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  Xiao Yan was not someone who would get up early without a be. While he had strength, he wasn't an indiscriminate do-gooder who would roar at every injustice he saw.

  The freshmen weren't surprised when they heard his words. After all, they had witnessed Xiao Yan's 'utilitarianism' in the forest—he reized bes, not people. He even robbed fellow freshmen. If the elders hadn't offered him rewards, he might have tried to rob them too.

  "Big Brother Xiao Yan, we came to find you not because we expect you to exempt us from this harassment. We uand that, as newers to the Inner Academy, being bullied by senior students is iable. I've asked around through friends, and while in previous years freshmen also had to pay this so-called 'Freshmen Tribute Fee,' it was never as much as what they're demanding from us. Acc to my friend, this year's situation is like this because we freshmen passed the 'Fire Energy Hunting petition' and received a twenty-day Fire Energy reward. This has made some senior students who were previously robbed during their hunting petitions feel disgruntled, leading to this situation." Ah Tai sighed bitterly.

  People were always like this. It was not about having little, but about inequality; not about being poor, but about unfairness.

  Learning that the freshmen not only weren't robbed by the senior students but also passed the Fire Energy Hunting petition and received substantial Fire Energy rewards made many people feel unbanced.

  "We're not bming you, Big Brother Xiao Yan. You helped us freshmen obtaiwenty-day Fire Energy reward. Among this year's freshmeering the Inner Academy, Senior Xiao Yan's prestige is the highest. So when we entered such troublesome matters, we could only e to ask you to step forward, hoping you could help us freshmen avoid this endless exploitation. Otherwise, we won't even have enough to pay for cultivating in the 'Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower,' and might even be harassed while trying to cultivate there. How we talk about improving in the Inner Academy under such circumstances?" Ah Tai stared ily at Xiao Yan and tinued, "We heard from Big Sister Xun Er yesterday that Big Brother Xiao Yan pns to establish a fa. We're willing to pay you prote fees; we just hope that Big Brother Xiao Yan lend a hand to help us."

  "Oh? Now that you put it that way, I'm actually quite ied." Xiao Yan smiled faintly and rubbed the ste ring on his finger. After p for a while, he gri Ah Tai and said, "Sihere's busio be done, I'll naturally take it."

  "Here's the deal. I've just established my own fa, and I need manpower for daily maintenance, guard duty, intelligehering, and so on. I won't take advantage of you guys either. If you're willing to join my Xiao Hall, then I, Xiao Yan, will provide you with prote. You'll pay ten days' worth of Fire Energy every month as your tribution, and you earn additional Fire Energy by pleting tasks assigned by the Xiao Hall."

  Ah Tai and the others exged gnces upon hearing these words; it was evident that Xiao Yan wao recruit them.

  They were actually quite tempted. After all, his strength was evident for all to see; he had easily defeated both Luo Hou and Bai Feng.

  Although Xiao Yan had just established his fa, its potential was imaginable.

  The dozen or so freshmen nodded. Ah Tai said, "Alright, Big Brother Xiao Yan. Besides us, there are about a dozen others who have also suffered bullying. I'll go gather them now."

  "Go ahead. Once you've gathered them, wait at the entrance of the freshmen dormitory area."

  Xun Er and the others heard what happe the door. After learning that Xiao Yan wao take all the freshmen under his wing, they discussed it and agreed with his approach.

  "Let's go wele our new members at the entrance. I want to see who's so bold as to bully members of my Xiao Hall." Xiao Yan waved his hand and strode out the door. Behind him, Xun Er and the others exged gnces, smiled, and quickly followed.

  Outside the building was a tree-lined avenue. On both sides were the residences of the other freshmen. pared to the small building that Xiao Yan's group of nine occupied, their aodations were slightly more humble. It seemed this kind of treatment wasn't something everyone enjoyed.

  As for Bai Shan, he had left the freshman dormitory early and run off to reside at the White Gang's base.

  When Xiao Yan and the others appeared at the dormitory entrahe freshmen who had already gathered let out cheers and hurriedly made way for them.

  At the avenue's exit, eight senior students wearing tower-shaped badges were blog the way. Behind them was a rge crowd of senior students watg the show. Clearly, they were happy to see the freshmen being put in their pce, as many of them had gohrough the same thing in their year.

  Fag those eight senior students was Ah Tai, who had e to seek Xiao Yan's help. At this moment, he was leading the freshmen, their faces grim as they frohe seniors.

  "There's no need for more words, kid. The freshmen tribute fee has been an unwritten rule in the Inner Academy for years. We haven't been harsh on you, so hand it over obediently. Spend moo avoid disaster, don't you even uand that?" A young man who looked to be around twenty-five smiled as he looked at the scowling Ah Tai and the others.

  "Hmph! Don't think we freshmen don't know the rules. Freshmen indeed have to pay a 'tribute fee' to senior students, but the Inner Academy also has an unwritten rule that freshmen only o pay up to two fas. After paying those two fas, if other fas still want to collect, they have to discuss it with those two fas. It has nothing to do with us anymore," Ah Tai retorted coldly.

  "Heh, that's under normal circumstances. But aren't you freshmen quite strong this year? In all these years, we've never heard of a freshmen team ter-robbing senior student groups in the 'Fire Energy Hunting petition.' Since you're so unventional, naturally, the rules for dealing with you have to be a bit special too," that young man grinned.

  At this moment, Xiao Yan's zy voice came from afar, "Since you know about senior students being ter-robbed, yet still dare to e and collect Fire Energy, are you treating me, Xiao Yan, as if I'm dead?"

  "Big Brother Xiao Yan!" When Ah Tai saw Xiao Yan's group approag, it was as if he'd seen a savior.

  With Xiao Yan's appearahe surrounding freshmeed in cheers. Through the 'Fire Energy Hunting petition,' Xiao Yan's prestige among the freshmen had soared.

  Now he ractically their idol!

  The faces of those few senior students sank upon hearing this hey had inquired about Xiao Yan and khat his strength was formidable. He was a 2-star Dou Spirit who had defeated Luo Hou and Bai Feng in a two-on-one fight.

  And Bai Feng had eveered the top hundred of the Strong Ranking before, albeit only for a few days before being knocked off. Still, it proved he had some strength.

  Therefore, some of the senior students in the Inner Academy were somewhat wary of Xiao Yan.

  "Xiao Yan, this is aablished rule of the Inner Academy. We've already given you face by not provoking you; don't bring trouble upon yourself. Although you defeated Luo Hou and Bai Feng, you should know that in this Inner Academy, there are many strohan them! Some people you 't afford to offend!" The young man was unwilling to lose fa publid could only stiffen his ned snort coldly.

  Xiao Yan ughed as if he had heard a hirious joke. "Haha! Of course, there are people I 't afford to offend. But if you're talking about those cats and dogs on the Inner Academy's Strong Ranking, those peak Dou Spirits and whatnot, fet it."

  Not just the tough-talking young man, but even those watg from behind had their expressions ge dramatically when they heard his arrogant words.

  His words were practically challenging all the fas in the Inner Academy!

  He had insulted all the monstrous geniuses orong Ranking in one sweep!

  "You... You're not only offending my Green Gang but also challenging everyone in the Inner Academy!"

  Xiao Yan remained pletely unafraid of this person's attempt to escate the situation and said with a cold smile, "Since I, Xiao Yan, have established the Xiao Hall, and these freshmen are willing to join us, then whoever dares to bully members of my Xiao Hall—even if it's the entire Inner Academy—I, Xiao Yan, will fight my way through!"

  That senior student's throat tightened when he saw the cold glint in his eyes, and a bead of cold sweat dripped from his forehead. He could feel a genuine, chilling killing i in the words of this youth who was much youhan himself.

  With a whoosh, Xiao Yan instantly appeared behind the Green Gang student who had been cm. His Dou Qi densed into a rope and instantly bound this foolish felloas merely a 3-star Dou Grandmaster.

  "You, you, you... what are you going to do?!"

  "Since yreen Gang wants to be the first to eat crabs, be prepared to be pinched by the crab's cws." Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened, revealing a hint of ess. "Someone, hang this fellow oree. Let those who wish to bully our freshmehe sequenessing with members of the Xiao Hall."

  Upon hearing this, Ah Tai trembled all over, a tingliion on his scalp. This feeling of being able to hold his head high again, having someoand up for them, made him determio follow Xiao Yan to the death.

  Someone like Xiao Yan who protected his orecisely the kind of leader who could gather people's hearts.

  "Yes, Hall Master!" Ah Tai k on one knee and shouted. Then he grabbed the Green Gang disciple who had been bullying them and was noed.

  pletely ign his threats, he really did hang him on a tree, just like hanging up a crab!

  Seeing that Xiao Yan had actually hung someone on a tree, the remaining seven Green Gang members were shtehey kept retreating tinuously without daring to utter a single harsh word, fearing they'd suffer the same fate.

  Xiao Yan's cold gaze swept across the crowd. No one dared to step forward to say anything against him. None of them had the strength of a Dou Spirit; they were merely onlookers.

  "Since everyone is here, I have a message to vey. No matter which fa came to collect the so-called tributions from the freshmeerday, within seven days, return double the amount to me. If even a single day's worth of Fire Energy is missing, I, Xiao Yan, will personally e knog to collect it. And then, it won't just be as simple as double anymore."

  "Hiss!!" All the spectatasped upon hearing this, their hearts sinking. Xiao Yan inteo break the Inner Academy's unwritten rules, effectively making enemies of all the fas that had collected 'prote fees' the previous day.

  All the senior students uood that this bck-eyed youth was an inparably domineering figure who was extremely protective of his own people! He absolutely wouldn't suffer losses himself, nor would he allow his people to suffer losses either!

  Ohe murmuring senior students finally dispersed, Xiao Yan slowly turned around. He couldn't help but smile at the cheering freshmen.

  "Hall Master Xiao Yan, we will definitely serve the Xiao Hall wholeheartedly," the young man called Ah Tai stepped forward and respectfully thanked him.

  Xiao Yan patted Ah Tai's shoulder and said, "Good. The Xiao Hall has just beeablished, and many things aren't settled yet. Since we're building a fa, we won't just be colleg Fire Energy tributions from you. Brothers who tribute to the Xiao Hall will all receive Fire Energy rewards."

  "For now, listen carefully to Xun Er and the others' instrus. I'm going to the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower." Xiao Yan smiled.

  When Ah Tai heard that Xiao Yan was going to the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower, he hurriedly said, "Hall Master, please be cautious. The rules ihe tower are different from those in the Inner Academy."

  "Oh? Tell me more."

  "inally, whoever is fortunate enough to enter a good cultivation spot in the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower first cultivate there. But the Inner Academy hasn't stiputed that private fights aren't allowed ihe tower. So generally, even if you're lucky enough to occupy a high-grade cultivation spot, if your strength is insuffit, you'll still be driven away. Therefore, to obtain the best cultivation ditions ihe tower, you must have either powerful strength or a strong team. That's why many in the Inner Academy attach themselves to powerful fas, aiming to secure better pces to cultivate." Ah Tai's gaze rested on Xiao Yan's face as he spoke solemnly.

  Xiao Yan shook his head indifferently. "Don't worry. Since you've joihe Xiao Hall, there won't be a she of good spots ihe Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower."

  …

  Before long, news of Xiao Yan's domineeriion and the establishment of the Xiao Hall naturally spread throughout the entire Inner Academy like a stoirring up a thousand waves. Even fas that hadn't targeted the freshmen were furious upon hearing Xiao Yan's words.

  "Xiao Yan of the Xiao Hall, what an arrogant freshman! In all these years, we've never heard of a newer daring to be so i in the Inner Academy."

  "Hmph! He thinks that just because he reached the Dou Spirit realm ier Academy, he be arrogant and look down on everyohe waters of the Inner Academy run much deeper than he imagines."

  An undercurrent targeting Xiao Yan was already surging in the shadows.

  At this moment, Xiao Yan was naturally unaware of all this, but even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

  "There are really a lot of people here. Isn't the Inner Academy only a five-year program with fifty people each year? Why are there so many?" Xiao Yan stood at a high point. At this moment, the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower hadn't opened yet, but a sea of people had already surrou.

  There were definitely far more than just two hundred and fifty people in the Inner Academy.

  Wu Hao said, "There are other ways to ehe Inner Academy besides the qualifying petition. Special professions like the Law Enfort Unit, Alchemist Department, Tool Craftiment, Formatioment, and so on, have other standards for entry; they don't necessarily require testing bat strength. Also, some forces from the Bck-er Region have agreements with the academy, and each year they're allocated a certain number of Inner Academy spots."

  "So that's how it is."

  Dong! Just as Xiao Yan and Wu Hao were versing in low voices, a resonant toll of an a bell suddenly echoed throughout the area. With the bell's chime, the noisy chatter instantly came to an abrupt halt.

  "Opeower!"

  As the bell's echo faded, an aged voice seemed to emanate from withiower.

  Shortly after the elderly voice fell silent, the tightly shut bck doors slowly creaked open with a 'creak, creak' sound. A faint scorg aura seeped out, causing the temperature of the entire area to rise slightly.

  Feeling the sudden increase in temperature, Xiao Yan's pupils suddenly tracted, and his palms ched tightly at this moment. What he longed for was inside.

  "Ehe tower!"

  "Let's go in as well."

  Suppressing the yearning in his heart, Xiao Yan waved his hand at Wu Hao and took the lead in striding toward the mysterious bck tower that was deeply buried underground.

  As they drew closer, Xiao Yan truly sehe immense size of this bck tower. This was only the floor exposed above ground, yet it was equivalent to a two- or three-story building. If the tip of the iceberg was already like this, it was hard to imagine how vast the tower body hidden underground was.

  The moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower, a wisp of invisible Heart Fme appeared within his body. Instantly, white smoke began to sizzle from his body.

  Beside Xiao Yan, Wu Hao, who had ehe tower at the same time, now had a flushed face. White mist was also emerging from his body in the same manner.

  "Heh heh, every year there are reckless freshmen who 't wait to ehe Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower. They deserve this suffering." Laughter filled with schadenfreude erupted from the crowd.

  "Truly two little fellows who don't know the immensity of heaven ah. Entering the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower for the first time without rep in advahey're really getting a taste of unnecessary hardship." Elder Liu on this floor shook his head when he saw Xiao Yan and Wu Hao standing still with white smoke rising from their bodies.

  Generally, when freshmeer, they o report in advand even learn how to hahe Heart Fme and how to cultivate ihe Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Only someone as impatient as Xiao Yan would rush in like this, and he even led Wu Hao astray.

  Xiao Yan merely smiled faintly wheiced the appearance of the Heart Fme. With a "poof," a wisp of bck fme emerged and devoured the invisible Heart Fme.

  "Eh?" Elder Liu, atg from the side, was stunned for a moment. He had been prepared to take a. After all, freshmeering the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower for the first time cked experiend didn't know how to hahe Heart Fme, so they he elders' assistance.

  But in just a moment, Xiao Yan had already recovered! This was pletely unlike a freshman.

  Xiao Yan shook his head and lightly pced his left hand on Wu Hao's shoulder. A wisp of bck fme drilled into Wu Hao's body and devoured the Heart Fme.

  "Ha!!" Wu Hao came to his senses and frantically gulped air. He looked at Xiao Yan with some fear and said, "What was that just now? I felt like I was being burned alive."

  "What the fuck?!" Elder Liu and some of the gloating spectators were dumbfounded upon seeing Wu Hao also recover. Was this still a freshman?

  Xiao Yan said to the heavily panting Wu Hao, "Wu Hao, you should go to the elder over there to learn the cultivatiohod."

  "What about you?"

  "Me? This is only the first floor. How could I possibly stay on the first floor? I'm going to take a look below."

  With that, Xiao Yan folloerson with Dou Spirit strength a deeper into the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

  Wu Hao eechless and muttered, "This guy is truly a freak."

  As Xiao Yan followed along, he observed his surroundings. Ihe Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower were numerous cultivation rooms. They were divided into three types: the outermost rooms were low-grade, the middle ones were middle-grade, and the innermost were high-grade.

  Outside the high-grade cultivation rooms hung pques bearing the emblems of various fas, likely indig that they were occupied by those fas.

  "Why are you following me?" a cold, clear voice suddenly sounded.

  Xiao Yan looked toward the source of the voice. It came from a young dy with snow-white hair, the Dou Spirit he had been following.

  "Um..." Xiao Ya a bit embarrassed, as he had indeed been following her. Rubbing his nose, he said, "Well, I want to go further down, but I don't know the way."

  The beautiful young dy's delicate brows knitted slightly. Guessing that Xiao Yan was a freshman, she shook her head and said, "Freshmen, regardless of their strength, o cultivate on the first floor for a full week before they ehe floor."

  "Ah? But the first floor has no effee. I think I o reach the fifth floor for it to be somewhat useful."

  When the beautiful young dy heard Xiao Yan's presumptuous statement, she no longer wao tihe versation and simply said, "To ehe fifth floor, you need a Green Fire Crystal Card."

  Xiao Yan smiled faintly, took out a Fire Crystal Card from his ste ring, and said, "I wonder if this will do."

  "A Red Fire Crystal Card!! How is this possible?!" Han Yue's beautiful eyes widened. Iire Inner Academy, those who possessed a Red Fire Crystal Card could be ted on one's fingers, and among them, there was definitely no Xiao Yan!