao Li in black robes, his features handsome, he let out a quiet exclamation. "I can't see through his strength."
The most likely reason he couldn't see through someone's strength was that they were far beyond him. But Lin Xiuya was already a three-star Da Dou Shi. How could he fail to see through Xiao Li's cultivation?
Lin Xiuya looked at Liu Qing and saw the same solemn expression on his face. The only explanation was that a monster really was a monster—after just a year, Xiao Li had grown so strong that they couldn't hope to catch up.
Hu Gan bowed to the Two Elders Qian and Bai. "Leave this kid to me. I'll make sure to take him to the Inner Academy. Sorry for the trouble, Elders."
The Two Elders Qian and Bai shook their heads and sighed. "Being able to teach a monster like Xiao Li is our honor."
With that, the Two Elders Qian and Bai vanished, their destination unknown, leaving Hu Gan staring after them in astonishment.
Only after recovering from their words did Hu Gan turn to look at Xiao Li.
Calm—or perhaps indifferent—that was Xiao Li's first impression on Hu Gan. The kid had grown quite a bit over the past year.
But, more importantly, why couldn't Hu Gan see through the kid's cultivation?
Could Xiao Li have surpassed him during the past year?
Hu Gan was nearly tearing his hair out, though his expression remained composed. "All right, Xiao Li, get on a flying magical beast. We're heading to the Inner Academy. You're a year late, so you've fallen far behind. You'll have to work hard."
Xiao Li's expression turned strange. As far as he knew, the Inner Academy couldn't take someone from a two-star Da Dou Shi to a three-star Dou Ling in one year.
He silently climbed onto a flying magical beast, feeling rather odd. It reminded him of a teacher in his previous life giving a promising student a stern talking-to.
There were ten Griffins in all, with five students to a group. Hu Gan assigned Xiao Li to Lin Xiuya's group.
Xiao Li's figure flashed, a streak of red darting past, and then he was atop a Griffin. He stood firmly on its smooth feathers, as steady as an iron tower.
Seeing how sure-footed Xiao Li was, the students who'd fallen off the Griffins earlier couldn't help but look at him with admiration. They'd tried climbing aboard by force and knew all too well how impossible it was to stand on those accursed feathers.
After Xiao Li, Lin Xiuya and the others leapt up as well. None of the five used any external aid; they stood upright on the Griffin's back. Such strength was only to be expected from the tournament's top five.
Seeing how the six of them performed, Hu Gan and the several elders beside him glanced around the field. Only after everyone had climbed onto a Griffin did they exchange looks and nod. Hu Gan waved a hand, and he and the three elders sprang into the air. With a tremor of their shoulders, four pairs of dazzling Dou Qi Wings unfurled from their backs.
Their wings beat lightly, and they hovered above the open field, drawing envious gazes from the crowd below.
Condensing Dou Qi Wings and flying freely was always the dream of countless cultivators—and it was Xiao Li's goal now.
"We'll personally escort you on this journey." Looking down over the open field, Hu Gan smiled and waved a hand. Below, the students riding the Griffins gave a sharp whistle. The Griffins beat their wings, and their huge bodies slowly rose into the sky, their shadows shrinking on the ground beneath them.
"Greetings, everyone." Xiao Li casually greeted the others. As one of the tournament's top five, each of them was surely worth getting to know.
"My name is Lin Xiuya. You must be Senior Xiao Li. Though we're a little older than you, our strength is far inferior. By rights, we should be calling you Senior." Lin Xiuya replied with a smile. None of them put on airs around Xiao Li.
Xiao Li nodded, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected this young man to be Lin Xiuya. That made him all the more worth befriending.
High in the azure sky, ten enormous Griffins beat their wings as they flew toward the academy's seemingly endless back mountain range. Outside the formation, Hu Gan and the three elders took up four corners around the entire group of Griffins. Their vigorous Dou Qi shimmered around them. No matter how fiercely the wind howled, it couldn't shift them in the slightest.
An endless sea of trees spread below, teeming with all kinds of magical beasts. Every so often, a beast wreathed in a savage aura would burst out of the forest and roar at the Griffin formation in the sky. Occasionally, flying magical beasts would pursue them, but whenever any came within a hundred meters of the formation, the powerful aura surging from Hu Gan and the three elders would frighten them into retreat.