As the voice fell silent, the room instantly grew quiet.
"Let's go!" Xiao Bai called out to the two girls, preparing to leave.
"Wait! Xiao Bai-gege, aren't you forgetting something?" Xun Er walked over, took Xiao Bai's hand, and pursed her red lips. "You were only thinking about us—what about yours?"
"Huh? Didn't you two pick something for me?" Xiao Bai widened his eyes in disbelief.
Xun Er and Xiao Yi Xian exchanged glances, smirking slightly as they shook their heads in unison. "Nope!"
"Hand it over, you little troublemakers!" Xiao Bai ruffled their heads with a chuckle, pretending to be annoyed. With his rune-engraved vertical eye open, how could anything in his field of vision escape his notice?
"Here, take it! I knew we couldn't fool you, you scoundrel!" Xun Er rolled her bright eyes at him. With a flip of her small hand, a silver scroll appeared in her palm. She smiled sweetly and said, "Xian Er was the one who caught it!"
"I was just lucky. If it weren't for Xun Er, I wouldn't have been able to break the energy barrier on it!" Xiao Yi Xian waved her jade-like hand and smiled gently, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
"Alright, my beloved consorts, you've worked hard. When we get back, I shall grant you great rewards!" Xiao Bai waved his hand grandly, exuding an air of dominance.
However, his grandeur barely lasted three seconds before he felt a small hand pressing against his waist, ready to strike. At the same time, a crisp and sweet voice whispered into his ear, carrying a warm breath, "Your Majesty, would you care to explain who the Empress is? Or perhaps… there's a full set of concubines waiting in the harem?"
By the end of her words, her tone had turned cold as ice, her voice carrying a biting chill.
"Empress? Concubines? What are you talking about? I only have two palaces—East Palace for Consort Xun, West Palace for Consort Xian!" Xiao Bai blinked and replied with a serious expression.
"Shameless!"
Both Xun Er and Xiao Yi Xian were momentarily stunned by his thick-skinned remark before their faces flushed red. They spat at him in mock anger—East and West Palaces? He really thought he was royalty!
"Heh heh…" Xiao Bai chuckled, taking a glance at the two girls' shy expressions before lowering his gaze to the scroll in his hand.
"Thunder Dragon Sky-Shattering Spear—Di Class, Low Rank Dou Technique. The spear transforms into a thunder dragon, tearing through the skies. Its attacks carry the explosive force of thunder, the might of a dragon, and the sharpness of a spear. Wherever the thunder dragon passes, all is reduced to destruction…"
Reading through the inscription on the scroll, Xiao Bai raised an eyebrow. This Dou Technique wouldn't be easy to cultivate. Though it was only ranked as an Di Class, Low Rank technique, it had the potential to advance even further!
To master it, one needed to temper their body with the blood essence of a dragon-type Magical Beast, generating a "dragon aura" within. This aura would then merge with one's thunder-attributed Dou Qi, enabling the transformation into a true thunder dragon. The higher the grade of the dragon-type Magical Beast, the purer its dragon aura, and the stronger the resulting thunder dragon's might!
Xiao Bai glanced at his sleeve, the corners of his lips curling into a meaningful smile. For most people, this technique would be difficult to cultivate. After all, anything associated with dragons was immensely powerful, and acquiring dragon blood essence was no simple task. But for him? It was far from a challenge—it was practically tailor-made for him.
If his Little Golden Dragon wasn't sufficient, he could always turn to Zi Yan, the little dragon girl. And if that still wasn't enough… wasn't there a big one slumbering beneath the academy? The Old Dragon Emperor, Zhu Kun—a peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng! Surely his blood would be pure enough?
Then again, using the blood essence of a peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng to cultivate an Di Class Dou Technique… would it even still be Di Class at that point? If anything, it would be an insult to the Old Dragon Emperor!
"Let's go!" Xiao Bai stored the scroll away, deciding to test it with his Little Golden Dragon first. Sweeping his gaze around, he realized that only the three of them remained in the room. With that, he led Xun Er and Xiao Yi Xian out of the Book Collection Hall.
---
Inside a spacious study, Hu Gan watched as the walls of the study slowly closed. Only then did he turn around, smiling at the five people standing before him.
"You've all received your rewards. Whether you're satisfied or not, at least no one left empty-handed. You now have two days to rest. After that, you will enter the Inner Academy. But be warned—it won't be as easygoing as the Outer Academy!"
"Oh, right—Tu Shan, Xu Su," Hu Gan added, his eyes flickering toward them. "A little reminder—don't think that just because you were outstanding in the Outer Academy, you'll have it easy in the Inner Academy. Everyone in there was once the top of the Outer Academy, just like you. When you enter, you'll be fresh meat. If you don't want to be bullied by the senior students, you'd best put aside any grudges and stick together. Otherwise… well, let's just say it won't be pleasant!"
Hu Gan grinned as he winking at them, his gaze shifting toward a certain someone.
Seeing Hu Gan winking eyes, Xiao Bai was speechless. What kind of lousy idea was this old man suggesting?
"Xiao Bai, once you enter the Inner Academy, no one will really be able to bully you. But the two girls by your side are different. You'll need to focus on your cultivation, and you can't always be around them. The Inner Academy has dozens of student-formed factions, both big and small. That's why I suggest that you establish your own force after entering!"
"If you do that, you'll have strength in numbers, making things much more convenient. You're a Tier 5 Alchemist—it would be incredibly easy for you to create a faction. These new students are all entering the Inner Academy for the first time, and they share a sense of camaraderie as part of the same cohort. They would be the perfect foundation for your group. Why not take advantage of that?"
Hearing Hu Gan's voice transmission, Xiao Bai's eyes flickered. Creating a faction? That was something he had considered before, but he hadn't thought about doing it in Jia Nan Academy. Still, it didn't seem like a bad idea!
He never saw a faction as a burden. A successful force required some initial investment, but once it was running smoothly, it could sustain itself and even provide support in return. Even the legendary Desolate Heavenly Emperor had a team—who said factions were useless? While they might not be helpful in direct combat, they were invaluable for gathering intelligence and resources, making things far easier than fighting alone.
"I'll consider it."
Hearing this, Hu Gan glanced at Xiao Bai, who was deep in thought, and smiled in satisfaction. He knew that with Xiao Bai's current Dou Ling strength, if he stayed at the academy, it wouldn't be a problem. But if he ever left, having a faction here would maintain a strong connection with Jia Nan Academy. Whether it was students or teachers, they would still have ties to him. A Tier 5 Alchemist at the age of eighteen was worth keeping close!
"Alright, if there's nothing else, you may all leave. In two days, report back here, and I'll lead you into the Inner Academy!" Hu Gan waved his hand, signaling them to go.
Xiao Bai cupped his hands in salute to Hu Gan before leading Xun Er and Xiao Yi Xian out.
"Xiao Bai-gege, are you tempted?" Xun Er asked with a teasing smile. Knowing him well, she could tell he was considering the idea.
"Mm, I have a vague plan in mind," Xiao Bai replied, rubbing her forehead with a smile. As for Hu Gan's talk about forming a faction with the new students as the foundation, he wasn't entirely convinced. He would wait and see.
"If you do decide to go through with it, Xun Er can help! I know a little about these things," Xun Er said playfully, walking beside him with her hands clasped behind her back, her smile radiant.
"Alright!" Xiao Bai looked at the charming girl beside him, his star-like eyes filled with warmth as he nodded. This girl was becoming less and less reserved around him.
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