The Real Challenge of Jia Nan Academy

After unceremoniously accepting the various gifts sent by the major families of Black Rock City, Su Luo thought for a moment, then took several dozen bottles of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid from his Storage Ring.

"Thank you all for your generosity. This is the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid I refined. Though it is only a Second-grade Pill in terms of grade, it is one of the few medicines that can be used by cultivators at the Dou Qi stage."

"All you need to do is prepare a barrel of warm water and add a certain amount of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. For those below the eighth stage Dou Qi, it will greatly increase their cultivation speed. However, take note: its cultivation boost is no longer significant for those who have reached the eighth stage Dou Qi."

"This..."

Upon hearing Su Luo's explanation of the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, the many Family Heads of Black Rock City could not help but grow eager.

Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid had not shown its true value in the original story only because time had been limited.

But if this thing had appeared earlier, and a family had obtained a few bottles, they could have fully used it to create an eighth stage Dou Qi cultivator under the age of ten. And if someone reached the eighth stage Dou Qi at ten, then with Qi Gathering Powder, it would be entirely possible to artificially produce a Dou Zhe by the age of twelve.

Once one reached the Dou Zhe stage, one could rely on cultivation methods and pills. A twelve-year-old Dou Zhe supplemented by cultivation methods and pills could reach Dou Master at around fourteen without any problem.

If someone could reach the Dou Master realm at fourteen, then as long as he was sent to Jia Nan Academy and allowed to come into contact with its cultivation methods and Dou techniques, the family might even produce a Dou Wang expert in the future.

The possibility of becoming a Dou Wang family was simply too tempting for these families of the Gamma Empire.

"Then we must thank you, Master."

The Family Heads of Black Rock City accepted the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid Su Luo had brought out, distributing the bottles according to how many resources each family had contributed.

Not long afterward, Su Luo received another, even larger sum of funds.

Previously, uncertain of Su Luo's temperament and worried that trying to build goodwill in advance might go to waste, many families had not contributed much in the way of resources. But once the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid capable of nurturing geniuses appeared, many immediately regretted not having offered more.

Under such circumstances, the second batch of funds arrived.

However, compared with the first batch, Su Luo could only owe them the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid for the second batch of funds for now.

He had already taken out all the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid he had left. Since Su Luo did not particularly want to refine more right now, those people could only wait.

Many regretted not bringing out their good things during the first wave, but regret was useless. Their status naturally did not allow them to force a Third-grade Alchemist to refine pills, especially one who was such a highly talented Third-grade Alchemist.

After collecting a huge wave of resources from Black Rock City's many major families, Su Luo went to the Alchemist Guild.

With many prominent figures from Black Rock City serving as witnesses, Su Luo skipped the examinations for First-grade and Second-grade Alchemists and directly took the test for Third-grade Alchemist.

After such long-term practice, Su Luo already possessed the qualifications to refine Third-grade Pills. Since the requirement for a Third-grade Alchemist was merely to casually refine one Third-grade Pill, Su Luo naturally chose the Third-grade Qi Replenishing Pill, which he had frequently refined recently.

After successfully forming the pill on his very first attempt, Su Luo received the Third-grade Alchemist badge and the robe belonging to a Third-grade Alchemist.

"Think of it—us two old men have competed our entire lives, yet we've only just entered the ranks of Fourth-grade Alchemists. Who would have thought that a little fellow like you would reach Third-grade Alchemist so easily? It really makes one..."

Otto clicked his tongue twice, his voice full of envy.

Frank beside him was much the same. When Xiao Yan first met them in the original story, he had only been taking the examination for Second-grade Alchemist. Back then, they had still carried themselves like seniors before Xiao Yan. But when Su Luo came for his first examination, he was already testing for Third-grade Alchemist—and he had truly refined a Third-grade Pill. How could they not envy him?

Su Luo smiled sheepishly. "Just luck."

"Heh, stop calling it luck. Do you think us two old men don't know what has been happening in Black Rock City? This isn't your first time refining a Third-grade Pill, is it? To have this level of skill at fifteen—you really are a monster."

In response to Frank's teasing and his mention of being fifteen, Su Luo merely smiled. He did not dwell on the subject and instead brought up the purpose of his visit.

"Masters, I would like to go to Jia Nan Academy for further study. Could you perhaps help introduce me?"

Although he was now a Third-grade Alchemist, Su Luo's network of connections was still severely lacking, so he could only place his hopes on the people of the Alchemist Guild.

"Jia Nan Academy? They'll be recruiting in two years. With your talent in alchemy, do you even need our recommendation? A fifteen-year-old Third-grade Alchemist—if even you can't enter Jia Nan Academy, then there probably aren't many people in this world who can." Otto spoke in surprise.

"Masters, of course I know Jia Nan Academy will come to recruit in two years. But for certain special reasons, I want to go to Jia Nan Academy and study as soon as possible. Could you please help recommend me?"

Otto and Frank exchanged glances, then slowly shook their heads. "Sorry. Although we would very much like to help you, the two of us have only just entered the Fourth-grade Alchemist level. While Fourth-grade Alchemists receive treatment equivalent to the Dou Wang level wherever they go, Dou Wang experts are not uncommon in Jia Nan Academy. If we were people of Jia Nan Academy, we might still be able to say something. But the problem is that we are not from Jia Nan Academy, and we have not had much contact with them. With your talent, entering Jia Nan Academy would not be a problem, but I'm afraid our letter of recommendation would not even reach Jia Nan Academy, much less get someone there to come receive you."

"Then could you introduce me to someone who can get in contact with Jia Nan Academy?"

Otto shook his head. "Sorry. Jia Nan Academy is a holy land for the surrounding hundreds of empires and even forces from other places. With the power of the Gamma Empire, neither the royal family, the Misty Cloud Sect, nor the Alchemist Guild is qualified to have Jia Nan Academy send someone specifically to receive them. There is something we are reluctant to admit: although forces like the Misty Cloud Sect are indeed overlords within the Gamma Empire, before Jia Nan Academy, which is backed by hundreds of empires, the forces of the Gamma Empire truly carry little weight."

After Otto finished speaking, Frank unusually did not argue with him. "Actually, given your circumstances, once you reach Jia Nan Academy, they will certainly accept you. Just as Otto said, the real problem you need to face is how you will get there. Jia Nan Academy is located in the chaotic Black Corner Region. Either you have a Flying Magical Beast representing Jia Nan Academy to assist you, or a famous force from the Black Corner Region to suppress the area, or you need the protection of a Dou Wang expert to make the journey. Don't think a Dou Master or Da Dou Shi can cross the Black Corner Region. That would be nothing but seeking death."

"I understand." Su Luo nodded. In the original story, Xiao Yan had crossed the Black Corner Region with the strength of a Da Dou Shi because he had Medicine Elder as his trump card. If Su Luo tried to cross the Black Corner Region with the strength of a Dou Zhe, even with the Otherworld Gate, it would likely still be a near-certain death.

"The protection of a Dou Wang expert... that really is difficult." Su Luo frowned deeply. For the moment, he truly could not think of any Dou Wang from the original story who could come help him.