Chapter 151: Xiao Ning: Brother-in-law, you know me
The surging warm current, like a flood, poured into his body, overwhelming everything. Xiao Yuan didn't immediately sit cross-legged to refine the medicinal strength; instead, he remained standing, allowing the power to flow through his limbs and bones, ultimately lying dormant throughout his body.
"That's it?"
At the side, Xiao Yan widened his eyes and couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, could this Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill be a fake? Why is there no reaction at all?"
"What reaction do you want? A body radiating golden light? Or something like when you used to take other pills, screaming in pain?"
Yao Lao's voice rang out irritably. Judging by his tone, he was clearly rolling his eyes inside the ring.
Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, then said helplessly, "But at least there should be some kind of visible effect. From what I see, Third Brother took the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill like it was a sip of plain water. It's still a Tier Seven pill, you know."
"Hehe, didn't the auctioneer at the auction say it already? This Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill isn't meant to improve strength. Its primary function is to destroy and then rebuild. The medicinal power has already hidden itself throughout my body. If I truly encounter a life-and-death crisis in the future, it might provide me with a great benefit!"
Hearing this, Xiao Yuan replied with a chuckle.
"Alright, even a Tier Seven pill ends up like this..." Xiao Yan shook his head in slight disappointment. He suddenly felt like the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill wasn't all that impressive.
"That's not necessarily true," Yao Lao said after a moment of silence. "This Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill has reached the point where the pill's aura condenses into spirit. Furthermore, the materials used in its refinement included two magic beast cores from Tier Six dragon-type beasts that had died no more than seven days prior. As a result, it contains a trace of diluted dragon aura, which is why the dragon's roar within the pill makes the soul tremble.
Anyone who consumes the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill, if lucky, has a slight chance of grafting that diluted dragon aura onto themselves. However, the probability is extremely low—even a Wind Venerable like Gu Ling failed.
Xiao Yuan, if you want to try, you can continuously circulate your Dou Qi. While it moves rapidly, if you feel a strange energy separating from your Dou Qi, that would mean the diluted dragon aura in the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill has been inherited by you."
"Alright, I'll give it a try."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, focused his mind, and began to circulate his Dou Qi!
Within his five Qi Palaces, the Dou Qi roared, cycling through his meridians. No one knew how much time passed before Xiao Yuan's mind stirred, and he suddenly accelerated the flow of his Dou Qi. A trace of strange energy finally detached and shot out!
As soon as this strange energy escaped the meridians, it was as if it were guided by some force and shot straight toward Xiao Yuan's throat.
The next moment, Xiao Yuan abruptly opened his mouth and, driven by this strange energy, let out a roar that sent tremors through the soul: "Roar!"
Under this bizarre soundwave, even though Xiao Yan was prepared, he still felt a sharp pain between his brows.
"Hiss... that's intense!"
Xiao Yan couldn't help but exclaim.
Cough, cough!
Soon after, Xiao Yuan clutched his throat and coughed violently, quickly circulating his wood and water-attributed Dou Qi to his throat, finally feeling a bit better.
"You're a lucky brat!"
Seeing this, Yao Lao couldn't help but stroke his beard in the ring and smile.
"My luck has always been good!"
Xiao Yuan smiled and nodded.
"Alright, this place isn't safe. Let's leave for now. We can check the harvest after entering Jia Nan Academy."
Yao Lao reminded.
"Got it!"
Hearing this, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan nodded and soared into the air, flying in the direction of Jia Nan Academy.
Three days later, after traveling non-stop day and night, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan finally reached the outskirts of Jia Nan Academy.
Looking at the faint silhouette of a small town nestled between two towering peaks in the distance, the two finally let out a breath of relief.
More than a year of truancy, and finally, they had arrived to report in.
Along the way, they encountered many vicious individuals from Black-Corner Region who had deliberately suppressed their killing intent—clearly wary of Jia Nan Academy's reputation. Otherwise, in other parts of Black-Corner Region, it would've been a chaotic bloodbath.
The reason for such strange restraint was that, years ago, Jia Nan Academy had hung the corpse of a Dou Huang expert on the Tree of the Dead in Peace Town. In Black-Corner Region, a Dou Huang is usually the leader of a major power.
Even such a powerhouse was slain by Jia Nan Academy—naturally, the average scoundrel wouldn't dare think themselves stronger.
Over the years, the Tree of the Dead's infamy had spread across Black-Corner Region, and even the most ruthless dared not enter this place they considered a graveyard.
As soon as they entered Peace Town, they sensed a dozen figures moving like monkeys across rooftops, darting swiftly toward them.
Moments later, over a dozen figures appeared at the town gate. After glancing over Xiao Yan and the others, the leader—a middle-aged man—spoke coldly, "Anyone entering Peace Town must report their identity, name, and more. Otherwise, you'll be expelled."
They all wore light blue robes with a navy-blue badge on the chest, which bore a dagger stained with crimson blood.
They were clearly from Jia Nan Academy's Law Enforcement Team.
At the moment, the dozen young men and women stared with guarded and somewhat rejecting eyes at Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yan, and others entering the town.
"Also, after giving your names and identities, take this pill." The middle-aged man waved his hand, and a bottle of faint red pills appeared in it. He coldly said, glancing at the visibly uneasy Black-Corner Region folk, "Relax, it's not poison. It's a sensing pill created by the Academy's Alchemy Division. If you harbor murderous intent while in town, it will emit a red glow from your body. The Law Enforcement Team will track it. And you all should know how Jia Nan Academy deals with those who bring Black-Corner habits here. When you plan to leave, you can get the antidote from the town center. But once in hand, the Law Enforcement Team will monitor your departure."
Upon hearing this, the crowd at the gate looked uneasy. With their lives lived on a knife's edge, they were naturally wary of ingesting unknown pills—handing over their lives to others?
Just as some defiant individuals were about to speak up, the dozen Law Enforcement Team members behind the middle-aged man suddenly drew their swords with a shing. Their various-colored Dou Qi surged, and they pointed their weapons toward the gate, clearly ready to strike.
Not interested in the varied reactions of the Black-Corner crowd, Xiao Yuan raised his hand and asked, "Instructor, we're students of the Academy. We shouldn't need to take that pill, right?"
At this, everyone around—including the Law Enforcement Team—looked over in surprise. When they saw the extraordinarily handsome face, they were stunned. By comparison, the refined Xiao Yan at his side didn't attract as much attention.
The middle-aged man furrowed his brow and asked, "You said you're Academy students?"
"Yes, we passed the entrance exam and then took a leave, so we had to come on our own," Xiao Yuan nodded and explained with a smile.
As he spoke, he revealed his aura as a Four-Star Da Dou Shi.
"Hiss... Four-Star Da Dou Shi? Did you two really cross the Black-Corner Region by yourselves?"
The middle-aged man was shocked.
"Yes!"
Xiao Yuan nodded.
His expression growing more surprised, the man scanned them and asked, "Names, age, recruitment instructor?"
"Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yan. Eighteen. Instructor Ruo Lin."
Hearing this, the man was startled, then suddenly realized, "So you're the two Ruo Lin mentioned? Took a one-year leave and turned it into two, huh?"
"Ahem, well... there were a few small complications!" Xiao Yuan replied sheepishly.
"Forget it. You two come with me to the office to verify your records."
Clearly, Instructor Ruo Lin had already informed them. After verifying their identities, they were promptly given Academy badges and rode a trained griffin toward Jia Nan City.
Once in the streets of Jia Nan City, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan stretched their stiff bodies from the long griffin ride and looked around.
The spacious bluestone streets bustled with endless crowds. Even the capital of Jia Ma Empire couldn't match its liveliness. As expected of the continent's oldest academy—just its name drew countless people.
Moreover, the atmosphere here was pleasant and peaceful—completely different from the violent Black-Corner Region. Heaven and hell, truly.
Jia Nan City was vast. It took them an hour just to spot the vague silhouette of the Academy.
"Stop that kid!"
As they rounded a corner, a sudden shout rang out nearby. The street turned chaotic as a crowd formed, pointing at a fight.
Xiao Yan glanced over, uninterested, lightly patting the heavy black ruler on his back and calmly bypassing the crowd.
But after two steps, he realized Xiao Yuan had walked straight into the crowd.
?
"Ma Yan, give it up. With your strength, you still think you can pursue my cousin?"
Before Xiao Yan could ask, a familiar voice made him follow after.
Pushing into the crowd, the two saw several teenagers in the middle, about the same age as them. One of them was a relative—though distant.
Seeing Xiao Ning again brought strange expressions to their faces. If Xiao Ning was calling someone his cousin, it was either Xiao Mei or Xun'er.
What kind of logic is that? Interested in your own cousin and then beating someone up over her?
Real creepy!
"Brat, refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit? Beat him—don't kill him, but make him bleed!" As Xiao Ning sneered, the lead youth among the others growled in embarrassment and anger.
Just as they were about to attack, a black ice layer quietly appeared under their feet. In an instant, several figures slipped and fell, sliding awkwardly right to Xiao Ning's feet.
???
Xiao Ning was dumbfounded.
What just happened?
Why'd they all fall on their knees?
"Cousin Xiao Ning, two years no see and you've lost your edge, huh?"
The familiar yet unfamiliar voice made Xiao Ning tremble. He looked up in disbelief, and when he saw that handsome, familiar face, his eyes widened and he called out hoarsely:
"Brother-in-law Xiao?!"
Xiao Yuan nearly slipped from shock at that title, his body trembling. Regaining his balance, he sighed and asked, "What's going on? A whole bunch of people ganging up on you?"
Xiao Ning sighed and replied, "It's Xun'er, of course. These guys know our connection and try to get info about her through me. You know me, brother-in-law—I'd never talk. But they keep pestering me. They won't act in the Academy, but I ran into them while shopping and—"
Hearing Xiao Ning get more comfortable with the "brother-in-law," Xiao Yuan accepted it and turned to Xiao Yan with a teasing smile, "Tsk, looks like your Academy life is gonna be tough."
"Eh? Cousin Xiao Yan, you're here too?"
Only now did Xiao Ning notice Xiao Yan and greeted him quickly.
Xiao Yan nodded in return.
Xiao Yuan then looked coldly at the kneeling teens frozen in ice and warned, "I happened to show up this time, so I'm letting you kneel here for a while. If I find out again that you're targeting members of the Xiao family—hurting them—I'll make sure you never stand again. Feel free to report me to the Academy. I'd like to ask them when they started teaching students to harm their own."
With that, he turned around and left with Xiao Ning and Xiao Yan.
(END CHAPTER)
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