“Move aside!” Elder Xavier said in a deep voice.
“Scoundrel!” the guard shouted angrily, “This is Canyon View Institute, you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was sent flying and landed not far away, unconscious.
“You’re courting death!” The other ten or so guards drew their weapons, each exuding a fierce aura.
“What is happening?” At that moment, a man’s voice rang out.
A man in his fifties walked over steadily. From his aura, it was clear he was in the mid to late stages of the Holy Realm.
“Reporting to Elder Watt, someone has intruded into the institute!” a guard bowed and reported.
“Who dares to intrude into Canyon View Institute…” The man began to speak as he approached but stopped midway.
Swallowing hard, he looked at Elder Xavier and said, “Elder Xavier?”
“You know me?” Elder Xavier glanced at him.
“Yes… yes!” The man bowed.
“I need to enter the institute. Is there a problem?” Elder Xavier asked.
“Elder Xavier, please wait a moment while I report this…” The man took out a sound transmission stone.
Before he could finish speaking, he too was sent flying and landed heavily on the ground, unconscious like the previous guard.
Seeing this, the remaining guards gasped. They hadn’t even seen how Elder Xavier had moved. A mid-stage Holy Realm expert like Elder Watt was sent flying just like that. Such a powerful individual was beyond their ability to stop, and from Elder Watt’s earlier tone, it seemed he knew Elder Xavier.
All the guards instinctively stepped aside.
“Let’s go!” Elder Xavier said to Billy and the others before striding into the institute.
Billy and his group were speechless. They recalled Elder Xavier’s earlier words about how going through official channels was too troublesome, so he would take them through the back door. Now it seemed more like they were sneaking in!
“Elder Xavier, do you have some grudge with Canyon View Institute? They don’t seem to welcome you,” Stout asked as he caught up.
“Why should I care if they welcome me?” Elder Xavier replied.
Everyone was silent.
Soon, they entered the institute. Billy and his group looked around and saw that the layout and structure were similar to other major sects they had seen before, but much larger in scale. There were two or three hundred buildings of various styles, including ordinary residences, research institutions, and meeting halls. People in uniforms of Canyon View Institute moved about in groups of three or five.
Because Elder Xavier and Billy’s group stood out so much, everyone passing by couldn’t help but glance at them. However, from their expressions, it seemed no one recognized Elder Xavier.
“The institute is divided into inner and outer sections. This is the outer section,” Elder Xavier said, pointing towards a mountain peak in the distance. “The inner section is over there.”
“Understood!” Billy and the others nodded simultaneously.
“I’ll take you to see the elder in charge of admissions,” Elder Xavier said as he led them to the right.
Unbeknownst to them, as they left, an institute disciple hiding in the shadows quickly headed towards the inner section, muttering to himself, “You chose hell over heaven by coming here after injuring Raul. Who do you think you are?”
Twenty minutes later, Billy and his group followed Elder Xavier into a courtyard with a uniquely designed building at its center. As they approached the main building, a gray-robed elderly man walked out from the first-floor hall.
“Elder Xavier!” The old man exclaimed in surprise upon recognizing him.
“Is Matthew Lawrence here?” Elder Xavier asked calmly.
“Yes!” The gray-robed elderly man bowed. “Elder Xavier, please wait while I call Elder Matthew.”
“No need, I’ll find him myself,” Elder Xavier said as he walked into the hall.
The gray-robed elderly man opened his mouth as if to say something but then thought better of it and remained silent.
“Matthew Lawrence, come out!” Elder Xavier called out once inside the hall.
His voice had barely faded when ten or so gray-robed elderly men of varying ages walked out. Each had significant cultivation levels; half were in the late stage of the Holy Realm, while the other half were in the Otherworldly Realm. The strongest among them was Matthew Lawrence, who had recently been responsible for admissions in Canyon View City.
“Elder Xavier, what brings you here?” Matthew Lawrence quickly approached and bowed.
“Elder Xavier!” The others also bowed, their eyes filled with reverence. They knew very well what kind of existence stood before them-someone they could only look up to!
“I’ve brought some promising talents with good skills,” Elder Xavier said, pointing to Billy and his group. “From today onwards, they are students of Canyon View Institute!”
Billy and his group were speechless. Was it settled then? Did they not need to discuss it before deciding it?
“Elder Xavier…” Matthew Lawrence’s mouth twitched slightly before he continued, “Elder Xavier, who are they?”
As he spoke, he released his spiritual power to probe Billy and his group’s cultivation levels, his eyes showing a trace of surprise. According to Canyon View Institute’s admission standards, Billy and his group’s current cultivation levels far exceeded what was expected for their age.
He then glanced at White Feather behind them and was again surprised because he couldn’t discern White Feather’s level as a flying beast.
“Just answer me-can they become students of the institute based on their qualifications?” Elder Xavier asked again.
“Elder Xavier, according to institute regulations, besides cultivation and age, we also need to assess their potential,” said an elderly man with a goatee who had just walked in. He bowed slightly before continuing without waiting for a response from Elder Xavier. “Moreover, even if their potential meets the requirements, there are other conditions.”
“You seem quite familiar with the process,” Elder Xavier glanced at him before turning back to Matthew Lawrence. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
“Elder Xavier…” Matthew Lawrence took a deep breath before speaking.
“Elder Xavier,” Billy interjected, “since the institute has fixed procedures, let’s follow them.”
“Besides, we also want to see how our potential measures up.”
“Alright then,” Elder Xavier thought for a moment before looking at Matthew Lawrence. “Let’s begin.”
“This way please, Elder Xavier,” Matthew Lawrence said with a gesture of invitation, secretly relieved.
The group walked outside to a training ground on the west side of the courtyard. Billy and his group saw three light pillars on the left side of the training ground used for testing potential.
After explaining the rules briefly, Matthew Lawrence stepped aside.
“I’ll go first!” Judge said as he extended his hand into one of the light pillars.