Within the spacious ancient tower, a faint white mist curled and swirled. At the edge of the mist, an elderly figure stood, breathing slightly hurriedly. The Li Elder's face was rapidly shifting in color—sometimes stunned, sometimes filled with wonder—appearing remarkably dynamic. His robe had been scorched nearly halfway, and his head of hair subtly emitted a scent of charred aroma. Overall, the Elder, who held a high standing within the inner courtyard, now appeared in a most disheveled state. Meanwhile, the senior students who had scattered to escape the flames had finally regained their composure. Yet, as their eyes turned once more toward the very spot where the commotion had first erupted, they found precisely the disheveled Li Elder—just then, their newly regained sense of calm was once again replaced by a state of stunned stillness. To serve as a Tower Elder within the Inner Courtyard is itself a testament to rigorous strength requirements, meaning every elder in the tower is a powerhouse of prowess. Though there have been some exceptionally talented prodigies in the Inner Courtyard who, through relentless cultivation, have managed to rival certain elders, these individuals are truly rare—each having spent nearly four to five years within the courtyard to achieve such feats. Yet now, Elder Liu has been utterly humbled, facing such a defeat at the hands of a fresh recruit who has only recently joined the courtyard for less than three days. This scene is even more astonishing and hard to believe than when Xiao Yan led the new students in a surprise takeover of the senior students. The astonishment on Han Yue’s face gradually subsided after a minute, and as her gaze shifted toward the place shrouded in white mist, a touch of wonder appeared in her previously composed eyes. This new recruit truly is quite remarkable. "Ah…" Suddenly, the quiet ancient tower was broken by a cough. Master Liu's eyes were fixed intently on the swirling white mist, then he gently tapped his clothes—now torn and scorched—before chuckling, "What a remarkable Xuanyin! It's no wonder the elders always speak of him in hushed tones. There's clearly something special about him—something truly favored by heaven. Such a thing, the senior monks of this tower would all dearly wish to possess." While the younger students in the tower might not fully grasp Master Liu's words, they could still sense that Xuanyin possessed a certain elusive quality—one that even the elders themselves longed for. As Liu gently waved his sleeve to disperse the white mist before him, a soft footstep suddenly emerged from within the mist, causing him to pause mid-motion and fix his gaze firmly upon the mist. The footsteps echoed slowly within the ancient tower, and everyone hurried to focus their attention on the misty area where the sound originated. Regardless of what else, the formidable strength previously displayed by Xiao Yan had already been sufficient to cause them to forget their own newly acquired identities. Though they were unaware that this strength was not primarily driven by Xiao Yan himself, but rather relied entirely on occasional bursts of protection from the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame. Now, if Xiao Yan were to naturally guide another such burst of the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame—this time powerful enough to drive Liu Elder into this state—the likelihood of failure would surely exceed ninety-five percent. As the footsteps within the white mist grew louder, a blurred figure gradually emerged, finally stepping out beyond the mist's edge and appearing squarely within the gaze of all present. The young man in a black robe carried a massive black ruler of equal length to his height, his left hand holding Wu Hao, who seemed to have fainted. With a slightly furrowed brow, he slowly scanned the crowd around him. Those who met his gaze—except for a few with strong capabilities—were mostly hesitant, having been struck by the impact of his earlier display. "Hmph. It's remarkable—recovering fully from the first wave of heart-fire, all on your own. Xiao Yan, you're the first in all these years to do so." Upon seeing Xiao Yan regain his composure, Li Elder was momentarily stunned before sighing. "Wait—what's your name?" Xiao Yan asked, slightly puzzled by the elderly man's disheveled appearance. "Heh, I'm the Elder Guardian of the First Level of the Heavenly Burn Qi Tower. You can call me Li Elder." "Master Liu smiled gently, speaking with no trace of the sternness usually reserved for the other senior students. The treatment Xiao Yan had received alone was enough to draw quiet murmurs from the surrounding seniors. In the Heavenly Burn Qi Tower and throughout the Inner Academy, the status of a senior was exceptionally high—generally, no student dared to challenge their word, unless they were among the outstanding ones. Indeed, such exceptional students often had the potential to rise to the rank of senior themselves, and even among the current seniors, they had to remain vigilant in cultivating alliances with other powerful figures in the future. After all, the senior leaders in the Inner Academy were not entirely aligned under a single faction; competition and rivalry were inevitable—driven by power, by advantage, or by other motivations, no matter what." "Being questioned in such an innocent manner by the one who started it all, Master Liu's eyebrows couldn't help but tremble slightly, before he shook his head dryly with a smile. He didn't doubt that Xiao Yan had been pretending to be ignorant. Indeed, although the fierce flames Xiao Yan had unleashed were astonishing, to someone who had spent a lifetime mastering fire, they merely seemed to be the natural, self-initiated response of 'that thing'—not really anything to do with Xiao Yan at all. "As for my friend here?" Xiao Yan pointed to Wu Hao, who had now entered a state of unconsciousness. "He's just slightly exhausted from the intense heat of his heart-fire. He'll recover fully after resting overnight," Master Liu explained with a smile. "Heart-fire heat?" The term was new, causing Xiao Yan's brow to furrow again. "Ah, you're new to the Inner Academy, so you're probably unaware of the traditions and customs surrounding the Heavenly Burn Qi Tower. If you have time, I'll be happy to tell you all about it," Master Liu said with a warm smile. "Then... I'd be grateful for more of Master Liu's guidance." "Heard this, Xiao Yan hesitated slightly before agreeing. As a newcomer, he truly needed to first gain a thorough understanding of the most mysterious location within the inner courtyard—so that his newly enrolled 'Pán Gate' students could quickly adapt, strengthen their overall capabilities, and thus establish themselves among the elite gathering in this prestigious inner courtyard. "No problem—this is part of my duty," said the Willow Elder, waving her hand. Her gaze shifted to the surrounding students who were still gathered, and as her smile dimmed, she commanded, "What are you all still doing here? Go and train now! If you've already spent enough time training, I'll be happy to reposition you." Upon hearing the Elder's words, the students quickly shook their heads and darted off in various directions toward different parts of the ancient tower, eager not to risk being displaced from the good spots they had just secured. Looking at those senior students, once proud and confident, now obedient like sheep in Master Liu's hands, Xiao Yan couldn't help but find it amusing. Yet, beyond the amusement, he felt even more respect for Master Liu's standing—without real power within the inner academy, such spirited seniors would never have been so easily subdued. "Heh, these youngsters are so proud; unless you're firm, they simply won't pay any attention to you," said Master Liu, smiling as he sent the crowd around them away. Xiao Yan smiled in response, but said nothing further. "Come on, come here, Xiao Yan—I'd like to introduce you to someone." With a glance sweeping across the ancient tower, Master Liu took Xiao Yan's hand and led him toward a woman dressed in silver robes. She was precisely the one qualified to enter the Sixth Level of the Tianfen Qi Tower for cultivation—Han Yue. "This is Han Yue, who has been in the Inner Courtyard for three years—she's essentially your senior. Hehe, her strength is no ordinary thing, and within the Inner Courtyard, she's established a powerful faction called 'Yue Ling,' which is quite formidable. In this bustling courtyard filled with top-tier talents, it's rare for any faction to dare challenge her." As Li Elder approached the silver-dressed woman, he smiled and introduced her. "Oh?" Hearing Li Elder's words, Xiao Yan's face lit up with surprise. He studied the woman named Han Yue closely. At first glance, her composed, serene demeanor—like a snow lotus on a mountain peak—left a strong impression. Yet what truly astonished him was her strength. Though he couldn't clearly perceive her true power with the naked eye, thanks to his robust spiritual senses, he could sense her presence clearly. This silver-clad, silver-haired woman was, in fact, even stronger than Luo Hou! "Indeed, there are hidden talents here. I never expected a group of women to possess such strength. It seems... things won't be easy around here." With a quiet smile of resignation, Xiao Yan kept his expression composed, setting Lu Hao down on the ground and extending his hand, smiling warmly, "Good morning, Ms. Han Yue." As Xiao Yan reached out to Han Yue, the Liu Elder couldn't help but notice the hesitation. Given his deep understanding of Han Yue's personality, he knew well that this woman, who was notoriously particular about cleanliness, was quite resistant to physical contact with men. Even during combat, she would often use qi to tightly encase herself, a level of meticulousness that truly made one wonder. Yet before Lu Elder could utter a word of protest, Han Yue—the woman—paused briefly, then allowed a section of her porcelain-white wrist to slide out of her silver sleeve. With a look of astonishment from Lu Elder, she gently clasped her hands with Xiao Yan’s. Her voice, as clear and cool as a stream flowing through a snow-capped mountain, softly echoed, “Good day…”