Strolling along a small path, Xiao Yan suddenly noticed the family compound was deserted. He shook his head helplessly. Today, the Jia Nan Academy’s recruitment team had arrived in Wu Tan City, and almost everyone in the family had rushed out to see them. By now, the city gates were probably already packed.
“A bunch of lunatics. Rushing there so early, do they think the academy will let them pass the test easily?” Shaking his head and muttering to himself, Xiao Yan leisurely walked towards the back mountain. Every day at this time was when he practiced Dou Qi techniques; it had become a habit.
This time, the recruitment team stopped in Wu Tan City, but they were also responsible for recruiting from the surrounding areas, including several nearby cities. Therefore, on the second day when Xiao Yan and the others arrived at the recruitment site, which was a large open square, it was so crowded that one couldn't even see the end of the line, leaving everyone stunned.
On the vast square, a continuous clamor of noise erupted. Countless young people desperately pushed their way forward. If it weren't for the city lord's army maintaining order on both sides, this crowd would have long since become agitated, ignoring everything and rushing in.
Quietly observing the sea of people, after a long while, Xiao Yan let out a soft sigh, shaking his head with a frustrated expression. Looking at this situation, there was no way he could smoothly pass the test today.
“Hmph, no way, huh?” Seeing Xiao Yan’s frustrated look, Xiao Yu, who was standing behind him talking with Xun Er and Xiao Mei, immediately let out a smug snort.
Rolling his eyes, Xiao Yan ignored her attitude. “Cousin Xiao Yu, do you have a plan?” Seeing that the two were about to start bickering again, Xiao Mei, standing beside them, quickly smiled and changed the subject.
“The instructor responsible for recruitment in Wu Tan City this time is my teacher. I am his favorite student, so of course I have a plan.” Xiao Yu tilted her slender nose, chuckled, and waved her hand. “Follow me.”
Watching Xiao Yu slowly walk away with her alluring long legs, Xiao Yan helplessly spread his hands towards Xun Er. “Forget it, I won’t argue with her.”
Hearing this, Xun Er smiled and nodded slightly, then followed Xiao Yan.
The group followed Xiao Yu, circling half of the large square. Finally, they stopped at the west side of the square. This was the back of the square, where heavily armed soldiers stood in two or three layers. The cold gleam from their weapons reflected dazzling light under the sun.
Xiao Yu’s eyes swept over the strict defenses here. She gave Xiao Yan and the others a quick instruction, then stepped forward herself, pulling out a jade green token from her bosom. After talking with a military officer for a long time, she finally waved to Xiao Yan and the others, signaling them to come over.
The middle-aged officer’s gaze, somewhat sinister, swept over Xiao Yan and the others several times. After a long while, he waved his hand and shouted, “Permission granted!”
Hearing the middle-aged officer’s command, the iron-armored soldiers just barely revealed a small passage. Xiao Yu smiled gratefully at the middle-aged officer, took back her token, then smugly raised her chin at Xiao Yan and the others, before following the middle-aged officer inside.
Following behind Xiao Yu, Xiao Yan and the others also stepped into the passage. As soon as they entered, everyone felt a chill on their skin. The surrounding soldiers remained expressionless, and the faint smell of blood emanating from their bodies made Xiao Yan and the others, who had never experienced such a battlefield, feel their breathing quicken.
"Are these the warriors who have faced life and death on the battlefield?" Slowly exhaling, with his extraordinary composure, Xiao Yan gradually dispelled the urgent feeling within him. He licked his lips; his feet, which had just been weak, once again became steady and powerful. No matter what, he now possessed the strength of a four-star Dou Practitioner, a strength superior to most of the soldiers here. Although he lacked their imposing aura, he was not afraid because of it.
The short distance of just over ten steps felt like thousands of difficult steps for them. Reaching the last step, everyone found their palms drenched in cold sweat.
With a slightly pale smile, Xiao Yu complained to the middle-aged official with a bitter smile, "Senior Brother Ke, why did you deliberately test us?"
"Ah, this was Instructor Ruo Lin's order. If you want to take a shortcut, you naturally have to endure some trials. You all did not do badly. My subordinates have all slept embracing corpses. If you lack composure, you would be scared stiff halfway through." A hint of a smile flickered across the middle-aged official's impassive face. His gaze swept over Xiao Yu and the others, finally resting on the calm expressions of Xun Er and Xiao Yan. A hint of admiration appeared in his eyes: "It seems Instructor Ruo Lin might have recruited some excellent disciples this time?"
Angrily glaring at the middle-aged official, Xiao Yu waved her sleeve, pulling Xiao Mei and Xiao Zhu, whose feet felt like jelly, and quickly walked into the spacious courtyard inside.
Stepping into the middle of the courtyard, a large emerald-green tent appeared in their sight in an open space. Here, Xiao Yan and the others could see many people bustling inside. In several passages, they occasionally saw young men and women who had passed the test, entering the courtyard with excited expressions.
"Yu'er!" Just as they approached the large tent, a woman's laughter reached Xiao Yan and the others' ears. A red figure quickly approached, finally embracing Xiao Yu with a giggle, her hand playfully caressing Xiao Yu's chest, teasingly saying, "Let this young lady feel if you've gotten fatter recently? (I wish I could be like that ^^)"
"Lewd woman, get lost!" Xiao Yu playfully scolded and pushed the woman away. She turned to Xiao Yan and the others and introduced, "This is my good sister from Jia Nan Academy, named Xue Ni. She has already reached the four-star Dou Practitioner level."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others turned their gaze towards this woman. Dressed in red, her beautiful face shone brightly. Her long brown hair was casually tied into a ponytail. Her chest was full and plump, her waist slender, and her buttocks firm and smooth. Although her appearance was slightly inferior to Xiao Yu's, her extremely fiery figure made many men feel covetous. During the brief introduction, Xiao Yan noticed that many young men who had passed the test had their eyes subtly sweeping over the woman's chest.
Xiao Yu intimately pulled Xue Ni, and from her expression, it was clear that the two of them had a good relationship.
"They are all my clansmen. This is Xun'er, hehe, isn't she beautiful? But don't you dare have any ideas about her, she won't be interested in you. This is Xiao Mei, also very beautiful. This is my younger brother, Xiao Zhu. And this person..." Seeing Xiao Yan's weary look, Xiao Yu bit her lip, turned her head, and whispered into Xue Ni's ear, "He's the Xiao Yan I told you about before."
Xue Ni's eyes first swept over Xun'er and Xiao Mei, then lit up as she exclaimed in admiration, "Wow, your family has so many little beauties! If they enter Jia Nan Academy, it would be strange if they didn't drive all the male students crazy!"
"Eh? Xiao Yan?" After her exclamation, Xue Ni suddenly froze, looking at Xiao Yan in surprise. "Is this the cousin you said was still stuck at the third stage of Dou Qi? He's quite handsome!"
"Ah?" Xiao Yu's mouth twitched. She fiercely pinched the talkative girl beside her, then looked at Xiao Yan with a somewhat embarrassed expression and explained, "I didn't mention your affairs to anyone else. It was just once when I was babbling in my sleep that this woman found out."
Frowning, Xiao Yan pouted, stroking his face teasingly. "You even dream about me? When did our relationship become so good? Back then, it seemed like I only touched and caressed..."
"Shut up!" Hearing Xiao Yan's words, a look of shame appeared on Xiao Yu's face. Her long, alluring legs fiercely kicked at Xiao Yan.
Casually leaning to dodge, Xiao Yan, having gained this small advantage, rubbed his hands and no longer teased her.
"What did you touch? You didn't touch Yu'er, did you?" Xue Ni asked with a curious expression, only to be fiercely pinched by Xiao Yu.
"Yu'er, you're so heartless! To actually lay a cruel hand on your old lover..." Holding up her reddened wrist, Xue Ni looked at Xiao Yu with teary eyes.
"Stop messing around, I still need to take them for the test!" Xiao Yu pushed Xue Ni away with a wry smile, scolding her playfully.
"Hehe, let's go, follow me, I'll take you!" Her expression, which had been on the verge of tears, quickly disappeared. Xue Ni was about to turn around when her steps suddenly halted. She tilted her head and said with a smile, "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, that Luo Bu also came with the enrollment team this time, and he's already advanced to a Four-Star Dou Practitioner on the way here."
Hearing this, Xiao Yu's smiling face instantly darkened. She said with some impatience, "Why did that annoying guy come here?"
"Isn't it all for the great beauty Xiao Yu? He traveled all this way, he's been thinking about you day and night!" Xue Ni teased.
Xiao Yu bit her lip slightly, her face changing for a moment. She suddenly turned around and stared at Xiao Yan.
"Why are you looking at me? Don't tell me you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend. I'm not interested in you, and I don't want to do it." Seeing Xiao Yu's gaze, how could Xiao Yan not cleverly understand this woman's intention? He immediately let out a cold laugh, then ignored her angry stare and swaggered towards the tent ahead.
"Eh... Yu'er, your charm seems to have diminished... In the academy, countless people would fight over such a good thing, yet this little fellow actually ignores you?" Looking at Xiao Yan's retreating figure, Xue Ni seemed somewhat disbelieving.
Gritting her teeth in resentment, Xiao Yu said angrily, "That guy is just such a freak. How can you judge him by common sense? Besides that abnormal enchantress in the academy, have you ever seen anyone go from three-stage Dou Qi to a three-star Dou Master in one year?"
Hearing this, Xue Ni's mouth slightly parted, and her smiling expression turned to one of shock. She hadn't expected that this seemingly delicate young man would possess such terrifying cultivation talent. And this was the person Xiao Yu had described as the family's waste?