Instructor Ruo Lin

"It's you!"

Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan also recognized them. They were the Jia Nan Academy students they had encountered that morning while buying medicinal ingredients at the Market.

At that moment, Ruo Lin approached the Jia Nan Academy students and asked what had happened.

The students immediately turned the tables and accused them instead.

They claimed that while they were strolling through the Market in Wutan City that morning, these two had charged up and injured them without a word of explanation.

If their instructor did not believe them, she could inspect their injuries.

"These guys are lying!"

Seeing these villains lodge their accusations first, Xiao Yan could not help flaring up.

However, Ruo Lin knew their dispositions well and put little faith in their account.

Ruo Lin then turned to Xiao Zhan, the Xiao Clan Leader, and merely said it had been a misunderstanding.

Xiao Zhan and the Xiao Clan elders immediately breathed sighs of relief.

They had thought Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan had offended students from Jia Nan Academy.

Meanwhile, Ruo Lin looked at Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan before her and said expressionlessly, "Although the Xiao Clan Leader strongly recommended you to me, as an academy instructor, I won't give you preferential treatment and let you breeze through the entrance assessment!"

"If you truly want to become students of the academy, follow me!"

As she spoke, she and several Jia Nan Academy students led the two toward the Xiao Clan's training grounds.

A short while later, they arrived at the Xiao Clan's training grounds.

Upon arriving, Xiao Mo glanced ahead.

The training grounds, which could accommodate thousands, were deserted apart from Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Mei.

Clearly, those three also intended to apply to Jia Nan Academy and had arrived early to wait.

Ruo Lin then looked at Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan and explained the requirements for passing the assessment.

"Jia Nan Academy's assessment requirements aren't particularly demanding. These are all students from our academy's younger generation!"

"Their cultivation is around that of a One-Star Dou Zhe. You'll fight them for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Whatever methods you use, if you're still standing when the incense burns out, you'll be admitted to Jia Nan Academy!"

Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, and the others were left with their jaws hanging open.

Most of them were only at the seventh stage of Dou Qi and had not even become Dou Zhe.

Lasting an entire incense stick against a group of Dou Zhe was simply impossible for them.

Did this Jia Nan Academy instructor think they were monsters like Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan?

Just as they were about to ask Ruo Lin to lower the assessment standards a little, Xiao Mo stepped forward.

He raised his hand and looked at Ruo Lin. "Instructor, after Xiao Yan and I pass the academy's assessment, could we take three years of leave?"

"As soon as our leave ends, we'll immediately report to Jia Nan Academy!"

He was asking on Xiao Yan's behalf. If Xiao Yan really went to Jia Nan Academy now, what would become of his three-year agreement with Nalan Yanran?

Besides, single-minded cultivation at the academy would never allow them to advance as quickly as life-and-death trials in the outside world.

The moment he finished speaking, the students began mocking him.

"Three years of leave? Who do you think you are, heaven's chosen sons?!"

"Do you really think Jia Nan Academy needs you two that badly, you trash?!"

Hearing that, Xiao Mo did not forget to fire back. "If I'm trash, what does that make you three?"

"Don't forget what a sorry state I beat you into this morning!"

The three Jia Nan Academy students nearly exploded with rage at his words.

They were just about to attack when their instructor, Ruo Lin, stopped them.

Ruo Lin looked at Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan, furrowed her brow, and said, "Although I don't know why you need such a long leave, I can approve it!"

"But you must withstand three moves from me!"

With that, she flicked the blue whip in her hand, and water-attribute Dou Qi surged out like a torrent.

It formed towering waves that spread wildly in every direction.

Hearing such harsh requirements and seeing her stance, Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Mei could not help saying worriedly, "The clan leader said Instructor Ruo Lin is a genuine three-star Da Dou Shi, with strength nearly equal to his!"

"Forget three moves. Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan probably won't even withstand one!"

At that moment, Ruo Lin looked at the two and said with a smile, "Don't worry. To keep things fair, I'll suppress my cultivation to that of a Three-Star Dou Practitioner!"

"If you choose to fight and last three rounds against me, I'll approve your leave!"

"If you choose not to fight, then you'll come back to the academy with me and behave yourselves!"

As her voice fell, Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan answered almost in unison, "We'll fight!"

Ruo Lin looked somewhat surprised at their response.

Although she had suppressed her cultivation, she was still a genuine Da Dou Shi.

She then looked at the two before her, her expression turning cold as she stopped holding back.

She flicked the blue whip in her hand, water-attribute Dou Qi coating it like a wave.

It surged toward the two of them.

Seeing this, neither hesitated. Xiao Yan moved first, charging up to the wave in a single bound.

He raised his right hand, fire-attribute Dou Qi gathering around it and soon covering his entire palm.

Facing the towering wave rushing toward him, he unleashed his Dou Technique, Fire-Blowing Palm.

Xiao Yan thrust his right hand forward fiercely, and the flames clinging to his palm instantly became a flaming palm.

It tore through everything in its path like a blade splitting bamboo, unstoppable.

Xiao Mo moved second. He clenched his right hand into a fist, and ice attribute Dou Qi erupted in an instant.

Before long, the ground of the training grounds beneath them began freezing over.

An icy chill spread through the air.

Ice rapidly encased Xiao Mo's fist.

He then aimed toward the incoming wave and punched fiercely forward.

With a bang, ice and fire collided again and again, and the once-raging wave exploded in an instant.

It burst into a skyful of spray.

When the spray cleared, Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan were still standing unharmed in the center of the training grounds, their expressions calm.

Only their clothes had been mostly scorched.

The Jia Nan Academy students could hardly believe the sight.

"They actually blocked it! That was a powerful strike from a Da Dou Shi!"

As Xiao Yu and the others stared wide-eyed in disbelief, Ruo Lin's face also showed surprise.

Soon, however, she regained her composure.

A moment later, she looked at Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan and said, "You do have some tricks up your sleeves!"

"In that case, take my second move!"

As she spoke, Ruo Lin attacked again, Dou Qi pouring from her body like a vast ocean.

She swung her whip, and towering waves flooded part of the training grounds before surging toward Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan.

Seeing this, Xiao Mo and Xiao Yan no longer held anything back, each bringing out his best techniques.

Xiao Yan unleashed Fire-Blowing Palm and Eight Extremes Collapse, while Xiao Mo circulated his cultivation method, sending the ice attribute Dou Qi within his body pouring out wildly.