"Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy?"
Yun Liyue frowned slightly, clearly not too familiar with the name.
"It's one of the most famous Dao academies in the Horn Constellation Realm," Cheng Junyi explained. "The cultivators there might not be the strongest, but their research into all kinds of technical Daos is extremely profound. The founder of the academy hails from the Grand Yan Dao Palace, an existence renowned across the Myriad Worlds."
She paused briefly, her voice steady. "He was once the Alchemy Elder of the Grand Yan Dao Palace. Unfortunately, a great calamity struck him later. His cultivation was crippled, and he could only survive by relying on his divine body. Even so, his mastery of the Alchemy remained unmatched. Later, he joined forces with several other deities who shared similar fates and together they founded the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy."
Yun Liyue's expression grew more serious.
"If the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy settles in Western Luo, it would definitely not be good for Great Zhou," Cheng Junyi said solemnly.
"Madam Cheng, then what can we do to win over the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy?" Yun Liyue asked.
"Mo Dao'an, the Sect Master of the Wheel-Turning Sect, has an exceptionally close relationship with one of the high-ranking figures in the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy," Cheng Junyi replied. "Under normal circumstances, Great Zhou would have no chance."
She turned her gaze to Yang Cheng and smiled faintly. "But since Cheng'er is here, I believe Great Zhou might yet have hope."
After a short pause, she continued, "The Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy's core branch is the Alchemy Division. If Cheng'er can impress them with his Alchemy achievements, there's a real possibility the academy might change its mind about where to settle."
Yun Liyue's brows furrowed with worry. "You mean Cheng'er would have to go to the Horn Constellation Realm?"
The thought alone filled her with unease.
"That won't be necessary," Cheng Junyi said. "About a month from now, the people of the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy will come to the Wasteland Realm to choose a location. Among them will be the Dean of the Pill Division, Chen Jimin."
She continued, "At the border between Great Zhou's Mozhou and Western Luo lies a mountain called the Qilin Volcano. The earthfire there is immensely powerful. The Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy intends to extract that earthfire to serve as the foundation for their new academy. During that time, they'll also assess the Alchemy talents of the Wasteland Realm. If Cheng'er can astonish Chen Jimin with his Alchemy Mastery, it might just persuade them to choose Great Zhou instead."
Hearing that, Yun Liyue finally breathed a sigh of relief. "If that's the case, then Cheng'er should go and try."
Yang Cheng, however, believed his chances were far higher than Cheng Junyi realized.
With his knowledge of the future, he knew that the founder of the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy would descend upon the western region of the Wasteland Realm in the near future.
Though he didn't know the exact moment, he knew the general location and timeframe. That alone made finding the founder highly possible.
Cheng Junyi's visit had given him a significant advantage—she had revealed the precise timing. From this, Yang Cheng could deduce that the founder was most likely to arrive within the next month.
That would make locating him much easier.
'That founder would later create the renowned Myriad Phenomena Alchemy Canon,' Yang Cheng thought to himself. 'I might not have memorized the entire Alchemy Canon, but I do know several of its core theories. With that knowledge, I have a solid chance of earning his admiration.'
Chen Jimin's position was high, but he was nowhere near the level of the academy's founder.
Yang Cheng had no intention of settling for second best—why flatter Chen Jimin when he could aim for the very top?
Besides, he didn't like Chen Jimin at all.
That man was notoriously arrogant, looking down on all cultivators from the Wasteland Realm.
He had strong ties to Western Luo and held open disdain for Great Zhou.
To say he was hostile would be giving him too much credit—he simply didn't think Great Zhou was worthy of his enmity.
The next day, Yang Cheng set out for Mozhou.
Of course, he wouldn't rely solely on himself. He also mobilized Great Zhou's intelligence network.
If the founder of the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy truly descended upon the Wasteland Realm, there was no way it would leave no trace.
With Great Zhou's intelligence agents searching, finding clues about the founder's whereabouts would be much easier.
That was the power of authority.
If it were an ordinary person, even knowing such information would be meaningless—they could only rely on luck.
The Western Region wasn't exactly vast, but it wasn't small either—spanning hundreds of thousands of square kilometers. To find someone there by luck alone was nearly impossible.
But for Yang Cheng, that wasn't a problem.
Three days later, one of his subordinates came to report that an old man had been seen at the edge of the desert.
The old man had spoken briefly with a passing merchant caravan, and his accent was unlike anything they had ever heard.
Yang Cheng's eyes lit up slightly. He felt certain this was the one he was looking for.
Two more days passed.
Amid the endless sea of sand, Yang Cheng didn't rush. Instead, he treated the journey as a form of cultivation.
According to his deduction, that founder wouldn't wander aimlessly—he must have a purpose.
Since the man was an alchemist, he was most likely searching for earthfire or medicinal ingredients.
"The Qilin Volcano already has earthfire," Yang Cheng murmured. "So it's probably not that. Most likely, he's after spirit herbs."
A thought stirred in his mind. In this very desert, there was a region that, in the future, would be known for a rare discovery—Ancient Desert Cistanche.
That was an incredibly precious medicinal herb and seemed to be native only to the Great Zhou desert.
Without hesitation, Yang Cheng headed straight for that area.
He stopped at a dried-up ancient riverbed.
Not far ahead, he saw an old man in coarse hemp robes.
When Yang Cheng appeared, the old man looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. "Young man, what brings you alone into this desert?"
"Cultivation," Yang Cheng said calmly.
He didn't try to flatter the man, maintaining an equal and composed demeanor.
For this encounter, his mindset was simple—go with the flow.
If the other party was decent, there was no need for fawning. They could become acquaintances naturally.
If the person turned out to be scheming, no amount of flattery would help anyway.
Besides, Yang Cheng wasn't the kind to stoop to sycophancy.
"And how exactly do you cultivate?" the old man asked curiously.
"The path is beneath my feet," Yang Cheng replied.
The old man's eyes brightened with amusement. "What an interesting answer—'the path is beneath my feet.' But tell me, do you truly understand it, or are you just parroting pretty words?"
Yang Cheng didn't respond. Instead, he walked over to the riverbed.
He wasn't bluffing.
After walking through the vast desert for days, his heart had genuinely undergone a kind of purification.
As he gazed at the cracked earth of the ancient river, he could feel the weight of time itself—how the world changed, how seas turned into fields and back again.
Then, he sat cross-legged on the spot.
The hot wind swept over his head, carrying sand that stung like needles, yet Yang Cheng sat perfectly still, eyes closed. His thoughts surged and calmed in turn, shifting between turbulence and serenity.
Strangely, though he sat right there, it was as if he no longer existed—his presence blended seamlessly with the world around him.
The old man grew even more astonished. He muttered under his breath, "A heart as pure as a newborn's, a will as unyielding as steel… weathered by time, yet washed clean of vanity. He looks so young, and yet possesses such a profound state of mind. I never thought I'd meet such an interesting youth in this desolate realm."
He didn't disturb Yang Cheng and continued searching around the area instead.
Before long, he stopped.
"Indeed, there's Ancient Desert Cistanche here," he said with delight.
So it was—one old, one young. The old man searched for spirit herbs, while the youth sat lost in cultivation.
But the Ancient Desert Cistanche was notoriously tricky—it could move on its own, slipping away like a burrowing creature.
The old man spent a great deal of effort, and after three days, finally dug up two stalks of it.
Without paying any attention to Yang Cheng nearby, he impatiently began refining one of the fresh herbs into a pill.
Just then, Yang Cheng opened his eyes.
"You're refining a Ziwei Clear Heart Pill, aren't you?" he said evenly.
The old man chuckled. "Oh? So the young one knows alchemy too?"
Yang Cheng replied, "Just a bit. But the method you're using has a flaw."
The old man's smile froze. "Such arrogance for a mere boy," he said with clear irritation.