While in Battle Through the Heavens, one can pre-appoint oneself as an emperor.

The inner court selection competition has come to a perfect end. According to the rules, the students who have obtained a spot in the inner court will have about ten days of free time to prepare for entering the inner court.

The top five will have to wait patiently for notification from higher-ups and enter the academy's library within seven days.

As a reward for the top five winners, they will be able to take something of their own from the library, based on their own strength and luck.

When Chen Xiao received the message from his mentor Xiwen, he was filled with anticipation.

No one knows exactly how vast Canaan Academy's collection is, but Chen Xiao is aware that it contains countless treasures.

It has everything: Earth-rank combat techniques, Earth-rank cultivation methods, and even medicinal herbs that can directly enhance one's strength.

What Chen Xiao wanted was the cultivation technique!

Although the Ice Emperor's Codex is more than enough for those at the Douhuang level, only a fool wouldn't exchange it for a higher-grade one if given the chance.

"You are stronger than me, your mentor. I won't say anything more about what you should choose in the library. You must have your own ideas."

"Let's talk about something else. I have an uncle who holds the position of elder in the inner court. I will send a message to him to inform him of your situation. Once you arrive in the inner court, if you need anything, you can go to him. As long as it's not too difficult, he probably won't refuse. This is the only thing I, as your mentor, can do to help you."

As they were talking, Instructor Xiwen took out a note from her storage ring and handed it over. It contained the elder's name and specific position.

To be able to serve as an elder in the inner courtyard, one is very likely to be a Dou Huang, or at the very least a Dou Wang!

Once you step onto a wider stage, expanding your network becomes surprisingly easy.

Chen Xiao did not refuse and accepted it, putting it away.

Having more friends means having more options. Getting to know an elder who is very likely a Dou Huang level expert is beneficial and harmless.

The most obvious benefit is that with this relationship, Chen Xiao could ask this elder for help as soon as he entered the inner courtyard to suppress the Snow Demon Ape, thus easily completing the follow-up to the pre-replenishment of the Earth Core Tempering Milk.

"Thank you very much, Professor Xiwen."

"It's alright. I'll tell you a secret, but don't tell anyone. Because of your recruitment, the academy gave me a generous reward, enough to support my cultivation until I break through to the Dou Ling level. I don't know how many instructors are envious of me now."

Professor Xiwen's lips curled into a wide smile; it was clear she was genuinely happy.

Chen Xiao nodded slightly and smiled, "Congratulations, then I wish you a speedy attainment of the Dou Ling realm, Instructor."

"Hehe, congratulations to you too! After I break through to the Dou Ling realm, I will resign from my position as an instructor. Perhaps we can still meet in the inner academy."

...

Although the inner court selection competition has ended, the excitement has not yet subsided.

In the following days, walking along the various paths of the Foreign Languages ​​Institute, one could still hear many students discussing this matter.

As the top-ranked player, Chen Xiao was naturally mentioned quite a bit.

As a result, Chen Xiao has been the center of attention wherever he goes these past few days, wherever there are people.

The person involved expressed great helplessness in response.

On the fifth day after the selection competition ended, Chen Xiao was diligently cultivating in his dormitory when he suddenly heard someone shouting outside.

"Chen Xiao, are you inside? The vice dean wants to see you."

Chen Xiao, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, opened his eyes, got up and opened the door, and saw a pretty woman standing there.

It was her…

Chen Xiao recognized the person who had just arrived. It was none other than Fu Tong, the only female student among the top five in the selection competition, who was a two-star Grand Dou Master.

He was also the only remaining two-star Grand Dou Master; the other two had become stepping stones for the young man wielding the long staff.

"Okay, thank you."

The long-awaited day has finally arrived.

Chen Xiao thanked him and, without further hesitation, closed the door and followed him.

"My name is Fu Tong, from the Northwest Heavenly Serpent Empire. Thank you for showing mercy that day."

Heavenly Serpent Empire?

Chen Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he thought of the Heavenly Serpent Mansion.

"No need to be polite. The selection competition doesn't allow for heavy-handed tactics. I'm from the Gama Empire, a very ordinary country. Its reputation is nowhere near as great as the Tianshe Empire. The Tianshe Empire's Tianshe Palace is renowned throughout the Northwest Continent. Why would you go to such lengths to come to Canaan Academy?"

"The Heavenly Serpent Mansion is indeed powerful, but you don't know this. The Heavenly Serpent Mansion doesn't accept ordinary people like us. And... to be honest, I have a very bad impression of the Heavenly Serpent Mansion," Fu Tong said, shaking his head.

Chen Xiao was naturally aware of the situation at the Heavenly Serpent Palace; he was just looking for an excuse.

Since Fu Tong has no connection with the Heavenly Serpent Mansion, they can get along normally.

In Chen Xiao's mind, there was a slight possibility that he would stand against the Heavenly Serpent Mansion in the future.

Chatting casually, they unknowingly arrived at Vice Dean Hu Qian's study.

The two immediately stopped talking and entered one after the other.

The spacious and bright room is filled with bookshelves of all kinds of antique books, creating a particularly scholarly atmosphere.

Meanwhile, in the center of the room, the other three of the top five stood quietly. Behind the table in front of them, an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a red robe, was slowly flipping through the documents in his hands. The entire room was filled with a silent atmosphere.

This atmosphere was only broken when Chen Xiao and Fu Tong arrived.

He glanced at the two of them, and the three young geniuses smiled and nodded, a silent greeting.

Chen Xiao and Fu Tong nodded in response.

Among the three, the strongest and most robust young man was named Mu Boshan, a four-star Great Dou Master of the Earth attribute.

The young man who impressed Chen Xiao the most was named Cao Hui, a one-star fire-attribute Grand Master.

The last one, an ordinary-looking young man who is easy to overlook, is named Ji Ruiyang, a three-star Grand Master of Metal.

It was only thanks to their outstanding abilities, and the fact that they had been frequently mentioned in the past few days, that Chen Xiao was able to remember them.

"Vice Dean."

The five people stood in a row, greeted each other in unison, and their faces were filled with undisguised anticipation.

Hu Qian put down the documents in his hand and chuckled softly.

"Now that everyone is here, I won't waste any more time. You should all have guessed why I called you here. Just follow me."

As he spoke, Hu Qian walked to the wall behind him and casually patted it a few times, producing a low rumbling sound.

The next moment, a dimly lit passage appeared in front of Chen Xiao and his group of five.

"Let's go."

Nodding slightly to the five people, Hu Qian took the lead and stepped into the passage.

Chen Xiao and his four companions exchanged glances and followed closely behind.

The passage is very long, and every ten meters or so at the top, there is a huge luminous pearl embedded in it. The soft light it emits is not bright, but it is enough to see the way ahead.

The five of them followed Hu Qian in silence for nearly half an hour, and finally a bright light appeared at the end of the passage.

They quickened their pace and stepped out from the end. In an instant, dazzling sunlight poured down from the sky, causing the five people, who had been in the dim light for a long time, to squint slightly. After adjusting their eyes for a while, they took in their surroundings.

At this moment, in front of Chen Xiao and the others was clearly a valley recess. The steep mountain walls stretched upwards all the way to the end of their sight. Between the three cliffs, there was a very wide open space.

On that open space, a massive, somewhat astonishingly large, ancient-style pavilion stands majestically.

His gaze slowly swept over the massive, ancient pavilion, finally settling on an extremely old-looking plaque outside the pavilion.

Three large characters, somewhat blurred by the erosion of time, are faintly visible.

Library!