Chapter 1627

The void trembled; Ye Xiao's expression became solemn. He stamped his foot, his body halting abruptly, then flicked his wrist—the broken dagger flew from his hand, stabbing toward Zhao Hao's chest, while his form blurred, instantly circling around Zhao Hao.

Ding!

A crisp sound rang out, and in Ye Xiao's hand appeared a token.

The token was entirely emerald green, carved with ancient patterns, exuding rich spiritual energy; at its center were engraved the four characters "Cangqiong Academy."

Ye Xiao picked up the token, his eyes filled with doubt: "Cangqiong Academy!"

He had once traveled for years across the Cangqiong Continent and had entered Cangqiong Academy.

Its rules were exceedingly intricate, and it possessed special Spirit-Testing Stones to evaluate martial aptitude.

"Could this thing be Cangqiong Academy's token?" Suddenly, a bold guess flashed through Ye Xiao's mind.

"Hm?" Zhao Hao's face turned utterly grim.

Originally, Zhao Hao had regarded Ye Xiao as a worthless Wu Tu of the second level; who knew Ye Xiao not only possessed strength rivaling a Zhu Wushi, but also held a Cangqiong Academy token.

"Damn it!" Zhao Hao muttered under his breath. He never expected Ye Xiao to hide so deeply—he actually had strength comparable to a Zhu Wushi.

"Go!" Zhao Hao did not hesitate, turning and fleeing.

The Zhao family members also hastily withdrew.

A cruel smile curled on Ye Xiao's lips; he flipped his palm, swallowed a pill, and immediately a vast surge of Earth Yuan Qi spread outward, restoring his strength to Wu Tu eighth level in an instant.

"Chase!" Ye Xiao called out lowly and rushed after them.

The Zhao family's strength was weak—none reached Wu Tu ninth level; their strongest, Zhao Hao, was merely Wu Tu fifth level, utterly incapable of matching Ye Xiao, now restored to Wu Tu eighth level.

Soon, Ye Xiao caught up to Zhao Hao's group. He raised his fist, and violent, ferocious Earth Yuan Qi surged forth, slamming hard into one man's chest.

Bang!

The man screamed, spat blood, and flew backward, life extinguished.

"Whoa!" Zhao Hao and the others were startled.

"Damn it! He concealed his strength—we must kill him today!" Zhao Hao gritted his teeth, whispering curses. He was immensely relieved he hadn't acted rashly earlier—if he had, he'd be dead now.

"Kill!"

Zhao Hao shouted, charging at Ye Xiao first; the Zhao family followed closely, swords and blades flashing, their killing aura overwhelming and unstoppable.

"Die!" Ye Xiao's eyes turned icy. His dagger swept, weaving a curtain of blades.

Ding ding ding…

As they clashed, sparks flew, emitting metallic clashing sounds.

"Ahh!"

Suddenly, a scream rang out—Zhao Hao was kicked in the chest by Ye Xiao's foot, his body flying backward like a kite with severed string.

"Bang!" Zhao Hao crashed to the ground, clutching his chest, blood streaming.

"Big Brother Zhao Hao!" The Zhao family members were stunned.

Zhao Hao struggled to raise his hand, stopping the Zhao family from attacking further. "Don't mind me—attack together and kill him, or we'll all die!"

Hearing this, the Zhao family exchanged glances and all nodded.

"Zhao family Brothers Erlang, heed my command—form the formation, exterminate the enemy!"

"Form the formation!"

Low voices rose in unison; the Zhao family members' energies merged, forming a massive formation.

"Huh?" Seeing this, Ye Xiao let out a surprised sound. The formation the Zhao family had arranged bore a striking resemblance to the "Thousand Armies, Ten Thousand Horses"—both possessed lethal power, yet this one far surpassed the "Thousand Armies, Ten Thousand Horses."

"Kill!"

A low voice issued from Zhao Hao's mouth. Instantly, the Zhao family members blurred, becoming afterimages, wielding long swords and short staves, rushing toward Ye Xiao.

Though the formation the Zhao family formed could not coalesce into a war machine like the "Thousand Armies, Ten Thousand Horses," it still possessed immense power.

"Hmph!" Ye Xiao snorted, stepping forward like a phantom. Each step left a trail of afterimages; his form flickered unpredictably, vanishing from the Zhao family's encirclement in an instant.

"Bad! He's trying to escape!" Zhao Hao's face changed slightly.

"Don't let him go!" Several Zhao family warriors turned pale, immediately drawing their back-slung long swords and chasing after him—but how could they possibly catch Ye Xiao?

Soon, they lost Ye Xiao's trail.

"This guy… his strength is terrifying!" Zhao Hao sighed inwardly. He had planned to use the Zhao family's power to eliminate Ye Xiao, then seek revenge later—but now, hope seemed slim.

"Forget it. Return to the family first." Zhao Hao calmed his mind and swiftly headed back to the Zhao estate.

On the other side, Ye Xiao drifted through the air, soon leaving the town behind. He dared not delay, heading straight for Cangqiong Academy's location.

"Cangqiong Academy!" Ye Xiao murmured, his gaze filled with anticipation.

Cangqiong Academy lay within the Cangqiong Mountains, built amid encircling peaks, occupying hundreds of square li, and was the top power in the Yunxiao Kingdom.

Cangqiong Academy earned its status as Yunxiao Kingdom's top power because it attracted countless geniuses.

Almost all the young elites of Yunxiao Kingdom graduated from Cangqiong Academy.

Within Yunxiao City, Cangqiong Academy's presence was low—some might even say few knew of its existence. But this was untrue: every year, Cangqiong Academy held entrance trials; anyone who passed could join, enjoying its abundant cultivation resources and training conditions.

Thus, each year, hundreds of millions competed in the trials—immensely bustling.

Soon, Ye Xiao arrived at the edge of the Cangqiong Mountains.

Standing before the Cangqiong Mountains, Ye Xiao gazed up at the majestic peaks, a surge of grandeur rising within him.

Ye Xiao knew he would spend his three-year pact within Cangqiong Academy, and during this time, he must rapidly strengthen himself—or he would be unable to take a single step forward.

"Cangqiong Academy!" Ye Xiao clenched his fists, slowly uttering six cold words.

In this world, martial cultivators revered strength above all; the stronger one became, the more superior cultivation resources one could obtain.

Moreover, under such competitive pressure, a martial cultivator's potential could truly erupt.

"Since you've come, not going in to take a look would be a waste of opportunity." Ye Xiao took a deep breath, then strode boldly into the Cangqiong Mountains.

Cangqiong Academy is located deep within the heart of the Cangqiong Mountains, a region teeming with ferocious beasts, extremely dangerous, where many powerful beasts make their lairs.

Shortly after entering the Cangqiong Mountains, Ye Xiao encountered no fewer than five attacks, all of which he easily dispatched.

Half an hour later, Ye Xiao arrived at Cangqiong Academy.

Looking around, the entire Cangqiong Academy was filled with buildings, some pavilions and towers perched atop mountain slopes, like a celestial paradise.

Ye Xiao stepped forward toward Cangqiong Academy.

Along the way, Ye Xiao encountered many cultivators, including several Wu Shi, and even many Wu Shi of the seventh and eighth stages; they regarded Ye Xiao with caution but made no move to stop him.

After all, in their eyes, a beginner Wu Tu was utterly insignificant.

Ye Xiao walked straight into Cangqiong Academy.

Cangqiong Academy was vast, filled with pavilions, terraces, artificial hills, ponds, and all manner of rare flowers and exotic herbs, pleasing to the eye; at its center stood a massive palace—the Cangqiong Palace.

Cangqiong Academy was divided into two sections: Outer Disciples; Inner Disciples.

Outer Disciples were ordinary Wu Tu, the weakest in strength, and private fights were forbidden; of course, if someone provoked you, you could defend yourself, but if caught by academy staff, the punishment was severe.

Inner Disciples were different: their status was noble, they enjoyed privileges, and private fights were absolutely forbidden unless you were strong enough—otherwise, the penalty ranged from expulsion to immediate execution.

After entering Cangqiong Academy, Ye Xiao headed toward the Cangqiong Palace, but was stopped by two guards.

"Kid, what are you doing here?"

These two guards were at least Wu Shi in strength; their leader had reached the ninth stage of Wu Shi, an extremely powerful cultivator.

"Do you know Su Feifei? Where is she?" Ye Xiao asked respectfully.

This Su Feifei was the girl who had spent a night with Ye Xiao last night.

"Who are you? Why are you asking about Su Shimei's whereabouts?" The two guards eyed Ye Xiao warily; they had noticed his tattered, disheveled clothing, especially the fresh bloodstains on his right arm.

"You've misunderstood—I'm friends with Su Feifei. She told me she was training nearby, so I came to find her."

"Oh." The two guards suddenly understood—the fellow before them was Su Shimei's friend.

"Follow me. Su Shimei is training in the Inner Disciple zone."

As he spoke, one of the guards led the way.

Moments later, Ye Xiao arrived at the Inner Disciple zone. Unlike the Outer Disciple zone, the spiritual energy here was noticeably denser; among it stood countless buildings, intricate and labyrinthine.

In the heart of the Cangqiong Mountains stood a magnificent pavilion, its top inscribed with four large characters—Cangqiong Palace.

"Brother Ye Xiao, this is it."