Looking at Han Yue, who had unexpectedly set aside her hygiene habits to shake hands with Xiao Yan, Li Elder was also momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, he composed himself, gave Han Yue a meaningful glance, and then smiled, saying, "Xiao Yan, in the Inner Academy, you're one of the few male students who's managed to shake hands with Yue's little girl." "That truly is an honor," Xiao Yan replied with a gentle smile. Though he found the delicate, jade-like hands quite comfortable, he only held them politely before releasing them, and smiled. "Xiao Yan, under your guidance, this year's new students have certainly made quite an impression," Han Yue said softly as she withdrew her hand. "If I had known back then that there would be so many complications ahead, perhaps I wouldn't have wanted to make such a splash," Xiao Yan sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile. "It seems some of the upperclassmen have already started giving you trouble, hasn't it?" Han Yue was momentarily surprised, then nodded in understanding, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips. Xiao Yan nodded in resignation. "Xiao Yan, I'm sure you have some understanding of the current situation within the Inner Courtyard, and that you're aware of the advantages offered by being backed by a powerful faction. Would you be interested in joining one of them?" Han Yue's bright eyes were fixed firmly on Xiao Yan, as if it were a casual question. "Hmm..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan spread his hands and chuckled with a slight sigh, "I'm afraid I won't be able to join any faction. In fact, this entire class of new students has been insisting on having me establish a new faction—'Panmen'—so I can only sincerely appreciate Han Yue's kind offer." "You've actually founded your own faction, with all members being new students?" As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, not only Han Yue looked utterly astonished, but even the elder Liu, standing beside her, cast him a look of profound surprise. "Yes." Seeing their expressions, Xiao Yan nodded with a dry smile. "Xiao Yan, what you've done might indeed bring about quite a few complications," Han Yue said, her brows furrowed tightly, before speaking in a measured tone after a brief pause. "Hmm?" Is there any rule within the inner academy prohibiting the formation of a power group composed entirely of new students? Hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily startled, his brow furrowing slightly upon observing Han Yue's serious expression. "Indeed, there isn't such a rule. However, every year, nearly sixty percent of the fresh blood in the academy comes from the new students entering the inner academy. As a result, most of the existing power groups absorb a certain number of new students each year to strengthen their strength—a practice that has become well-established over the years. Now, you've gathered all the new students of this year into one group. This means that other power groups will be unable to absorb fresh talent this year. This move will certainly provoke dissatisfaction among many groups. With so many groups now disfavoring you behind the scenes, your 'Panmen' group will likely face significant pressure and marginalization. That's why I believe you will encounter numerous challenges," Han Yue shook her head with a sense of resignation, explaining it for Xiao Yan. By the side, Master Liu nodded slightly, confirming that Han Yue's explanation was accurate. Hearing Han Yue's account, Xiao Yan's expression grew increasingly serious. Due to his unfamiliarity with the inner academy, he had inadvertently forgotten this point—now that the Pan Gate had only recently been formally established, it had nearly alienated nearly the entire inner academy's power base. With the current strength of the Pan Gate, it simply lacked the capacity to handle so many potential adversaries. "Ah, I see—I've been rather hasty," Xiao Yan sighed, pausing thoughtfully before smiling at Han Yue. "But now that things have reached this point, I can't think of anything else to do but respond as circumstances demand—defend when attacked, meet challenges head-on. If any powerful faction truly intends to dismantle the Pan Gate, then I, Xiao Yan, will certainly not remain passive." Han Yue sighed and nodded. She hadn't expected Xiao Yan to have already established his own influence so quickly—now she could only quietly set aside her plans to recruit him. Though Xiao Yan showed great potential, he was still only newly admitted to the Inner Courtyard, and his current strength was only just reaching the level of a senior Battle-Style cultivator. Such a course of action would inevitably create many rivals. Yet, the influence of their "Pánmen" faction was simply not sufficient to withstand such a large number of competitors. "Don't rush to thank me yet. The things I can do might not be much, and all of it is simply because of your potential." Han Yue shook her head, speaking with a clear, cool tone. "I understand. If I were just an ordinary first-year student, I doubt both of you would treat me so generously." Xiao Yan offered a calm, gentle smile. He wasn't naive—he saw things more clearly than anyone else. If it weren't for his own talent and potential, Elder Liu, with his senior status, and Han Yue, who held considerable influence within the academy, would never have looked at him any differently. This was the very principle of the academy: strength always mattered, and it shaped every interaction and relationship. Though Xiao Yan's words were straightforward, both Han Yue and Elder Liu nodded slightly—everyone knew the unspoken meaning; speaking too formally would have been a disadvantage. "Alright, Xiao Yan, go explore the Tianfen Qi Tower with Elder Liu first. I need to head to the sixth floor now—I won't stay any longer. We can talk again when the time comes." Han Yue slightly inclined her posture toward Xiao Yan, then turned and walked slowly toward a specific spot on the ancient tower. With a smile, Xiao Yan watched her go, only turning his gaze back once Han Yue's silhouette disappeared at the end of the soft glow. "Hey, Xiao Yan, what do you think of Yue?" the Li Elder smiled warmly, watching as Xiao Yan returned his gaze. "She's quite impressive, isn't she? I'm sure there must be quite a crowd of admirers among the inner courtyard students." Xiao Yan replied, knowing that with Han Yue's appearance and demeanor, she would surely attract many suitors. "There are indeed many admirers, but only a few who actually catch her eye. Your standing with her seems to be a promising start. With your talent, and your training at the Tianfen Qi Tower, you're likely to reach the Dou Ling level within a year. By then, you might just become one of the strongest contenders." the Li Elder said with a teasing tone. "Hehe, Han Yue-senior is indeed excellent, but I simply don't have the same feeling about it..." Xiao Yan smiled, shook his head, and glanced at the surprised expression on Liu Senior's face. Not wanting to dwell on this point, he smoothly shifted the topic, smiling, "Liu Senior hasn't yet introduced the student to the 'Heaven-Burning Qi Tower'." "Oh, I almost forgot—hehe... Let me show you." Prompted by Xiao Yan, Liu Senior quickly tapped his head, offered a polite smile, and then turned to lead the way, with Xiao Yan following closely. ... The Heaven-Burning Qi Tower, buried deep underground with only its spire protruding above the ground, turned out to be far more spacious than Xiao Yan had expected. As he walked through the tower, he realized that the space within just the first level alone might comfortably accommodate simultaneous cultivation for five hundred people. Within the circularly arranged tower space, various training rooms of differing sizes have been constructed. However, at present, most of these rooms are already occupied, and small red signs hang above each entrance. The inscriptions on these signs, however, vary. Xiang Yan paused to observe and noticed that the signs bear terms indicating three levels—advanced, intermediate, and basic—presumably the classifications of training rooms mentioned by Atai. As he gradually walked from east to south, he observed that all the advanced training rooms were clustered near the central area of the tower, while intermediate rooms were arranged around them, and basic rooms were located even further out on the periphery. "On this day, within the Qi Refinement Tower, the higher and lower-level training rooms are generally contested based on one's own strength—those with stronger capabilities secure the better training conditions, while those with weaker strength are limited to the more peripheral, lower-tier rooms." Pointing to a training room displaying an advanced plaque, Elder Liu smiled calmly. "Within the same floor of the tower, regardless of the training room's level, the training fees remain the same. For instance, on this first floor, both the lower-tier and advanced-tier rooms charge one 'Fire Energy' unit per day." "With identical fees, the outcomes differ dramatically—doesn't this create a situation where the strong grow even stronger, while the weaker find it increasingly difficult to catch up?" Xiang Yan asked inquiringly. "Without facing challenges, a person's potential will never fully unfold. What we need is precisely this unconventional pressure. Once the pressure reaches its peak, some students will suddenly surge forward, catching up at an astonishing pace to those who were once out of reach. This phenomenon has occurred almost every year since the Inner Courtyard's establishment..." Li, the senior elder, shook his head and smiled. Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan's steps suddenly halted. Following Li's gaze, he looked around and realized they had now reached the central area of the tower. "What is this?" Staring in astonishment at the deep, seemingly bottomless black hole before them, Xiao Yan took a few slow steps forward, reaching the edge of the hole and carefully peering down. The dark, shadowy expanse stretched endlessly, fading into the horizon. The profound darkness, almost devoid of any light, gave Xiao Yan a slight sense of dizziness. This black hole seems to stretch all the way through the entire Tianfen Qi Tower. Had it not been for the tower's apex providing coverage, this dark, deep void would have been clearly visible from above. Within this dark void, upon careful sensing, one can perceive that the air is significantly hotter than elsewhere—almost as if something deep at the base of the void is continuously radiating heat to supply the entire Tianfen Qi Tower. Reaching out and gently grasping a stream of this scorching air, Xiao Yan felt a sudden surge within his body. With a slight roll of his throat, he tilted his head slightly forward, fixing his gaze firmly on the profound darkness. After a while, a surge of emerald flame surged into his eyes, instantly transforming his dark pupils into emerald flame pupils. As the emerald flame filled his eyes, the endless darkness beneath began to subtly fade. Yet as the darkness was gradually fading, Xiao Yan's entire body hairs suddenly stood on end. Under the steady gaze of those emerald-hued eyes, subtle distortions began to ripple through the infinite darkness, and soon these rippling spaces surged upward like invisible serpents, climbing with an astonishing speed toward the entrance. "Xiao Yan, step back!" A sharp command suddenly rang out in Xiao Yan's ears, followed immediately by a withered hand pressing firmly onto his shoulder and pulling him away from the dark, gaping mouth of the cavern. Just as Xiao Yan was pulled away from the entrance, he suddenly sensed a rapid rise in temperature around him. Then, a sharp, piercing "ssss" sound began spreading from deep within the cavern. In a hurry, he looked up—only to have his face freeze, his lips trembling, his voice hoarse and strained, barely escaping through the gaps between his teeth. "What... what... is this... thing?"