While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 48 Meeting Hu Qian, Entering the Inner Courtyard

Half a month later,

Dozens of miles outside Canaan Academy, above the town of Peace, a dozen griffins swooped down. These third-tier magical beasts spread their silver-gray wings, each ten feet wide, casting huge shadows in the setting sun.

"Attention everyone!"

Instructor Ruolin's cool voice, amplified by her fighting spirit, resonated throughout the entire team.

"Peace Town lies ahead, the last outer barrier of Canaan Academy. We'll rest here for the night and officially enter the academy's territory tomorrow!"

Standing atop the saddle of the lead griffin, Lu Yu's gaze swept across the town when he suddenly spotted a dozen dark figures swiftly and agilely flying towards the town gate, much like apes. In the blink of an eye, these figures had reached the town's entrance.

The leader was a middle-aged man in a gray robe. He swept his sharp eyes over the crowd and clasped his hands in greeting when he saw Ruolin, saying, "Instructor Ruolin, it's a routine check. Please cooperate."

Ruolin nodded slightly and took out a blue jade token from her bosom. After examining it, the gray-robed man stepped aside to make way: "Please."

……

The next morning, the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon the grounds of Canaan Academy, Lu Yu and his group finally arrived at this most renowned cultivation holy land in the Northwest Continent.

Instructor Ruolin straightened her robes and turned to the three, saying, "Qinglin, come with me to complete the outer academy's admission registration. As for the two of you..."

She glanced at Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor with slight hesitation, and said uncertainly, "With your strength, you should be cultivating in the inner courtyard. I need to consult with Vice Dean Hu Qian first."

"Thank you for your help, mentor."

Lu Yu nodded slightly. His goal for this trip was very clear—he had come for the Fallen Heart Flame of the Inner Court. If he could skip the tedious procedures of the Outer Court, that would be even better.

Little Fairy Doctor stood quietly to the side, her eyes, hidden behind her purple veil, seemed lost in thought.

Qinglin nervously gripped the hem of her clothes, her eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

Soon after,

In the martial arts arena of the outer courtyard, Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor were sparring on a blue stone arena. As their figures clashed, their fighting spirit surged, attracting many students to stop and watch.

Just then, a member of the Canaan Academy enforcement team strode over and stopped at the edge of the arena. He said respectfully, "Gentlemen, Vice Dean Hu Qian wants to see you."

After navigating the winding paths of the academy, Lu Yu and his companion arrived at an ancient sandalwood pavilion. Pushing open the door, they were greeted by a rich aroma of books.

Inside the attic, dozens of rows of sandalwood bookshelves crisscrossed, neatly displaying various ancient books and jade slips, some of which even emitted faint energy fluctuations.

In the center of the room, an elderly man with white hair and beard was intently reading a book. Hearing footsteps, the old man slowly raised his head, and a startling glint flashed in his seemingly cloudy eyes.

"coming?"

Vice Dean Hu closed the book in his hand, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority: "You two little ones, please sit down."

"I have met Vice Dean Hu Qian."

Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor bowed to each other and then took their seats in the guest area.

With a warm smile on his face, Hu Qian slowly spoke: "Canaan Academy has always been known for cultivating geniuses. Ruolin has already informed me of your situation in detail."

"A cultivation level of seven-star Grand Dou Master and two-star Dou Spirit is indeed beyond the normal scope of the Outer Academy. You should know that many instructors in the Outer Academy are not even as powerful as you, so it is indeed difficult for them to provide you with suitable guidance."

“The inner courtyard is different. Not only does it have a sacred cultivation ground like the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, but it also has elders at the Dou Wang and even Dou Huang levels personally giving lessons. It is indeed more suitable for you.”

"I have already discussed this matter with several elders of the Inner Academy. The academy will allow you to join the Inner Academy directly, and there will be no problem with that."

"but……"

Vice Dean Hu Qian's smile remained unchanged, but his tone shifted as he continued, "The number of places in the Inner Academy is limited each year, and the number of places for this year has already been decided."

"If you want to join, you will have to take up someone else's spot."

"This has made some trainees very dissatisfied."

"They all fought their way up through the inner court selection competitions, and each of them is quite strong and has a good reputation in the outer court."

Hu Qian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said unhurriedly, "To truly convince them, we still need to..."

Before the words were finished, the attic door was suddenly pushed open. Five figures filed in, the leader being a burly young man carrying a heavy sword.

"Vice Dean, we've arrived." The young man clasped his hands in a salute, but his gaze was fixed intently on Lu Yu and his companion.

Hu Qian smiled and nodded: "Perfect timing, Lin Qingtian, Liu Yu, let me introduce you..."

"No need."

The purple-haired woman interrupted coldly, her eyes flashing with lightning: "If you want a spot, show us your true abilities!"

Purple arcs of electricity crackled at her fingertips as she pointed directly at Little Fairy Doctor, saying, "Liu Yu, Seven-Star Grand Dou Master, please enlighten me!"

On the other side, Lin Qingtian drew his heavy sword, the blade leaving a spark on the ground: "Lin Qingtian, a one-star Dou Ling, please enlighten me!"

The atmosphere in the attic instantly became tense.

The corners of Little Fairy Doctor's mouth slightly raised beneath her purple veil. With a gentle lift of her delicate hand, a wisp of pale purple battle aura quietly flowed: "Little Fairy Doctor, Seven-Star Grand Battle Master, please."

Lu Yu stood with his hands behind his back, looking calmly at Lin Qingtian: "Two-star Dou Ling, Lu Yu."

Vice Dean Hu Qian stroked his beard and smiled: "In that case, let's go to the arena. Remember, stop when you've made your point."

……

The outer courtyard, the martial arts arena.

Lin Qingtian gripped the heavy black iron sword with both hands, the blade carving deep furrows in the ground. His brow furrowed, he said in a deep voice, "Don't say I'm bullying you, show me your weapon!"

Lu Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his blue robe swaying slightly in the wind. He shook his head gently, his tone calm: "Two stars against one star, there's no need for weapons."

A commotion immediately erupted on the sidelines. The spectators whispered among themselves:
"Isn't that too arrogant?"

"Senior Lin is from Zhongzhou, and his Earth-Splitting Sword Technique is..."

"There's a good show to watch!"

Lin Qingtian's face darkened, and he suddenly raised his heavy sword, creating a whistling wind: "Then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Having said that, he suddenly took a step forward, and his heavy sword slashed down with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks.

Earth-Splitting Sword Technique - Earth-Splitting Slash!
A solid, earth-yellow sword aura shot out, cracking the ground and sending shards of rock flying wherever it passed! This was the power of a low-level Earth-rank combat skill!
A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Yu's eyes, and he said with interest, "Interesting. Earth-attribute battle qi is known for its defensive capabilities, but I didn't expect you to specialize in offensive battle techniques..."

Before he finished speaking, he lightly touched the bluestone ground with his toes and retreated gracefully like a fiery dragon.

The fierce sword energy barely grazed the hem of his clothes, leaving a terrifying trench a foot deep in the ground behind him.

"It's rude to come and not reciprocate."

Lu Yu chuckled, his right index and middle fingers joined together, and crimson battle qi rapidly condensed at the fingertips, a highly refined line of fire suddenly shooting out!

"Here's your move for you!"

Since breaking through to the Dou Ling realm, thanks to the powerful Dou Qi he cultivated with the Great Floating Pagoda Technique, he can now frequently use low-level Earth-rank Dou Techniques, which are no longer a trump card he needs to hold back.

Of course, high-level Earth-rank combat techniques should still be used with caution. With his current cultivation level, forcibly using one would not only consume a huge amount of energy but could also injure him.

The crimson line of fire roared past, like a raging dragon of flames ready to devour its prey, distorting the air wherever it passed!

Earth-rank low-level combat skill, Heavenly Dragon Flame Finger!
"Earth elemental protection!"

Seeing that the situation was not good, Lin Qingtian immediately changed his move. His heavy sword drew a perfect earth-yellow arc around his body, and the rich earth-attribute battle qi instantly condensed into a solid shield, enveloping his entire body.

"boom!"

The crimson fire line and the earthen shield collided violently, the two completely different battle energies clashing fiercely and unleashing astonishing energy fluctuations.

A violent shockwave swept across the entire arena, causing the robes of the onlookers to flutter wildly.

As the dust settled, Lin Qingtian, clad in earthen-yellow battle armor, gripped his heavy sword tightly and warily surveyed his surroundings. The arena was empty; where was Lu Yu?
"What about people?"

Just as he was wondering, a clear voice suddenly came from above:
"Are you looking for me?"

Lin Qingtian's expression changed drastically, and he looked up sharply. Above him, a figure descended with the force of a blazing inferno, like a crimson meteor hurtling towards him!

Protect the palm!

(End of this chapter)