Xiao Long nodded and casually tossed over a Breakthrough Pill.

  "This is for you. Farewell."

  With a step on the ground, Xiao Long soared into the air and turned away, disappearing into the distance.

  Li Yi took the pill and gnced at it, immediately stunned. After a long while, unable to contain his inner joy, he ughed heartily towards the sky.

  "President Li, is that the legendary Lord Xiao who commands millions of demon beasts and destroyed the Beast Taming Sect?" the maid beside him asked curiously, watching Xiao Long depart.

  "Of course. If it weren't Lord Xiao, how could he be so generous?" Li Yi examined the Breakthrough Pill in his hand, growing more delighted the more he looked at it.

  ...

  Walking along the road, Xiao Long felt increasingly uneasy.

  In the entire Burning Heaven Dragon Pace, only Xiao Long, two direct disciples, a few core elders, and over twenty core disciples knew of such an arrangement.

  Could it be that Xiao Canghai established the academy using the Dragon Pace's yout as a symbol to gather the scattered Dragon Pace disciples?

  Since his self-destruction, he wasn't sure of the Dragon Pace's condition, but it was certain that without him, the Dragon Pace would inevitably decline.

  Perhaps Xiao Canghai dissolved the Dragon Pace to protect its disciples, scattering them across the continent, waiting for the right time to gather them again. It wasn't impossible!

  Seeing the academy's symbol, the core members of the Dragon Pace would surely gather there. It all seemed logical!

  "No, something's wrong!" At this thought, Xiao Long suddenly realized an important issue.

  He had overlooked the most crucial point—the Red Lotus Martial Emperor.

  Though the Red Lotus Martial Emperor was well-endowed, she wasn't brainless; rather, she was very clever, adept in various schemes and plots. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to trap him.

  Back then, the Red Lotus Martial Emperor was heavily injured and couldn't destroy the Dragon Pace, but capturing one or two core disciples and brainwashing them would be a piece of cake.

  This suggested that Canghai Academy might have been established by the Red Lotus Martial Emperor, deliberately named to lure Dragon Pace disciples into a trap.

  The consequences...

  Just thinking about it made Xiao Long break out in a cold sweat.

  Fortunately, he realized this; otherwise, rushing in would be like entering a dragon's den, with unimaginable consequences.

  "Brother Xiao, what are you thinking about?" Xiao Bai asked softly, leaning close to Xiao Long's ear.

  "Boss, I see your face changing colors, one moment green, the next white. Are you thinking about something dirty?" Huang Mao came over, smiling slyly.

  Xiao Long shook his head and said calmly, "Canghai Academy in the Great Wilderness State might have been established by an old friend of mine. I must go there, but at the same time, it could be a trap set by the enemy. Entering would mean death. What do you think I should do?"

  Huang Mao scratched his head and ughed, "That's simple. Let me go in first to check things out."

  Xiao Long's eyes lit up.

  Right! That's a good idea!

  "Boss, you go to Tianshen Academy, and I'll go to Canghai Academy. We'll each take a nest," Huang Mao suggested with a grin.

  "Alright, it's decided then!"

  Xiao Long quickened his pace towards the capital.

  Regardless of who established Canghai Academy, it was certain that neither Xiao Canghai nor the Red Lotus Martial Emperor knew Xiao Long had been reborn.

  If Xiao Canghai established it, that would be fine. But if the Red Lotus Martial Emperor did, intending to trap and kill Dragon Pace disciples...

  Xiao Long would give her a huge surprise!

  ...

  The capital, during autumn and winter.

  Xiao Long was born in spring, and now, half a year ter, Tianfeng Kingdom entered the cold season. Trees in the mountains and forests began to shed leaves, leaving bare trunks.

  The capital was quite far from Fire Cloud City. The group of demon beasts traveled intermittently, hiring a carriage midway, taking a month to arrive.

  Before even entering the capital, they saw a vast sea of people outside the city, surging towards the sky-like city gates. Along the way, vendors called out, painting a picture of prosperity.

  The capital was the rgest city in Tianfeng Kingdom.

  The city walls were over a hundred feet high, thousands of miles wide, endless, many times rger than Beast City.

  "Gosh! Boss, this is the capital, so magnificent!" Huang Mao excimed excitedly, waving his arms and rubbing his hands, eager to rush in and take a look.

  "Alright, I'll give you half a day off. Just don't cause any trouble!"

  "Yay! Let's go!"

  With a loud cheer, Huang Mao dashed towards the capital, kicking up dust along the way, looking like a giant country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

  "Damn, with this momentum, he's bound to cause trouble!" Xiao Long smacked his forehead.

  "Hehe!" Xiao Bai giggled, covering her mouth.

  According to the schedule, tomorrow was the day the two major academies officially recruited students. Many people came to the capital, and along the way, Xiao Long overheard many discussions, gaining a general understanding of the situation.

  The two major academies mainly recruited three types of people.

  One: Under twenty years old at the Qi Condensing Realm.

  Two: Under thirty years old Innate Martial Masters.

  Three: Under forty years old Innate Martial Lords.

  These three types of people were considered extraordinary geniuses, not only in Tianfeng Kingdom but in any empire within the Great Wilderness State.

  But Xiao Long didn't think much of it. He had managed to cultivate Huang Mao from a wild monkey to a first-level Demon King within half a year, showing his high aspirations.

  As Xiao Long entered the capital, a slight sweep of his spiritual sense revealed a rge group of young talents at the Qi Condensing Realm, and even a couple of Innate Experts, who were very young.

  It seemed that the academy's recruitment had attracted some deeply hidden, low-profile individuals.

  Xiao Long's appearance didn't attract any attention. His appearance was ordinary, and no one would look at him on the street. However, Xiao Bai on his shoulder, small and cute, caught the eyes of many.

  Xiao Long wandered around casually, and as night fell, he prepared to find an inn to stay.

  At that moment, his spiritual sense suddenly detected a group of people.

  Leading them was a young man in a yellow robe, standing tall and proud, with an innate arrogance. His strength was quite impressive, having reached the tenth level of the Qi Condensing Realm at a young age, likely a noble.

  When this man gnced at Xiao Long, his gaze suddenly fixed on the white fox on Xiao Long's shoulder, and his eyes lit up.

  Xiao Bai's fur was snow-white, small and exquisite, only palm-sized. Especially her beautiful big eyes, like crystal-clear gems, sparkled, evoking affection at a gnce.

  "Stop that man and buy his spiritual pet," the young man said indifferently, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

  "Yes, Your Highness, I'll handle it."

  A eunuch walked up to Xiao Long and stopped him.

  "You! Please hand over the spiritual pet on your shoulder. This is your reward."

  Without even looking at Xiao Long, the man tossed a storage ring and reached out his hand.

  "Ding!"

  The storage ring fell to the ground, and Xiao Long didn't even bother to lift his eyelids as he walked straight past.

  "Stop!" The eunuch was furious, having never encountered someone who dared to ignore him.

  kant34810