After the Tournament

Walking slowly along the forest path within the academy, Xiao Yun strolled with his hands clasped behind his head, paying little heed to the fervent gazes cast his way by the surrounding students. Ever since he had taken first place in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament two days ago, such looks had followed him everywhere, impossible to avoid.

At first, Xiao Yun had found it somewhat irritating. He was deeply uncomfortable with the way they looked at him as though he were an animal on display at a zoo in his previous life. However, over time, he had gotten used to it. After all, they were only staring and had not disturbed his life. Xiao Yun could hardly rush over and beat up everyone who looked at him.

Three days had passed since the selection tournament ended. During that time, Xiao Yun had not only fully recovered the Dou Qi he had expended during the competition, but his strength had also completely stabilized at the Seven-Star Da Dou Shi level. He was practically at peak condition at every moment. The flood-like Dou Qi continuously circulating within his body filled him with a feeling of utter comfort.

According to academy rules, within seven days of the selection tournament's conclusion, the top fifty students had to prepare to head for the Inner Academy. Xiao Yun and the other top five, meanwhile, could choose a time during those seven days to enter the academy's Library Pavilion. As a reward, they were qualified to rely on their luck and select a treasure or technique suited to them.

Xiao Yun was quite interested in Jia Nan Academy's Library Pavilion. After all, it contained countless treasures. Although he currently lacked neither cultivation techniques nor Dou Skills, who would ever complain about mastering more? However, according to the rules, the top five had to enter the Library Pavilion together. Fang Wen, the weakest among the five, was still lying in the academy infirmary and would likely remain there for another two or three days.

"I hope I find something suitable for myself in the Library Pavilion." Warm sunlight filtered through the gaps between the branches and fell upon Xiao Yun. He murmured this inwardly in expectation.

"Cousin Xiao Yun, we're over here!"

As Xiao Yun walked along at an unhurried pace, a rough voice suddenly rang out ahead. Hearing it, Xiao Yun looked toward its source. In a small pavilion directly before him sat three men. One of them saw Xiao Yun arrive, sprang excitedly to his feet, and shouted.

The surrounding students heard the man's call and looked at him with envy. Given Xiao Yun's current reputation in Jia Nan Academy, many people knew that he came from nothing more than an inconspicuous little family of the Jia Ma Empire—the Xiao Clan. Yet no one could ignore the Xiao Clan any longer, because that small family had produced a peerless monster!

"Sigh, if only my family could produce a genius like Xiao Yun. Then my family would rise to prominence."

Most Jia Nan Academy students shared such thoughts, but unfortunately, Xiao Yun was not a cabbage growing by the roadside. He was a genius seen only once in a century!

"Sorry, I'm late. Have you three cousins been waiting long?" Xiao Yun quickly approached the three of them, cupped his hands apologetically, then sat down and chatted with them.

These three members of the Xiao Clan were the brothers Xiao Long and Xiao Hu, along with Xiao Ding. Xiao Yun hoped to provide the Xiao Clan with a little more help before he left for the Inner Academy, so he found a time to call all three of them out.

"No, no, we only just arrived," Xiao Hu, the most lively of the three, answered ingenuously. Xiao Long, sitting nearby, nodded in agreement.

"Three cousins, in a few days, I'll be heading to the Inner Academy to cultivate. The Outer Academy and Inner Academy are not in the same place, so before I leave, I want to give you some cultivation resources."

"Cousin Xiao Ding, you should have practiced the cultivation techniques and Dou Skills I brought back to the clan before, right?"

"Yes. Back when I was in the clan, Father had me bring several copied cultivation techniques and Dou Skills to Jia Nan Academy."

"Then I'll give you some medicinal pills to help you break through to the Dou Zhe realm sooner."

As he spoke, Xiao Yun took a jade box containing medicinal pills from his Storage Ring and handed it to Xiao Ding. "There are some pills here to speed up Dou Qi cultivation, as well as a Gathering Qi Powder. Once you reach the Ninth Duan of Dou Qi, you can take it to ensure that you condense a Dou Qi Cyclone and break through to Dou Zhe."

"As for you two cousins, your Dou Qi attributes happen to be the same—both of you have wood-attributed Dou Qi. This is the Xuan Tier mid-level cultivation technique, Azure Wood Formula, along with its matching Xuan Tier mid-level Dou Skill, Raging Dragon Whirling Azure Wood. When used by someone cultivating the Azure Wood Formula, this Dou Skill can reach the power of a high-level Xuan Tier technique."

"There are also some medicinal pills that assist Dou Zhe and Dou Shi cultivation. They're leftovers from when I was practicing alchemy, so I'll give them all to you."

Watching Xiao Yun continuously take out cultivation resources they normally had no access to, as though pouring out beans, the three were utterly shocked. Xiao Hu was ultimately the first to recover. "Cousin Xiao Yun, enough, enough. This is more than enough for us to cultivate."

"Thank you, Cousin Xiao Yun," the other two hurriedly said as well.

"There's no need for this. Since we belong to the same clan, supporting one another is only natural. Besides, with my current cultivation, these resources are of little use to me. It would be better to give them to you."

"Three cousins, I'll be heading to the Inner Academy to cultivate from now on. If you encounter trouble, I may not be able to arrive immediately. But if it truly is a matter of life and death, go find my teacher, Fire Elder, first. You are members of my clan, so my teacher will lend you a hand when the time comes."

Xiao Yun spoke earnestly with the three of them for quite some time. He truly felt attached to the Xiao Clan, so he did not want anything to happen to its members. If he could help them even a little, he would.

The three watched Xiao Yun's departing figure. Though his back was small, it left behind a towering image in their hearts. "Don't worry, Cousin Xiao Yun. We'll definitely cultivate twice as hard and live up to your expectations. We'll strive to meet you in the Inner Academy as soon as possible!"

On the final day before entering the Inner Academy, Xiao Yun sat in Fire Elder's private courtyard, listening as his teacher taught him alchemy techniques.

"For an alchemist, a good flame can raise the success rate by twenty to thirty percent. Your flame is now a Sixth Order Beast Flame, enough to refine medicinal pills below the Sixth Tier. But if you wish to go further, you'll need a higher-order Beast Flame or Heavenly Flames."

"Heavenly Flames... I remember there's one in the Inner Academy. What a pity..."

Knock, knock, knock!

Just as Fire Elder was about to tell Xiao Yun about the Heavenly Flames in the Inner Academy, they heard knocking from outside the small courtyard.

"Grandpa Fire, Grandpa asked me to bring Brother Xiao Yun to him."

"Looks like they're calling you to enter the Library Pavilion. Brat, make good use of this opportunity. Don't aim too high; try to take only what you need."

Fire Elder patted Xiao Yun on the shoulder, waved open the door, and urged him to hurry and meet Hu Gan.