Before visiting Elder Huo, Lin Yuan deliberately brought Qing Lin to the small courtyard where he had once lived in the Outer Academy. The academy had intentionally preserved this courtyard; it was neat and clean. Every blade of grass and every tree within the yard brimmed with vitality, exuding a fresh and tranquil atmosphere.
Qing Lin looked around, curiosity flickering in her eyes. She wanted to understand Lin Yuan's past more deeply, and naturally felt great interest in the place where he had once lived.
"Young Master, is this where you used to live?" Qing Lin asked softly, her voice carrying a hint of delight.
Lin Yuan nodded, a trace of nostalgia showing in his eyes as he replied gently, "Mm. Though it was a bit simple, I spent many unforgettable days here."
Hearing this, Qing Lin walked over and sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, intending to stay a little longer and personally experience the life Lin Yuan had once lived.
Seeing her interest, Lin Yuan told her to make herself comfortable in the courtyard. He then turned and left, heading to the Alchemy Department to visit Elder Huo, the elder who had provided him with tremendous help on his path to becoming an alchemist.
Passing through familiar corridors, Lin Yuan arrived at Elder Huo's door. He straightened his robes and knocked respectfully.
"Come in," came a voice from within, carrying a hint of anticipation, as if the speaker had already sensed Lin Yuan's presence.
Lin Yuan pushed the door open and entered. Elder Huo was seated behind a broad desk, holding a thick book, smiling as he looked over.
Lin Yuan bowed and said, "Teacher Huo."
Elder Huo set the book aside and said with a smile, "Lin Yuan, so you really have returned. Sit."
Lin Yuan took a seat opposite him. Elder Huo carefully examined and sensed him. With Lin Yuan making no effort to conceal anything, Elder Huo easily detected the tremendous progress in both his cultivation and soul strength, and could not help but feel gratified.
"Lin Yuan, your rate of progress truly exceeds my expectations. It seems this year of tempering has brought you great gains," Elder Huo said with a sigh.
Lin Yuan smiled modestly. "I merely encountered a few fortuitous opportunities."
Elder Huo waved his hand. "No need to be overly modest. Opportunities and luck are also part of one's strength. However, there seems to be an extremely powerful flame hidden within your body, even my seventh-grade beast flame faintly submits to it. Could it be that you…?"
Hearing this, Lin Yuan nodded calmly. "Teacher Huo has sharp senses. I did indeed subdue a Heavenly Flame, the Green Lotus Core Flame, ranked nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. I was fortunate enough to obtain it through a chance encounter."
Elder Huo's eyes flashed with surprise. Though he had harbored suspicions, he had not expected Lin Yuan to truly have subdued a Heavenly Flame. He exclaimed with emotion, "This is an immense blessing! With a Heavenly Flame to assist you, your path as an alchemist will surely be far smoother. It seems your alchemy has already broken through the Sixth-Grade, hasn't it?"
Lin Yuan nodded. "Yes, Teacher Huo. At present, I should be considered a High-Tier Sixth-Grade alchemist."
Upon hearing this, Elder Huo revealed a look of astonishment. High-Tier Sixth-Grade? You've already far surpassed me. It seems your experiences outside truly brought you many opportunities and great harvests." He spoke meaningfully, without probing further.
Elder Huo understood well that everyone had their own secrets, and he knew what should and should not be asked.
Lin Yuan smiled without saying more. He took out the gift he had prepared—a stack of handwritten notes and handed them to Elder Huo. These notes contained his insights and experiences from the alchemy process, recording his thoughts, techniques, and methods formed through extensive practice.
In addition, a portion of the contents came from the Eighth-Grade alchemist inheritance he had obtained. Though only a part of it, for Elder Huo—who was currently bottlenecked between the Fifth and Sixth-Grade, it was an extremely valuable resource.
"This is…?"
"Teacher Huo, this is a small token of my respect. It may be of some help to you and the Alchemy Department."
"Oh?" Elder Huo took the notes and began to flip through them. The more he read, the greater the delight on his face.
Lin Yuan stood quietly to the side, not disturbing him.
Before long, Elder Huo closed the notes and looked at Lin Yuan with a complicated expression. In a deep voice, he said, "Lin Yuan, your alchemy has truly far surpassed mine. With such outstanding talent, it's hard to imagine how dazzling your future will be. Thanks to you, the alchemy of Jia Nan Academy will rise to a new level."
Lin Yuan smiled humbly. "Teacher Huo overpraises me. This student has merely done what should be done. Moreover, I am also a member of the Alchemy Department—it is only right that I contribute to it."
"Additionally, I plan to refine the Sovereign Emperor Pill in the Inner Academy soon. If Teacher Huo has time, you are welcome to come and observe."
Hearing this, Elder Huo's eyes flashed with surprise. The Sovereign Emperor Pill was among the finest of Sixth-Grade pills; its ingredients were rare, and the refining process was exceptionally complex. He understood Lin Yuan's intent, this was an attempt to lend him a hand and help him break through the bottleneck of a Sixth-Grade alchemist.
He smiled warmly and patted Lin Yuan on the shoulder. "Good. When you refine the Sovereign Emperor Pill, this old man will certainly be there."
After conversing for a while longer, Lin Yuan took his leave.
When Lin Yuan returned to his small courtyard in the Outer Academy, Qing Lin was cultivating on a cushion in the yard. "Isn't this the very spot where I once broke through to the Dou Grandmaster stage?"
At this moment, Qing Lin's aura surged, as if she could break through the thin barrier of Nine-Star Dou Master at any time.
"It's time," Lin Yuan thought. He took out a cyan-and-white pill from his storage ring—the Spirit Origin Marrow-Cleansing Pill.
The Spirit Origin Marrow-Cleansing Pill was a peak fourth-rank pill. It could cleanse the meridians, making one's Dou Qi purer and increasing the chances of breakthrough. For Dou Master, consuming it could consolidate the foundation, stabilize an increase of one star, and lay the groundwork for future breakthroughs.
"Qing'er, take this pill," Lin Yuan's voice reached her ears. She immediately opened her mouth and swallowed the pill he fed her.
As the pill entered her stomach and its medicinal power spread, Qing Lin's cultivation surged forward like a breaking tide, breaking through Nine-Star Dou Master and continuing to rise without stopping.
"This girl intends to break straight into the Dou Grandmaster Realm? That's fine—her accumulation is more than sufficient," Lin Yuan immediately understood her intent.
Before long, the tremendous accumulation bestowed upon Qing Lin by the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils drawn from snake-type magical beasts was catalyzed by the Spirit Origin Marrow-Cleansing Pill, allowing her to smash through the Dou Grandmaster barrier in one unstoppable push. Her cultivation stabilized at One-Star Dou Grandmaster, and the quality of her Dou Qi was far purer than that of ordinary Dou Grandmaster.
After successfully breaking through, Qing Lin rose happily and said to Lin Yuan, "Young Master, I've broken through to Dou Grandmaster!"
"Mm. Qing'er truly is impressive. And by the way, I also broke through to Dou Grandmaster right where you're sitting," Lin Yuan said with a blink, smiling lightly.
"Ah! Young Master also broke through to Dou Grandmaster here?" Qing Lin exclaimed softly, then seemed to think of something, the smile at the corner of her lips growing even brighter.
"Mm. We should be heading to the Inner Academy tomorrow, and you'll most likely be visiting the Library Pavilion as well. So take today to relax properly," Lin Yuan said, a deeper meaning entering his tone.
"The Library Pavilion?" Qing Lin looked puzzled.
"Don't worry about it. Just remember this—choose something with the strongest energy fluctuations possible. As for the rest, let fate decide." As he spoke, Lin Yuan beckoned Qing Lin to sit at the stone table. He took out several snacks she liked from his storage ring, along with a jug of spirit wine. "I know you have many things you're curious about, many things you want to ask. Come over—today, I can tell you some of them."
Qing Lin did as he said and sat beside Lin Yuan. Under the moonlight, the two chatted leisurely.
At this moment, in front of the Jia Nan Academy Library Pavilion, five heavyweight figures stood quietly.
They were the Outer Academy Vice Principal Hu Qian; the Inner Academy First Elder, Su Qian; the head of the Alchemy Department, Elder Huo; and the academy's guardians, two Nine-Star Dou Ancestor experts, Qian Mu and Bai Lie.
Su Qian was the first to break the silence. "Hu Qian, you summoned us so urgently—what important matter is this?" The others also turned their gazes toward Hu Qian.
Hu Qian took a deep breath, a solemn expression appearing on his face. "Everyone, Lin Yuan has returned. But more importantly, he has brought back a young girl named Qing Lin who possesses the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. She's around fourteen or fifteen years old, yet already an Eight-Star Dou Master capable of controlling Fifth-Grade magical beasts. According to Lin Yuan, Qing Lin is an orphan, and he hopes she can join Jia Nan Academy."
As soon as these words fell, everyone was shaken. All of them were well-informed individuals who naturally understood the terrifying nature of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
Qian Mu and Bai Lie, in particular, felt this deeply. As the academy's guardians, they were attempting to break through the bottleneck to the Dou Venerate realm and knew better than anyone how difficult that step was. Thus, they were even more aware of the immense value of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, which could allow one to advance straight toward Dou Venerate.
Qian Mu inhaled deeply and said slowly, "The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils hold limitless potential. Judging from past records, if we nurture her properly, she has a very high chance of breaking through to Dou Venerate realm within twenty years or even ten. This is undoubtedly a tremendous boon for Jia Nan Academy."
Hu Qian nodded and said in a deep voice, "That's exactly what I think, so I've already agreed. Additionally, Qing Lin relies heavily on Lin Yuan. I intend to include her in the 'Elite Forging Plan' that Lin Yuan once participated in and have her enter the Inner Academy together with him."
Su Qian and Elder Huo exchanged a glance and both nodded. They knew that Lin Yuan was the most outstanding student Jia Nan Academy had produced in recent years—one of the academy's core figures and its future pillar. Since Qing Lin depended on him, placing the two together was undoubtedly the best choice.
"That's fine. Have Lin Yuan bring Qing Lin to the Inner Academy, I'll keep an eye on them," Su Qian said in a low voice.
Bai Lie recalled Lin Yuan and couldn't help but sigh. "Lin Yuan, huh? That little fellow who once took the Life-Devouring Pill. Who would've thought he'd reach this stage today?"
"That's right," Elder Huo continued, his tone tinged with pride. "He's already at the peak of Dou King now. This time, he should be preparing to break through to Dou Emperor. Moreover, he's found an Heavenly Flame and has become a Sixth-Grade High-Tier alchemist. His future potential is limitless."
Bai Lie couldn't help but marvel. "Oh? An Heavenly Flame, and a Sixth-Grade alchemist? To achieve such progress in such a short time—truly impressive. A seventeen-year-old peak Dou King who's also a Sixth-Grade High-Tier alchemist—even in Central Plains, such a figure is exceedingly rare. If that old fellow Mang Tianchi knew, he'd probably boast about it endlessly."
Bai Lie continued, "Hu Qian, let Qing Lin come to the Library Pavilion tomorrow to select a reward. At the same time, let old Qian and me take a look at her aptitude."
Hu Qian nodded. "Understood."
Bai Lie then chuckled mischievously. "Hehe, if the Heavenly Serpent Mansion finds out about this, I really wonder what their expressions will be like. After searching for the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils for so many years, it ends up belonging to our Jia Nan Academy."
Hearing this, Qian Mu frowned slightly and reminded him, "Old Bai, restrain that bad habit of yours. The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils are connected to far more than just the Heavenly Serpent Mansion—they also involve those magical beast clans from the Beast Domain. Before Qing Lin truly grows up, we must strictly seal all news about her."
"I know, you're really stiff."
"That settles the matter. Everyone, disperse."
As Qian Mu's voice fell, the figures present gradually vanished, and the area returned to silence once more.
The next day, under the guidance of the Vice Principal, Qing Lin arrived before the ancient, unadorned Library Pavilion.
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