After stepping out of the auction hall, Xiao Yan stood at a bustling intersection of the street, gazing at the city where he had lived for over a decade. After a long while, he sighed softly, a touch of melancholy in his tone. Then, he clenched his fists tightly, speaking to himself with a steady, encouraging voice: "The world beyond will surely be even more splendid..." With that, Xiao Yan smiled, dispelling some of the lingering sadness from his heart, and began to walk steadily, merging into the crowd and soon disappearing among them. As for this persistent follower, Xiao Yan had grown somewhat exasperated and could only gently comfort her during their alone time, which helped lift her spirits a little. Recalling what their father had said in the study earlier, Xiao Yan smiled slightly. After completing their coming-of-age ceremony, his two elder brothers had gone out to explore and gain experience, and at that time, their father had not yet become the head of the clan. In recent years, perhaps due to the long distances or the busy affairs within the mercenary companies, they had returned to Wutan City infrequently. Nevertheless, the youthful bonds formed among the brothers had fostered a genuine sense of affection in Xiao Yan toward them. "Well, I don't want to end up making a sentimental scene later. It's better to just go quietly," Xiang Yan shrugged and smiled. "You're so carefree, yet you leave everyone else to feel sad," the mentor scolded, giving Xiang Yan a pointed look. After a brief pause, she softened and said, "I hope to hear news of someone joining Yunlan Sect next year." Xiang Yan was slightly taken aback, then nodded with a smile. He knew that in the family, there were always the talkative ones who would eventually share the details of his relationship with Na Lan Yan Ran, so he didn't press for specifics on how she had learned about it. "Actually, I'm curious—what would her expression be like if she knew about your current strength?" the mentor suddenly added with a bright, playful smile. Xiang Yan spread his hands, laughed with her for a while, and then slowly faded into the distance, under her watchful gaze. Following the path, stepping into his room, Xiao Yan withdrew three storage rings from beneath his pillow, wearing the dark-red one on his finger, and carefully tucked the other two into his chest. Though these were merely low-grade, they still counted as precious possessions. Traveling abroad, one never reveals one's wealth—this principle Xiao Yan well understood. His belongings were simple, with these three storage rings encompassing everything. Standing by the door, he gazed at the now somewhat empty room, a quiet smile forming on his lips. As the door creaked softly, the last sliver of sunlight gradually faded through the crack. … Xun was a little restless today. The slight frown on the young girl’s brow carried a soft melancholy; her gaze lacked focus, and anyone could tell she was distracted. “A water cup, Xun, would you like that?” A gentle male voice suddenly rose beside her. A handsome young man was smiling, holding a cup of clear water. Interrupted in her thoughts, Xun raised her head and looked at the handsome young man beside her. He was the strongest among the male trainees in the recruitment team—far surpassing Luobo in strength. Moreover, unlike Luobo, whose smile was somewhat artificial, this man’s warmth and sincerity were genuine. Xun had noticed during casual conversations with other female trainees that several of the girls in the team seemed particularly fond of him—someone both strong in ability and warm in temperament. Yet though the young man's smile was gentle and unobtrusive, it did not draw much of Yun'er's attention. She glanced casually and gave a faint shake of her head. "Thank you, but no, I'll pass." Yun'er's reserved demeanor did not perturb the young man in the slightest. He shrugged, calmly set down his water cup, and smiled. "Today's recruitment examination—had it not been for Yun'er's help, we'd have been swamped with work. Truly, it's been a great convenience." "Master Lin only asked me to assist," Yun'er replied, slightly tilting her head as she watched the young man who seemed about to speak again. "Could I just have a moment to myself, Brother?" "Ah, I'm sorry," the young man said, his smile momentarily hesitating before brightening into a nod. He turned and walked toward the tent. "Heh, Lin Nan, is it? Did you finally find someone special?" A cheerful voice suddenly broke out as they approached the tent. His steps halted. The young man known as Lin Nan glanced at Luo Bu's bright smile, leaned against the tent pole, lifted his water cup, took a slow sip, and with a slightly narrowed gaze, watched the slender figure of the girl illuminated by the setting sun. A spark of warmth flickered in his eyes. "It's rare to encounter such a top-tier girl. There aren't many female students in the academy who can compare to her." "Indeed, it's true. That day, you all were outside conducting the trial, so you didn't witness it. But we were there, and we saw it firsthand. Even when Master Lin finally summoned the 'Water Mandala,' the man still managed to withstand it." Recalling the battle, Luo Bu's face couldn't help but flash with a look of astonishment as he spoke in a steady tone. At that moment, Master Ruolin suddenly rushed into the square, stopping briefly in front of the young girl, catching her breath and speaking softly, "He's gone." The girl's hand trembled slightly, and Xun'er remained silent for a moment before giving a gentle nod. "Xun'er, don't grieve. It's just a temporary separation," Master Ruolin sighed, offering reassurance as she watched the girl's composed demeanor. "Hmm." Nodding lightly, Xun'er suddenly stood up, walking toward the two figures at the tent with a look of curiosity from Master Ruolin. She approached slowly, stopping before them, her delicate face showing no trace of emotion, her bright eyes fixed on Lin Nan. She spoke softly, "Senior, would you be willing to spar with Xun'er?" "Uh..." Hearing Xun'er's request, Lin Nan was momentarily taken aback, and after a pause, smiled and said, "Since Xun'er has asked for this, I naturally won't object. During our sparring, I'll keep my strength at a level equal to yours." "Xuan blinked her long lashes, said nothing, and calmly walked straight into the tent." "Hey, be careful—she's a six-star warrior!"望着 the girl entering the tent, Rob smiled and offered a reminder. "I've already reached seven-star status two months ago," Xinn smiled, gazing at the tent with a composed expression. "It seems like a promising beginning—girls are usually most vulnerable at such times." With a slight lift of her lips, Xinn adjusted her garments and walked into the tent, under Rob's admiring gaze. Outside the tent, Rob waited a few minutes, then the curtain was drawn aside, revealing the girl with a composed, indifferent expression stepping out. "Huh…" Rob was momentarily taken aback to see it was Xuan who had come out first, but upon observing her expression, he hesitated to ask any questions. The girl stood outside the tent, lifting her delicate face to gaze at the setting sun. Perhaps the young man had already left the city by now? Gently brushing a strand of green hair from her forehead, after a moment, Xun turned her head and whispered to Luobu, "Should I ever hear anyone else speak ill of Xiao Yan brother again, I will kill them." Staring intently into Luobu's luminous, gentle eyes, however, he could not summon a single smile—only a growing chill spread through him. Shifting her gaze, Xun slowly walked toward the square. Once Xun had departed, the mentor, Iflin, and Luobu hurried to open the tent, their bodies suddenly trembling.