Senior Brother! Xu Shilin

The group of fifty people, led by Elder Liu, headed towards the building ahead.

The group stepped onto the stairs, and under Elder Liu's guidance, they ascended step by step. For everyone who was at least a Dou Master cultivator, the hundred or so steps could be traversed in just a few dozen breaths.

They stepped up and arrived at the top of the steps on the hillside. But the sight before them took all the new students by surprise.

Beyond the hillside lies an extremely large sunken basin. The shape of this basin is as if it were a giant crater created by a falling meteorite.

Within the giant, pit-like basin, various buildings stood tall. Many of these towering structures exceeded the height of the basin, so much so that Lin Ming could see them from the bottom of the forest.

"Students, this is where you will spend the next few years, the core of the Jia Nan Academy — the Inner Academy!" Elder Liu said with a smile, looking at the students' expressions.

"Elder Liu, there are so many powerful individuals here. Just from the auras I can sense right now, there are dozens of them," Cheng Chen said solemnly, but with joy in his eyes.

"Haha, the strength of the Inner Academy will exceed your imagination. You'll find out once you enter. Believe me, as long as you can persevere in the Inner Academy, you will leave your peers far behind when you come out." Elder Liu not only replied to Cheng Chen, but also spoke to all the students present.

Many of the trainees present nodded in agreement.

"Alright, students, come down with me now! I'll settle you into your lodgings first, then you can begin your formal cultivation in the Inner Academy." After Elder Liu finished speaking, he waved to the students, and then his figure transformed into a blur, rapidly heading towards the basin below.

Upon seeing Elder Liu leading the way, the students, who already harbored great longing for the Inner Academy below, could no longer contain themselves. They all followed Elder Liu's steps at top speed, heading towards the basin below.

After a few rides, the students arrived at a Courtyard where Elder Liu stopped.

After all the students had arrived, Elder Liu said, "Students, this is where you will live. Now, according to your rankings, you will be divided into groups of five, and from now on, you five will live in a small courtyard."

"Ah! Elder Liu, there are both men and women among us. Isn't it inappropriate for us to live in such a small courtyard?" a girl said. Many others in the room shared this sentiment, so much so that after she spoke, many students looked at Elder Liu, waiting to see his reaction.

"Haha, students, there are more than five rooms in this courtyard. It's not like we're arranging for five of you to share a room, so what's the rush?" Elder Liu looked at the students and couldn't help but shake his head and smile wryly. He thought to himself, "What are these students thinking all day? Why would the Inner Academy arrange for several people to share a room?"

After Elder Liu explained, the students present were able to dispel their concerns and begin to form teams of five according to their rankings.

After seeing that the scene had been divided into ten groups of five, Elder Liu began to assign Courtyard.

"Your group is in this Courtyard, the second group is in that Courtyard..." Before long, only Lin Ming and his top five teams remained without Courtyard being assigned.

"Lin Ming, you five go over there." Before Elder Liu could finish speaking, a strong voice interrupted Elder Liu.

"Elder Liu, please leave Lin Ming's accommodation to me, his senior brother!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a man who looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a slightly oval face and a handsome and sunny appearance, appeared in Lin Ming's field of vision, accompanied by two people following behind him.

The man and the two men behind him arrived in front of Lin Ming and the others in no time.

"Elder Liu." After the man arrived in front of Lin Ming and the others, he first addressed them as Elder Liu and greeted them politely.

Elder Liu nodded with a smile in response to the man's greeting, not blaming the man for interrupting his speech.

After addressing Elder Liu, the man looked at Lin Ming with a smile and said, "Junior Brother Lin Ming, before entering the Inner Academy, I was also fortunate enough to be mentored by Elder Huo for two years."

"However, I am of dull talent and cannot compare to Junior Brother Lin Ming's achievements. Therefore, I am taking the liberty of addressing you as Junior Brother Lin Ming. I hope you will not take offense."

Within the Inner Academy, the only person who received instruction from Elder Huo and could address Lin Ming as his junior brother was Xu Shilin, the current Leader of the Inner Academy's Medicine Gang gang, whom Huo had mentioned to Lin Ming.

"Senior brother, you are too modest. Before I came to the Inner Academy, Elder Huo Lin Ming told Lin Ming that I could come to you for anything after the Inner Academy. This shows how much Elder Huo trusts and approves of you." Lin Ming replied with a smile to his senior brother Xu Shilin.

"Haha, junior brother, don't worry. I still have some influence in this Inner Academy, so there shouldn't be many things that can fool you."

After confidently replying to Lin Ming with a smile, Xu Shilin then asked Lin Ming, "Junior brother, how about I arrange your accommodation? That way, we brothers can exchange ideas on alchemy from time to time."

"This?" Lin Ming looked at Elder Liu with a questioning expression, wondering if the new students could live in other places.

"The Inner Academy doesn't have so many rules requiring you to live here. So Lin Ming, you can choose whichever you prefer," Elder Liu explained to Lin Ming.

With Elder Liu's explanation, Lin Ming no longer hesitated, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Senior Brother."

"Haha, there's no need for such formalities between us brothers. It's just a place to stay, what's the trouble? Just follow your senior brother without worry," Xu Shilin said with a smile.

Lin Ming could only smile and nod in response to his senior brother Xu Shilin's words.

"Elder Liu, then I, Shilin, will take Junior Brother Lin Ming with me and depart now. We will visit you again another time." After Xu Shilin bidding farewell to Elder Liu, Xu Shilin said to Lin Ming, "Junior Brother, let's go then!"

After hearing this, Lin Ming nodded, bid farewell to Elder Liu, and left with his senior brother Xu Shilin.

Throughout the journey, Xu Shilin talked with Lin Ming, discussing both useful and useless topics.

About half an hour later, Lin Ming followed Xu Shilin to a building shaped like Medicinal Cauldron.

Upon seeing this building, which resembled Medicinal Cauldron, Lin Ming knew that this was the location of the Medicine Gang.

"Junior brother, let's go in! Today is your first day in the Inner Academy, let me give you a welcome dinner." Xu Shilin said to Lin Ming.

"Um, senior brother, there's no need for a welcome feast," Lin Ming said, declining.

"Junior brother, I know you don't like crowds, but this time I haven't held a big event. It's just the Alchemist from our Medicine Gang participating."

"These people have been eager to meet you, the youngest 4th Grade Alchemist in the academy. Junior brother, why don't you satisfy their curiosity?"

After Xu Shilin finished speaking, before Lin Ming could react, he pushed Lin Ming into the Medicine Gang's territory.

Upon entering the Medicine Gang's premises, one arrives at a large hall. Inside, a large round table is set up, around which about fifteen or sixteen people are already seated.

Upon seeing Xu Shilin and his companions arrive, the people sitting around the round table all stood up and came forward to greet Xu Shilin.

"Boss, this must be your junior brother, Lin Ming, the youngest 4th Grade Alchemist in the academy!" A person in front of Xu Shilin spoke up after Xu Shilin entered the hall.

"Haha, let me introduce you all, this is Lin Ming. From now on, we're all family," Xu Shilin said to the people in front of him.

"Haha, great! From now on, we'll all be part of the Medicine Gang team."

"Brother Lin Ming, my name is Zhu Wei, and I am currently Third-Grade Alchemist."

"Brother Lin Ming, my name is Qian Tong, and I am also Third-Grade Alchemist."

After Xu Shilin finished speaking, the dozen or so people in front of him introduced themselves.

Of these dozen or so people, only the two mentioned earlier were Third-Grade Alchemist; the majority were Second-Grade Alchemist. Of course, there were also two or three First-Grade Alchemists.

"Thank you all for coming to welcome Lin Ming. I would like to express my gratitude in advance," Lin Ming said, clasping his hands in a fist salute to the crowd in front of him.

"Haha, alright. Now that everyone knows each other, let's begin the meal! Junior brother, you must have had a tough time participating in the Fire Energy Hunt Competition. Come on, let's take our seats." Xu Shilin said with a smile, leading Lin Ming to the top of the round table and sitting down. Lin Ming sat next to the person in the main seat.

The others then took their seats at the round table, and one dish after another was served.

"Come, everyone, let's raise our glasses to welcome Lin Ming and celebrate the addition of another 4th Grade Alchemist to our Medicine Gang," Xu Shilin said, raising his glass and inviting everyone to celebrate together.

Currently, the Medicine Gang only has Xu Shilin, a 4th Grade Alchemist. Now, with Lin Ming's arrival, the Intermediate Alchemist in the Medicine Gang Clan has directly doubled, which is a significant benefit to the Medicine Gang.

The banquet lasted from the afternoon until night.

After the banquet, Lin Ming was led by his senior brother Xu Shilin to the top floor of the Medicinal Cauldron building.

"Junior brother, I used to live alone on this top floor, but now you can stay here with me! All these rooms have restrictions; even I can't enter without the resident's permission, so you can settle in without worry." Xu Shilin said to Lin Ming after arriving at the top floor of the Medicinal Cauldron Building.

"Senior brother, then Lin Ming won't stand on ceremony with you. I'll take this room!" After observing the rooms, Lin Ming selected one and said to Xu Shilin.

After Lin Ming selected a room, Xu Shilin explained to Lin Ming how to activate the room's Restriction, then told Lin Ming rest before leaving his room.

Inside the room, Lin Ming pondered some things, but soon entered a state of cultivation. Thus began his life in the Inner Academy.