Walking along the path, gazing at the now noticeably sparse family members, Xiao Yan shook his head with a sense of helplessness. Today, the recruitment delegation from Gan'an Academy was scheduled to arrive in Wutan City, and nearly half of the family members had already departed to watch the event. By now, the city gates were likely completely blocked by crowds. "A bunch of madmen," he muttered, shaking his head. "Just by watching the show, they expect you to pass through easily?" With a relaxed demeanor, Xiao Yan strolled slowly toward the back mountains—this was his usual time for practicing combat techniques, a routine he never missed. On the vast square, waves of bustling noise rose skyward as countless young people rushed desperately toward the interior. If it weren't for the military forces dispatched by the city hall stationed at the edges to maintain order, the excited crowds would have already surged straight in. Xiao Yu straightened her delicate nose, smiled gently, and raised her hand: "Come with me." Watching Xiao Yu lift her sensuous long legs and walk toward the other side of the square, Xiao Yan shook his hands in resignation toward Xun: "Well, I'll just let it go." Hearing this, Xun smiled softly and nodded lightly, then joined Xiao Yan in following. The group circled the vast square for half a turn before coming to a stop in the western section, now situated at the back of the square. There, the fully equipped army formed several layers of tight defense, their weapons gleaming with a sharp, dazzling light under the sunlight. After glancing at the imposing security, Xiao Yu gave Xiao Yan and the others a brief instruction, then stepped forward alone. From her sleeve, she produced a jade-green plaque and conversed quietly with a soldier who resembled an officer. After a moment, she waved them over and gestured for them to approach. The middle-aged officer scanned the group of officers with a sharp, penetrating gaze, and only after a moment did he raise his hand and command, "Proceed!" At the sound of his voice, the solid iron wall of soldiers, tightly arranged, began to emit a rhythmic clinking as armor plates met one another, gradually revealing a narrow passage just wide enough for individuals to pass through. Smiling gratefully at the middle-aged officer, Xiao Yu tucked away her green badge, then proudly raised her chin toward Xiang Yin and the others before following the officer into the passage. As the group stepped into the passage behind Xiao Yu, they immediately felt a chill on their skin. The faint scent of blood emanating from the soldiers' bodies—those who remained expressionless—created a palpable sense of pressure, almost suffocating the group, who had never witnessed such a scene before. "Are these the soldiers who have survived on the battlefield?" Exhaling slowly, his exceptional composure gradually drove away the sense of pressure within him. He licked his lips, and the slightly weakened soles of his feet regained their steady strength. Regardless of how one might say it, with his current four-star warrior status, he was already stronger than most of the soldiers here. Though he couldn't match their fierce atmosphere, he certainly wouldn't falter or embarrass himself. The distance of just under twenty meters seemed to stretch like hundreds of meters for the group. When they finally took their final steps, they found their palms already slick with cold sweat. The middle-aged officer's expression, previously stoic, softened into a smile as his gaze swept over Xiao Yu and the others, finally settling on Xun'er, whose face remained composed, and Xiao Yan, his eyes gleaming with admiration. "It seems Master Lín has managed to attract some truly promising students this time." With a rather impatient wave of his hand, Xiao Yu pulled her slightly wobbly sister Xiao Mei and Xiao Ning along, briskly moving toward the interior of the plaza. "Just as they approached the great cloak, a woman's laughter reached Xiao Yin and his companions. A red figure swiftly charged forward, finally wrapping her arms around Xiao Yu with a cheerful smile, gently stroking her slender waist before teasing, 'Allow me to feel you—see if you've gained any weight.' 'Vain woman, get out of the way!' she laughed, pushing the woman in her arms aside. Turning to Xiao Yin and his companions, Xiao Yu smiled and introduced, 'This is one of my best friends from the Gan Nan Academy. Her name is Xue Ni—she's a four-star warrior." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others turned their gaze toward the woman in red robes before them, her slightly graceful face glowing with a bright smile, her chestnut hair loosely tied into a ponytail. Her ample chest was truly impressive, her slender waist and full, rounded hips adding to her striking figure. Though her appearance was slightly less refined than Xiao Yu's, her fiery, voluptuous build was undeniably alluring to men. Within the brief time of the introduction, Xiao Yan had noticed that several of the young candidates who had passed the trials had subtly glanced at her ample chest. Xiao Yu affectionately held Snow Ni's hand, observing her expression, clearly indicating a close relationship between the two. "They are all members of my clan. This is Xun, hehe—pretty, isn't she?" But don't even think about her—she won't be interested in you. This is Xiao Mei, quite nice, too. And this is my own brother, Xiao Ning. As for this one…" When her gaze shifted to the carelessly lounging Xiao Yan, Xiao Yu turned her head slightly, bit gently at the ear of the woman named Xue Ni, and whispered, "This is the Xiao Yan I mentioned to you earlier." She first glanced at Xun'er and Xiao Mei, and Xue Ni's eyes sparkled with admiration, exclaiming, "Wow, you really have a lot of beautiful women in your family! If they enter the Gan Nan Academy, I'm certain they'll leave the male students completely enchanted." "Huh? Xiao Yan?" After this, Xue Ni suddenly paused, staring in surprise at Xiao Yan, "Is this the cousin you described as always maintaining third-tier combat energy? He's quite handsome!" "Ah?" Xiao Yu drew in a sharp breath, firmly pinching the talkative woman beside her, and looking at Xiao Yan whose face had turned slightly flushed, she awkwardly explained, "I haven't mentioned your things to anyone else. I only once spoke in my sleep, and that was heard by this keen-ear woman." Frowning slightly, Xiao Yan gave a dismissive glance, stroking his face with a teasing tone, "You're always dreaming about me? Has our relationship ever been this close? Back then, I only managed to... touch you." "Shut up!" Hearing this, Xiao Yu's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and with her long, graceful legs, she forcefully kicked Xiao Yan. Avoiding the kick with a casual side-step, Xiao Yan spread his hands, satisfied with having secured a little leverage, and stopped teasing her. "What did you touch? Didn't you touch Yu'er?" Xueni looked full of curiosity, about to ask further, but was abruptly pinched by Xiao Yu. "Yu'er, how cold-hearted you are! To treat your old lover so harshly..." With her wrist turned red from the pinch, Xueni gazed at Xiao Yu with watery eyes. "Stop fussing already—I still have to take them for their exams!" Xiao Yu laughed, pushing the lively one aside. "Haha, come on, let's go—follow me, I'll show you the way." Quickly wiping away the moisture from her eyes, Xinyi turned to go, only to pause midway, then smiled and added, "Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to tell you—Robo is also part of the recruitment team. On the way here, I heard he's been promoted to a four-star Battle User." At this, Xiao Yu's cheerful expression instantly darkened, and she grew slightly impatient. "How could that troublesome fellow have come along too?" "Of course—he's been longing to meet our Xiao Yu beauty the whole way! He's been thinking about you day and night." Xinyi teased. Biting her silver teeth gently, Xiao Yu's face shifted several times before she suddenly turned to face Xiao Yan. "What are you looking at? Don't you dare make me pretend to have any connection with you in front of those people—I've no interest in you, and I certainly don't want to fake it." "Looking at Xiao Yu's gaze, how could Xiao Yan, so sharp-minded, not see what this woman was up to? He let out a cold laugh, then ignored her furious stare, strolling steadily toward the tent. 'Hmm... Yu-er, your charm seems to have diminished. Isn't it remarkable—how many heads in the academy would be turning over with excitement for such a good opportunity? Yet this young man simply ignores you!' Snowy, watching Xiao Yan's back, seemed utterly incredulous. Fuming, Xiao Yu snapped, 'That boy is a complete oddity. How can one apply ordinary logic to him? Aside from that eccentric spirit-woman from the academy, have you ever seen anyone rise from three-tiered combat energy to a three-star combat master within just one year?' '...' Hearing this, Snowy's smile faded, replaced by genuine astonishment. She hadn't expected the rather refined young man to possess such extraordinary talent—wasn't he, after all, the very 'family waste' Xiao Yu had described?"