The airships descended without care for what the students inside them might think or feel, they had been sent here to fight and that was all that mattered. Song Yi managed to subdue her quivering somewhat, only a few faint traces of it left. But in turn, her eyes had become so bloodshot that Huang Ying was surprised the veins hadn't burst yet.

Only Huang Ying and Chen Hong knew that she was the last member of the Tiansheng family so only they knew why she reacted this violently to the Liangyu family's appearance. At the same time, they were the only people present who would really care about her acting so strangely. Huang Ying had rejected both the Silver Cloud and the Burning Cloud factions, he'd even fought against both of them without caring about getting ostracized. But as Chen Hong and Song Yi interacted a fair bit with him, it was inevitable that they too would end up getting ostracized.

The airship landed inside the city at the bottom of the hole, landing right next to a circular stone stage surrounded by several rows of elevated seats. The city itself looked as normal as they came, houses of varying size and decadence scattered about. But there were arenas like this one scattered throughout the entire city, they seemed to replace the usual plaza's that you would find in other cities. There were a lot of students that had to go through fights after all so it only made sense that they would need more than one arena if everyone wanted to get the chance to show off.

"You can pick whatever house you like to stay in while we're here, but don't get complacent and think that you're safe just because you're not on one of the arenas. There is only one place in this city where combat is forbidden, and that is that three-spired dome you see over there. In there you can buy information on the other students here and pay to have them do various tasks for you. Of course, you can also buy most items and the like there, it can fulfil most of your desires."

Gang Yongye's voice reached the ears of the first-year students, he was walking out from the airship so it seemed like he had been within it all along. His blue pupils swept over the students in front of him, eventually settling on Huang Ying as he pointed out and sent a stream of energy that latched onto his chest and formed a burning image of the Fierce Flame academy's insignia.

"That right there is the only thing that can provide you with a modicum of safety here. It signifies that you are one of our chosen students, and while it doesn't prevent normal students from challenging and attacking you, it prevents other chosen students from attacking you. Of course, the reverse is also true, the chosen students are the ones we've placed our hope on so we can't have them go around killing each other. And if you're killed by someone who's not even a chosen student? Well, then it just shows that you weren't even worthy of bearing that mark to begin with."

A modicum of safety was the best they would give their students, they couldn't coddle them too much. After all, the law of the jungle reigned supreme, if you died then it just meant that you were either too weak or too dumb to survive, and if that was the case then there was no point in wasting resources on you. Huang Ying received a few envious looks, a modicum of safety was better than nothing after all, but he didn't bother with them, Gang Yongye waving his hand dismissively.

"Now go. You have one month to show your best skills, do your best to receive one of the three seats available to you. And if you can't do that, then at least beat down some of the students from the other academies, I won't accept anyone who loses in an unsightly manner."

Gang Yongye usually looked at least a bit jovial, but this time there was no trace of carefreeness on his face, there was only a cold sternness that left no room for remarks. But how could Huang Ying know that Gang Yongye only acted jovial around him because he showed promise, great growth, and had a personality suited for the cruelty of the world? He was worth Gang Yongye's time.

Gang Yongye waved his hand, the snake-shaped ship behind him shrinking and falling into his hand. His body then blurred and vanished, his speed was too fast for the people present to properly see his movements. A tense air immediately descended on the students gathered in the area, but Huang Ying didn't even seem to sense it as he directed a gaze at Song Yi and the others.

"I'll be heading over there for a bit to greet someone. I've got no plans on entering the arena today so I'll just find a random house to squat in while I cultivate. My spot is secured, but yours isn't guaranteed, don't go dying before we enter the forge."

He waved his hand casually towards an airship that was touching down a few kilometres away from them as he spoke, his feet already moving. He didn't have to worry about showing off, but Chen Hong and the others would need to take every chance they had to show that they were worthy of entering the Forge of Heroes. After all, there was no telling when one of the other first-year students would make a sudden breakthrough or pull out some amazing technique they had kept hidden for this very moment. But Ying Feixu didn't even bother giving it any thought, snorting disdainfully.

"There's little to be gained from fighting against the rabble that has gathered so far, you're still the one I can learn the most from at the moment."

There were two reasons Huang Ying was the one she could learn the most from right now, his ability to decimate people several realms above him and the fact that he had the law of devouring. She also had the same law thanks to the fact that her egg absorbed some of his blood, but she had next to no experience when it came to properly utilizing it so it was still best to learn from the source.

Song Yi and Chen Hong weren't being trained by Huang Ying like Ying Feixu was, but both of them also started to walk alongside him. Chen Hong looked quite carefree so he didn't seem to be worried about his chances, at least not enough to instantly start focusing on fighting. Song Yi still had bloodshot eyes and the occasional faint tremble, her pupils swimming around a bit as she seemed to be thinking about something.

The airship that Huang Ying was heading towards was shaped like a whale, a symbol that looked like an indistinct humanoid-shape reaching for the sky emblazoned on its side. Huang Ying pushed his way through the people that had gathered in front of the airship, the corners of his lips curving up when he spotted the people he was looking for.

"Lang Zan, tell me, have you fucked up and started smoking again?"

The one he called out to was a silver-haired and brown-eyed girl clad in light grey robes, a crimson-haired and green-eyed man standing by her side and chatting with her. Both of them jumped slightly when Huang Ying called out to them, the girl smiling but rolling her eyes heavily when she saw Huang Ying, her thumb gesturing towards the man at her side.

"Oh shut up, we were five steps away from death back then. It's fine to be unhealthy if you're about to die so cut me some slack. And no, I've been a good girl, at least better than that oaf there."

Huang Ying had recognized the symbol on the airship the moment he saw it, it belonged to the Souls Reach academy. And the two people in front of him were the only two people he knew from that academy, Lang Zan and Han De. Both of them were people he met when all the first-years had to go to Cloudreacher Forest, they had the misfortune of being abducted by the Dragonfire Eagle to serve as food for the egg that would become Ying Feixu. Of course, Huang Ying had saved them from that fate and they had all escaped together, spending a bit of time together as they rode out the storm.

Han De only rolled his eyes in an exasperated manner when Lang Zan tried to drag his name down, mockingly mimicking a speaking gesture with his hand. But he didn't maintain that gesture for too long, pushing the attention towards the two girls that followed at Huang Ying's side.

"Yeah yeah, yak yak yak, drag me down whenever you get the chance. Enough about that, what's this, Little Ying, you come waltzing here with a beauty in each arm to show off? Didn't I tell you that I was gonna introduce you to my little sister?"

Chen Hong and Huang Ying's two beast companions were also present, but Han De acted as if he couldn't see them and focused squarely on the two girls. He was already mentally preparing retorts for whatever Huang Ying might say, but nothing could have prepared him for what Huang Ying said as he nodded towards Ying Feixu.

"This one's trying to kill me, so she might kill you if you say something like that again."

Huang Ying couldn't help but be a touch curious, how would Lang Zan and Han De respond if they knew that Ying Feixu was the thing growing in the egg that they were supposed to be fed to? Their expressions would definitely be a sight to behold, especially when he looked at the way their mouths hung open right now.

"She...She's trying to kill you, for real? Then why is she loitering around you?"

Lang Zan cast a sideways glance at Ying Feixu while leaning forward as if she was trying to whisper secretively to Huang Ying. But she didn't actually lower her voice so Ying Feixu and the others could hear her just fine. Huang Ying wasn't surprised by the question, shrugging his shoulders while giving the honest truth.

"Yeah, for real. And she's tagging along right now because I'm training her, she's got some peculiarities that I'm well suited to help her with."

The two people cast another sideways glance at Ying Feixu, who didn't even bother acknowledging their gaze. She didn't actually recognize these two people, far too many humans had been tossed into her nest to nurture her. She only recognized Huang Ying because of the fact that he was the one that threw her out of the nest, meaning that all her hatred was gathered on him. Her not acknowledging them didn't matter to the two people, Lang Zan opening her mouth, quickly correcting herself.

"You're tra... No, never mind, the less I think about it the better it is, commenting on it means that I lose. You're an idiot, we've gotten to experience that firsthand, so let's just leave it at that."

Huang Ying was a grade-A idiot, they were keenly aware of that. After all, what sort of sane person would engage in a one-on-one with a Demonic beast while they were fleeing for their life? And then he had even healed the Demonic beast and let it go afterwards just because he respected its determination, there was no way anyone could convince them that he didn't have a few screws loose. Huang Ying didn't retort to their judgment of him, changing the topic altogether.

"I haven't contacted the others yet, heard anything from them?"

Lang Zan and Han De were two of the people he had fled with back then, but there were three others that had also been present, it was just that they came from different academies so it was inevitable that they wouldn't all arrive at the same time. Han De had evidently made the proper preparations, nodding his head and spitting out a soft complaint when he spoke about the one that would arrive last.

"Yeah, Xun Zhi and Guo Shui should arrive tomorrow, but Ming Chang won't be here for another week, her academy's got plenty of leeway here so they're not in a rush."

Huang Ying's Fierce Flame Academy only had 16 spots, but that didn't mean that every academy was the same. Ming Chang came from the Sunhollow Desert Academy, which had direct ties to the exalted Great Desert Academy, they would definitely have at the very least two or three times the number of spots. Huang Ying opened his mouth to say something, but the voice of Li Jun rang out in his head and silenced him.

"That lion boy is coming, seems like you may just get your wish after all. Go for it, challenge him right away if you want, I'll welcome the freedom.