"That one," Huang Shan whispered.

Ye Chen glanced over, then his figure shifted, darting out from the lawn and charging straight toward it.

"Awoof! Awoof!"

The Thorn Hound was instantly alarmed. Seeing Ye Chen, its golden-sheened eyes turned vicious, and it rushed forward with a low growl.

Ye Chen's gaze was grave. Only when the Thorn Hound closed the distance did he break into a full sprint, initiating a battle of attrition—one ahead, one behind, weaving wildly through the mountain forest. Thanks to the route Huang Shan had provided beforehand, Ye Chen already knew the way back to the village. As long as he could shake off the Thorn Hound and return safely, it would mean he was a Sixth-Tier Warrior!

Whether by shaking it off or evading it through other means counted as meeting the standard, after all, escaping the monster most adept at running among those of the same rank was itself a symbol of true strength!

Huang Shan watched Ye Chen’s speed with surprise; in the blink of an eye, man and beast vanished from his sight. Seeing the danger of the location, he took his son and returned to the village first.

One hour later.

At the village gate, Huang Shan and his son stood by the protective barrier, gazing toward the dense jungle in the distance, their expressions fraught with apprehension and anxiety. Just then, a figure sped toward them from afar, coming into their view.

"He's back!"

"Wonderful!"

Huang Shan and his son exclaimed with joy and rushed forward. Huang Shan took a thorough look at Ye Chen, seeing that his body was completely unharmed, not even his coarse cloth tunic torn, which astonished him, though joy predominated.

"It's a relief you're back!" Huang Shan said, feeling lingering fear. "Thinking back on it, I was too rash. Thank goodness you're safe; otherwise, how could I face the villagers?"

Ye Chen smiled faintly. "I'm fine."

Huang Shan chuckled. "Now, you truly count as a Sixth-Tier Warrior. When I report to the Elder, perhaps you can even represent our island and travel to the Inner Sea to participate in the Divine War candidacy."

Ye Chen's eyes brightened. "Thank you very much!"

Huang Shan laughed. "No trouble. Oh, before you head to the Inner Sea to fight, you still need to go to the island's Academy, pass the standard assessment, and earn a medal. That way, when they select the Divine War candidates, the superiors can draw your name simply through background checks."

Ye Chen asked, "I can enter the Academy?"

Huang Shan nodded, smiling. "It would have been difficult previously, but with the powerful strength you now possess, coupled with my introduction, it shouldn't be a major issue."

Ye Chen felt relieved and nodded. "I'll have to trouble you, then."

Huang Shan boomed with laughter. "Come, let's go back, set out wine, and celebrate!"

The next day, Huang Shan took Ye Chen and Huang Lu to the island's sole Academy.

From a distance, they saw magnificent structures standing amidst greenery—black and white walls, unique in style, with finely carved wooden doors showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. Over so many years, this had greatly elevated the culture on the island.

Several gatekeepers stood at the Academy entrance. They were exceptionally tall, clad in animal hides, and looked incredibly robust. Upon seeing Huang Lu, their eyes lit up, and they greeted him cheerfully, "Brother Lu!"

Huang Lu’s usually dim expression softened into a smile, and he nodded. "Good morning, which one of you is on duty today?"

"Us," the gatekeepers replied, nodding, then quickly turned their attention to Ye Chen. Noticing the man only reached their waists, they became full of curiosity, murmuring in surprise, "We heard an Outsider arrived recently; is this him?"

Here, an Outsider was treated much like the discovery of an alien on Earth.

Huang Lu smiled. "His name is Ye Chen. You can call him Brother Ye."

"Brother?" The men looked at Ye Chen with some oddity. "He shouldn't be older than us, right?"

Knowing Ye Chen's actual situation, Huang Lu’s face stiffened. "Don't talk nonsense. Brother Ye is older than me! Don't judge by his height; Brother Ye is a Sixth-Tier powerhouse!"

The gatekeepers froze for a moment, then their eyes widened in astonishment as they stared at Ye Chen. "The rumors are true? Did he really lift the Divine Stone in the center of the village?"

Huang Lu nodded seriously and chuckled. "Alright, let's go in."

Under Huang Lu’s guidance, the trio entered the Academy. Walking along the narrow path fragrant with crushed grass, they saw many men and women dressed in animal hides and coarse cloth. Though relatively short compared to the gatekeepers, their expressions still held a trace of youthful innocence. These senior martial brothers and sisters of Huang Lu, upon seeing Ye Chen, were all filled with curiosity, and those close to Huang Lu came over to investigate.

Not long after, they rounded a large courtyard where many figures moved in and out, accompanied by sounds of cheers and sharp strikes.

Huang Lu appeared much happier. He laughed, "Brother Ye, this is the East Wing of our Academy. Inside is the sparring stage; many people come here to test their skills."

Ye Chen nodded slightly.

Subsequently, Huang Lu led Ye Chen and Huang Shan to the residence of the Academy Dean. It was an extremely magnificent building, featuring black tiles and white bricks, elegant and grand in design.

Huang Shan surveyed the surroundings, sighing. "In the old days, we all emerged from this Academy. I wonder if the Dean still remembers me; he was my teacher back then! After a sigh, he turned to Huang Lu. "You go train first. I'll handle things here."

Huang Lu nodded, glanced at Ye Chen, and said, "Brother Ye, good luck!"

Ye Chen smiled faintly. Facing the people of this simple, rustic village, he felt very relaxed, much like being with his sister.

After waving goodbye, Ye Chen and Huang Shan approached the Dean's residence. Two young gatekeepers stood at the door. Upon seeing Huang Shan, one of them exclaimed in surprise, "Master Huang, why are you here?"

Huang Shan glanced at the young man, recognizing him as a fellow villager from Gao Po Village, and smiled warmly. "Er Niu Zi, so you're working as the Dean's gatekeeper here."

The young man scratched his head and replied with a simple laugh. "I don't have much talent, and I'm afraid of death, so I just took this easy job."

Huang Shan waved his hand and said with a laugh. "Go tell the Dean I'm here to see him; just say Huang Shan requests an audience."

The young man immediately nodded, glancing curiously at Ye Chen but not daring to ask further, and hurried inside. After a brief moment, he jogged back out, smiling. "Master Huang, the Dean has invited you in."

Huang Shan laughed heartily and, bringing Ye Chen along, they entered. They passed through a courtyard where two ancient pine trees stood sentinel beside a small pond; the environment was elegant, reminiscent of a Beijing Siheyuan courtyard. In front of the courtyard were several stone steps leading up to an ancient-style house with exquisitely carved wooden doors, exuding an air of scholarship, though the interior decoration possessed a touch of wildness.

The two stepped inside. In the main hall, seated at a dark wood table, was an elder past seventy, his temples streaked with white hair, possessing a square face full of righteousness. His eyes were deep, occasionally flashing with sharp light. Beside him lay a stack of paper books, and a long spear leaned nearby. Hearing the footsteps, he looked up from taking an oiled packet of tea from a drawer. Seeing Huang Shan’s familiar outline, he experienced a moment of trance, feeling as if the years had vanished in an instant. His voice carried a trace of vicissitude, yet remained warm and kindly. "Xiao Tian! Have you come to see me? Come, sit first."

Huang Tian was moved and stepped forward to bow deeply. "Greetings, Teacher!"

"No need to be so formal." The elder finished brewing the tea, then suddenly noticed Ye Chen. He showed a flicker of surprise, scrutinizing him closely, then stroked his beard and smiled faintly. "This must be that Outsider?"

Ye Chen cupped his hands in greeting. "This junior pays his respects, Master!"

The elder smiled and nodded. "Very good, everyone sit."

Huang Tian no longer stood on ceremony, leading Ye Chen to sit below, his heart filled with emotion as he began reminiscing about old times, sighing over the passage of years. Ye Chen watched the two men talk with such abandon, seemingly forgetting his presence. He never interrupted, nor did he show any sign of impatience; from beginning to end, his expression remained calm, neither servile nor overbearing.

Two hours passed before Huang Tian sighed, finally noticing Ye Chen beside him, his face coloring with awkwardness. "Blast, I got carried away talking and lost track of time."

Ye Chen smiled faintly. "It doesn't matter."

The elder looked deeply at Ye Chen, a hint of appreciation in his eyes, and asked gently, "Young man, which world is better: the outside world or ours?"

Ye Chen did not hesitate, answering frankly, "This place is better!"

"Oh?" The elder was intrigued and smiled. "What is better about our place?"

Ye Chen answered without thinking, "Purity, tranquility, and living without conflict with the world."

The elder nodded slightly, glancing at him thoughtfully, his gaze holding a peculiar depth. Then he turned back to Huang Tian and smiled. "What is the purpose of bringing him here?"

Huang Tian spoke earnestly. "To tell the truth, Teacher, Brother Ye has reached the Sixth-Tier Warrior level. He is extremely interested in our Divine War competition. So, I brought him here, hoping you might have a way to issue him a Warrior Medal so he can substitute our island and participate in the Inner Sea battles!"

"A Sixth-Tier Warrior?" The elder's pupils constricted, and his expression grew solemn. He turned back to Ye Chen, scrutinizing him carefully for a moment, then said gravely, "Are you truly a Sixth-Tier Warrior?"

Ye Chen nodded. "Master Huang already tested me."

The elder glanced at Huang Tian, seeing that he wasn't lying, and nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his face. "Very good. Rest assured, since you passed the Elder's test, you must not be a bad person. I can process the medal for you and even recommend you as one of our island's Divine War candidates!"

Ye Chen's eyes lit up. "Thank you very much!"

The elder waved his hand. "Don't thank me; we should be thanking you. In this Divine War competition, our island currently only has one young warrior at the Sixth-Tier. According to the rules of past generations, each outer island is allocated three participant slots, with the minimum requirement being Sixth-Tier Warrior status! Your presence fills a gap for us; otherwise, having only one participant would be quite awkward for our island."

Ye Chen was momentarily stunned, then forced a wry smile.

The elder smiled slightly. "Your age—I can't tell, but you don't look over eight. However, when the Divine Temple staff question you, you must insist you haven't reached the age of twenty. After all, exceeding the age limit disqualifies you from the competition."

Ye Chen nodded. He understood that. (To be continued...)