Chapter 116: The Elder of the Inner Court

Xiao Xie nodded, leading Little Doctor Immortal and Qing Lin, and gracefully settled onto the back of the griffin. Although he could fly on his own or summon the Amethyst Winged Lion King as a mount, since Hu Qian had offered his hospitality, Xiao Xie saw no reason to refuse.

Hu Qian and the elders beside him surveyed the clearing. Once they confirmed everyone had boarded their griffins, they exchanged glances and nodded slightly. Hu Qian waved his hand, and he and the three elders swiftly ascended into the air. With a tremor of their shoulders, four pairs of dazzling Dou Qi wings unfurled from their backs, gently vibrating as their figures hovered motionless, drawing envious gazes from those below.

All four were Dou Emperor powerhouses, and this was merely the outer courtyard of Canaan Academy; the inner courtyard must surely house even more formidable experts.

“We will personally escort you along this journey,” Hu Qian declared from above, smiling as he waved his hand. Below, those riding the griffins sounded a sharp whistle, prompting the griffins to beat their wings fiercely. Their massive bodies rose higher, casting shrinking shadows on the ground as they slowly lifted into the sky.

“Goodbye, Sister Ruolin!” Qing Lin waved farewell to Ruolin. Though only a few days had passed, Qing Lin and Ruolin had become good friends.

“Goodbye, Qing Lin! Take good care of yourself—and Xiao Xie and Little Doctor Immortal, you too,” Ruolin replied, waving to the three.

“Farewell!” Xiao Xie and Little Doctor Immortal waved back.

As the griffins’ wings beat rapidly, the figures below grew ever smaller, and before long, they resembled mere ants. From such heights, one could survey the entirety of Canaan Academy, every corner laid bare to the eye.

Beneath the azure sky, eleven massive griffins soared over the academy’s seemingly endless back mountain. Outside the griffin formation, Hu Qian and the three elders formed a protective square, encircling the convoy. Their formidable Dou Qi radiated outward, rendering them impervious to even the fiercest winds.

...

The vast sea of forests was teeming with countless magical beasts. Every so often, savage creatures would burst from the woods, roaring angrily at the griffin formation in the sky. Occasionally, flying magical beasts swooped in pursuit, but whenever they approached within a hundred meters, they would be cowed and retreat by the overwhelming aura emanating from Hu Qian and his companions.

Yet not all beasts were so easily intimidated. In this boundless mountain range, magical beasts were densely packed, and some possessed terrifying strength. About half an hour into their flight over the academy’s back mountain, powerful beasts began to ignore the pressure from Hu Qian and the others, launching direct assaults on the griffin convoy.

It was at this moment that Hu Qian and the three elders revealed their astonishing might. With each wave of their hands, torrents of energy arced across the sky like thunderbolts. Xiao Xie and his companions heard only muffled booms before the massive beasts exploded in showers of blood, raining down from above.

Witnessing these annihilated beasts, Xiao Xie and his two friends remained unfazed. These creatures were but Dou Spirit or Dou King class—insurmountable foes for ordinary students, which explained why Dou Emperor escorts were necessary. Without Hu Qian and his peers, the students would have been utterly defenseless.

Their journey was accompanied by blood mist, as Hu Qian and the others pierced through the legion of magical beasts like the sharp tip of a spear, carving a path with their overwhelming power.

After more than an hour of this relentless charge, the griffin convoy’s speed gradually slowed. Noticing the change, Xiao Xie glanced ahead, puzzled to find nothing but endless greenery and a deep, bottomless ravine below. There was no sign of the inner courtyard—no trace of human presence whatsoever.

“What’s happening?” Little Doctor Immortal and Qing Lin exchanged confused looks.

“Land!” The fierceness in Hu Qian’s eyes faded, and the mighty aura he had projected was quietly withdrawn. He smiled and waved his hand, directing the eleven griffins to descend toward the opposite side of the ravine.

The griffins landed safely, stirring shadows and gusts of wind. Seeing Hu Qian beckoning them, Xiao Xie and his companions exchanged glances and leapt from their mounts, appearing on the clearing, bewildered as they looked around.

“Vice Dean, is this the inner courtyard?” a student asked, unable to contain his curiosity. All eyes turned to Hu Qian, eager for answers.

“The inner courtyard is not so easily entered,” Hu Qian replied with a gentle smile. Under everyone’s gaze, he strode forward about ten steps, halted, and waved his hand. A stream of energy shot forth, striking the space before him. Suddenly, an extraordinary sight unfolded—where the energy passed through a certain section of the empty air, ripples like water appeared and spread rapidly. At last, a vast, silvery gate, seven or eight meters tall, materialized out of thin air.

With a crisp sound, the silver gate slowly opened, revealing dense forest beyond—seemingly no different from the woods they had just seen.

“Follow me,” Hu Qian instructed, entering through the silver gate. Dozens of curious students followed closely behind.

Xiao Xie and his two companions exchanged glances, nodded, and joined the procession.

Once everyone, including the eleven griffins, had passed through, the silver gate began to close. A ripple of silver energy spread outward as the gate gradually faded, eventually vanishing completely. The area reverted to an ordinary forest entrance, as if nothing had happened.

Stepping through the silver gate, Xiao Xie felt a brief moment of disorientation, then found his feet firmly planted on the ground. Looking ahead, he was astonished to see the scene was still a forest, but now, at the entrance, two elderly men and several robust middle-aged men had appeared, though he could not tell when.

Behind them stood nearly twenty young people. Xiao Xie’s gaze swept over them, noticing each wore a badge at their chest engraved with a tower-like emblem.

“Heh, Old Hu, you’re always so punctual. Entrusting the new students to your escort gives us peace of mind. How are this year’s new arrivals?” one of the elders greeted Hu Qian with a smile as he saw the crowd enter.

“Pretty good. There are three special admissions this time,” Hu Qian replied, grinning. “Didn’t expect you two old fellows to be on duty this year—you’ll have your hands full.”

“No helping it,” the two elders shook their heads helplessly, then asked with surprise, “Three special admissions? Where? Let us see them.”

“Xiao Xie, you three, come here,” Hu Qian called, beckoning them over. When they had approached, he gestured to the two elders, saying, “These are elders of the inner courtyard. This is Elder Su, and the other is Elder Qing. If you ever need anything in the inner courtyard, you can go to them.”

Then he said to the elders, “These three are the special admissions.”

“Remarkable—such a young age and already a Dou Practitioner,” the elders first noticed Qing Lin, the youngest. At thirteen, she was a Dou Practitioner, a genius among geniuses.

“This one is even better—a Dou Spirit, is it?” After Qing Lin, their attention turned to Little Doctor Immortal. At sixteen, she was a Dou Spirit—another peerless prodigy.

“And this one—a Dou… Dou Emperor?!” Their gazes finally fell on Xiao Xie, and both elders were utterly shocked, disbelief written across their faces. Elder Su exclaimed to Hu Qian, “Are you certain he’s a new student?”

Hu Qian, seeing their astonished expressions, smiled and replied, “His name is Xiao Xie, sixteen years old, a One-Star Dou Emperor, and also a fifth-tier alchemist.”