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--- Chapter 77 ---
Jia Nan Academy is a renowned faction on the Dou Qi Continent.
It's a place where geniuses from all across the Dou Qi Continent gather and develop into a powerhouse. Located in the Black Horn Territory, the northwest area of the continent, numerous martial artists called it the holy land.
Holy land for Dou Qi Practitioners because they'd experience explosive growth after graduating from the Jia Nan Academy.
Jia Nan Academy also is known for having a place where you can cultivate Dou Qi faster than almost anywhere else on the planet. It is because Jia Nan Academy has the Fallen Meteor Heart Flame, which has grown from a mere young Heavenly Flame into a Flame with intelligence.
The power of Jia Nan Academy also shouldn't be taken lightly. They might not be from the Central Plains, but Jia Nan Academy possesses a prosperous background and graduates who are famous throughout the continent.
Even though some graduates cut ties with Jia Nan Academy, that doesn't mean they forgot their roots. Making this faction an enemy is a foolish move.
...
...
Jia Nan Academy, Outer Academy's Student Courtyard.
A beautiful young lady in a blue-white dress walked under the rain with an umbrella. She has a small bag filled with medicine in her slender right hand, approaching a particular student's room.
Yes, this young lady is Gu Xun'er.
She arrived at Xiao Yan's dorm house and opened the door carefully.
"Morning, Brother Xiao Yan." She greeted the bandaged young man warmly.
Even though the person in question is still unconscious, Gu Xun'er acted calmly and changed the bandage on Xiao Yan's body. She applied more ointment on his skin, watching the burnt and some scars have disappeared.
There are more injuries on Xiao Yan's body, but those look better than months ago when he was "luckily." fetched by Gu Xun'er bodyguard on the border of the Jia Ma Empire.
Xiao Yan was no different than a corpse back then.
Thank god, the medicine supplied by Gu Clan for Gu Xun'er could help Xiao Yan recover slowly. And a specific part can't get healed with the 8th Tier Pill and require a miracle.
Gu Xun'er might be rich, but she can't afford the 9th Tier Pill. Not even 8th without pulling some strings with her father.
She could restore Xiao Yan's flesh, but that doesn't fix his problem of losing the thing. Xiao Yan lost a massive amount of Life Energy and Yang Element, so he probably wouldn't be able to get it hard for a while.
After changing Xiao Yan's bandage, Gu Xun'er sighed helplessly.
The day Xiao Yan left to fulfill his three years promise with Nalan Yanran Gu Xun'er had horrible premotions.
She couldn't get her hand on it, but after an incident with the mysterious yet fascinating young man Baek Ain, her brother Xiao Yan starts acting weird.
How to say it?
He becomes more unstable.
He's too focused on proving his self-worth than realizing his failure and making a better start. He did well for a couple of months and became a famous young alchemist at Jia Nan Academy, but for how long? An ego can't boost one's talent too much when facing adversity.
And Xiao Yan became more arrogant recently, which resulted in bad karma.
'I should have listened and not let Xiao Yan be closer to Baek Ain.' Gu Xun'er shook her head gently. She knew Baek Ain currently lived in the Jia Ma Imperial City with his fiancee, Yafei.
At first, Gu Xuner suspected Baek Ain of attacking Xiao Yan because they had an enmity with each other. However, Ling Yin(her bodyguard) said no one is "actually." detected within a thousand miles radius.
She believed Baek Ain was a sensible person. And his action so far shows that he doesn't want to be close to Xiao Yan and herself, which is understandable after the accident.
Looking at Xiao Yan, Gu Xun'er placed the medicine on the table nearby and said, "Have a good rest, Brother Xiao Yan."
"Xun'er will go training like usual."
After changing Xiao Yan's bandage and leaving him alone in the dorm, Gu Xun'er picked up the umbrella and called her bodyguard, "Ling Yin."
"Yes, Miss?" A shadow appeared out of nowhere.
"Do you have any news about Baek Ain?" She asked calmly.
Ling Yin furrowed his brow and answered awkwardly, "I'm afraid none..."
"That fellow has been living in the Jia Ma Imperial City for months."
"That's why I said the possibility of him being an attacker is quite high, but you didn't believe me."
Gu Xun'er sighed and responded, "It's not that I didn't believe you, but there is no proof. Baek Ain despised being close to Brother Xiao Yan."
"Even when we healed him for the first time, he simply thanked us and went on his way. As if being close to us is a curse to him."
"..." Ling Yin.
Waving her hand, Gu Xun'er laughed softly and added, "Not going to lie, Baek Ain is an interesting individual. Unfortunately, he couldn't guess the true worth of my connection."
"He's also a 5th Tier Alchemist... What a shame."
"Such a talent buried in that small empire."
"Anyway, Ling Yin. Observe the Mystic Cloud Sect's movement because they might be the ones who ambushed Brother Xiao Yan."
"Right away, Miss." Ling Yin nodded in understanding.
Unknown to Gu Xun'er, her bodyguard's suspicion is correct.
Baek Ain is indeed the one who ambushed Xiao Yan indirectly.
Now that the blame fell onto Mystic Cloud Sect, Baek Ain doesn't have to worry about Gu Xun'er interruption in his plan. Well, this news would never reach his ears.
And Baek Ain is too busy to care about it at the moment.
...
...
Black-Corner Region, Beast Taming Gate.
After conquering the Blood Sect, Baek Ain technically possesses 50% of the Black-Corner Region. He originally wanted to do the same to Demon Flame Valley, but Yafei and Lan Rou advised him to execute his plan slowly.
And that's why Baek Ain focused on fixing his cultivation first because absorbing the Blood Sect's Leader/Fan Lao's Life Energy creates disharmony in his body.
Well, it wouldn't be long because the Record of Burning World purifies Baek Ain's Dou Qi regularly.
A week later.
Baek Ain walked out of the seclusion cave and stretched his body lazily, feeling the sunshine on his face.
"Aih, so bright." He commented bitterly. The sunshine might help Baek Ain train Cinder's Eyes, but he is "suddenly." faced with such a thing after a week of darkness, which is annoying.
"Where are my shades?" Baek Ain picked up the glasses from his inventory and placed them to cover his eyes.
"Much better."
He strolled to Lan Rou's temporary house and saw the beautiful silver-haired woman training in her backyard. She moved like a gush of wind tirelessly and created several afterimages.
Baek Ain has shared the "Shadow Tiger Steps." with Lan Rou, and it seems she has mastered it to a high degree. And Shadow Steps Art is the base for this Dou Technique, so Lan Rou shouldn't have a problem grasping it.
"Hmm?"
Lan Rou disappeared from the backyard and suddenly hugged Baek Ain from behind. "Got you~!" Her voice ticked Baek Ain's ears.
Baek Ain smiled and asked, "Morning."
"Morning, have you eaten anything?" Lan Rou returned with a giggle.
"No, I've only eaten fasting pills in the past week."
"Poor Ain."
"Yeah, poor me."
"I'll cook for you then." Lan Rou pulled Baek Ain into her temporary house. "Oh, also... There will be a tournament to renew Black Ranking soon."
"When?" Baek Ain tilted his head as Lan Rou dragged him like a child.
Lan Rou hummed and answered, "Next week."
"The announcement is somewhat abrupt, but all the Factions have agreed to renew the Black Ranking of the Black Corner Region. And Yes, I, Yafei, and Yi Xian have thought about it greatly before accepting the invitation."
"Good. It makes things easier for me." Baek Ain laughed in amusement.