When Xiao Yan and Xun'er approached the副院长 Hu Qiyan's study, they found that the open space in front of the building was already crowded with many people. These individuals were scattered into various groups of differing sizes, chatting softly among themselves. Among these groups, the circles centered around Bai Shan, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia were the largest. The arrival of Xiao Yan and Xun'er brought a slight quietness to the bustling scene—most people, except for a few, were gazing at them with a sense of reverence. In the recent selection matches, Xiao Yan had decisively defeated three opponents in a single encounter, silencing all dissenting voices. Though he had only been at the academy for less than a month, his reputation had quietly surpassed that of Bai Shan, Wu Hao, and the others. Xiao Yan and the other two moved straight through the crowd, reaching the open space and facing off with the three from Bai Shan. Aside from Bai Shan, Huo Jia and Wu Hao both gave him a nod, showing a noticeably more friendly attitude than before—clearly, the words Bai Shan had spoken two days prior had made an impact. In such a setting where strength was concentrated, it was evident that unity was essential; without it, newcomers would surely face difficulties. Though both were proud, they were also wise enough to avoid unnecessary hardships. As for the area outside the open space, a large number of other students had gathered. To the students in the outer courtyard, entering the inner courtyard to train was a source of great pride and aspiration. From the moment they joined the academy, countless students had been striving toward this very direction. Thus, every year, when students who passed the selection finals entered the inner courtyard, many would come to see them off and watch the event unfold. After just over fifteen minutes since Xiao Yan and his companion arrived, the firmly closed office chamber finally opened. Huo Gan, the Vice Dean, and several elders stepped out slowly. Upon seeing their arrival, the murmurs that had been spreading across the open space gradually faded, and soon, silence settled completely. Hudian slowly scanned the fifty students on the ground, satisfied when he saw no one absent, then nodded and stepped forward, speaking clearly: "Ladies and gentlemen, today marks the day you officially enter the Inner Academy. I'd like to extend my congratulations to all of you—your long-standing efforts have finally paid off. I believe you may find the training methods at the Inner Academy somewhat unfamiliar at first, but one thing I am certain of is that you will be able to fully unleash your potential there. Indeed, I'm not exaggerating—after just one year at the Inner Academy, you will undergo a transformation as profound as a complete rebirth. Among you, some may already know students from the Inner Academy, as they occasionally take holidays and come out to visit. Therefore, you should be aware of the remarkable difference between students when they return and when they first entered." Hearing Hu Guan's explanation, a few students nodded slightly—clearly, they were those who had previously interacted with students from the Inner Academy. The majority, however, looked full of anticipation and excitement. What Hu Guan had said was precisely what they had been striving for. Their very reason for joining the Inner Academy was to pursue stronger power. They believed that no matter how unusual or demanding the training methods might be, they would persevere. Being selected from Gan Shan Academy demonstrated both their talent and dedication. Those who stood here were not people who thought strength could simply come to them effortlessly. "The Inner Academy is the heart of Gan Shan Academy. Due to its confidentiality, most students and instructors from the Outer Academies—including ourselves—do not even know its exact location. Therefore, we will be sending you to a specific place." Hu Kuan smiled and looked up toward the distant azure sky, where ten silhouettes were swiftly approaching. A moment later, the silhouettes grew larger, revealing ten massive griffins. The griffins swept across the academy, casting vast shadows, and finally came to a halt above the space where Xiao Yan and the others stood. As their wings flapped, strong winds surged, causing some of the lower-level students to sway and lose their balance. "Griffins? Does it mean the Inner Courtyard is quite far from here?" Xiao Yan's eyes gleamed with surprise as he gazed at the griffins overhead. Hu Kuan waved at the griffins in the sky, and then the shadows descended. Amid the gusts of wind, the ten griffins settled a short distance away on the open ground. As the crowd scanned the scene, they noticed that each griffin was being ridden by two people. "Alright, the time has come," Hu Kuan said, pointing with a gesture. "Now, everyone, please go up and take your places—five of you at a time." Hearing Hu Kuang's words, the students on the open ground instantly turned around and rushed in a flurry toward the open space, then scrambled like fleas, making a continuous rustling sound. The eager ones quickly climbed onto the wide back of the lion-hawk beast. However, as soon as their feet touched the saddle, the slightly slick feathers of the lion-hawk made them stumble—some lost their balance and slid off, landing with a series of solid thuds on the stone floor. "Heard this, all five of Xiao Yan's teammates were momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Hu Qi to assign them all to the same team. After a slight hesitation, aside from Bai Shan who furrowed his brows, the others simply nodded indifferently. "Let's go," Xiao Yan said to Xun'er. With a swift movement, he materialized on the back of a lion-hawk beast, standing firmly on its smooth, slippery feathers as if a solid tower, motionless. Witnessing his steady stance, the students who had previously fallen off the lion-hawk now looked on with deep admiration—those who had struggled to maintain balance on the feathers themselves clearly understood just how difficult it was to stand upright on them. Following Xiao Yan, Xun'er and her teammates also swiftly ascended, each standing straight and upright without relying on any external support. Such strength and composure truly earned them their place as top contenders among the top five selected in the preliminary competition." Observing the five's performance, Hu Kai and the several elders beside him exchanged glances around the open ground. Upon seeing that all had mounted the griffins, they looked at each other and gave a slight nod. Hu Kai then raised his hand, and with a motion, Hu Kai and the three elders swiftly moved into the air. A gentle shake of their shoulders caused four splendid aura wings to extend from their backs. As the wings gently vibrated, they hovered motionless above the ground, drawing admiration from the crowd below. If you perform well in the inner courtyard, you'll get a vacation! As the griffins took to the sky, a voice suddenly came from below. Xiao Yan and Xun'er looked down and saw it was their instructor, Ruolin. At her side, Xiao Yu, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Mei were also looking up at the griffins rising higher and higher. When they spotted Xiao Yan, they smiled and waved at him. As the griffins' wings vibrated rapidly, the figures below grew smaller and smaller, eventually appearing like ants. From this lofty height, they could take in the entire layout of the Cana College, seeing every corner clearly. Above the azure sky, ten massive griffins soared past the college's endless rear mountains, their wings beating steadily. Outside the griffins, Huo Qian and three elders formed a quadrilateral formation, encircling the entire griffin squadron. A powerful aura of combat energy shimmered around them, steady and unshaken, even as the wind howled wildly. "Then the Inner Courtyard isn't actually within the Canaan Academy at all, is it? Perhaps it lies deep within this endless rear mountain range?" Looking toward the horizon where the sight of Canaan Academy had faded, Xiao Yan murmured softly. "It's said that the Inner Courtyard is quite secluded—even some students who have graduated from it often struggle to find it unless they're guided by their dedicated leviathans." Xun'er smiled, gentle golden light seeping out from within her, effortlessly blocking the rushing winds that came her way. "Do any of you know what makes the Inner Courtyard special?" Xiao Yan turned to the three—Hugua and the others—breaking the awkward silence. Since the Deputy Director had arranged for them to share the same leviathan, they had effectively become a team. Therefore, it was necessary to ease their mutual relations a bit. "My grandfather never speaks much about the Inner Courtyard, so I'm not particularly familiar with it. However, every time I meet students who have graduated from there, I notice their strength has significantly improved compared to when they first entered." Huiga glanced at Xiao Yan, understanding his meaning at once. Reminding herself of Huiguan's repeated advice not to strain their relationship, she finally spoke. "I really don't know. I rarely pay attention to these matters." Wu Hao also shook his head. As a battle-mad man, he usually spent most of his time chasing down black-angled domain intruders who had accidentally entered the Gan Nan Academy, leaving little time for internal affairs. "Once you get there, everything will become clear," Bai Shan said calmly. Though he was aware of some details, he was unwilling to share them with Xiao Yan—he actually hoped the latter would suffer more hardships. Xiao Yan stared deeply at Bai Shan, arms folded, and though he didn't ask any further questions, his growing sense of caution toward the man deepened. Shifting his gaze from Bai Shan, Xiao Yan watched the lush forest landscape swiftly retreating behind him, and exhaled a long, steady breath. Was it true—was the Inner Academy, the fallen Heart Flame, really there?