Jia Nan Academy: The "Trash" Who Just Entered the Inner Academy

At Jia Nan Academy's Outer Academy, light flickered from the teleportation formation, delivering a group of students in Outer Academy uniforms to the Inner Academy's entrance.

Xiao Yan stood among them, his frame somewhat slight. His black training clothes had faded from washing, and a rusty iron sword hung casually at his waist—an outfit he had prepared specifically for his "trash" persona. Feeling the occasional appraising gaze around him, he lowered his eyes slightly, an unnoticed smile curling his lips.

Two lifelike stone lions stood at the Inner Academy's entrance, radiating a faint Dou Emperor pressure. They were clearly the work of a powerful expert. Several Inner Academy Guards in silver armor stood before the gates, their gazes sharp as hawks as they scrutinized every student attempting to enter.

"Next, Xiao Yan."

Hearing his name called, Xiao Yan slowly stepped forward and handed over his identity token. The words "Outer Academy" were engraved on it, and a faint scratch marked its edge—the "evidence" left when he had "accidentally" dropped it on the stone steps yesterday.

The guard took the token and infused a thread of Dou Qi into it. Xiao Yan's information immediately appeared: Outer Academy student, Xiao Yan, Dou Qi Third Stage.

"Pfft—"

A derisive snort came from nearby. It belonged to a tall, burly Inner Academy student whose chest badge showed that he had reached Dou Wang. "Since when could even someone at Dou Qi Third Stage enter the Inner Academy? Must've slipped in through the back door, right?"

A wave of quiet laughter immediately rose around them. Many Inner Academy students looked at Xiao Yan with mockery and disdain.

Xiao Yan let a trace of embarrassment appear on his face at just the right moment. His fingers nervously clutched the hem of his clothes, and his voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "I... I passed the assessment."

"The assessment?" The burly student reacted as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world. He stepped forward, openly directing his Dou Wang pressure at Xiao Yan. "Trash like you could pass the Inner Academy assessment? The examiner must've been blind!"

The instant that pressure descended, the Dou Qi within Xiao Yan, vast as a sea of stars, nearly erupted from his body. Even a trace of his Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint power would have been enough to reduce this insignificant Dou Wang to ash. But he forcibly suppressed the impulse, swaying slightly and stumbling back two steps. His face turned pale as paper, as though he might faint at any moment.

[System notification: Provocation against the host detected. Respond in a manner consistent with your current persona to avoid exposing your strength.]

Understood, Xiao Yan silently replied. He raised his head, his eyes carrying a hint of timidity, yet clinging to a thread of stubbornness. "I... I really did pass."

Just then, a cool female voice rang out. "Zhao Hu, don't be rude."

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a woman in a moon-white dress approaching at an unhurried pace. Her bearing was cool and aloof, her face stunningly beautiful, and the badge on her chest showed that she had reached Dou Emperor. She was none other than a prominent figure in the Inner Academy, Elder Hu Gan's personal disciple, Wu Hao's senior sister, and Liu Qing's younger sister—Liu Fei.

At the sight of Liu Fei, Zhao Hu immediately reined in his arrogance and smiled sheepishly. "Senior Sister Liu Fei, I was just joking around with the kid."

Liu Fei ignored Zhao Hu. Her gaze settled on Xiao Yan, and her brows drew together slightly. "Dou Qi Third Stage? Did you really pass the assessment?"

Xiao Yan nodded and took a green jade token from his robes. It was proof that he had passed the Inner Academy assessment.

Liu Fei examined the jade token for a moment, then returned it once she confirmed its authenticity. "The Inner Academy isn't like the Outer Academy. Here, the strong reign supreme. Strength alone gives you a foothold. Take care of yourself." With that, she turned and left.

Once Liu Fei had gone, Zhao Hu and the others stopped making trouble for Xiao Yan, though the disdain in their eyes only deepened. The guard returned his identity token and said flatly, "Go in."

As though granted a pardon, Xiao Yan lowered his head and hurried into the Inner Academy. Unrestrained laughter followed him.

"That trash probably won't last three months."

"I bet he'll be crawling back to the Outer Academy within a month."

"Hahaha, a magical beast might carry him off tomorrow."

Xiao Yan turned a deaf ear to them. The instant he entered the Inner Academy, his perception enveloped its entirety.

The Inner Academy was more than ten times the size of the Outer Academy, surrounded by mountains and filled with spiritual energy so dense it nearly took tangible form. Ancient, austere buildings dotted the wooded slopes, with students faintly visible cultivating or sparring inside. At the center of the region, an enormous crimson tower soared from the ground, radiating scorching heat. It was the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower.

Tsk, tsk. Jia Nan Academy certainly has deep reserves, to possess such dense fire energy, Xiao Yan thought. The fallen heart flame should be beneath that Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower.

His spiritual power quietly reached out, instantly penetrating the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower's layers of defenses and revealing the heavenly flame sleeping at its base. The fallen heart flame was even more powerful than he had imagined. If it erupted in full, it could turn the entire Inner Academy into a sea of fire.

Still, now isn't the time to touch it. Xiao Yan withdrew his perception and continued playing the role of "trash," slowly following the winding mountain path.

Along the way, he encountered quite a few Inner Academy students. Most gave him odd looks, and someone even deliberately bumped into him. Xiao Yan went along with it, falling to the ground and struggling for ages to get up, drawing a burst of laughter.

[System notification: Successfully maintained the "trash" persona. Acting proficiency +1.]

Xiao Yan inwardly rolled his eyes. This system really was... down-to-earth.

He got up, brushed the dust from his clothes, and continued on his way. Following the route in his memory, he first needed to complete his Inner Academy residence registration, then collect his fire energy.

Fire energy was the Inner Academy's universal currency. It could be exchanged for cultivation resources and used to secure cultivation spots in the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower. It was vital to ordinary students, but to Xiao Yan, it was nothing of consequence.

Registration took place in a building called the Deacon Hall, bustling with people coming and going. Xiao Yan waited in line for more than half an hour before his turn came.

The middle-aged deacon handling registration could not help frowning when he saw "Dou Qi Third Stage" on Xiao Yan's token. "Another one with connections?"

Xiao Yan lowered his head and said quietly, "I passed the assessment."

"The assessment?" The middle-aged deacon sneered. "How difficult could the Outer Academy's assessment be? Never mind. Finish registering and get out. Don't hold up the people behind you."

He impatiently handed Xiao Yan a black token. "This is your Fire Energy Token. Your starting fire energy is one hundred points. Keep it safe. If you lose it, you won't get a replacement."

Xiao Yan took the token, said, "Thank you," and turned to leave the Deacon Hall.

One hundred points of fire energy was not even enough for a single day of cultivation on the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower's lowest floor. They really were treating him as trash who was only here to coast along.

Xiao Yan shook his head and took the token to his assigned residence. It was a dilapidated wooden hut at the edge of the mountain behind the academy, surrounded by overgrown weeds. Clearly, no one had lived there for a long time.

"Heh, it certainly suits my status." Xiao Yan pushed open the creaking wooden door and stepped inside.

The furnishings were simple: a bed, a table, and a chair, with cobwebs clinging to the corners. Xiao Yan casually waved a hand. An almost imperceptible gust swept through, instantly clearing away the dust and cobwebs and leaving the table and chair spotless.

Once that was done, he sat in the chair, closed his eyes, and began sorting out his next steps.

First, he needed to blend into the Inner Academy as quickly as possible without attracting too much attention. Second, he needed to find Yao Lao's remnant soul. Although his current strength far surpassed Yao Lao's, having another person—or rather, soul—to help maintain his cover would always be useful. Finally, and most importantly, he needed to secretly eliminate the Soul Hall's spies within the Inner Academy, along with anyone who might threaten him.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside, followed by an arrogant voice. "I heard some Dou Qi Third Stage trash showed up. He lives here?"

Xiao Yan opened his eyes, a cold smile curling his lips.

Perfect timing. I was just looking for a chance to establish some authority—in a way that fits my persona—and someone delivered himself right to my door.

He rose and opened the door. Three Inner Academy students stood outside. Their leader was a young man with triangular eyes at Peak Dou Ling, while the other two were mid-stage Dou Ling.

The triangular-eyed young man looked Xiao Yan up and down, a disdainful smile spreading across his face. "You're that Xiao Yan? Trash, just as expected. You dared come to the Inner Academy at Dou Qi Third Stage? You'd better hurry back to the Outer Academy instead of disgracing yourself here."

Xiao Yan frowned, letting a trace of anger show while looking too frightened to act on it. "I earned my way in. Why should I leave?"

"Earned your way?" The triangular-eyed young man reacted as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world. "What ability could trash like you possibly have? You just stumbled into a pile of dog-shit luck! We're in a good mood today, so we'll give you a chance. Hand over your Fire Energy Token and kowtow three times, loud enough for us to hear. Then we'll let you off."

The other two joined in. "Hand it over! Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty!"

Xiao Yan clenched his fists tightly, his nails almost digging into his flesh. A flicker of humiliation crossed his eyes. "I won't!"

"Oh, you've got some backbone?" The triangular-eyed young man's expression darkened. "Looks like you won't learn the Inner Academy's rules until someone teaches you a lesson!"

With that, he punched at Xiao Yan, faint Dou Qi rippling around his fist. Clearly, he was not trying to kill him, only teach him a lesson.

A sharp gleam flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes. He shifted sideways in apparent panic, narrowly avoiding the punch. At the same time, his foot caught the triangular-eyed young man's leg.

Thud!

The triangular-eyed young man lost his balance and slammed into the ground, knocking out a front tooth. Blood streamed from his mouth.

"Boss!" the other two cried, rushing forward to help him.

The triangular-eyed young man clutched his mouth, howling in pain. His gaze brimmed with venom as he stared at Xiao Yan. "You dared pull a dirty trick on me?!"

Xiao Yan looked utterly innocent. "I... I didn't mean to. You tripped by yourself."

"Bullshit!" the triangular-eyed young man roared, struggling to his feet. "Get him! Teach this trash a proper lesson!"

The other two exchanged a glance, then lunged at Xiao Yan together.

Xiao Yan retreated repeatedly, looking utterly bedraggled, yet always dodging their attacks by a hair's breadth. At the same time, he "accidentally" struck a nearby stone, which hit one of the mid-stage Dou Ling students squarely in the knee.

"Aah!" The student screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his knee.

Seeing this, the other student grew even angrier, his attacks becoming fiercer. In his "panic," Xiao Yan stepped on a patch of loose earth and fell backward, colliding directly with the student's stomach.

"Urgh..." The student grunted and staggered back several steps, stepping directly onto the dagger the other student had dropped. A deep gash opened across his ankle, and blood immediately gushed out.

In the blink of an eye, all three Dou Ling students were on the ground: one had lost a front tooth, one had broken his knee, and one had slashed his ankle. For a moment, the scene was deeply awkward.

Xiao Yan stood where he was, looking bewildered, as though he had no idea what had happened.

[System notification: Successfully dealt with the provocateurs through "accidents," satisfying the hidden rules. Reward: Basic Footwork proficiency +10.]

Xiao Yan laughed inwardly, but let a trace of fear appear on his face. "I... I really didn't mean to. You were the ones who weren't careful..."

Furious and in pain, the triangular-eyed young man pointed at Xiao Yan, unable to form a complete sentence for a long while. "You... just you wait!"

With that, he struggled to his feet and limped away with the other two in a sorry state.

Xiao Yan watched their retreating backs, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.

Looks like life in the Inner Academy won't be too boring.

He closed the door, returned inside, and sat cross-legged on the bed, beginning to circulate his Dou Qi. Although his true strength had already reached Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint, he still had to "cultivate" occasionally to keep up appearances and maintain his persona.

Just as he circulated his Dou Qi, a faint voice suddenly sounded in his mind. "Little fellow, where are we? Why can't this old man sense your aura anymore?"

The corners of Xiao Yan's lips lifted slightly.

Yao Lao had finally awakened.