Chapter 143: A Good Training Atmosphere
With Yao Yan's strength, he naturally didn't need to stay in the Outer Academy as a teacher. According to strength, Jia Nan Academy classifies its teachers into four levels: the Yellow Level for Dou Ling and Dou Shi, the Xuan Level for Dou Wang, the Earth Level for Dou Huang, and the Heaven Level, which corresponds to Dou Zong experts. However, most of the time, the Heaven Level is just for show, because most students who reach Dou Wang level choose to leave Jia Nan Academy and travel after they reach that stage.
On one hand, once a person reaches this level, they are already officially considered part of the strong.
On the other hand, the enhancement from the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower greatly diminishes for Dou Wang experts. Even the lowest level training rooms no longer provide significant help for them. If they want to continue advancing quickly, staying at Jia Nan Academy is no longer a smart choice.
Young people, especially those with extraordinary talent, naturally aspire to see a larger world. Only a very small number would choose to stay at Jia Nan Academy and become teachers.
This is also why there aren't many strong experts at Jia Nan Academy.
But even though only a few remain, the strength accumulated over hundreds of years is enough to make the entire Black-Corner Region look up to them.
At this moment, Yao Yan was flying toward the Inner Academy with Hu Qian. The rule prohibiting flying within a few hundred miles clearly did not apply to Hu Qian, the Outer Academy's dean. With their speed, they arrived at the deepest part of the mountain range in about fifteen minutes.
Before them, a barren mountain range appeared, looking like a giant pit made by a meteor, with jagged rock walls showing traces of scorch marks that hadn't faded in thousands of years.
At the deepest part of this place, there stood an eerie black tower, its main body deeply buried underground with only the tip of the tower and a dark entrance visible on the surface.
At the entrance, there was a large crowd gathered, some walking in, while others were coming out. It seemed there was something unique inside that made them unwilling to waste any time.
Fallen Heart Flame… Yao Yan thought of the four characters as he looked at the black tower in front of him. His Qinglian Earth Heart Fire also flickered slightly, seemingly sensing a familiar aura.
There is a unique connection between different heavenly flames, even an instinct to devour each other.
However, the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower had completely sealed the Fallen Heart Flame. The aura he sensed was likely due to the gate opening. The faintly distorted space around the entrance was enough to show how firm the seal was. Yao Yan also knew that the one who left all of this behind was Jia Nan Academy's Dean, Mang Tian Chi.
That elder of the Lei Clan who loved to wander the world!
"That's the most core area of the Inner Academy. If you really become a teacher there, you will have the chance to see it one day… Even Dou Wang experts can gain significant benefits from being inside," Hu Qian said, noticing Yao Yan's gaze and smiling.
"Is that so? That sounds promising," Yao Yan responded with interest, but in his heart, he remained calm. The biggest use of the Fallen Heart Flame was to activate the auto-training cheat. As for the derivative flame here, the heart fire reflected from the Fallen Heart Flame would likely not be of much use to him.
After their brief conversation, the two of them flew directly toward the nearby courtyard.
The Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy wasn't very large, and it only housed nearly a thousand students. This number was determined by the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower, as it was the foundation of Jia Nan Academy. Everything revolved around it, and most talented students were willing to stay because of it.
The heart fire, which could almost be considered cheating for low-level cultivators, was something no one could resist. The increase in cultivation speed it provided was obvious and even tangible.
If this place were not situated in the Black-Corner Region and protected by Mang Tian Chi, a Half-Saint of the Lei Clan, it might have already been taken over by forces from the Central Plains.
Just then, a powerful aura suddenly spread from a distance. With extreme speed, a figure appeared before Yao Yan in the empty space, his feet planted firmly in mid-air, his white hair flowing in the wind. An invisible wave spread out, causing the surrounding space to ripple.
The overwhelming pressure of a Dou Zong level expert made everyone's heart sink slightly.
For ordinary people, a Dou Zong expert was a higher-level existence. Even without Dou Qi, their vigorous life force alone had a strong oppressive feeling.
"That's the Inner Academy's Grand Elder, Su Qian. If you have something to discuss, talk to him... Old guy, be polite. This is a Five-Star Dou Wang who hasn't even turned eighteen, and also a Five-Rank Alchemist. He's here to apply for a teaching position at Jia Nan Academy. Whether or not he's accepted depends on you. I'm heading back to the Outer Academy now."
Hu Qian shot a glance at the person and then walked away, leaving the decision entirely up to Su Qian. If Su Qian didn't agree, there was no use in Hu Qian staying. With Su Qian's strength, he could easily suppress any opposition.
A Five-Star Dou Wang kid clearly wasn't someone who could stir up trouble.
"Explain the situation clearly!" Su Qian's lips twitched as he hurriedly spoke, but all he saw was Hu Qian's disappearing figure.
"I am Yao Yan. Greetings, Grand Elder!"
Yao Yan gave a polite salute after glancing at the figure in front of him.
Su Qian looked at the young man, or rather, the boy in front of him. Eighteen-year-old Dou Wang was already outrageous enough, but to top it off, he was a Five-Rank Alchemist. The combination of both made one doubt everything. After some hesitation, he finally spoke, "At such a young age, you have this level of Dou Qi cultivation and Alchemy skills. I wonder, which teacher did you study under? Or which family do you belong to?"
"…It's hard to say," Yao Yan said after a brief pause.
"If you don't explain clearly, I have no reason to keep you!" Su Qian said in a serious tone, his expression showing some sternness. He couldn't just keep an unknown monster around.
"Have you ever heard of the Yao Clan, Grand Elder? I come from that clan, but I ran into some problems later on, and now I should have been expelled. I'm temporarily without a family. I've heard about Jia Nan Academy since I was young and, as I'm passing by, I'd like to stay here for a while."
Yao Yan thought for a moment before revealing some information.
The Yao Clan?!
Could this be the clan that the Dean mentioned?
Su Qian's heart stirred slightly. Although he wasn't sure about the Yao Clan's power, he had once followed Mang Tian Chi, a Half-Saint from the Lei Clan, so he had heard some things. Among them were the few families that surpassed all the other forces on the Dou Qi continent. To those who were weak, these families were like non-existent, but to the strong, the power of these families was undeniable.
Just the word "imperial" was enough to suffocate countless people.
Su Qian pondered for a moment before asking, "If I accept you, will you bring trouble to Jia Nan Academy?"
"If that happens, the Dean will hand me over. My family may act domineering, but they won't harm others for no reason. Moreover, Jia Nan Academy is famous throughout the Dou Qi continent. They won't go too far, so Grand Elder need not worry about such matters."
Yao Yan smiled slightly and spoke softly.
"What trouble could you have caused to be expelled from your clan?" Su Qian asked, a bit confused. The boy in front of him was a prodigy; how could any clan afford to expel him?
"I avenged my parents and destroyed my enemy's entire family. That family just happened to be part of my own clan…"
Yao Yan casually said.
Su Qian froze for a moment. After some contemplation, he said, "You can stay in Jia Nan Academy for now, but if trouble comes because of you, I hope you'll leave on your own. This will be our agreement. If you agree, you can stay."
"No problem." Yao Yan nodded with a smile.
"Good."
Su Qian gave Yao Yan a deep look before saying no more. He then flew with Yao Yan toward his courtyard. He planned to keep Yao Yan under his watch for a few months. If the boy had any ulterior motives, Su Qian would know. The price of deceiving a Dou Zong was high.
…
It was clear that infiltrating Jia Nan Academy wasn't difficult. With Yao Yan's talent, the Academy had no reason to refuse him, but he was an outsider, so Su Qian didn't fully trust him and still kept his guard up. However, he allowed Yao Yan free access to the Inner Academy, like someone who was simply staying temporarily.
But to be honest, the training environment of the Inner Academy reminded him of the last years of his past life in high school, where everyone was focused on training, with no time to care about anything else. Every day, they either went to the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower for cultivation or went hunting magical beasts, gathering herbs, and trading with others to earn fire energy points, continuing to bury themselves in hard work.
The atmosphere was truly great, reminding Yao Yan of his days at the Yao Clan's academy.
The next day.
Yao Yan arrived at the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower. This tower wasn't opened every day. It only opened on fixed days each month. The rest of the time, it remained closed to prevent students from overly using the heart fire for cultivation, causing too much fire poison buildup in their bodies. It also required maintenance.
As time passed, the Fallen Heart Flame sealed within the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower became more and more restless, no longer content to stay sealed, becoming a tool for others to use. Especially when the intelligence of the spirit of the heavenly flame grew stronger, the desire for freedom also became more intense.
As for why it didn't escape… Could it?
Yao Yan's arrival naturally attracted many curious eyes. The students of the Inner Academy were always interested in 'strangers.' After all, newcomers were always easy targets for exploitation. If the person lacked strength, they didn't mind discussing protection fees.
This was not prohibited in the Inner Academy; in fact, it was somewhat encouraged.
After all, in the Dou Qi continent, there was no real order or rules. To survive in the Inner Academy, one had to adapt to its unspoken rules—unless one had the strength to break them.
Perhaps because of Yao Yan's distinct aura, several people looked at him with ill intentions.
Yao Yan didn't mind. His eyes were fixed on the black tower until a voice interrupted his thoughts: "Hey, kid in the mask, are you new here? Want me to show you how to use fire energy in the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower… As a fee, just give me five fire energy points."
As the voice spoke, a tall man walked up to Yao Yan's side, his body towering over him by at least two heads. His muscles were thick, and his aura was strong. He was a true Dou Shi.
"Xiong Zhuang's at it again. Tsk, unlucky kid. If he gives in this time, he'll probably be paying tribute to Xiong Zhuang for the next year or two."
"Who can blame him? He's strong and powerful, with natural strength. Even though he's only an Eight-Star Dou Shi, he can still overpower a Dou Ling with brute force. There are very few people in the Inner Academy who can match him in strength."
The students around stopped to watch, clearly familiar with this scene.
"Hm?"
Yao Yan withdrew his gaze, looking at the man who was trying to pick a fight. He raised an eyebrow. He suddenly remembered that Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy had a tradition of upperclassmen bullying freshmen. It wasn't until Xiao Yan's generation that this habit began to improve. Realizing this, Yao Yan smiled and said, "You want fire energy?"
"I'm not asking for it; it's a fee!"
Xiong Zhuang grinned as he squeezed Yao Yan's 'slender' arm, gently applying pressure, signaling for the boy to comply and give him the protection fee. However, Xiong Zhuang was confident that he'd only need a few points. He didn't expect to have to take everything from the boy. The elders in the Inner Academy wouldn't allow that.
He could be the 'bad guy,' but he couldn't cut off someone's path to cultivation.
This was the bottom line in Jia Nan Academy.
"Well then, I'll trouble you, senior." Yao Yan smiled, slightly raising his arm, and effortlessly moved Xiong Zhuang's hand.
At that moment, Xiong Zhuang's expression froze. He stared at Yao Yan in disbelief, feeling the terrifying strength in Yao Yan's arm. The strength was something he couldn't resist, no matter how hard he tried. Even though he had exerted all his strength, compared to Yao Yan, it was like an ant trying to shake a tree. He had never felt anything like this before.
"Smack!"
Yao Yan gently slapped Xiong Zhuang's hand away, smiling brightly, "However, I don't like being touched without my permission. But since this is your first offense, I'll let it go this time."
"L…teacher?!"
Xiong Zhuang's expression immediately collapsed, his face turning bitter. He hadn't expected to pick a fight with a teacher from the Inner Academy. Just from the earlier move, he could tell that Yao Yan's strength was far beyond his own.
"…"
The surrounding students also looked dumbfounded. Watching a student try to mess with a teacher? This was awkward.
Yao Yan softly said, "I just started yesterday. I haven't found a position that suits me yet. But seeing your behavior today, I think Jia Nan Academy should open a morality class to teach you how to respect teachers and care for juniors."
(END CHAPTER)
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