Jia Nan Academy, Breaking Through to the Ninth Grade

Su Yiyi nodded. "Oh, but it’s such a pity Xiao Yan didn’t get beaten to death."

Gu Xun’er smiled and wrapped her arms around Su Yiyi’s arm. "It’s fine. As long as he doesn’t cause trouble again in the future, we can let him off. He’s already so pitiful."

Su Yiyi pursed her lips. "All right, but my mother told me that when dealing with enemies, the worst thing is to be softhearted. No matter what kind of enemy they are, even the old, weak, women, and children—kill them first and talk later."

Su Yu, hiding in the air, nearly stumbled and fell. He appeared before Su Yiyi with an embarrassed look. "When did your mother tell you that? How come I didn’t know???"

Su Yiyi thought for a moment. "A long time ago, when we were at Tushan."

Su Yu smiled bitterly and rubbed Su Yiyi’s head. "Yi Yi, your mother wasn’t wrong, but you can’t be that ruthless either. It wouldn’t be good if you lost yourself."

"But Mother said I don’t need to worry. Whatever happens, she can help me solve it." Su Yiyi blinked.

Su Yu: "…"

Su Yu was speechless. Then he gave a bitter smile. "No matter what, don’t say things like that again. It’s true that you can’t be softhearted, but ‘kill them first and talk later’ regardless of whether they’re old, weak, women, or children is not okay."

"Oh." Su Yiyi replied.

After Gu Xun’er and Su Yiyi returned, they never heard any news of Xiao Yan again. Neither of them had any interest in asking about him, and Xiao Yan gradually faded from their minds.

However, Xiao Yan would never forget them or Yao Lao for the rest of his life. After recovering from his injuries, he left Wutan City again. His mind was now filled only with cultivation and revenge.

With nothing to do, Gu Xun’er also began learning alchemy from Yao Lao. Su Yiyi immediately found the sense of superiority that came with being the senior disciple, and she became unbearably smug every day.

Yao Lao and Gu Xun’er simply let Su Yiyi show off. Gu Xun’er thought to herself, No matter how smug you are, don’t you still have to call me Sister?

Su Yu merely smiled when he saw Su Yiyi like this and did not tell her to be humble. She was not being arrogant; she had always been the youngest one in the crowd. Now that she had suddenly become the senior disciple, she was merely a little excited.

Su Yiyi did not stay smug for long before returning to normal and continuing her research into alchemy.

One year later

Jia Nan Academy began recruiting students. The recruitment team soon arrived in Wutan City. Su Yu gave the order that Su Yiyi and Gu Xun’er had to participate in the recruitment. He had originally sent Su Yiyi out to gain experience, but she spent every day studying alchemy in the alchemy room. What kind of experience was that supposed to be?

Thus, Su Yiyi, Gu Xun’er, and Yao Lao arrived at the recruitment square. Although Yao Lao was Su Yiyi’s master, to outsiders, he looked more like Su Yiyi’s servant.

Yao Lao had received Su Yu’s order to protect Su Yiyi well, so naturally he had to accompany Su Yiyi and the others to Jia Nan Academy.

Xiao Yu led Su Yiyi, Gu Xun’er, and the others before a fully armed military force. Xiao Yu took out a token and handed it to the leader. After examining it, the man said, "Let them through!"

The soldiers immediately stepped aside in perfect formation, clearing a path.

Xiao Yu led them inside. The moment they entered, everyone immediately sensed the chilling aura of the soldiers’ armor and the smell of blood on them, a suffocating pressure that made it hard to breathe.

Xiao Yu, Su Yiyi, Gu Xun’er, and Yao Lao were naturally at ease, but Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei had it much harder. The mere dozen or so meters of road nearly cost them their lives.

Since Xiao Yan was not there, no one stopped them. They soon arrived before Jia Nan Academy’s Instructor Ruo Lin.

After Ruo Lin exchanged a few words with Xiao Yu, she got down to business and looked at the group. "Students, congratulations on passing the preliminary test. You have now stepped through the gates of Jia Nan Academy. However, the academy needs to distinguish each student’s potential, so I need to know your exact current strength."

"Eight stages of Dou Qi correspond to F-rank potential, which is Jia Nan Academy’s standard. Nine stages of Dou Qi correspond to E-rank potential. A one-star Dou Zhe is D-rank, and a two-star Dou Zhe is C-rank. And so on, with the highest rank being a five-star Dou Zhe. Of course, Jia Nan Academy only accepts students under the age of twenty."

As she spoke, Ruo Lin looked at Yao Lao. "So, sir, what are you here for???"

Yao Lao revealed a kindly smile. "You may call me Yao Lao. I am here as an accompanying student."

"Huh? An accompanying student?" Ruo Lin looked utterly bewildered.

After a moment, Ruo Lin said with a strange expression, "Sir, Jia Nan Academy does not allow accompanying students to enter."

"Fine, then I’ll be a teacher instead." Yao Lao thought for a moment. Unwilling to make things difficult for a junior, he said reluctantly.

Ruo Lin’s mouth twitched. Did he think he could become a teacher just because he said so? His tone even made it sound as though he had been wronged.

Xiao Yu patted Ruo Lin’s hand and whispered, "Instructor Ruo Lin, Yao Lao might be a seventh-grade alchemist!"

So far, the highest-grade pills Yao Lao had produced for the Xiao Family were seventh-grade pills, which was why Xiao Yu believed he might be a seventh-grade alchemist.

Ruo Lin shuddered, her eyes lighting up. "Really?"

Xiao Yu nodded slightly.

Ruo Lin immediately looked at Yao Lao. "Elder… Senior Yao Lao, what grade alchemist are you?"

Yao Lao smiled. "I am untalented. Not long ago, I happened to break through to become a ninth-grade alchemist."

With so many medicinal ingredients available, Yao Lao had officially become the second Ninth Grade Alchemist on the Dou Qi Continent not long ago.

Ruo Lin: "…"

Ruo Lin looked at Xiao Yu and whispered, "Are you sure you didn’t get it wrong? Why does this old man look like a lunatic to me?"

Although Ruo Lin spoke very quietly, everyone present except Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei heard her.

Yao Lao’s mouth twitched. These days, no one even believed the truth. How tragic, how lamentable.

Xiao Yu smiled bitterly. "Instructor Ruo Lin, you have to believe me. Even if Yao Lao exaggerated a little, he should at least possess the ability of a seventh-grade alchemist. Many members of our Xiao Family have seen Yao Lao produce seventh-grade pills."

Ruo Lin nodded and looked at Yao Lao. "Senior Yao Lao, I don’t know whether you can become a teacher, but you may come with us to Jia Nan Academy. I’ll take you to meet Jia Nan Academy’s Great Elder."

Yao Lao thought for a moment. "Su… right, Su Qian. Is he still the Great Elder of Jia Nan Academy?"

Ruo Lin froze. "You know our Great Elder?"

Yao Lao smiled. "We happened to meet once."

Back then, Yao Lao’s reputation had been extraordinarily resounding. Countless people had sought pills from him, and Su Qian was among them. (Don’t suddenly have someone jump out and say Yao Lao and Su Qian never met. I’ll say this in advance: I don’t know whether they met either. I made this up.)

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