Preparing to Refine Pills!

Class Four Classroom.

"Hello, Class Monitor. Hello, Sister Nannan." When the Class Four students saw Zhu Ziyang, they all took the initiative to greet him. Over the past month, Zhu Ziyang had already established considerable authority in Class Four. Meanwhile, Jiang Nannan had earned the respect of most students with her record of five consecutive victories in practical lessons.

The two of them smiled as they responded to everyone.

The class bell rang, and Xia Yu entered the classroom.

"A new month has begun. I hope those of you who remain will continue working hard," Xia Yu said as usual before officially beginning the lesson.

Over the past month, after five rounds of combat assessments, Class Four now had only ninety-five students left. Four students had been expelled by Xia Yu due to losing every match. Since students had already been expelled, everyone in Class Four now felt a sense of urgency.

No one was dissatisfied with Xia Yu, because compared to the head teachers of the other classes, Xia Yu was practically an angel. Among the other classes, Class Two had expelled the fewest students, with only seven leaving, while Class One had expelled the most—a full seventeen people! What was most terrifying was that all seventeen had left in a single day, thoroughly frightening the students of the other classes.

It was truly terrifying!

The morning lessons ended quickly, and Zhu Ziyang went to find Xia Yu.

"...So Tang Ya went to hunt for her second Soul Ring? Fine, then I won't count her as absent without leave!" Xia Yu said with a smile. He took out a sheet of paper and handed it to Zhu Ziyang, instructing, "This is this month's grouping list. Announce it this afternoon, and cross Tang Ya's name off. After all, I said that anyone who broke through in cultivation wouldn't need to participate in practical combat lessons."

"Got it." Zhu Ziyang accepted the list and replied.

"Here, this is what you wanted." Xia Yu then took out a Soul Guidance Ring and tossed it to Zhu Ziyang. "Remember to return the ring to me."

"You got it so quickly?!" Zhu Ziyang caught the ring in surprise. "I will. Thanks, Brother Yu!"

"All right, go on!" Xia Yu smiled and waved him away. "If you manage to refine any pills, remember to let me see them. I want to see whether your neglecting your proper studies is worth it."

"Hehehe!" Zhu Ziyang chuckled as he left the office.

"Brother, how did it go? Teacher Xia didn't blame Xiaoya, did he?" Jiang Nannan walked over, wrapped her arms around Zhu Ziyang's arm, and asked.

"No. Brother Yu is pretty easy to talk to," Zhu Ziyang said.

"Mhm, I think so too. Teacher Xia really is a good person!" Jiang Nannan nodded and said with a smile.

If Xia Yu knew that such a cute young girl had given him a good person card, he would definitely have been delighted.

Evening.

New Student Dormitory Building.

"Brother, see you tomorrow. I'm going back to cultivate," Jiang Nannan said to Zhu Ziyang.

"Mhm! Go on," Zhu Ziyang nodded.

Over the past month, it was not only Tang Ya who had made a breakthrough. Jiang Nannan had also advanced from Rank 25 to Rank 26. As for Zhu Ziyang, his realm was higher, and because of his twin Ultimate Martial Souls, he required more soul power to advance. His cultivation speed was inevitably somewhat slower, but fortunately, the Great Light Mantra ensured that his soul power continued to grow at a steady pace, so it was not too bad. Thus, his Soul Power Level remained Rank 35.

After Jiang Nannan left, Zhu Ziyang returned to his own dormitory as well.

Inside the dormitory, Zhu Ziyang took out the spatial ring Xia Yu had given him and removed its contents one by one. Other than the alchemy materials he had asked Xia Yu to purchase, there was nothing else.

That was right—alchemy materials.

After a month of preparation, Zhu Ziyang had learned all the theoretical knowledge of alchemy. All that remained was practical experience. After finding a pill formula for a cultivation-aiding pill, he had gone straight to Shrek City to purchase alchemy materials without any hesitation.

He had specifically looked into it. There were more than ten merchant associations in Shrek City. Aside from super-large merchant associations like Treasure Gathering Pavilion, which held an exceptional status, the remaining merchant associations were led by the Five Great Merchant Associations. Those five were all large merchant associations second only to Treasure Gathering Pavilion: the Nine Treasures Merchant Association, Heavenly Soul Merchant Association, Soul Spirit Merchant Association, Star Luo Merchant Association, and Flowing Cloud Merchant Association. Among them, the Nine Treasures Merchant Association was a branch of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's main Nine Treasures Merchant Association in Shrek City. The Heavenly Soul Merchant Association, Soul Spirit Merchant Association, and Star Luo Merchant Association had each been established with the support of the royal families and nobility of the Three Great Empires. Only the Flowing Cloud Merchant Association seemed to have no backing whatsoever.

But how could that be possible? How could a merchant association capable of establishing itself in Shrek City and seizing market share from Treasure Gathering Pavilion, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and the three merchant associations backed by the Three Great Empires possibly have no supporter behind it? Sure enough, after Zhu Ziyang deliberately paid attention, he heard a rumor that the founder of the Flowing Cloud Merchant Association was the illegitimate son of a former dean of Shrek Academy...

Whether that rumor was true or not, there was no doubt that the Flowing Cloud Merchant Association was backed by Shrek Academy.

Since it was a merchant association supported by Shrek Academy, Zhu Ziyang, as a student of Shrek Academy, naturally had no reason not to choose it. Besides, although the Flowing Cloud Merchant Association was one of the largest merchant associations in Shrek City, its prices were the most affordable. It had the lowest average prices for goods among the Five Great Merchant Associations. That alone gave Zhu Ziyang no reason to choose anyone else.

When he went to the Flowing Cloud Merchant Association to purchase alchemy materials, he happened to run into Xia Yu.

That was right, Xia Yu—his head teacher. Only then did Zhu Ziyang learn that Xia Yu was not only a teacher at Shrek Academy, but also the eldest young master of the Flowing Cloud Merchant Association! Good grief. He had known Xia Yu was rich, but he had not expected him to be that rich.

Xia Yu was also surprised to see Zhu Ziyang and asked about it. Zhu Ziyang did not think much of it and told Xia Yu that he wanted to refine pills to make money. To his surprise, Xia Yu became very interested the moment he heard this and immediately offered to sponsor Zhu Ziyang's alchemy for free.

While delighted, Zhu Ziyang naturally became wary as well. Free things were often the most expensive. He immediately asked why, only for Xia Yu to say that he simply found it interesting!

Good grief, Zhu Ziyang could only call it good grief. He could casually spend a fortune just because he found it interesting.

Just like that, he easily saved one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins and even got a Soul Guidance Alchemy Furnace and a large batch of alchemy materials for free.

With his recollection over, Zhu Ziyang began inspecting the alchemy materials.

"This is a Millennium Gathering Essence Flower?!" Zhu Ziyang picked up a pale white flower with yellow spots and opened his mouth in surprise. "Didn't I ask for a Hundred-Year Gathering Essence Flower? A Millennium Gathering Essence Flower should cost at least five thousand Gold Soul Coins each, right?"

"Millennium Jade Ganoderma, Millennium Astragalus Grass, Hundred-Year Sacred Origin Fruit, Millennium Green Grain Beast Essence Blood..." Zhu Ziyang examined the alchemy materials Xia Yu had sent one by one, growing increasingly surprised and delighted.

The quality of these materials was generally one or two grades higher than what he had planned for. Their prices had increased by at least five times! According to Zhu Ziyang's original standards, these materials would have cost at most fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins, but now they were worth at least two hundred and fifty thousand!

"This is quite a favor I owe..." Light flickered in Zhu Ziyang's eyes as he calculated inwardly while speaking aloud.

Then, his gaze shifted to the alchemy furnace beside him. His expression was calm, and his eyes were tranquil.

Time to refine pills!