Old Faces and Newcomers
Nestled between two majestic mountains lies the Peace Town, a place that is both elusive and terrifying, striking fear into the hearts of the people of the Black Corner Region.
Within Peace Town, everything is peaceful and serene, just like its name suggests, with all actions taken in peace, forming a stark contrast to the chaotic Black Corner Region.
At this moment, as Lin Ming and his companion descended, more than a dozen shadowy figures appeared on the rooftops of the town's houses, moving nimbly and swiftly towards the town gate like monkeys.
A moment later, a dozen figures arrived at the town gate. Then, the leader looked up at the gradually clearing figures in the sky and sternly said, "Friends, flying is prohibited here. If you wish to enter Peace Town, please come down and register. Otherwise, please return to where you came from! Of course, if you insist on forcing your way in, Jia Nan Academy wouldn't mind having one or two more corpses hanging on the Spirit Tree."
"Captain Chen, it's only been a few years since we last met, it's not like you're going to hang me Lin Ming, on the Spirit Tree!" As Lin Ming finished speaking, Lin Ming and Zi Yan appeared in front of the town gate.
"Lin Ming? Which Lin Ming?" Upon hearing Lin Ming's words, some people immediately began to discuss.
Apart from some elderly people, the Enforcement Team consisted mostly of students from the academy. Many of them had only entered Jia Nan Academy in recent years, so some of them didn't know Lin Ming.
"Lin Ming, is it really you? Haha, it's been years, and you've become Dou Wang." After Lin Ming landed and his face was clearly seen, Chen Yuanlong confirmed it by looking at Zi Yan who was with him.
"So, Captain Chen, you don't need to hang me on the Spirit Tree anymore, right?" Lin Ming jokingly replied when he saw Chen Yuanlong say with a smile.
"Haha, you kid! I was the one who escorted you to the academy back then, and it's only been a few years, Lin Ming, and you've already become Dou Wang. Although I knew you weren't simple back then, I never expected that you could advance from Dou Master to Dou Wang in just over ten years. It seems we're really getting old!" Chen Yuanlong laughed as he spoke in response to Lin Ming's teasing.
Just as Chen Yuanlong said, back then, Chen Yuanlong escorted Lin Ming and his fellow freshmen from the Jia Ma Empire to the Jia Nan Academy.
At that time, Chen Yuanlong invited Lin Ming to join the Enforcement Team after entering Jia Nan Academy.
Later, Lin Ming also joined the Enforcement Team, and even went on a mission with Chen Yuanlong during a vacation.
It was during that mission that Lin Ming officially entered the Black Corner Region for the first time and acquired his own Flying Fighting Skill, the Purple Crystal Wings.
Therefore, Chen Yuanlong and Lin Ming were old friends, which is why Lin Ming could joke with him like that.
Now, Lin Ming's cultivation level had long surpassed Chen Yuanlong's, so Chen Yuanlong's aura was completely unreserved in front of Lin Ming. Sensing Chen Yuanlong's Dou Ling Peak, with the faint aura of breaking through to Dou Wang, Lin Ming immediately replied, "Captain Chen, aren't you almost there yourself too!"
"Haha, I've already applied to the academy. I'll go into seclusion to break through after this mission." Hearing Lin Ming's words, Chen Yuanlong wasn't surprised at all that Lin Ming knew.
Chen Yuanlong was not unaware of Lin Ming, unlike these newcomers. He had personally escorted Lin Ming into the academy, so Chen Yuanlong Lin Ming well.
When Lin Ming left the academy, he was already Tier 5 Alchemist. Everyone knew that Alchemist's Soul Power was stronger than that of ordinary people. And now his cultivation level had surpassed his own. So if Lin Ming still couldn't sense his own cultivation level, then Chen Yuanlong would have to suspect that Lin Ming was an imposter.
"Captain Chen, congratulations in advance! When you come out of seclusion, you absolutely have to throw a big party, we're going to rip you off this time, haha!"
"Okay, it's settled then. I'll definitely have to settle this with you at the dinner table, Lin Ming." Chen Yuanlong readily agreed to Lin Ming's suggestion.
For Dou Wang like Lin Ming, food is a trivial matter. This was true for Lin Ming, and it was also true for Chen Yuanlong.
Therefore, when Lin Ming said he would "make a name for himself," everyone knew it was just a congratulatory remark about his upcoming advancement to the Dou Wang level. That's why Chen Yuanlong replied that he wanted to fight Lin Ming to the death at the dinner table.
"Then we'll await your good news, Captain Chen!" Lin Ming said after Chen Yuanlong finished speaking.
Knowing that Lin Ming's main reason for returning was something else, Chen Yuanlong immediately said after a brief reminiscing, "Alright! Let's catch up later! Lin Ming suppose you're in a hurry to Elder Huo, so I won't keep you any longer."
As Chen Yuanlong finished speaking, the group behind him made way for him. Lin Ming didn't delay. He clasped his hands in greeting to the group, and then he and Zi Yan took to the air again, turning into a black shadow and disappearing from everyone's sight.
"Zi Yan, I'll go visit Elder Huo first, and you should go visit the Great Elder first!" Lin Ming said to Zi Yan as they flew high in the sky.
Upon returning to the Jia Nan Academy, Lin Ming, as Elder Huo's student, should have visited Elder Huo immediately. As for the Great Elder, he was practically family to Zi Yan, so she should have visited Zi Yan first as well.
"Okay, sure!" Zi Yan nodded in response immediately after Lin Ming finished speaking.
Over the past few years, Zi Yan has learned some manners from Lin Ming. And now, after Lin Ming's explanation, Zi Yan knows that she should first visit the Great Elder.
Meanwhile, Lin Ming's return was nominally to fulfill the Five-Year Agreement made back then. So it wouldn't be long before Lin Ming arrived at the Inner Academy. She and Lin Ming wouldn't be separated for long either. That's why Zi Yan nodded in agreement.
"We've arrived at the Outer Academy, so I'll head down now. I'll come find you at the Inner Academy later." After discussing it with Zi Yan, Lin Ming looked at the gradually emerging Outer Academy, said this to Zi Yan, and then descended downwards.
After parting ways with Zi Yan, Lin Ming flew towards the Alchemy Department.
"That dark figure looks like a person flying!" Someone from the Alchemy Department noticed Lin Ming's figure as he descended and remarked.
"It seems so. Looking at the gradually clearer figure, it seems to be heading towards our Alchemy Department!" In response to this person's words, someone next to him noticed and replied.
"It seems another elder has come to Elder Huo to Pill Refining." Another person spoke up at this moment. After all, although such things were not common, they had seen them before, so they were not too surprised to say it.
"Oh, it's an elder! I was wondering why he looked so familiar, like I'd seen him somewhere before." Hearing the senior students' discussion, a newcomer who had only recently joined the Alchemy Department immediately whispered. However, he then realized something was amiss. He didn't seem to have seen an elder since he arrived, did he? Moreover, this descendant looked remarkably like the most outstanding Alchemist on display in the Alchemy Department!