Shortly after Xiao Yan and the others boarded the flyi, the Steel Winged Giant Eagle, its massive wings began to fp slowly. Strands of wind attribute energy swirled beh it, lifting its enormous body into the sky.
With a loud, pierg screech, the Steel Winged Giant Eagle suddenly soared into the sky at the and of the beast tamer and swiftly flew toward the Bck-er Region.
'It feels like we're on a pne.'
Sitting in a room on the back of the Steel Winged Giant Eagle, Xiao Yaed his on his hand and gazed out of the window at the faint clouds passing by. Memories from the depths of his mind tio fsh before his eyes.
"e're flying!"
"It's amazing! To think that someone could tame such a huge flying magical beast!"
"I remember that only a Dou Spirit glide for a short distance, while a Dou King fly for a long distance!"
Ordinary flying magical beasts would take several days to fly out of the Jia Ma Empire, but a Rank 4 magical beast like the Steel Winged Giant Eagle only needed half a day.
"Little Leader! Look, we're actually above the clouds!"
"Xiao Yan ge, look, look!"
Xiao Mei grabbed Xiao Yan's clothes and shook them vigorously, the excitement on her fadisguised.
Xiao Yan smiled gently and said, "I know, I know. Just sit properly and fasten your seat belts, or you might get thrown off ter."
"What is a seat belt?" Xiao Mei asked puzzled.
"Um... I mean, hold on tightly to your seat and be careful," This was also the first time Xiao Yan had ever ridden on a flying magical beast, and he did not know that there was no such thing as a seat belt in this world.
Beside them, Xun Er chuckled and said, "It seems like Xiao Yan ge-ge isn't riding a flying magical beast for the first time."
"It's Xun Er who doesn't seem to be riding one for the first time," Xiao Yaed with a smile.
…
Half a day passed quickly, and the Steel Winged Giant Eagle had already flown out of the Jia Ma Empire's territory aered the Bck-er Region.
"Dear students, we have ered the Bck-er Region. The teacher must remind you all that under no circumstances should you veo the Bck-er Region alone," Instructor Ruo Ling's tone was unusually serious as she gave a warning.
"Due to its uerrain, the Bck-er Region has bee the most chaotic area on the ti. Strong individuals who fled from various tries have takeer here aablished the most barbaric rules. Even if you're a Dou Grandmaster, there's no guarahat you'll be able to leave the Bck-er Region alive."
Xiao Yan listeo her words and looked out the window, but unfortunately, the Steel Winged Giant Eagle was flying too high. All he could see from above was a sea of clouds with vague outlines of buildings, mountains, and forested areas.
"Students, we are about to reach Peace Town, which serves as a buffer zoween Jia Nan Academy and the Bck-er Region. Killing is strictly forbidden in Peace Town, and you will also be uhe prote of the academy."
Xiao Yan regained his focus upon hearing Instructor Ruo Ling's words. The Steel Winged Giant Eagle slowly desded onto a small hill covered in lush trees and yellow soil outside the town. Xiao Yan stood on the eagle's bad gazed into the distance, where he could just make out the jun of two majestic mountains, where the faint outline of a small town could be seen.
At the entrance of the town stood a rge tree with branches spreading out like cws, and on these branches hung the corpses of several individuals.
Xiao Yu whispered, "This is the infamous Dead Spirit Tree of Jia Nan Academy. Once upon a time, the corpses of two Dou Kings and a Dou Emperor were hung there to warn the fas of the Bck-er Region not to infringe upon Jia Nan Academy, or else they would meet the same fate."
Even now, the Dead Spirit Tree still bore the skeletal remains of these individuals, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
Some of the corpses were impaled directly on the branches, swaying unsteadily in the light breeze and making eerie creaking noises.
When the udents heard this, a lump formed ihroats as cold sweat trickled down their foreheads.
Instructor Ruo Ling led all the udents down from the Steel Winged Giant Eagle and said loudly, "Everyone, follow me. We will spend the night in Peace Town, and tomorrow m, someone from the academy will lead us into the academy."
Xiao Yan and the others had been flying from Wu Tan City to Peace Town for half a day, and the sky had already begun to darkeween Jia Nan Academy and Peace Town was a vast area of primitive forest that served as a training ground for the students, hehe need for the academy to dispatch people to ride Griffins for the students' jouro Jia Nan City.
As soon as Xiao Yan stepped into the town gate, he sewe fluctuations sweeping over him.
"Don't worry, everyohis is the spiritual iion fluctuatioo check if someone is wanted and leave a special imprint," Instructor Ruo Lily expio the udents.
"This is truly worthy of Jia Nan Academy. How magical."
"Aye, the world is full of wonders."
Xun Er noticed that Xiao Yan had stopped and asked quietly, "What is it, Xiao Yan ge-ge? Is there a problem?"
Xiao Yu and the few other members of the Xiao also noticed that Xiao Yan had stopped and halted as well. Before leaving Wu Tan City, Xiao Zhan had instructed that within Jia Nan Academy, everyone was to follow the lead of Xiao Yan, the Little Leader.
Seeing Xiao Yan standing still, Luo Bu sneered, his lips curling into a cold smile as he mocked, "No wonder. Here, not to mention an 8-star Dou Practitioner, even an 8-star Dou Master could end up losing his head with one wrong move. It's not too te to go bae if you're scared."
"If your bones are itg, I arrange for you to lie on the ground again," Xiao Yan snapped back to reality and twisted his neck with a cold smile.
Luo Bu's face turned livid, "Xiao Yan, don't think your meager talent is anything special! There are plenty of people in Jia Nan Academy who are strohan you!"
Xiao Yan shrugged indifferently, "Sure, sure, there's always someoer. Anyway, you're not one of them."
"You!... Once we're in the academy, you'll see that being tough on your ow mean anything!" Luo Bu's eyes turned cold as he quickly walked toward the aodations that had been arranged for them.
Xiao Yan patted Xun Er's hand to reassure her. "I'm fine, I just feel a little stiff from sitting for too long. Let's go, we shouldn't keep the instructor waiting."
His eyes fleetingly g a small alley to his right, but he dider it.
…
In the middle of the night, a figure slipped silently out of the window of the inhe udents of Jia Nan Academy were staying.
Xiao Yaered the pitch-bck alley wearing a rge bck robe. The plex work of alleys twisted and turned, yet strangely, he moved through it as if he had been there before and fidently made his way deeper.
At the end of the alley was a dead end, a pce where not a soul, not even the shadow of a ghost, could be found.
Yet, paradoxically, in such a ghostly, empty alley, there was an old, dipidated shop hidden behind a tattered wooden door that creaked with every gust of wind, making one's skin crawl with fear.
Xiao Yan looked up and saw fe words written on the sign: 'Soul Sacrifice Old Shop'. He couldn't tell how long it had been sihe sign was st maintained; it was covered in dust and looked so dipidated that it might colpse at any moment.
He took the pitch-bck token from his ste ring. It wasn't that he had been here before, but this straokeed a spiritual fluctuation that led him to this pce.
This evening, Xiao Yan noticed two spiritual fluctuations sing him. One was the iion from Jia Nan Academy, and the other was because of this token!
Unknown to him, spatial teiques shielded the depths of this alley, and only those with special items could enter. Even if the headmaster of Jia Nan Academy came, he wouldn't be able to discover it.
Xiao Yan's brows furrowed; this pce didn't seem like anywhere good at first gnce. Moreover, he hadn't fotten that this token was from the Hall of Souls, which was far from being a reputable anization.
The atmosphere was eerie and terrifying, as if haunted.
"Jie Jie Jie, since you're here, why er the shop?"
