As the heavy door behind them slammed shut with a loud thud, Xiao Yun didn't waste time dwelling on it. He gave the four slightly panicked companions beside him a glance, then strode confidently into the passageway ahead.
The corridor wasn't particularly long. After only about three minutes of walking, a soft yellow glow began to appear at the end.
Stepping out of the passage, Xiao Yun found himself in an enormous chamber. Lining the walls were nearly twenty shimmering energy barriers, each glowing with that same yellowish light. Suspended within them were various treasures, seemingly floating in midair.
The other four quickly caught up, their eyes wide with curiosity and excitement.
"So… this is the energy zone the vice dean mentioned?" Fang Wen, who was the first of the four to arrive, squinted at the glowing barriers. "Are we supposed to jump and… what, reach into the air for these things?"
"Just wait and see," Xiao Yun replied calmly, noticing their puzzled expressions. There was no need to explain anything—soon enough, they'd find out for themselves.
Right on cue, a faint whistling sound suddenly echoed through the chamber. Though nearly imperceptible, to the gathered Battle Masters, it rang like muffled thunder from the skies.
"Something's coming!" Fang Wen shifted instinctively, following the source of the sound. One of the glowing energy domes fired out a streak of purplish-red light, which shot straight toward him. With a quick reflex, he reached out and caught it mid-air.
The light slowly faded, revealing a scroll cocooned in a thin layer of energy.
"Mid-grade Black-tier technique… Thunderfire Art," Fang Wen muttered, eyes gleaming.
He experimentally stretched a hand into the energy field surrounding the scroll. To his surprise, there was no resistance—his hand passed through smoothly, allowing him to pull the scroll out effortlessly.
Seeing this, the other three had their "aha" moment. Without wasting time, they sprang into action, mimicking Fang Wen. One by one, they leapt up and intercepted the incoming balls of light shooting around the room with sharp whistling sounds.
Xiao Yun, however, didn't join the treasure grab frenzy. Instead, he stood still, extending his soul perception to the limit. He wasn't interested in just any shiny toy. He wanted the ones radiating the strongest energy.
"Low-grade Earth-tier technique… Lightning Palm."
"High-grade Black-tier cultivation method… Fire Refining Incantation."
"Grade-six rare herb… Skyjade Fruit."
…
Time passed quickly. Xiao Yun had reached out several times, but none of the items aligned with what he truly needed. The Lightning Palm was the strongest so far, but it didn't match his elemental attributes. The Skyjade Fruit was certainly valuable, but as a third-rank alchemist, Xiao Yun had neither the skill nor the need for it yet.
Meanwhile, the others had all scored their ideal treasures and were grinning like they'd won the lottery. Xiao Yun remained empty-handed, and the decreasing number of floating energy orbs made his chances slimmer by the second.
"Time's running out…" he muttered under his breath, his soul perception tightening like a drawn bowstring.
Suddenly, just as he hit his limit, a faint, almost undetectable ripple echoed in the far corner of his mind.
His eyes snapped open. In one explosive burst, Xiao Yun shot upward like a cannonball. His right hand stretched toward the sky, latching firmly onto a silver-colored orb of energy flying through the air.
Landing with practiced ease, he reached his left hand into the orb's barrier. The energy layer parted without resistance, revealing a scroll etched with four bold characters:
Ten Thousand Thunderbolts Body Tempering.
Xiao Yun's pupils constricted slightly as he stared in shock.
"This… this can't be. Isn't this a Thunder Clan body refining technique?" he murmured in disbelief. "Principal Mang Tianchi really went all out—putting a technique like this in the archive?"
As if the scroll's appearance marked the end of the session, the energy orbs flying through the air began to slow. Then, with a mighty whoosh, all remaining orbs were sucked back into their original energy barriers.
The five of them exchanged glances. They all understood—half an hour had passed. Fortunately, each of them had obtained something worthwhile. Without a word, they began heading back the way they came.
As they left, the massive room began to change. The vortex-like energy domes along the walls started to shrink. Moments later, they transformed into tiny points of light and, with a faint crack, vanished completely.
Now, the enormous chamber stood empty—silent and lifeless. No one would have guessed that it had just been host to countless priceless techniques and treasures that could cause an uproar in the outside world.
Creak…
Just as they reached the end of the passage, the tightly shut doors slowly opened. Warm sunlight poured through the widening gap, casting a long beam across the dim hallway like a guiding path out of the dark.
As the five of them stepped out into the open air, they couldn't help but breathe deeply, as if they'd just resurfaced from the depths of the sea. The scenery outside was serene and beautiful—like a reward in itself.
An old man in grey robes, seated cross-legged beside the doorway, stirred slightly at their approach. A powerful surge of energy swept over them like a tidal wave, making it feel as though their entire beings were being laid bare.
"Good. You've followed the rules." His hoarse voice echoed in their ears. "Now that your time's up, you're free to leave. One more thing—everything you saw or obtained in the archive stays with you. Speak a word of it to anyone outside, and... well, let's just say you won't enjoy the consequences."
The group bowed immediately, solemnly swearing their silence.
Outside the tower, Hu Qian greeted them with his usual cheerful grin.
"Back already? None of you left empty-handed, I hope?"
"No…" someone mumbled, still slightly dazed.
"Excellent. Whether it was your ideal pick or not, anything's better than walking out with nothing," Hu Qian said, clapping his hands together with satisfaction. He then turned to the two grey-robed guardians by the entrance and bowed slightly. "Since these kids have claimed their prizes, I won't disturb your cultivation any longer."
The two elders remained statuesque and silent, as if they hadn't heard a thing.
Hu Qian didn't seem to mind. He simply turned and led the group down the path they had come from.
…
In a spacious, sunlit study room, Hu Qian watched as the secret door behind the desk slowly closed. Once it sealed shut with a faint click, he turned to face the five students, his face once again donning that ever-present smile.
"Well, your rewards are in hand. Go get some rest," he said warmly. "Be sure to return here tomorrow. I'll be taking you to the Inner Academy myself."
The group nodded, keeping his words firmly in mind. Just as they were about to leave, his voice stopped them again.
"Oh, and one more thing—listen carefully."
"As Inner Academy newcomers, if you don't want to get bullied by the older students, you've got two options: either grow some real muscle, or ditch whatever grudges you've got between each other and work as a team. Otherwise… let's just say your stay there will be memorable in the worst way."
"Don't think ranking in the top five makes you hot stuff either. Every Inner Academy student was once an elite in the Outer Academy too. And with the unique cultivation resources available inside… let's just say you'll be starting out somewhere around the lower-middle tier."