551: Chapter 551 Small World!!

Qin Yan put away the Medicinal Pills and walked out of the Tiangang Arena.

It was currently the middle of the night, yet the streets of Taixuan City remained exceptionally bustling.

On both sides of the road, Spiritual Lamps emitted a soft glow, illuminating the entire street as bright as day.

Pedestrians wove through the streets like a tapestry; there were Martial Artists who had just come out of the arena, gathered in groups of three to five, still excitedly discussing tonight's matches.

There were slightly tipsy drinkers, arms around each other's shoulders, staggering along.

There were also solitary Martial Artists, hurrying along and disappearing into the mouths of alleys.

Beings of all races shuttled between them: Human Race, Winged Human Clan, Stone Human Clan, Elf Clan, Orc Clan...

They were of different forms and emitted different auras, yet they were all in this city, searching for their own place.

The nights in Taixuan City were never lonely.

Just as Qin Yan was preparing to return to the Taixuan Holy Land, a crisp female voice came from beside him.

"Qin Yan, wait a moment!"

A crisp female voice came from behind, exceptionally clear in the night wind.

Qin Yan's footsteps paused, and he turned his head to look, only to see two female figures walking quickly toward him.

One was dressed in a red Phoenix robe, embroidered with lifelike Phoenix patterns that seemed to come alive under the light of the Spiritual Lamps.

That figure was tall and proud, with long fiery-red hair fluttering in the wind like dancing flames.

The other was in a white robe, plain and flawless, with hair as dark as ink gently held up by a white jade hairpin.

In her arms, she held an Ancient Zither, and her entire being exuded a serene and distant aura, like a clear spring in the mountains or a gentle breeze through the forest.

And the one calling him at this moment was precisely the woman in the red robe—Huang Jiuli.

Qin Yan never expected to see her here.

Taixuan City was so large, yet they just happened to run into each other here?

While he was lost in thought, Huang Jiuli and the woman in white had already arrived in front of him.

"Finished your challenge?"

Huang Jiuli spoke while looking at Qin Yan, those Phoenix eyes carrying a bit of scrutiny and a bit of curiosity.

Qin Yan was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected her to know he had just finished a challenge.

His affairs at the arena, while not exactly a secret, weren't widely known news either.

As a direct descendant of Phoenix Divine Mountain, why would Huang Jiuli pay attention to such things?

Immediately, he nodded and said, "The challenge is finished."

"Do you have something you need from me?"

He felt that Huang Jiuli shouldn't be so idle as to come over specifically just to say hello.

Although both were East Courtyard Disciples, their interactions were actually quite limited.

Aside from that "brief encounter" on the Heavenly Ladder, they had only crossed paths a few times during the end-of-month assessments.

They weren't close, let alone friends.

Huang Jiuli didn't speak, only turning her head to look at the woman in white beside her.

At this time, the woman beside her spoke: "Hello, Qin Yan. My name is Yin Li, a West Courtyard Disciple of the Taixuan Holy Land."

Her voice was soft and clear, like a stream flowing through the mountains or the lingering resonance of a plucked zither string.

The voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to possess a certain magic that made people involuntarily quiet down, wanting to listen seriously to every word she said.

Hearing this, Qin Yan was slightly surprised.

He hadn't expected her to be a West Courtyard Disciple.

Although he knew of the four courtyards of the Taixuan Holy Land, he didn't know a single person from the West Courtyard.

Adhering to the principle of not striking a smiling face, Qin Yan also greeted her: "Hello, Miss Yin Li."

"To be honest, Nine-Li and I came to find you because we indeed have a matter to discuss."

Yin Li said softly, getting straight to the point.

Qin Yan raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"

He really couldn't think of anything they would need his help with.

Huang Jiuli was a direct descendant of the Phoenix Divine Mountain, with formidable strength and a deep background.

Yin Li also looked like she was by no means an ordinary person.

What could they possibly need from a poor kid like him?

Yin Li made a gesture, indicating they should talk while walking.

The three of them walked slowly along the street. The night breeze brushed past, and the light from the Spiritual Lamps stretched their shadows very long.

"Qin Yan, do you know what the standards for entering the Inner Court were for previous Disciples?"

Yin Li asked as they walked.

Hearing this, Qin Yan said, "First, one needs to be able to pass the first 500 floors of the Heavenly Ladder. Second, one must be able to complete the Inner Court's assessment. If both items are met, one can enter the Inner Court."

"You are correct."

Yin Li nodded. "I know that with your strength, the first condition is practically non-existent for you.

You crossed the threshold of the 500th floor of the Heavenly Ladder long ago. So, do you know what this session's Inner Court assessment is?"

Hearing this, Qin Yan was slightly stunned, then shook his head and said, "I don't know."

He truly didn't know.

The specific content of the Inner Court assessment was always kept secret and wouldn't be announced until the last moment.

Although he was a Special Grade Disciple, he didn't have any special treatment in this regard.

Yin Li said, "Then I can tell you, this year's Inner Court entrance assessment is a mission competition."

"Mission competition?"

"That's right."

Yin Li's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the night wind.

"In the next three months—January, February, and March of the coming year—the four Outer Courts of the entire Taixuan Holy Land will share missions.

The quantity of these missions is vast, spread across the entire Taixuan Realm.

Disciples will take on missions to earn taixuan points."

"And there are two modes of competition. One is a competition of individual contribution, and the other is a competition of team contribution."

"Disciples whose individual contribution ranks within the top 6,000 of their respective branch courts can obtain the qualification to enter the Inner Court."

"As for the teams whose combined team contribution ranks in the top ten among the four branch courts, they can obtain the qualification to enter a newly discovered, undeveloped Small World in the Taixuan Holy Land."

Qin Yan's footsteps paused slightly.

Small World?

A newly discovered, undeveloped Small World?

Yin Li continued, "An unknown, undeveloped Small World represents the unknown, but at the same time, it represents massive gains.

The resources inside have not been exploited. If we are among the first batch to enter, the harvest we can reap will be simply too great."

She paused.

"Especially since almost every Small World has its own unique treasures.

If our luck is good and we defeat those native powerhouses, we can even obtain Profound Truth rewards!"

Profound Truth!

Qin Yan's heartbeat quickened slightly.

Profound Truth was an incomparably precious reward for a Martial Artist at any stage.

Even for a Prodigy of his level, it was something to salivate over.

And a newly discovered Small World meant brand new Opportunities, brand new possibilities, and a chance to obtain Profound Truths.

"So you're telling me this news—"

Qin Yan pondered for a moment and spoke slowly.

"Because you want me to join your team?"