Journey to the Black-Corner Region

"You want to go to the Black Corner Region?" Elder Huo frowned, looking at his beloved disciple with a headache.

This disciple of his was good in every way, except he could be a little restless at times. The year before, Xiao Ming had joined the Enforcement Team behind his back, making him furious.

Now Xiao Ming had come to say he wanted to go to the Black Corner Region. What was so good about that place? Its rules had collapsed into utter chaos, and everyone there was ruthless and vicious. At Xiao Ming's age, how could he withstand all those schemes and intrigues? Wasn't this sheer nonsense?

"No, I don't agree!" Elder Huo said, blowing his beard and glaring.

"Your cultivation is still too low. Wait a few more years until you're older, then I'll let you go out. By then, I won't stop you even if you want to go to the Central Plains, let alone the Black Corner Region."

"But I'm already a Da Dou Shi! That isn't low anymore." Xiao Ming spoke helplessly as Dou Qi surged from within him, forming black armor around his entire body to prove that he was telling the truth.

"The academy organizes trips to the Black Corner Region for students every year. With my cultivation, I'm already among the best of them all. Nothing will happen."

"You've already become a Da Dou Shi?" Elder Huo was somewhat surprised, but after thinking it over, he realized this speed was actually quite normal.

At Jia Nan Academy, it was not uncommon for students to go from Dou Zhe to Da Dou Shi in two years. There were always a few every year. Given Xiao Ming's talent, this pace was actually a little slow.

Xiao Ming had spent most of his time on alchemy. Going from a complete novice to a Grade Three Alchemist in two years naturally required much more effort. If not for medicinal pills assisting his cultivation, Xiao Ming might not even have reached Da Dou Shi.

A Da Dou Shi could not be considered a pillar of any faction in the Black Corner Region, but they could still be called a backbone force—a genuine minor expert. With this strength, Xiao Ming's trip would indeed be much less dangerous.

Thus, Elder Huo was somewhat swayed. He was not some stubborn old fool; he knew that training in the Black Corner Region had its benefits. Otherwise, the academy would not send people there every year. Before, he had merely thought Xiao Ming's strength was too weak and his age too young.

Seeing a hint of hesitation in Elder Huo's expression, Xiao Ming immediately pressed harder.

"Don't worry, Teacher. I'll only travel around some of the nearby cities and gain some experience fighting enemies. You wouldn't want me to get beaten senseless by someone at the same level in the future, would you?"

"How could it be that exaggerated? How about this—I'll agree to let you join the Enforcement Team?"

"Wouldn't taking a trip around Jia Nan City be about the same as joining the Enforcement Team?"

"You brat..." After Xiao Ming nagged him for quite a while, Elder Huo finally relented. He said with a helpless expression, "Fine. You can go to the Black Corner Region, but remember, you only have one month. Come back after a month. The Inner Academy Selection Competition will be held then, so don't miss it."

"Understood. Thank you, Teacher."

Looking at Xiao Ming's delighted expression, Elder Huo kept shaking his head. A flash of white light came from the ring on his hand, and several Jade Bottles of different colors appeared.

Xiao Ming took the medicine bottles Elder Huo handed him and asked blankly, "Teacher, what are these?"

Actually, over the past two years, Xiao Ming's Life Simulator had run more than a hundred Life Simulations. Several of them had simulated situations like today's, but the Simulator's habits sometimes left Xiao Ming too powerless to even complain.

It often summarized an entire day in a single sentence, such as: You bid farewell to Elder Huo and left Jia Nan Academy. Some were even simpler: You left Jia Nan Academy. There were also ones that said: You left the academy behind your teacher's back.

In the end, the Life Simulator would not mark out every detail of a Life Simulation for him like a novel.

As a result, Xiao Ming only knew the rough outline of many things.

However, if the Life Simulator could lay out every detail, it should have been called a Life Script instead.

"The black Jade Bottle contains two Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills. They can allow a Da Dou Shi to break through one star. As for the yellow one, it contains Qi Accumulating Pills, which can help stabilize the unstable Dou Qi caused by successive breakthroughs."

"Originally, Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pills are much better than Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills. They have a chance of letting you break through three stars. But I gave you one before, and you've probably already eaten it. Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pills can only be taken once."

"The other medicine bottles contain Qi Recovery Medicinal Pills and healing pills that I personally refined."

Elder Huo clearly still hoped that his treasured disciple could raise his strength a little more before going out.

"Teacher..." Xiao Ming was deeply moved. Thinking about it, most of the medicinal pills he had taken to aid his cultivation so far had been prepared by Elder Huo.

These pills had clearly been prepared by Elder Huo long ago. He had even prepared Qi Accumulating Pills to stabilize his cultivation, having considered everything thoroughly.

"When you're out there, remember to be careful, especially in the Black Corner..."

Before Xiao Ming could be moved for long, Elder Huo began imparting his experience of traveling the world again.

Xiao Ming was not impatient and listened quietly.

Yet as he listened, he vaguely felt that he had experienced this scene somewhere before.

After bidding farewell to Elder Huo, Xiao Ming went to see Instructor Ge Hu.

There was no problem with the Alchemy Department's classes after speaking with Elder Huo, but aside from the Alchemy Department, he was also a student in Instructor Ge Hu's class. Since Xiao Ming was leaving, he naturally had to ask Instructor Ge Hu for leave.

Ge Hu's initial reaction was much the same as Elder Huo's. He refused.

"The academy's arranged training period has already passed. I can't let you leave."

Ge Hu had an excellent impression of the genius Xiao Ming. He was humble and upright, without the arrogance common among geniuses. He treated others kindly and did not bully the weak. In short, he was full of virtues.

Unfortunately, Xiao Ming was still too young. For Xiao Ming's sake, Ge Hu hoped he would grow older before going to the Black Corner Region, so he naturally refused Xiao Ming's request.

However resolute Instructor Ge Hu's attitude had been, he ultimately compromised after seeing Xiao Ming's strength.

After all, Jia Nan Academy's instructors were only Da Dou Shi. Xiao Ming was already at the same level as him.

How could he joke that Xiao Ming was too weak to go out?

Besides, Elder Huo had already agreed. What reason did Ge Hu have to refuse?

After Ge Hu thoroughly reminded him to return before the Inner Academy Selection Competition, Xiao Ming disguised himself and set off.

Xiao Ming had no intention of taking the pills Elder Huo gave him just yet. He felt it would be better to wait until his cultivation was more stable.

Three days later.

Green Rock Town.

A short figure in a black robe entered a somewhat rundown Inn.

The Inn was bustling with noise, and no one paid any attention to the black-robed figure's arrival.

In their eyes, what was so strange about someone in a black robe? They encountered dozens of black-robed people every day. This one was merely a little shorter.

"Oh, sir, are you here to eat or stay the night?"

A fierce-looking, muscular man with scars on his face jogged over. When he reached Xiao Ming, he opened his eyes wide, trying to see the face hidden beneath the black robe.

"Arrange a table of food for me in the main hall, then prepare a superior room." As if he could not smell the heavy scent of blood on the man, Xiao Ming calmly replied in an aged voice he had deliberately altered.