"Creak." The wooden door was slowly pushed open, and a beam of sunlight seeped through the crack, spreading across the floor until it formed a long, slender streak. As the door fully opened, the light expanded rapidly, and shortly after, several figures—stretched and elongated by the sunlight—entered the room. The elder at the forefront glanced over the spacious pavilion and smiled, saying, "Xiao Yan, from now on, your four will share this pavilion as your residence." "Four people?" Hearing this, Hu Jia, who had been following behind, was momentarily startled, then expressed her surprise, asking, "Su Elder, are you really going to have us two girls share quarters with these two men?" "Heh, Hu Jia, this pavilion is quite spacious, with plenty of rooms, and you won't even be sharing a bed—why are you so worried?" Su Elder shook his head with a smile, his eyes sweeping over the four of them, and added, "By the way, you still have one more team member, don't you?" “Hmm…” Hearing Su Elder’s question, Xiao Yan paused, shrugged slightly, and found himself unsure of how to respond. “We just ran off. Seeing the Black Shatter team was so strong, we simply abandoned us.” Hu Jia spread her hands, coldly remarked. She had no concerns about Xiao Yan, speaking bluntly and showing no mercy to Bai Shan—clearly, Bai Shan’s act of leaving his companions behind to flee alone deeply displeased her. “Ran off? Truly a short-sighted one.” Su Elder was also momentarily stunned, then shook her head gently, smiling lightly. “From now on, you four will be considered part of the Inner Courtyard. Just a heads-up: within the Inner Courtyard, unless you possess exceptionally strong capabilities, it’s not easy to thrive on your own. Due to the nature of the environment, the senior students have already established their own power spheres and territories—something you’ll surely encounter soon.” Su Elder mused. “Really? There are such things in the Inner Courtyard? And yet, you don’t prohibit them at all?” "Huiga furrowed her brows and asked, 'Why should this be prohibited? This very competitiveness is exactly what our Inner Academy needs. If you wish to avoid being bullied, you must constantly strive to improve your strength—otherwise, all efforts will fall short. Strength always reigns supreme; it has always been the dominant theme of this world. We don't want our Inner Academy to become a carefree ivory tower, because such an environment simply cannot produce true champions.' Su Elder spoke calmly. "Su elder smiled and said, "From today on, I hope you four will form a solid team—facing all challenges together, never parting ways. If you can achieve that, life within the inner academy will be much easier. After all, no matter how strong an individual may be, a team always surpasses a single person, doesn't it?" "Fine with me. As for Xiao Yan's strength, I have no objections," Wu Hao hesitated slightly, then nodded gently, speaking in a calm tone. "Xuan'er smiled lightly. To be with Xiao Yan, she naturally had no reservations." "Ah well, okay. Though I don't want to admit it, being with this person truly does bring me more security," Hu Jia spread her hands, sighed, and nodded with a touch of resignation. "You've actually decided to hold onto me now..." Looking at the three of them, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle, though his expression remained as such. In his heart, however, he felt something unusual. For the past three years, he had faced challenges alone—perhaps by nature, he had grown accustomed to handling difficulties single-handedly. But now, with Wu Hao and the others entrusting team leadership to him, it was a clear sign of trust and recognition, a feeling he had never experienced before when he had always been working alone. "Heh, that's certainly the best outcome," Su Elder nodded approvingly, seeing how the four of them had seamlessly formed a cohesive team. He waved his hand and said, "Well, it's getting late now. Go and settle into your rooms, and rest overnight. From tomorrow, you're free to explore the inner courtyard at your leisure—trust me, you won't be disappointed." "Is there no training session scheduled?" Hu Jia quickly asked. "The inner academy doesn't require anything like that—as long as you have sufficient 'fire energy,' you can enter the 'Heaven-Burning Qi Tower' to train there, which is far more effective than any regular course. Oh, by the way, I almost forgot—each week, the academy organizes a collective visit to the 'Heaven-Burning Qi Tower' for the students. If we're talking about courses, then this should count as one. Additionally, there are facilities such as the 'Du-Ji Hall' and the 'Fengfa Pavilion' within the inner academy. If you wish to obtain techniques or combat skills, you can simply visit these places. Of course, access is contingent upon having enough 'fire energy' to exchange for them—compared to the outer academy, the inner one offers greater freedom. Should you find yourself lacking in 'fire energy' yet eager to acquire more, you can earn it at the Arena. Naturally, this requires that you possess sufficient strength; otherwise, you'll only be left with empty hands. The four of us nodded slightly, indicating our understanding." "If there's nothing amiss, you may all rest. Should anything arise, feel free to come to me." Waving gently to the four, Su Elder turned and walked toward the door, eventually fading from the sight of Xiao Yan and the others. As Su Elder departed, Xiao Yan clapped his hands and smiled at Xun'er and the others, saying, "Let's get settled in the rooms. From now on, this might well become our long-term base." "Yes," Xun'er and the others nodded with smiles, then dispersed, each seeking their own rooms. ... Night. The silver moon hung high, its gentle light spilling across the sky and bathing the entire vast basin in a soft moonlight. In a quiet house, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, forming hand seals for cultivation. With each cycle of his breath, visible streams of energy flowed out from the space, then steadily entered his body through the rhythm of respiration. Beside him, a small, seven-colored serpent hovered in midair, its slender body subtly twisting in a peculiar rhythm. As it moved, ripples spread throughout the surrounding space, and powerful streams of energy—ten times thicker than those flowing into Xiao Yan—surged forth and poured into the serpent’s body. Remarkably, despite the immense volume of energy it absorbed, the small creature remained completely still, as if merely dropping a few pebbles into an endless abyss, stirring no ripple at all. The cultivation process lasted nearly an hour, and only then did the floating energy gradually slow down. Xiāo Yín's eyelashes trembled slightly before he opened his eyes, expelling a deep breath he had been holding in his chest. "Finally recovered," he murmured softly. "The consumption of the Buddha's Wrath Lotus was indeed tremendous... though, after these nearly a week of battles in the forest, the benefits have been quite substantial." His originally pale complexion had now regained a healthy rosy hue, and his eyes, in the darkness, shone like delicate, warm jade, appearing remarkably unusual. Shortly after Xiāo Yín finished his cultivation, the seven-colored Devouring Sky Python also concluded its night-long training, hissing softly as it flicked its tongue. Seeing this, Xiāo Yín shook his head in resignation and retrieved a bottle of companion purple crystal essence from his storage ring, dropping a few drops into the snake's mouth. Only then did the python sway contentedly, its tail swaying gently, and glide into the sleeve of Xiāo Yín's robe. "This hungry little fellow..." Touching the Devouring Sky Python coiled around his arm, Xiao Yan sighed with a wry smile. Just as he was about to speak, the black ring on his finger suddenly trembled, and then gradually, the ethereal form of Yao Lao drifted into view. "Master? How is it? Have you detected the fallen heart flame?" Seeing Yao Lao materialize, Xiao Yan instantly perked up and asked softly. "Not quite yet..." Yao Lao smiled, glancing around, then chuckled at Xiao Yan's look of mild disappointment. "But we haven't come empty-handed. Since you entered the Inner Courtyard, I've sensed a subtle anomaly—though this courtyard is the heart of Gan'an Academy, with so many powerful individuals, I've been hesitant to probe too deeply." "An anomaly?" Xiao Yan was momentarily surprised, then exclaimed with excitement, "Is it related to the unique flames?" "Most likely... Perhaps within this Inner Courtyard, there truly lies what you're seeking." "The old pharmacist pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Based on my detection, the unusual aura seems to emanate from a location slightly north of the inner courtyard. If you have time tomorrow, go check there—perhaps you'll find some clues." Hearing this, Xiao Yan quickly nodded. Any clue would be excellent; he was most afraid that after putting in so much effort to enter this inner courtyard, he'd end up with no information at all related to the strange flames. "Within this inner courtyard, many things must be handled by yourself. If I intervene, I'll inevitably draw attention," the old pharmacist sighed. "Ah, yes. I've heard you say before that you used to rely too heavily on me. Now, with this environment, I think it's actually quite beneficial for me," Xiao Yan smiled. "That's good to hear. With the mysterious 'Spirit Palace' unlikely to track you down, you can now focus on steadily strengthening your own abilities here," the old pharmacist said, giving a satisfied nod. At the mention of that enigmatic "Spirit Temple," Xiao Yan's heart slightly settled. This strange force, even one as powerful as the Elder of Herbs, held deep apprehension—how formidable its true strength must be, truly hard to imagine. "Rest assured, Master," said Xiao Yan, nodding. With that, the Elder of Herbs flickered and once again became a shadow, retreating into the ring. "It seems we must swiftly locate the second unique flame and promptly assist Master in crafting a body capable of housing his soul. Otherwise, that 'Spirit Temple' will remain a hidden serpent, ever watchful and difficult to counter." Gazing at the Elder's disappearance, Xiao Yan slowly tapped his fingers against his forearm. After a while, he exhaled deeply, murmuring to himself.