In the hall, everyone sat at separate tables. Xiao Yan smiled at the two across from him. Wu Hao had seen him once during their time in Black Angle Domain, and there had been little change. As for Huiga, however, she had transformed significantly—from a once-soft-spoken young fairy to a neat, composed presence now, with short, clean hair that gave her less of a delicate, feminine touch and more of a strong, confident demeanor. Over the past few years, everyone had undergone some noticeable changes. After so long apart, when they finally met again, there was naturally a great deal of lively conversation. Throughout the exchange, Wu Hao's warm smile never wavered. He had always held a deep sense of respect for Xiao Yan—this respect first became evident when Xiao Yan, during the external courtyard assessment, defeated both Wu Hao and Huiga, as well as Bai Shan, solely through his own strength. That respect only deepened over time. Yet Hu Jia was different—she spoke plainly and directly, with no concealment of her growing frustration over Xiao Yan's consistent hands-off attitude. Still, overall, she was profoundly excited to see him again. "Two years have passed, and you've both become powerful Battle Kings. Congratulations," Xiao Yan said, holding his teacup and offering a smile. He recalled the wild things their young, inexperienced group had done back then—mere Battle Masters then, nothing more than fledgling stars. "How could we possibly compare to you?" Hu Jia remarked, frowning as she immediately sensed the steady, powerful pressure emanating from Xiao Yan as soon as he entered the room—clearly indicating that his strength had now surpassed theirs by a wide margin. Xiao Yan smiled gently. "How has Pan Gate fared these past years?" "It's vastly improved compared to those days." "At this, Hu Gujia's face immediately brightened with pride, saying, 'Liu Hao has now become a Senior Elder of the Inner Court. Though I also qualify for promotion to Elder status, considering the ongoing administrative responsibilities of the Pan Gate, I haven't made any such plans yet. Once one becomes an Elder, one can no longer be too involved in the affairs of the students.' 'Over the years, the members of the Pan Gate haven't changed much compared to when we first started—indeed, there are even fewer now. If we count carefully, I suspect the total won't exceed three hundred.' Wu Hao smiled and added, 'The admission criteria for the Pan Gate have become increasingly rigorous. On average, no more than fifty students are accepted each season. Don't underestimate these over two hundred students—they've essentially encompassed the majority of the outstanding talents from the Inner Court, and their potential is truly exceptional.'" "Heard that, Xiao Yan nodded slightly and smiled lightly, saying, 'We value quality over quantity. This is excellent. The more rigorous the recruitment criteria, the stronger the sense of dedication and pride among the Pan Gate members will be—each will feel proud of their status. This is extremely important.' Today's Xiao Yan is no longer the naive newcomer he once was. As a key figure who has helped establish both the Xiao Gate and the Yan Alliance, he has gained considerable experience. 'How many of the current Pan Gate members are expected to join the Xiao Gate upon graduation?' " Xiao Yan lightly tapped the table, posing a particularly significant question. The primary reason he founded the Xiao Sect was the abundant, yet often underappreciated, potential within the Pan Sect. Most students admitted to the inner academy possessed strong cultivation talents—talents that would be fully nurtured in any other sect. Now, with the alliance between the Xiao and Pan Sects, the Pan Sect's reservoir of such potential provides the Xiao Sect with a continuous influx of the very best new talent. This steady stream of excellence has been a key factor in the Xiao Sect's steady rise in status within the Black Angular Region over the past two years, largely due to the presence of the Pan Sect. "Many of them—every member selected to join Panmen is informed about the relationship between Panmen and Xiao Men. As trust grows, we also send certain members to Xiao Men earlier on, to enhance their adaptability. Aside from special circumstances, around twenty Panmen members enter Xiao Men each year." Hu Jia paused thoughtfully. "Moreover, now that the relationship between Panmen and Xiao Men is well known at Canan Academy, they haven't opposed it—they even show a supportive attitude. This has significantly elevated the formal standing of Xiao Men. Together, they support each other, providing the strongest possible stability in this turbulent region." Wu Hao smiled. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, a relieved smile spreading across his face. The smooth operation of the Pan Gate had exceeded his expectations. As long as the Pan Gate remained, the strength of the Xiao Clan would see significant year-on-year improvements. Given enough time, he believed no other force in the Black Angle Region would be able to rival it. "These past two years have been tough for you both," he breathed, sincerely expressing his gratitude to Hu Jia and Wu Hao. Without their efforts, the Pan Gate likely never would have functioned so effectively, and his plans for the Xiao Clan would have surely come to nothing. "Hmph. Don't go all sentimental now," Hu Jia remarked, rolling her eyes. "If you feel guilty, then you can manage it yourself from now on." Hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle and sighed, "I truly would have liked to stay calm and steady here. But the matters that have come my way simply keep piling up." "Heh, she's just venting a bit. By the way, how long will you be staying in the inner courtyard this time?" Wu Hao smiled and said. At the sound of his question, everyone in the hall immediately turned their attention to Xiao Yan. "It shouldn't be too long. Once I've settled everything here, I plan to head out across the continent in search of rare flames—this will take me countless days, as rare flames are truly hard to find," Xiao Yan pondered before speaking slowly. "Rare flames?" Hearing this, Xinlan's eyes flashed slightly, but she remained silent. "You always seem so busy," Wu Hao chuckled, then added, "Since you've returned, you should meet with the members of the Pan Gate. They're genuinely curious about you, and each one regards you as a role model. Their status surpasses even mine and Hu Jia's." "Heard this, Xiao Yan smiled and stood up, warmly saying, 'Of course. Since we've returned, how can we not meet our own brothers and sisters?' Behind Xiao Yan, Xiao Mei watched his slightly slender back figure, a gentle smile playing on her lips. In these two years, he has grown more mature and reassuring—now he shines like a brilliant star, radiating an impressive glow. After chatting with Wu Hao and the others for a while, Xiao Yan followed their instructions and met with several members of the Panmen clan. However, under the amused gazes of the group, he soon found himself scrambling to escape—he hadn't expected them to be so enthusiastic, even eager to tear off his clothes as a keepsake. After the reunion with Wu Hao and the others, Xiao Yan hurried to the Elder's Hall and, upon entering the conference hall, found Su Qian, the Senior Elder, already waiting for him alone." Su Qian, holding an ancient text in the living room, looked up upon hearing the sound of the door opening to see Xiao Yan bursting in with his clothes disheveled. He chuckled, saying, "Now you've finally demonstrated your popularity within the inner courtyard, haven't you? Over these years, I've never seen any student receive such treatment as you have." Hearing the teasing tone in Su Qian's voice, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile sadly, found a chair nearby, and sat down, sighing, "Senior Grand Elder, please don't tease me anymore." Su Qian smiled lightly, then slightly softened his expression, gazing steadily at Xiao Yan, asking, "This time, when you've come back to the Gan Nan Academy, besides releasing your Inner Flame to the Heaven-Burning Qi Tower, are there other matters you've come for?" As he shifted to business, Xiao Yan's expression grew more serious. He nodded slightly, hesitated, and then said, "Senior Grand Elder, do you think the Headmaster is currently in the inner courtyard?" "Well, he's always been fond of traveling far and wide, and hasn't returned home for nearly ten years. If it weren't for him sending periodic messages to us, I'd have thought something unfortunate had befallen him. So, you'd like to find him?" Su Qian sighed helplessly. Xiao Yan exhaled softly, then slowly unfastened his black robe to reveal a strange, chilling black patch on his chest. Around the patch, intricate symbols formed a kind of prison, tightly sealing it in place. Gazing at the black spot on Xiao Yan's chest, Su Qian's expression immediately tightened. With his keen eyesight, he could clearly perceive the signs. He then said firmly, "You've been poisoned?" Xiao Yan nodded in pain, briefly recounting the entire situation. "Immortal Sovereign-level强者..." After listening to Xiao Yan's words, Su Qian's expression gradually grew serious. After a moment, he shook his head and sighed, "Within the Inner Academy, aside from the Head Administrator, there are no other Immortal Sovereign-level强者. Indeed, the Gan Nan Academy does harbor a few seasoned elders, but none have reached the rank of Immortal Sovereign. Even if they work together, they might temporarily achieve that level, yet they would never step forward to intervene. Their duty is to protect the Gan Nan Academy—unless the Academy faces imminent peril, they will never appear. To ask them to assist in purging toxins is simply beyond the scope of what is possible, even for me." "He sighed, for the ancient immortals hidden in the shadows, he had no great expectations. Back then, when the Inner Courtyard nearly collapsed under Han Feng's onslaught, those elders had not even shown themselves. Now, to rely on just one of them to purify the poison—how much more difficult! 'If no Supreme Battle Sovereign steps in, perhaps we'll have to resort to another method,' Xiang Yan exhaled softly, speaking slowly. 'What method?' 'We'll need to find another type of异fire!' With sudden intensity, a blazing glow erupted in Xiang Yan's eyes as he spoke firmly.