The eerie, haunting atmosphere radiating from that strange necrotic tree sent a shiver through the bones of those gathered at the town's entrance. In the Black Corner Domain, the tree's reputation had grown so formidable that it was nearly enough to instill terror in its listeners. Many who had resided in the domain for years would never forget the fierce, life-and-death battle between the Black Corner Domain and the Canaan Academy. While the precise cause of that battle has faded from memory for most, the one undeniable fact remains: after the battle, the bodies of two Duowang and one Duohuang-level warriors were hung upon the tree, subjected to a brutal fate. Since then, the area surrounding the Canaan Academy has remained a quiet, isolated enclave, untouched by the outside world. No stronger warrior from the Black Corner Domain dared to enter these towns with a fierce, hostile demeanor—should any disturbance occur, the intruders would invariably be found no more than an hour later, their bodies pierced and displayed upon the necrotic tree. Over the years, the tree's ominous reputation has spread throughout the entire Black Corner Domain. Consequently, even the most desperate and fearless of travelers now hesitate, often treating these towns as burial grounds. Standing at the entrance of the town, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, expelling the chill from his heart. He paid no attention to those who hesitated at the town gate, and with a single step, stepped into the "Peace Town"—the symbolic gateway of the Gan'an Academy. As soon as Xiao Yan's feet touched the gate, he sensed an unusual ripple passing over him, as though being examined. Without giving it much thought, he looked up at the town streets. There were many pedestrians strolling along, various small stalls lined the sides of the road, and children played and laughed as they ran about—creating a serene and harmonious atmosphere, a world apart from the bustling and often tense scenes of Black Angular Region. The pedestrians naturally noticed Xiao Yan entering through the gate, though their eyes held a touch of cautious alertness, they showed no signs of great surprise or fear. As his eyes swept across the street, Xiao Yan was about to step forward when suddenly a thought struck him. He looked up toward the rooftops of the town's houses and spotted several figures moving with the agility of monkeys, swiftly darting toward the town gate. A short while later, these figures materialized at the entrance of the town. They glanced at Xiao Yan and the others, and one of the leading middle-aged men spoke calmly, "All individuals entering Peace Town must report their identity and names; otherwise, they will be immediately expelled." As his eyes moved over the group of fifteen, Xiao Yan noticed that aside from the leading man, the others—both men and women—were all quite young, appearing to be in their early to mid-20s. These young people wore uniform light blue garments, and on the chests of each, they carried a blue insignia. The insignia featured a dagger, slightly stained with crimson blood. At this moment, these十几 young people were staring at Xiao Yan and the others with a mixture of alertness and mild resistance. "After you've introduced yourselves, take the pills," the middle-aged man said, waving his hand and having a bottle of pale red pills appear in his hands. He glanced casually at the black-angled domain representatives whose expressions had begun to shift, then spoke coldly, "Rest assured, this isn't a poison. It's a pill specially crafted by the College's Pharmacy Department to detect and respond to hostility. If any of you harbor ill intentions toward the town, the pill will emit a red glow from within your body. Our enforcement team will follow that glow to locate you. You should already know how we've dealt with those who've brought the black-angled domain's atmosphere here. When you're ready to leave the town, you may collect the antidote at the central dispensary. However, once you receive the antidote, our enforcement team will accompany you throughout your departure." Hearing the middle-aged man's words, the crowd at the town gate couldn't help but pale. With their nerves constantly on edge—frequently surviving life-threatening situations—how could they possibly accept unfamiliar pills that seemed out of nowhere? Wouldn't that mean handing their very lives over to others? Yet, as some of the more defiant individuals were about to speak out against it, the group of over a dozen young men and women standing behind the middle-aged man suddenly choked, drawing their long swords from their belts in perfect unison. Colors varying from one to another, the qi flowed steadily from their bodies and gathered at the tips of their swords, pointing directly toward the town gate, as if ready to act immediately and expel anyone who challenged them. "That's always been the way things are in Peace Town," the middle-aged man said, calmly holding his arms out. "If you don't wish to comply, then simply stay outside. Otherwise, once you enter, you'll be violating the rules—perhaps then, you'll find more things hanging from the necrotic tree on the side." As he finished speaking, a powerful aura gradually radiated outward from his body. "This person's strength is likely at least a Seven-Star Grand Battle Mage or above..." sensing the robust aura emanating from the middle-aged man, Xiao Yan murmured softly. Observing the other party's unyielding stance, the group gathered at the gate couldn't help but feel a surge of hostility on their faces. However, as their eyes glanced toward the nearby Spirit Tree, they all shivered, their accumulated fury instantly dissipating. Some who still refused to accept the pills reluctantly stepped back, retreating with a determined sigh. As these individuals departed, the remaining ones, though unwilling, had no choice but to advance, approach the middle-aged man, state their names, receive a pale red pill, and swallow it in front of the enforcement team. Watching the others obediently take the pills, the middle-aged man's composed expression softened slightly. Yet, he clearly held a deep disdain for the Black Angular Domain's representatives, and thus never once revealed a truly favorable demeanor. "Wait... Could the student from our academy possibly not take this?" As the middle-aged man habitually offered the pill to a young man standing before him, the latter suddenly asked. "Huh?" Hearing this, the people around and the fifteen or so enforcement officers immediately turned with expressions of surprise, fixing their gaze on the young man's fresh, clear features. The middle-aged man spoke with growing doubt, "You're saying you're a student from our academy?" "After passing the academy's admission examination, I took a few days off, so I had to come here on my own..." Xiao Yan shrugged and smiled. "Did you actually walk all the way through the Black Angular Region to get here?" "Heard this, the middle-aged man was instantly stunned, his face filled with astonishment. After all, typically, new students from the academy are escorted all the way to the Black Corner Region by academy staff. In such a chaotic and unforgiving environment, a fresh graduate would likely struggle to even reach the Black Grassland—let alone survive—being cut down by countless hidden threats. As the middle-aged man and the十余 young men and women behind him exchanged bewildered glances, Xiao Yan smiled gently and slightly nodded. With Xiao Yan's nod, the middle-aged man's astonishment deepened. He studied Xiao Yan from head to toe and said, 'Please state your name, age, and your academic advisor.' 'Xiao Yan, eighteen. Advisor...' Blinking, Xiao Yan recalled the composed, gentle woman from his past—so soft and steady—smiling warmly, 'Professor Ruolin.' 'Eighteen?'" At eighteen, he dared to cross the Blackthorn Domain alone—no matter whether your words are true or not, such courage, I've never seen before." The middle-aged man waved his hand, just about to instruct the people behind him to check the files, when a young man, furrowed in thought, suddenly stiffened and exclaimed, "Xiao Yan? Is that really Xiao Yan from the Jamah Empire—the one who took medical leave for two full years?" The young man's outburst caused everyone nearby to pause, then all of them looked at Xiao Yan with a look of sudden clarity. This student, who had already taken two years of leave before even joining the academy, had become a well-known figure throughout the entire institution in just one year. Of course, Xiao Yan's reputation at the Cangnan Academy had grown so deeply rooted—largely due to the influence of Xun'er. "Xiao Yan? The Xiao Yan brother mentioned by Xun'er? Several young men blinked, and suddenly a strange, unfamiliar expression appeared in their gaze toward Xiao Yan—something Xiao Yan had once seen in the eyes of the Galen young lord back in Wutan City. "Hey, this girl... I haven't even arrived at the academy yet, and already she's created these bizarre rivals for me?" Seeing the expressions on the young men's faces, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "If you're referring to Xiao Yan from Wutan City in the Galen Empire, then it's definitely me." Xiao Yan spread his hands toward the equally astonished middle-aged man, smiling. "You go ahead and check the records at the office with us. If that's correct, then you won't need to take this medicine. By the way, my name is Hode, and I'm the captain of the second small squad of the Enforcement Team at the Ganav College, as well as a Yellow-Rank Instructor here." When Xiang Yan mentioned the name of Wutan City, the middle-aged man believed it with some confidence. However, to be certain, he still asked Xiang Yan to follow him to the town's academy office. "Master Hode," he greeted warmly. After Master Hode nodded, Xiang Yan followed him, drawing a few unusual glances from the nearby group of about fifteen enforcement officers. "Hey, is this really the same Xiang Yan?" The officers, standing a little distance behind Master Hode, exchanged quiet remarks as they watched Xiang Yan's back. "He seems genuine enough—though not particularly handsome, really. Why would Xun'er, our junior, be so attentive to him? In fact, she even turned down our head officer's proposal for him. "Don't underestimate this Xiao Yan. The fact that he managed to enter the Black Corner Domain alone and safely reach this point speaks volumes. At least, if we were to stay in the Black Corner Domain for ten to fifteen days, I can't guarantee I'd return with both my hands and feet intact." A plain-looking young man, gazing at Xiao Yan's back and glancing at his companions, spoke softly. Though unremarkable in appearance, this young man held considerable influence within the enforcement team. Upon hearing his words, the other dozen or so enforcement officers were all taken aback and nodded in silence. As the first town they had come into contact with in their journey to the Black Corner Domain, they had grown accustomed to seeing the domain's eccentric residents on a regular basis. "Having requested leave, he's been on leave for no less than two years—what a peculiar fellow... Nevertheless, I suspect the academy will soon have quite a few exciting things happening. I wonder how many people there are who are eagerly anticipating what kind of magic the brother, whom the brilliant, often-mentioned Xiao Yan sister makes so many of the boys feel inferior about, truly possesses..." The young man gently murmured, arms folded across his chest.