In the quiet courtyard, Xiao Yan sat on a stone bench, gazing at the slightly yellowed leaves in the trees, and softly sighed. Turning his head, he smiled at the figure standing at the courtyard entrance. "Second brother, you've arrived?" Xiao Li sighed with a touch of melancholy, gazing at Xiao Yan, his heart once again stirred with admiration. That once-innocent young boy had grown so much, so subtly, without even realizing it. Watching Xiao Li, whose mood was slightly subdued, Xiao Yan found himself touched as well. This departure was unlike any previous one—the distance between the Zhongzhou, the Hejiao Region, and the Jima Empire was now nearly insurmountable. He didn't know when he would return next. Seeing Xiao Yan slightly reserved, Xiao Li quickly rallied his spirits, patting his shoulder and smiling, "Don't be so formal with your second brother. If your elder brother knew I was holding you back, he'd surely scold me until I'm dead." "Speaking of my elder brother, Xiao Yan felt a warm glow in his heart. He said, "After I leave, my second brother will take good care of the Xiao Clan. With the Pan Clan as its successor, the Xiao Clan's potential for growth is boundless. Who knows—when I return next time, the Xiao Clan might already be the dominant force across the entire Black Corner Domain." Xiao Li smiled broadly, full of confidence, saying, "You needn't worry about that. That situation is merely a matter of time." "Seeing this, Xiao Yan also smiled gently, shaking his head and saying, "Don't underestimate the people from HeiJiao Domain. However, I've already informed the Senior Elder, and he will do his utmost to support you. The relationship between GanNan Academy and HeiJiao Domain has always been strained, and they've often been at the receiving end of criticism. Now that we have the Xiao Clan's support, GanNan Academy will gain a valuable ally. With the growing influence of the Xiao Clan spreading throughout HeiJiao Domain, they will eventually be able to completely overcome this awkward situation." Xiao Li nodded and said, "Rest assured. You've entrusted me with a complete Xiao Clan. In return, I will return to you a Xiao Clan that is dozens of times stronger than what you see today." Xiao Yan smiled slightly, hesitated a moment, then took out a jade vial from his storage seal. Inside the vial was a purple-red pill. Holding the vial gently in his hands, he paused before finally handing it to Xiao Li, speaking softly, "After I leave, please have my second brother send this pill to the JiaMa Empire and personally deliver it to Cai Lin." "Cai Lin The Queen Medusa... Hearing this name, Xiao Li was also slightly taken aback. However, he was aware of the relationship between Cai Lin and Xiao Yan, so he nodded without asking further questions, took the pill, and carefully placed it into his storage relic, saying, "Third brother, rest assured—when I have time, I'll personally deliver this pill to the Gamma Empire." Xiao Yan smiled and nodded gently, adding, "Also, keep in close contact with your elder brother. The Yan Alliance is now thriving in the Gamma Empire, especially with Cai Lin defending it. As long as the true elites of the Hún Palace don't intervene, the Alliance will remain unharmed. In the future, once our Xiao family grows stronger and establishes itself as a powerful force to the east and west, we'll be able to dominate the northwest region." "Understood." Xiao Li nodded, then looked at Xiao Yan and asked, "When will you return this time?" Xiao Yan remained silent before shaking his head and murmuring, "I'm not sure..." "When will you depart?" "Tomorrow." "Heard that, Xiao Li couldn't help but chuckle, stepped forward, and gave Xiao Yan a tight bear-hug, firmly patting his back several times with both hands. 'Young one, take good care of yourself. Remember my words—Xiao Family cannot do without you. And it's only you who can accomplish Father's rescue!' Hearing the suddenly hoarse tone of Xiao Li, even with his usual composed nature, Xiao Yan found his eyes glistening. 'Brother, take good care of yourself.' ... The next day, warm sunlight poured down from the sky, illuminating the entrance gate of the inner courtyard. There, a dense crowd gathered, their eyes fixed on the small hill outside the gate, where several figures stood straight and tall. 'Senior Elder, Brother, we'll take you all the way here,' Xiao Yan said, looking at Su Qian and Xiao Li at the gate, then at Wu Hao and the numerous inner courtyard students behind him, and smiled warmly, speaking clearly." Gazing at the black-robed young man with his warm, serene smile, Su Qian felt a touch of nostalgia and said, "You all have more numbers, and Xinlan hasn't yet reached the Battle King level, so she can't fly. Therefore, this lion-hawk will serve as our means of transportation." As soon as Su Qian finished speaking, a massive shadow descended slowly from the sky, accompanied by the cry of an eagle. The great wings, fluttering in the air, swept a strong wind that bent the small trees around. "Thank you, Senior Elder!" Seeing this majestic lion-hawk, Xiao Yan's heart warmed, and he bowed gracefully to Su Qian with a smile. After saying these words, Xiao Yan seemed eager not to linger too long in this atmosphere of parting. With a simple movement, he appeared upon the lion-hawk's back, followed by Xiao Yi, Zi Yan, and Xinlan. Fortunately, the lion-hawk's back was spacious enough, so the four of them could climb aboard without appearing crowded. "Xiao Yan, take care on your journey!" Staring at the lion-hawk beast whose wings were slowly vibrating, Xiao Li again spoke loudly. Standing atop the giant head of the lion-hawk, Xiao Yin gave Xiao Li a slight nod, then slowly scanned the crowd before taking a deep breath and waving his sleeve—sending a gust of wind that carried the lion-hawk swiftly into the sky. "Head, go well!" Su Qian slowly drew his gaze, turning his head to look at Xiao Li beside him, and smiled, "Don't worry. Given that young man's temperament, even in the Central Region, he'll surely make a name for himself." "He's a source of pride for my family," Xiao Li said, his voice carrying a quiet sense of pride. "I believe he'll also become a source of pride for the Gan Nan Academy..." Su Qian laughed heartily, then turned and walked toward the inner courtyard, chatting as he went, "I can't imagine what a scene it would be if this young man met the headmaster during his time in the Central Region. With the headmaster's personality, heh..." Xiao Yan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze slowly drawing back toward the inner courtyard, where it had previously been fixed, his expression tinged with a quiet sense of parting melancholy. "Really going to bring this girl along?" The young physician, sensing Xiao Yan's current lack of energy, shifted her tone, her beautiful eyes fixed on Zǐ Yán's eager face, and murmured softly. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan gathered his focus, glanced at Zǐ Yán, and sighed, "The Senior Elder specifically requested we bring her. He mentioned that she might reveal some secrets about her true form during the journey through the Central Region." "Hmph. I'm now at the level of Battle Emperor myself. Do you really think I'll let you down?" Though Xiao Yan's voice was light, Zǐ Yán had clearly heard every word, and with a sharp look, she expressed her displeasure. Smiling, Xiao Yan gently rubbed Zǐ Yán's head, and without further argument, turned his gaze to Xīn Lán, saying, "The journey ahead will definitely need your guidance." "Indeed." "Xinlan smiled and nodded, her gaze stretching out into the distance, saying, "To reach the Central Plains, we must first reach a city named 'Tianya City.' There, we can traverse the spatial wormhole to reach the Central Plains." "Space wormhole?" The unfamiliar term made Xiao Yan pause, slightly puzzled. Noticing the bewilderment in Xiao Yan's eyes, Xinlan smiled gently and explained, "Space wormholes are a unique feature of the Central Plains continent. They are created by powerful Space Domain cultivators who connect two points in space through their mastery of spatial energy. The distance between Black Angle Region and the Central Plains is such that even a fully-advanced Domain cultivator would need at least six months to cover it. However, via the space wormhole, the journey takes only one month. The construction of these wormholes is quite challenging, and they require regular maintenance—thus, the maintenance staff must themselves be at the Domain cultivator level or higher. That's why such wormholes are rare outside of the Central Plains region." Xiao Yan was once again stunned—space wormholes? Do you need a Douzong-level master to serve as a maintenance technician? Really? The Zhongzhou continent has something so remarkable and fresh?