Staring at the seniors finally dispersing, Xiao Yan exhaled a deep breath of relief, then turned to gaze at the excited freshmen, a gentle smile forming on his face. "Xiao Yan, thank you once again for all your help this time," said the young man named A Tai, approaching with a warm smile and bowing respectfully. "We're all freshmen, so naturally we've been working together. But we never expected that after successfully passing the 'Fire Hunting Competition,' we'd end up causing such a fuss." Xiao Yan shook his head, a touch of resignation in his voice. "Ah, yes. It's been quite rare to see such a situation in recent years. Most seniors back then, when they first entered the inner academy, had to endure exactly this kind of treatment. Now, seeing our generation of freshmen pass so smoothly and confidently, it's no surprise that some of them feel a bit unsettled. I suspect that by leveraging my name to calm them down this time, they might come back with even more complaints in the future," A Tai sighed. Xiao Yan furrowed his brows slightly, murmuring softly, "It seems this won't be a long-term solution..." Since they were close in distance, Xiao Yan's soft words naturally reached Ai Tai's ears. His eyes brightened slightly, and after a brief hesitation, he carefully replied, "Xiao Yan, have you ever considered establishing your own protective faction within the Inner Courtyard?" "Oh?" Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze fixed on the young man—dark-skinned yet notably poised and composed. "Ah, Xiao Yan, you might already know that within the Inner Courtyard, various factions are spread out in size and number, quite numerous. Moreover, the atmosphere here doesn't merely tolerate such alliances—it actually encourages them," Ai Tai said, pausing thoughtfully. Inside the Inner Courtyard, generally speaking, unless someone possesses exceptional strength, it's difficult to avoid certain difficulties when trying to thrive independently. Take, for instance, the matter of entering the 'Heaven-Burning Qi Tower' for cultivation—this is a crucial step for every student to rapidly enhance their abilities, and everyone places great importance on it. Within the tower, each floor is divided into three tiers—lower, medium, and upper—by the Inner Courtyard. Those who cultivate in the upper-tier areas not only progress faster but also reap significantly greater benefits compared to those in the lower or medium tiers. "By normal standards, anyone who happens to secure an advanced training space would be able to train there. However... the inner courtyard does not prohibit private duels within the 'Heaven-Burning Qi Tower.' Therefore, even if you're fortunate enough to secure such a space, if your strength is insufficient, you'll still likely be pushed out. Thus, to achieve the best possible training conditions within the 'Heaven-Burning Qi Tower,' one must possess not only formidable strength but also a strong team." Atai's gaze remained fixed on Xiao Yan's face as he spoke solemnly. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his eyes flickering with thoughts he couldn't quite articulate. "Xiao Yan's personal strength is indeed outstanding, and with Hu Jia's support, the group is certainly solid. Yet, the team remains small—fewer members mean that even two or three of them may struggle against a larger force. Should other factions send a group of fifteen or twenty, Xiao Yan and his team might find themselves overwhelmed." Atai said slowly. "Are you asking me to attract the new students and build a new faction?" Xiao Yan gazed steadily at Atai in front of him, speaking softly. "With Xiao Yan's current reputation among the new students, this endeavor is absolutely feasible!" Atai nodded firmly, his voice steady. Xiao Yan crossed his fingers, yet remained silent at first. "Xiao Yan, if you have a plan, we must act swiftly—typically, every time the new students enter the inner academy, various factions come to recruit them. Right now is precisely when your influence is at its peak. If we delay and fail to act, by the time the next wave arrives, the new students may already have been absorbed by other factions. Moreover, if we can establish our own faction, the benefits for us would be undeniable. As long as you take the lead, I'm certain no new student will object..." Atai said seriously. "You seem to have a deep understanding of the inner academy." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, then looked at A Tai with a touch of surprise. The information he was giving was far beyond what an ordinary freshman would know. "Heh, I have some friends within the inner courtyard, so I'm fairly well-informed about these details," A Tai chuckled. "How about it, Xiao Yan? As long as you agree, I'll go speak to the freshmen—guaranteed, there'll be no issues." "Just call me Xiao Yan. Do you know how many students are there in total within the inner courtyard?" Xiao Yan smiled, then lowered his head and pondered for a while before asking. "I'd say around nine or ten hundred, though I haven't kept an exact count." A Tai replied after a moment's thought. "Nine or ten hundred? That's quite a number! Only about fifty new students enter each year, and even then, the trainees won't stay here forever," Xiao Yan exclaimed, clearly astonished. "Hehe, the Inner Academy is a five-year program. Students train here for five years, after which they typically move on. Of course... if you truly stand out in talent, you can apply for an additional two years. These students who remain are all peak-level strongholds of the Academy—top-tier contenders on the 'Strength Rankings.' Though only fifty spots are allocated each year through the selection finals, this isn't the entire picture. Sometimes, when senior elders encounter exceptionally talented disciples during their travels, and those disciples pass the Academy's rigorous evaluations, they too become students. Additionally, specialized departments such as the Herbal Medicine Division and the Enforcement Squad also admit students through alternative pathways. Over the years, this has accumulated to a student body of nearly a thousand—definitely not impossible." Atai chewed his lips, saying. "Oh..." Xiāo Yīn nodded slightly, rubbing his hands. "So, then, our group of over forty new students isn't actually that large after all." "At the beginning, how could we possibly be much more than modest? Even the established factions didn't expand much until after years of absorbing new members, did they?" Atai spread his hands. "Take those individuals we discussed earlier— they belong to the 'Qingshan' faction. Within the inner courtyard, 'Qingshan' manages only mid-tier status, with around twenty-some members. Yet overall, their strength far surpasses ours. If a real confrontation were to take place, even if we all came together, it's still uncertain who would ultimately prevail." "But once our new generation truly coalesces, factions of 'Qingshan's caliber won't dare to be overly aggressive. After all, they wouldn't fare well in such a struggle either." Xiao Yan pressed his lips tightly, finding it difficult to make a decision. He had always operated independently, and now being asked to manage such a faction—though it only consisted of a few dozen people—was no small task. Still, if they failed to consolidate this new group, as Atai had pointed out, the four of them alone in the Inner Courtyard would likely find themselves quite burdened. After all, numbers always made a difference. "Xiao Yan brother, Atai does have some merit in his assessment. If we don't make a decision now, it won't be long before the new recruits are drawn away by the established factions. Once that happens, it will be hard to find such an opportunity again." Xun'er stepped lightly to Xiao Yan's side and spoke softly. "If you're worried about the complexity, simply delegate everything to me and Huojia sister—she and I are quite adept at managing such matters." Understanding Xiao Yan's hesitation, Xun'er smiled gently. Hearing this, Xiao Yan shook his head with a faint smile. "Xiao Yan, senior, as long as you have the courage to lead, we all follow you! After all, the older students have always looked down on us. If given a choice, who would willingly put up with that kind of treatment?" Suddenly, a clear and resonant voice rang out, followed immediately by a wave of enthusiastic voices. Xiao Yan raised his head slightly in surprise, only to find that the freshmen had gathered around him without him realizing it. Now, they were all looking at him with hopeful expressions, waiting for his decision. With fingers tightly clasped, under the steady gaze of their expectant eyes, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and, with a firm, resolute voice, waved his hand and said, "Very well! Since all of you trust me, I'll lead you to establish yourselves in the Inner Courtyard. For ourselves, and for all of you, we'll stand together—otherwise, this bustling, talent-filled Inner Courtyard will truly be difficult to navigate!" Hearing these words, the excited freshmen erupted into cheers. Having a group to rely on is always more reassuring than being alone. The others standing nearby, upon seeing Xiao Yan finally nod, exchanged glances and quietly exhaled in relief. "Well, then, Head, since we've established our faction, we should at least give our new group a name—otherwise, how could we present ourselves to the outside world?" Atai also set his mind at ease, smiling warmly at Xiao Yan, his tone smoothly shifting from "Head" to "Head," though the change made Xiao Yan feel slightly uncomfortable. "As for the name... since our primary intention is to establish ourselves within the Inner Courtyard, how about we simply call ourselves the 'Pánmen'? We hope this new faction will be as solid as a rock, firmly rooted among the many powerful groups in the Inner Courtyard." Xiao Yan wasn't particularly skilled at naming things, so after a brief moment of thought, he settled on something rather casual. "Pánmen... that works well. After all, it's just a name and a designation." "Muttering something under his breath, Atai didn't object either, and turned to the fresh-faced freshmen, smiling warmly and declaring, 'Ladies and gentlemen, from today on, our new force shall be known collectively as 'Panmen'! Xiao Yan, our senior, shall be our leader—everyone shall follow his lead, and any who defy him shall be scorned!' 'Excellent! Panmen!' 'Any who defy us shall be scorned!' Hearing the name shouted out so passionately by Atai, the freshmen instantly flushed with excitement, and in unison, they roared with fervor—youth, after all, is always full of passion! Watching the enthusiastic faces of the young students, Xiao Yan suddenly felt a sense of determination rise within him. From this day forward, he would have to carry this 'Panmen' force, firmly establishing its roots among the many powerful students in the Inner Courtyard! 'Heh, well, let me, Xiao Yan, see just what the Inner Courtyard has in store!'