Jia Nan Academy Recruitment

Jia Nan Academy Recruitment

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Every day, aside from cultivating, Xiao Ling spent his time accompanying Xiao Xun'er on trips around town.

Early in the morning, when the sky was only just beginning to brighten, Xiao Ling opened his eyes, got up and dressed, then left the small courtyard.

He had deliberately risen early because he was afraid there would be too many people registering later. Waiting in line would be far too troublesome.

After leaving the Xiao Family and arriving at the selection site, he found that there really were not many people there. Xiao Ling let out a sigh of relief and headed toward the tents in the plaza.

There were not many people at this point. Rather than passing through a human wall formed by soldiers as in the original story, Xiao Ling made his way directly to the registration area at the center of the plaza.

Before him stood a tall, large tent. Several young people were testing the cultivation of applicants in front of it. The requirement for registration was to be under eighteen and possess Eight Duan Dou Qi. For Xiao Ling, it was effortless.

Although quite a few people had gathered outside, this was not Jia Nan Academy's first recruitment drive, and the requirements had long since spread. Yet there were not many who were truly confident they could pass; most had simply come to watch the excitement.

"Too old. Next."

Before long, Xiao Ling also arrived before the Testing Crystal Ball.

The one conducting the test was a female student. Seeing a handsome little boy enter, who looked no older than ten, she had a good first impression of him and did not look down on him. With a bright smile, she handed him the Testing Crystal Ball.

"Little brother, this test is very simple. Just inject your Dou Qi into this crystal. As long as you have reached Eight Duan Dou Qi, it will light up. Then you'll have passed."

Xiao Ling did not hesitate. He grabbed the Crystal Ball, injected his Dou Qi into it, and once it emitted a brilliant glow, handed it back to the female student.

The female student was somewhat stunned. It had actually lit up. After all, Xiao Ling was truly far too young.

"I passed, right, big sister?"

Xiao Ling's voice pulled her out of her daze.

"Oh, you passed. But you really are a little genius!"

The female student pointed inside. "Just head in."

Xiao Ling nodded and walked into the tent. Inside were only a few newcomers who had passed, and there were not many of them. Unlike in the original story, they were not being made to stand in the sun. This greatly relieved Xiao Ling; he did not want to waste too much time on such things.

"Hehe, little fellow, your talent is quite good. Looks like I picked up a treasure today."

The sudden woman's voice drew Xiao Ling's attention, and he looked deeper inside.

In the shade of the tent stood a woman dressed in green, smiling sweetly. Her beautiful face bore a gentle smile, her eyes shimmering as she stared intently at Xiao Ling.

This should be Instructor Ruo Lin from the original story. She really is beautiful, Xiao Ling could not help but marvel inwardly.

Xiao Ling stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Hello, Instructor. My name is Xiao Ling."

Ruo Lin did not put on any airs as an instructor. "My name is Ruo Lin. Just call me Instructor Ruo Lin. Little brother, how old are you this year? You can't even be ten yet, can you? This is the first time I've seen someone so young pass the test."

"I'm eight years old, and I'm a One-star Dou Zhe." As soon as Xiao Ling said this, the people chatting nearby all turned to look at him. Some were astonished, some envious, and some jealous.

A wave of wild joy surged through Ruo Lin's heart upon hearing that. The pen in her hand creaked as she clenched it tightly, and her eyes shone as she stared at the child before her. She had not expected to truly find such a treasure.

After calming her excitement, Ruo Lin said with a smile, "Although your current strength has not reached S-level, you are still very young, so I'll grant you S-level treatment. This is the highest treatment I can offer you. Is that alright?"

Xiao Ling shook his head. He had not expected such a fortunate opportunity. "Thank you, Instructor Ruo Lin. I have no objections."

"Alright. Gather here again in three days. For now, you can go home and say goodbye to your family." Ruo Lin waved her hand and turned to leave. She needed to report this to the academy's higher-ups. Such talent was rare even in the Inner Academy.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling did not linger any longer. He turned and left the tent, heading back toward the Xiao Family.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, surrounded by countless stars.

Xiao Family, rear mountain.

Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Ling sat on a hillside, gazing together at the stars in the night sky.

The two leaned against each other shoulder to shoulder. As the evening breeze blew past, their black hair mingled together, difficult to separate.

The boy turned his head to look at her. Moonlight spilled across the girl's delicate profile, making her seem like a spirit of the bright moon—elegant and mysterious.

Looking up at the countless stars in the night sky, Xiao Ling felt nothing but incomparable peace.

"Brother Xiao Ling, I'll go to Jia Nan Academy next year to keep you company. What do you think?" Xiao Xun'er asked softly.

"Sure. Then we can cultivate together and enter the Inner Academy together." Taking Xun'er's jade-like hand, Xiao Ling spoke with a smile.

Xiao Xun'er nodded and rested her head on Xiao Ling's shoulder. Listening to the boy's steady breathing, she unknowingly fell asleep.

Ling Ying, hiding in the shadows, could not help shaking his head. It seems the young lady's heart has truly been stolen by this boy. In truth, he did not dislike Xiao Ling either. He merely felt that the difference in their statuses was too great, making it difficult for them to end up together. Sigh, let nature take its course.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Last night, Jia Nan Academy announced the recruitment rankings, and Xiao Ling's name spread far and wide. Many people marveled that such an outstanding genius had emerged from a small Xiao Family.

Over the past three days, Xiao Ling had not cultivated at all. Every day, he accompanied Xiao Xun'er around for fun, and their footprints were left in every corner of Wutan City.

Standing before Xiao Xun'er's courtyard and looking at the girl nestled in his arms, Xiao Ling helplessly shook his head. "Xun'er, if you don't let go of me soon, I'm going to be late."

Xiao Xun'er looked up and shot Xiao Ling a glare. Then she took a porcelain bottle from her Storage Ring. Inside was a mass of crimson flame. Raising it before Xiao Ling, she said softly, "This is Beast Fire from a Sixth-order Blazing Sky Wolf. Didn't you say you planned to become an Alchemist? Consider this a gift for you." With that, she pried open Xiao Ling's hand and placed it in his palm.

Looking at the Beast Fire in his hand, Xiao Ling was overjoyed. Fen Jue was at the stage where it lacked flames to evolve. The flame was already prepared; as long as he prepared the medicinal pills, he could advance the cultivation technique.

Putting away the Beast Fire, Xiao Ling rubbed Xiao Xun'er's head and said, "Xun'er, you really are my lucky star."

"As long as you like it, that's all that matters. It's nothing much. Once you get to Jia Nan Academy, remember to miss me." Seeing Xiao Ling's delighted expression, Xiao Xun'er smiled as well.

"Of course. I'll miss Xun'er every day—the kind where I miss you terribly." Xiao Ling gently stroked the girl's cheek, lightly kissed her forehead, then turned and left.

Beneath the setting sun, the boy's figure grew farther and farther away, until it disappeared from the girl's sight.