The expanse of the wooden forest now entirely belonged to Zhou Yan.
While Bai Qi continued training the Flying Dragon Legion, Zhou Yan busied himself with felling timber.
During this period, Ye Bufan and others would inquire about Zhou Yan's activities, as he had been absent for quite some time.
Zhou Yan naturally replied that he was occupied with matters of his territory, which was why he hadn't returned.
Furthermore, Ye Bufan had sent Zhou Yan the monster summon scrolls he had collected previously. Zhou Yan paid him with spirit coins and expressed his thanks, as these items were indeed valuable at his current stage.
Zhou Yan had also instructed Jin Sanyi to collect similar items. Although their effectiveness was not outstanding, they were still better than nothing.
Ziwei Academy.
Time flew by, and it was the end of the month, with Zhou Yan finally nearing the end of his semester.
Zhou Yan had also been absent from school for a long time. Even Yang Junming hadn't anticipated that Zhou Yan would take such an extended leave, only reappearing when the semester was about to end.
Many classmates asked Zhou Yan where he had been all this time, as he hadn't attended any classes.
Though they were curious about how Zhou Yan had fared after being pranked by Chu Luoyan last time, they weren't foolish enough to ask directly. His prolonged absence from school was enough to indicate the depth of his resentment.
After giving instructions regarding the holiday break, Yang Junming left. However, he had a private meeting with Zhou Yan before departing.
"Will you be going home for the holiday break?" Yang Junming inquired.
Zhou Yan was surprised by the question but answered truthfully, "No, I'll be staying until the semester begins, within my territory."
"I see. Why don't you come over to my place for New Year's?" Yang Junming proposed. He knew Zhou Yan was an orphan and also considered him the most outstanding student of his cohort.
Although Yang Junming suspected Zhou Yan's background information was fabricated, he chose to believe it.
Zhou Yan was taken aback but shook his head and replied, "No, I'm not alone."
Though he no longer had a home on the Canglan Continent, he had found a family within his territory.
Yang Junming didn't insist and left after offering some words of concern.
The following days were filled with farewells between classmates and friends. Zhou Yan also bid farewell to Ye Bufan and the others.
"Zhou Yan, why don't you come visit my place? There are plenty of things to do in the capital that you've probably never experienced," Ye Bufan suggested.
"Brother Ye, can I come too?" Lin Tan looked at Ye Bufan eagerly.
"If you're truly willing to forgo going home, you are most welcome," Ye Bufan replied.
Zhou Yan ultimately declined Ye Bufan's kind offer. Lin Tan's desire to visit the capital was merely a passing thought; he still believed it was best to go home and spend the New Year with his family.
"Kid, if you ever want to visit the capital, just call out my name, Luo Yushuang!" Luo Yushuang declared boldly, putting on an air of haughtiness.
Although this woman was indeed fond of playful antics, Zhou Yan found her not entirely disagreeable after spending time with her. She was just prone to being unruly at times, much to the distress of her head instructor.
Zhou Yan waved goodbye to the two of them and then to Li Qingjin, Zhuge Kaiming, Dong Qingyi, Gu Nianyun, Lin Tan, and the others, one by one.
The once lively Ziwei Academy suddenly felt somewhat deserted, though not entirely empty, as many students had chosen to remain at the academy.
Zhou Yan teleported to his territory, where he would spend the upcoming period.
On January 1st each year, the Lord's Continent would hold an event: the Nian Beast hunt. This was an annual event that could be participated in from anywhere on the Lord's Continent.
The Nian Beasts would appear in various locations across the Lord's Continent. After defeating them, participants would receive a considerable amount of points, which could be exchanged for various rewards.
However, this event only lasted for eight hours, a relatively short duration, making it difficult to accumulate high scores.
The Nian Beasts would appear from 8 AM to 4 PM on January 1st. Soldiers could be dispersed outside the territory beforehand, and the points earned would depend on the number of Nian Beasts that spawned.
This aspect also relied on luck.
Furthermore, there was no ranking for this Nian Beast event. Points could be redeemed directly after the event concluded. While unredeemed points could be carried over, exchanges were only possible on this specific day each year.
With seven days remaining until January 1st, Zhou Yan continued to stay in his territory.
However, a sudden friend notification surprised Zhou Yan.
"Teacher Leng Yue, what a surprise to receive a message from you," Zhou Yan said curiously.
"Can't I contact you for no reason?" Leng Yue replied.
"No smoke without fire. Come on, what do you need my help with?" Zhou Yan asked.
"Actually, I don't need your help this time. I just heard from Yang Junming that you won't be going home and plan to stay at Ziwei Academy for New Year's," Leng Yue inquired.
"That's right, I'll be staying at the academy," Zhou Yan answered.
"What a coincidence, I'm not planning on going back either, and I happen to know an interesting place. Are you interested in checking it out?" Leng Yue asked.
An interesting place?
Zhou Yan's curiosity was piqued. "Teacher Leng Yue, why aren't you going home? Is it because your family is pressuring you to get married?"
Leng Yue was startled, surprised that Zhou Yan had guessed so accurately. She almost thought her family matters had been leaked but then reasoned that Zhou Yan must be bluffing.
"Don't be ridiculous. Do I, as a teacher, need to be pressured into marriage? I have the figure, the looks, and the strength. I have countless suitors!"
Leng Yue was not exaggerating on this point; many male teachers pursued her, and even many senior disciples were vying for her attention.
However, there had never been any news of Leng Yue having a boyfriend, at least not that Zhou Yan was aware of.
Zhou Yan's earlier remark about family pressure was indeed just a wild guess, but he was astonished that he had hit the mark.
"What is this interesting place for?" Zhou Yan asked.
"Have you heard of the Arena?" Leng Yue asked.
"The Arena? I'm not very familiar with it. Can you explain in more detail?" Zhou Yan genuinely didn't know much about it.
"That place is similar to an arena, but it's much more interesting than a typical one. There, you can summon a hero from your territory to battle against others."
"Of course, the cultivation realms of both parties must be roughly similar. As for levels, they aren't too critical, as a person's strength isn't solely determined by their level. Besides, the heroes dispatched are usually at maximum level."
After hearing this, Zhou Yan quickly asked, "If it's just a simple battle, it doesn't seem that appealing, does it?"