Before Entering the Inner Academy

Faced with Vice Dean Hu Gan's questioning, Cheng Chen and the other three all nodded, indicating that they had all gained something.

"Haha! That's good. It's good that you've gained something." Vice Dean Hu Gan said happily after learning that none of the five people who entered the Library Pavilion had returned empty-handed.

In the past, many of the top five finishers in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament returned empty-handed after entering the Library Pavilion, and such examples were not isolated incidents.

Hu Gan Vice Dean was quite pleased to learn that Lin Ming and the other four had all made progress.

Those who achieved a top-five finish in the selection competition are all outstanding students in the academy. As the Vice Dean of the academy, Hu Gan naturally hopes that these students can become even more excellent.

The more outstanding students a college has, the greater its reputation will be, attracting even more excellent students. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement, and everyone would naturally want to do it.

"Elders, now that the selection of these young ones has been completed, we will not disturb your arduous cultivation any longer. Farewell." After Lin Ming and the other four arrived at his side, Vice Dean Hu Gan clasped his hands and said to the two gray-robed men.

The two men in gray robes did not react to Hu Gan Vice Dean's words.

The lack of response from the gray-robed man was probably within Vice Dean Hu Gan's expectations, so much so that after speaking to the two gray-robed men, Vice Dean Hu Gan told Lin Ming and the other four to follow him back.

Lin Ming and his companions bowed to the two men in gray robes, and then followed Vice Dean Hu Gan back the way they had come.

Just as Lin Ming and his group of five reached the Space Lock portal, Vice Dean Hu Gan's voice rang out.

"Stay close to me. Don't touch these spatial folds, or you'll be pulled into the spatial rifts, and even I won't be able to save you."

Vice Dean Hu Gan's words made Lin Ming and the others extremely cautious as they passed through the Space Lock portal, fearing that something unexpected might happen.

Fortunately, given Jia Nan Academy's resources, they did a good job in these aspects. Lin Ming and his group of five followed Vice Dean Hu Gan and safely passed through the Space Lock portal, arriving inside the valley.

After Lin Ming and his group arrived at the valley, the spatial barrier that had just opened a portal has now closed up again, hiding the Library Pavilion back within the space.

"Follow me back the way we came!" Hu Gan Vice Dean Hu said again after Lin Ming and the other four had come out, and then led them back into the tunnel they had come from, retracing their steps.

Returning to the study, after the passageway in the wall closed again, Vice Dean Hu Gan turned to look at Lin Ming and the other four, and smiled, "Alright, now that you've received your rewards, take a couple of days off."

"Two days from now, you people will have to go to the Inner Academy. You're in for a rough time then."

"Here's a suggestion for you: once you're in the Inner Academy, it's always better for you to stick together than to be alone."

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go and rest."

Lin Ming, who knew the original plot, was well aware of Hu Gan Vice Dean's words and knew that things would be very different in the Inner Academy compared to the Outer Academy.

The closest they'll get to suffering is the Fire Energy Hunt Competition two days from now, before they enter the Inner Academy. At that time, the fifty people who will be able to enter the Inner Academy this year will be robbed in turn by the senior students sent by the Inner Academy.

However, since the Fire Energy Hunt Competition was specially arranged by the academy, Lin Ming and his group had no choice but to accept it.

As for the idea of Lin Ming taking over from these senior students like Xiao Yan in the original story, Lin Ming could only say, "Is it about using your head to force them?"

In the original novel, Xiao Yan and his group were able to snatch these senior students because their class was incredibly strong. If the top five students were in Lin Ming's class, they could easily defeat anyone except Lin Ming.

There were five such people, and in the end, it took the combined strength of fifty people who entered the Inner Academy to achieve final victory.

In contrast, the highest cultivation level among Lin Ming's group was only Three Star Dou Grandmaster, and one of the top five was a Dou Master. With such a lineup, trying to snatch a senior with Dou Ling cultivation would be suicide. Therefore, it was impossible for them to snatch the senior.

Furthermore, in the Fire Energy Hunt Competition, with Lin Ming's current abilities, he might not be able to defeat the senior students with Dou Ling in a direct confrontation, but he could at least guarantee that they wouldn't be able to catch him.

In this way, he himself would not suffer in the Fire Energy Hunt Competition. As for the others, Lin Ming could only say that this was the academy's first lesson for you as you entered the Inner Academy. You should understand the academy's good intentions. If you can't resist, then enjoy it!

After bowing to Vice Dean Hu Gan, Lin Ming and his group of five left the study.

"See you all in two days," Lin Ming said to the others after leaving the study, and then left on his own.

Lin Ming's words prompted the group of people who had just listened to Vice Dean Hu Gan's speech to discuss the matter of unity. However, since Lin Ming had already left, they figured there wouldn't be much point in discussing it among themselves. So, after Lin Ming left, the other four also departed.

After leaving Vice Dean Hu Gan's place, Lin Ming headed towards the Alchemy Department.

I said goodbye to my Instructor and classmates a few days ago, and in two days I will be entering the Inner Academy. I should also go and say hello to Elder Huo.

Given Elder Huo's status in the academy, he could certainly enter the Inner Academy, so the idea of not seeing Lin Ming for several years is unlikely to happen.

The original text mentions that Alchemy Department come to the Inner Academy's Medicinal Material Repository to retrieve herbs, which means that Alchemy Department students are able to enter and leave the Inner Academy.

Therefore, after Lin Ming enters the Inner Academy, he can return to the Alchemy Department to practice alchemy, and he can also visit Elder Huo.

But such opportunities are unlikely to come often. I should take advantage of these two free days to say Elder Huo to Master Huo! I won't be able to go to the Alchemy Department anytime I want like this anymore.

After entering the Inner Academy, Lin Ming was not Heart Flame energy. Lin Ming current Fire Energy was enough for him to cultivate for two years. Therefore, barring any major events, Lin Ming would spend most of his time cultivating.

With the boost to his cultivation from the Fallen Heart Flame, Lin Ming's goal is to enter the Inner Academy within a year, or at most a year and a half, and raise his cultivation to the Dou Ling stage, so as not to disappoint the Fallen Heart Flame's reputation as a cultivation cheat.

After reaching the Dou Ling, the Chaos Spirit Five Elements Art will also be able to break through the first level and reach the second level, which is equivalent to Profound Tier Mid-grade skill. At that time, the Cultivation Method will no longer be a major hindrance to Lin Ming.

In this way, he could advance to the Dou Ling within a year and a half at most. With the remaining year and a half, Lin Ming estimated that even if his cultivation could not reach the Dou Ling Peak, reaching the high-level Dou Ling should not be a problem.

At that time, in this year's Strong Ranking Tournament, Lin Ming was able to consistently secure a position in the top ten of the Strong Ranking, and receive the reward from the academy for being among the top ten in the Strong Ranking Grand Competition, as well as the opportunity to temper his body with the Fallen Heart Flame Sub-flame.

The Inner Academy's Strong Ranking Grand Competition is held every five years, a fact mentioned in the original novel.

Xiao Yan encountered the Strong Ranking Grand Competition a year after entering the academy, while Lin Ming was nearly five years older than Xiao Yan. Based on this timeline, the Strong Ranking Grand Competition that Lin Ming could participate in would be the one three years later.

The Strong Ranking Grand Competition three years later was the one preceding the one Xiao Yan participated in.

After calculating the timeline and learning that the Strong Ranking Grand Competition would begin in three years, Lin Ming began to plan his future cultivation in the Inner Academy.

Lin Ming had already calculated the timing of the Strong Ranking Grand Competition before he left the Mittel Family, which is why Lin Ming said at the time that it would be four years before he could return to the family.

More than half an hour later, Lin Ming saw the iconic building of the Alchemy Department, shaped like Medicinal Cauldron.

After entering the Alchemy Department, many people who saw Lin Ming congratulated him, saying that Lin Ming had won first place in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament.

Lin Ming responded to these people's congratulations with words that it was just good luck. Later, Lin Ming met Steward Yang and chatted with Steward Yang.

"Haha! Lin Ming, you've really earned enough face for us Alchemist this time."

"Those guys in the Enforcement Team say behind our backs that we Alchemist only know how to refine medicine in the back and don't dare to fight them head-on. This time you won first place in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament, let's see what they have to say now?" Steward Yang mentioned this matter after meeting Lin Ming, which made Lin Ming both amused and exasperated.

After all, if you really want to count, Lin Ming also joined the Enforcement Team, so he's considered a part of Enforcement Team.

"Brother Yang, the Inner Academy Selection Tournament is no match for the real Inner Academy students, so let's not talk about it."

"Is Elder Huo upstairs now? I haven't paid my respects to him for several days. I'm taking advantage of this little bit of time to come and see Elder Huo. After I enter the Inner Academy, I won't have many more opportunities to visit him." Lin Ming didn't want to discuss the Inner Academy Selection Tournament anymore, so he changed the subject and asked Steward Yang.

"Elder Huo is upstairs. You really should go up and say goodbye to him. It won't be as easy as it is now once you enter the Inner Academy!" Steward Yang replied to Lin Ming.

"Brother Yang, I'll be going up now." Steward Yang, Lin Ming headed upstairs to where Elder Huo was.

Arriving outside Elder Huo's door, Lin Ming knocked and entered Elder Huo's room after Elder Huo said "Come in."

"Elder Huo." Lin Ming called out after arriving in front of Elder Huo.

"Haha! Lin Ming, you're here. How was it? Did you get anything from the academy's Library Pavilion?" After Lin Ming greeted him, Elder Huo chuckled twice before asking if Lin Ming had gained anything from the Library Pavilion.

"Hehe, as your student, how could I not take something good when I enter the Library Pavilion? This time, I've obtained a Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique," Lin Ming said with a smile.

"Haha, you rascal. But it's good that you've gained something; it would be a shame to waste such a good opportunity."

Afterwards, Lin Ming chatted with Elder Huo, and laughter could be heard from time to time.