Chapter 17

After passing through a crystal ball test, Xiao Li successfully entered the tent and saw Su Fei, the teacher in charge of recruitment this time.

Su Fei is an intelligent woman about thirty years old; her tight, round thighs constantly draw the attention of the new students taking the exam in the tent, and her face bearing an elegant smile attracts the youths' gazes.

Xiao Li glanced around, yet found that the male students already enrolled all looked composed; occasional glances toward Su Fei also carried a hint of timidity.

Xiao Li felt a jolt, thinking this Su Fei teacher must be a bit strict; otherwise she wouldn't make these young male students afraid.

Seeing someone enter, Su Fei's face broke into a smile, pure like a lotus rising from water, causing the new students in the tent to secretly swallow.

"Fei'er, this one is a new student, right? His strength seems not bad."

While speaking, Su Fei sized up Xiao Li; her eyes showed some surprise—she couldn't discern his cultivation, yet the dangerous aura he emitted was genuine; could he possibly be a powerhouse comparable to her own five-star Grand Dou Master?

Dismissing her absurd thought, Su Fei silently cursed herself as an idiot; the newcomers here are mostly at Dou Qi level; after searching all day, the best student she found was a two-star Dou Practitioner from another city—how could there be a Grand Dou Master?

Su Fei picked up a pen, looked at Xiao Li's handsome face, and said, "What's your cultivation? How old are you? Report it."

"One-star Grand Dou Master, fifteen years old."

"Oh, one-star… what?!"

Su Fei's pen slipped, and she stared at Xiao Li as if seeing a ghost, "What cultivation?!"

Li Fei'er beside her was no better; looking at the boy half a head taller beside her, she frightenedly pulled her own hair, stammering, "You, you you you, me!"

"One-star Grand Dou Master."

Hearing Xiao Li confirm it again, Su Fei could no longer restrain herself, her expression turning stern: "Student, lying about cultivation is not good; are you really a one-star Grand Dou Master?"

"Genuine and fairly priced."

Xiao Li's aura burst forth; the green tent fluttered loudly in the air wave, and the new students inside also turned pale.

A group of youths at Dou Qi level—how could they withstand Xiao Li's aura impact, even though this aura wasn't aimed at them?

Su Fei's breath caught; this aura absolutely cannot be emitted by a Dou Practitioner or Dou Master, and such a thick air wave couldn't come from a Grand Dou Master who took pills—meaning.

Xiao Li, he truly is a one-star Grand Dou Master!

Su Fei suddenly shifted her gaze to Li Fei'er, "Fei'er, did you make a mistake? This person is here to apply for an outer academy instructor position, right?"

"You probably misunderstood; this is for recruitment, and instructor applications are elsewhere."

Although Xiao Li looks young, the Dou Qi continent is vast—anything is possible; maybe Xiao Li is a middle-aged person with an ageless technique.

Li Fei'er also felt troubled; with such strength, he shouldn't be here to enroll, could he really be here to apply as an instructor?

Xiao Li frowned; these two, he already said he's fifteen—if he's not here as a student, what else could he be doing?

"Teacher Su Fei, I am a member of the Xiao family from Wutan City; you can inquire in town—I, Xiao Li, am somewhat famous, so you should be able to hear my reputation." Xiao Li said.

Seeing Xiao Li impatient, Su Fei glanced at the other's youthful face, gritted her teeth, and put a smile back on her face. Never mind him—if this person really is a student, then Su Fei would strike it rich!

"Good, you passed. How old are you? I'll note it down." Su Fei's breathing grew heavy; she had only noticed this person's strength earlier and hadn't heard their age—if they were around twenty, she could accept that.

"Fifteen years old."

"Pfft!"

Su Fei spat out the tea she had been using to suppress her shock. Fifteen years old—hasn't even had the coming-of-age ceremony yet, right?

"Good, good, good, SSS-rank potential. Wait in the holding area or go home and pack your things—either works. We'll head back to the academy in three days."

Having said that, Su Fei hurriedly left, obviously arranging for someone to investigate Xiao Li's background.

Inside the tent, besides those newcomers whose complexions still looked bad, there were also senior students like Li Feier who were watching the monster.

Looking at Xiao Li's expressionless face, Li Feier had originally thought him handsome, but now she only felt a sense of suffocation, not daring to speak to him.

If what Xiao Li said is true, a fifteen-year-old Great Combat Master is nothing these ordinary students can compare to.

Not only Li Feier thought so; others felt the same. For a moment the tent fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop, until Xiao Li walked out and the noise returned, sparking a heated discussion.

Xiao Li left the recruitment point, obtained an identification document; with this he could only rejoin the unit smoothly after three days, otherwise he would be stopped by the military.

As for now, he wants to go back to the Xiao family to have a look, and then talk with Xiao Yan, lest he become too depressed from losing his fighting qi.

After all, he was the brother he had lived with for over a decade; although he knew Xiao Yan would be fine, Xiao Li still couldn't help worrying.

In Xiao Yan's private courtyard, Xiao Li and Xiao Yan sat facing each other.

"Little Yanzi, I heard from Father that you can't cultivate anymore?"

Xiao Li's eyes showed some concern as he asked anxiously.

Xiao Yan's heart warmed. "Don't worry, Second Brother—I'm already fine; I'll be able to return as a combatant soon, so don't slack off, or else I'll catch up and embarrass you—hahahaha!"

Xiao Yan laughed heartily, his confidence sounding genuine; Xiao Li blinked slightly, then burst out laughing, it seems Yao Lao has changed in this lifetime.

Apart from mentioning Yao Lao, Xiao Yan hid nothing, clearly treating Xiao Li as someone truly trustworthy.

"It's fine as long as you're okay; I'll be waiting for you to challenge me—just don't end up dazed from my blows like a few years ago." Xiao Li laughed loudly, the teasing tone in his words making Xiao Yan's face blush.

After a disdainful snort, Xiao Yan changed the subject without showing any emotion: "The eldest brother went to the Tagoer Desert to work as a mercenary."

"Hmm, I know." Xiao Li's smile faded as well; eldest brother Xiao Ding alone took family confidants and left Shimo Cheng, and when he has time he should still go check on him, lest anything happen.

The two fell slightly silent, obviously worried about eldest brother Xiao Ding.

Among the three brothers, Xiao Ding had the worst talent; now at seventeen he was only a senior combatant, and having left like that, no one knows how he is doing now.

Xiao Li stood up, patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, and said, "Work hard—don't forget that the eldest brother left early because he was worried you'd have nowhere to go later; I peeked at his plan, originally intending to break through to combat master at twenty before setting out."

Xiao Yan nodded heavily, secretly clenching his fists; his talent has returned, and by his side he now has a formidable alchemist like Yao Lao—he will surely become the pinnacle of the Jia Ma Empire, and then he'll be able to help his father and the elder brothers.

After Xiao Li left, Yao Lao emerged from the ring, saying, "You three brothers have a very good relationship."

Xiao Yan nodded silently; Yao Lao, seeing that, let out a soft sigh. He had just felt that the worry in Xiao Li's gaze was somehow indescribably strange, but since the three brothers' relationship was so good, it shouldn't be feigned worry.

Could it be that Xiao Li already knew Xiao Yan would recover?

Yao Lao was startled by his own thought—impossible, even if Xiao Li had extraordinary talent, he shouldn't be able to see through Yao Lao's methods as a venerable alchemist.

He must have been mistaken, or perhaps Xiao Li simply had too much confidence in Xiao Yan, not worrying that he wouldn't get better.

Yao Lao shook his head and slipped back into the ring.

(End of Chapter)