After recovering from his injuries, Xiao Yan quickly resumed his interest in alchemy. After all, one of his key reasons for coming to Jia Nan Academy was to exchange for medicinal ingredients to refine pills. Now that he had obtained the Heavenly Flame and secured a large batch of rare herbs, there was no reason for him to stop halfway.
During this time, there was also a minor but noteworthy event. Su Qian, seeing that Xiao Yan had mostly recovered, returned the pills that were initially traded for medicinal ingredients. Although Xiao Yan had not succeeded in retrieving the Falling Heart Flame, he had helped the academy in many other ways. If not for Xiao Yan stepping in, Hu Qian would've likely died at the hands of Fang Yan. So as a gesture of gratitude, Su Qian returned all the exchanged pills.
Ordinarily, Xiao Yan wouldn't refuse such a gesture. But this time, he had already obtained what he wanted most from the academy. Besides, those pills were no longer of much use to him, so he simply returned them. His gesture, naturally, won further favor among the academy's upper echelon. After some deliberation, the elders proposed a deeper cooperation with Xiao Yan.
Jia Nan Academy had long desired to foster a power within the Black-Corner Region to help ensure the safety of their students and monitor local forces. Many students had lost their lives during external training, and the region was full of dangers. However, for various reasons, the plan had been delayed for years. Now, the most promising new power in the region—Xiao Sect—sat right before them, and with Zi Yan acting as a bridge, their relationship was already stable. So after a unified decision by the Inner Academy elders, they proposed a formal alliance with Xiao Sect to solve this long-standing problem.
Xiao Yan didn't reject the proposal. In fact, this cooperation was clearly beneficial for Xiao Sect. There was no conflict of interest, and having the academy's outstanding students interact with Xiao Sect would help build lasting connections. Some might even join Xiao Sect after graduation, continuously injecting fresh talent into the organization.
Naturally, Xiao Yan also negotiated some benefits for the Xiao Clan. With his name as leverage, it would be easier for Xiao Clan descendants to gain entry into Jia Nan Academy. And after graduating, those students could seamlessly transition into Xiao Sect as members of its core strength.
With this alliance secured, Xiao Yan received a new title—Honorary Elder of Jia Nan Academy. Though merely symbolic, no one dared underestimate this young Dou Zong.
This appointment left Zi Yan grumbling with dissatisfaction. After all, she'd been in the academy for so long and was still just a student. Yet Xiao Yan had jumped straight to elder status. In other words, if they met on campus, she'd have to respectfully greet him as "Elder Xiao Yan"…
Infuriated, she stormed into his room to voice her complaint. But this time, Xiao Yan was no longer weakened as before. Seeing her about to repeat her usual antics, he sternly exercised the authority of an elder—educating the unruly student with some hands-on "discipline."
That night, Zi Yan experienced for the first time the full might of a peak-state Xiao Yan. Despite her powerful sixth-rank magical beast physique, she was thoroughly subdued. By the next morning, she was too exhausted to even get out of bed. It was only then that she realized her previous "victory" had been largely due to luck.
"Phew…" Xiao Yan sighed in contentment after finishing his lesson with the mischievous dragon girl. Though he had temporarily suppressed the raging heat within with pills, such things still needed a proper outlet. Qing Lin was still too young in his eyes—unsuitable for such activities. Zi Yan, on the other hand, had practically delivered herself to his door. It would've been a shame to let that opportunity go to waste…
He looked down at the girl curled up in his arms and gently stroked her hair. He understood well that behind her brash, unruly exterior was a heart that deeply craved affection. In that regard, she and Qing Lin were alike. That was probably why they got along so well. The difference lay only in their backgrounds and how life had shaped their personalities.
What surprised him was that this little tyrant, usually so bold and headstrong, could show such a shy and tender side.
Xiao Yan had intended to get up and resume his alchemy work, but to his surprise, even in her sleep, Zi Yan clung to him tightly and refused to let go. With no other choice, he stayed by her side another day. The price he paid came in the form of Qing Lin's resentful gaze when she came to deliver food that evening…
"I was the first… Whether it's kissing, hugging, or liking Young Master…"
Of course, with Xiao Yan's thick skin, he didn't care what the girls thought. But Zi Yan was terribly embarrassed. It was basically a textbook example of being caught red-handed.
Watching the two little girls bickering and pouting, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle. Youth truly had its charm. Being around them made him feel several centuries younger.
But soon, he realized that his thoughts were veering into dangerous territory. 'Damn… Do I really have some kind of weird preference or what?'
Once fully recovered, Xiao Yan spent a few days touring Jia Nan Academy with the two girls. In truth, it wasn't so much a vacation as it was a treasure hunt. They ventured deep into the academy's wild, untamed mountain ranges in search of spiritual herbs and rare materials. The forests were dangerous, but not for them.
Xiao Yan was a Dou Zong. Zi Yan, despite her youth, already possessed Dou Huang-level strength. Qing Lin, though not yet a Dou Wang, was among the top fighters of the Dou Ling class. With such a lineup, not even an eighth-rank magical beast would pose a real threat. And in those woods, even sixth-rank beasts were rare.
With Zi Yan's treasure-sensing skills and Xiao Yan's tendency to squeeze every drop of value from their surroundings, the forest soon fell victim to their rampage. In just a few days, Xiao Yan's storage ring was stuffed with heaven-and-earth treasures like Earth Core Body Milk and Ten-Thousand-Year Green Spirit Vine. They even encountered a few powerful serpentine beasts and promptly captured them as food for Qing Lin's Green Snake Three Flower Pupils.
With his ring brimming, Xiao Yan finally sought out a quiet, secluded place to begin refining pills. His chosen location? The magma world beneath the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower—where the Falling Heart Flame had once been sealed. Now that the flame was gone, the chamber was perfect for closed-door cultivation.
(End of Chapter)
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