Preparation, the Headmaster Returns

"A Long, did anything happen while I was in seclusion?" Xiao Li asked.

"Nothing much. The Great Elder came by once and said there was no need for Young Master to remain a student with your cultivation. You should become an elder directly. Holding Strong Ranking First is a bit too discouraging for the students."

Xia Yilong said with a smile.

"Tsk, looks like I'll be graduating early. Still, it's about time. I'm already a Five Star Dou King now, so I should start making preparations." Xiao Li stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Time to start the furnace and make pills!"

Naturally, Xiao Li made pills first. He had to feed that clingy Little Female Dragon until she was full, or she would turn the Inner Academy upside down.

Xiao Li had now reached the level of a Rank 6 Alchemist, second only to Old Wang, the Honorary Elder, in all of Jia Nan Academy. That was because Old Wang's cultivation had risen by another star last year, reaching the level of a Seven Star Dou Emperor.

Thanks to the increase in his Dou Qi, Old Wang's success rate in refining Imperial Origin Pills had improved considerably. He had even attempted to refine Breaking Ancestor Pills several times, though unfortunately, all of them had failed.

Xiao Li could now refine Dou Spirit Pills. His cultivation was still slightly lacking for refining Imperial Origin Pills, though he could make them if he wanted to—the success rate just would not be high.

The Dou King elders of Jia Nan Academy were living comfortably. As long as they had made sufficient contributions, they could receive a Dou Spirit Pill and raise their cultivation by one star.

The cultivation of Jia Nan Academy's elders and Enforcement Team was now improving the fastest, greatly strengthening the academy's backbone.

Dou Kings took Dou Spirit Pills, while Dou Emperors took Qing Yuan Pills. Basically, every elder in Jia Nan Academy had taken Xiao Li's pills and owed him a favor.

However, Xiao Li had also encountered a bottleneck in his Alchemy. Grade 6 Pills required materials that were quite difficult to refine. His Beast Flame was not powerful enough, so every time he had to expend a great deal of Dou Qi to strengthen the flames and refine the ingredients. By the time he reached the pill-forming stage, his Dou Qi was insufficient.

There were only two ways to solve this problem. One was to raise his cultivation; with a higher cultivation level, he naturally would not suffer from insufficient Dou Qi. The other was to subdue a Heavenly Flame. With the strength of a Heavenly Flame, refining ingredients would become much easier and consume far less Dou Qi.

Half a day later,

"Zi Yan! Food's ready!"

Xiao Li piled several dozen Medicinal Pills, each like a piece of candy, onto a plate.

Zi Yan had been sleeping on the sofa. The moment she heard that food was ready, she immediately sat up. When she turned and saw the colorful pills, she dashed over at full speed, grabbed several in her little hands, and stuffed them into her mouth.

"Ah-woo~ Mm~ They're sweet! Sweet flavors are my favorite. Xiao Li, you're so nice! Ah-woo~"

Xiao Li smiled and shook his head. Raising a little dragon girl was truly a strange feeling. Watching Zi Yan's carefree manner always gave him the feeling that he was raising a daughter.

"Girl, I'm going to see the Great Elder!" Xiao Li called out to Zi Yan before standing up.

"Mmph~ Wait, I'm coming too!"

Zi Yan hugged the plate and followed behind Xiao Li.

Su Qian's office,

"Oh? So you're going to absorb the Fallen Heart Flame? How confident are you?" Su Qian asked after taking a sip of tea.

"I'm not sure. After being tempered by the Heart Flame, along with my pills and preparations, I should have a sixty to seventy percent chance." Xiao Li did not dare guarantee it. Absorbing a Heavenly Flame was extremely dangerous to begin with. Who knew how many people had been burned to death by Heavenly Flames while trying to absorb them?

"You only need to judge the situation for yourself. It is a pity about the Heavenly Burning Refining Tower, but removing a potential Hidden Danger is not bad either. Xiao Li, after absorbing the Fallen Heart Flame, remember to recharge the Heavenly Burning Refining Tower.

"Also, refine a batch of Imperial Origin Pills for the academy. It would be even better if you can refine Breaking Ancestor Pills. The academy has prepared all the ingredients anyway.

"This will not only improve your Alchemy, but also strengthen the academy. It's simply a Win-Win."

Su Qian stroked his beard and smiled. He knew that Xiao Li wanted to subdue the Fallen Heart Flame, and Qian Bai Er Lao had also informed him of it.

As for the Fallen Heart Flame that could explode at any moment, Su Qian felt that it would be quite good if it were subdued by a student or elder of Jia Nan Academy. At the very least, the students' safety would be guaranteed.

As for the issue of students no longer being able to rapidly increase their cultivation without the Heavenly Burning Refining Tower, they old fellows could think of some other solution. The Fallen Heart Flame was not the only method available.

If it truly came down to it, they could just have the Alchemy Department put in more effort and refine more pills. The area around Jia Nan Academy had excellent terrain and abundant medicinal ingredients. The Back Mountain in particular was full of Heavenly Treasures, more than enough to support the Inner Academy students.

"Understood. Thank you, Great Elder, for taking care of me these past days. Once this Junior's Alchemy reaches Rank 7, I will definitely refine a Zong Yuan Pill for the Great Elder." Xiao Li rose and cupped his hands toward Su Qian.

Su Qian had taken excellent care of Xiao Li over the past two years. Old Wang and Su Qian were old friends. After Xiao Li broke through to Dou King and his Alchemy reached Rank 6, Old Wang considered Xiao Li to have completed his training.

Old Wang gave Xiao Li all the Alchemist inheritances he had acquired, the Pill Recipes, and the notes of a Peak Rank 7 Alchemist in one go.

It could be said that Old Wang had given Xiao Li the collections of half his life. As for himself, he had returned to the Jia Ma Empire.

Xiao Li had also looked through the Pill Recipes Old Wang gave him. Old Wang's collection had left him too shocked for words. There were more than a dozen Grade 7 Pill recipes, and even Grade 8 Pill recipes.

Old Wang said that he had obtained those Rank 7 and Eighth Grade pill recipes from that Peak Rank 7 Alchemist. Given that Alchemist's level and strength, it was indeed possible for him to have acquired Grade 8 Pill recipes.

The Rank 7 Pill recipes included: Instant Qi Pill, Snow Soul Pill, Zong Yuan Pill, Zong Feng Yuan Pill, Yin Yang Life Soul Pill, Tian Huang Pill, Return Life Pill, Pure Heart Pill, Transformation Pill, Profound Bodhi Foundation Establishment Pill, Primal Chaos Barrier Breaking Pill, and more.

The Eighth Grade Pill recipes included: Purple-Green Supreme Pill, Fu Ling Qing Pill, and Gangfeng Supreme Pill.

How should he put it? Xiao Li only felt one thing: rich! Truly rich!

"Hehe, then this Old Man will thank you in advance. When absorbing the Heavenly Flame, you must be careful. If it doesn't work, then give up. Don't lose your life over a Heavenly Flame."

Su Qian reminded him once more. He was very satisfied with Xiao Li. Not only was he his old friend's disciple, but he was also Jia Nan Academy's outstanding student. He would help whenever he could.

"This Junior understands!"

Half a month later, the Heavenly Burning Refining Tower closed.

Many students began to complain, but the academy elders announced that the Heavenly Burning Refining Tower had malfunctioned and needed to be shut down.

At that moment, the area around the Heavenly Burning Refining Tower had been cleared. No students remained there. Most of Jia Nan Academy's elders had gathered in the area, and even the retired Qian Bai Er Lao had appeared.

It was clear just how important Xiao Li's refinement of the Heavenly Flame was.

"Phew~ I'm a little nervous," Xiao Li muttered to himself. The Heavenly Flame that would determine his rise was right before him. Just as Xiao Li took a step forward—

Rumble—

An incomparably loud clap of thunder rang out. In an instant, the bright and sunny sky darkened. Dark Clouds blanketed the heavens as lightning flashed and thunder roared.

Rumble—

Several bolts of lightning struck the ground directly, and a figure appeared afterward.

"Hahahaha, I've finally returned. Hm? What's going on? Did you know this Headmaster was coming back and arrange a welcome ceremony in advance?"

The speaker was an old man dressed in blue robes similar to those worn by Jia Nan Academy's elders. He had white hair and a white beard, and though his face was kindly, it also carried an air of authority. His gaze was unfathomably deep, as though it could see through everything.

The old man looked around seventy or eighty years old, but if one ignored his face, he did not look elderly at all. Instead, he resembled a young man, with a straight back and a robust physique.

"Headmaster?"

"Headmaster?"

Qian Bai Er Lao and Su Qian were the first to react. Then, the elders who had met Mang Tian Ruler also came to their senses. The newcomer was none other than the Founder of Jia Nan Academy, the elusive Headmaster!

A Dou Zun Expert, Mang Tian Ruler!

"Headmaster, you're not dead?" Bai Lie blurted out.

"Hey! Bai Lie, what kind of words are those? Are you deliberately cursing this Old Man to die? Hmph! I think you're asking for a beating! And why are you only a Nine Star Dou Ancestor? You still haven't broken through to Dou Zun?" Mang Tian Ruler glanced at Bai Lie, clearly not angered by his words.

"Hm, Qian Mu has reached the peak of Nine Star Dou Ancestor. Why haven't you sensed the boundary of Dou Zun yet? That is understandable. Even this Old Man found the boundary of Dou Zun extremely difficult to cross back when I broke through!

"Hm, Su Qian has broken through to Dou Ancestor? Not bad, not bad. Keep working hard! And it has been a long time since I last saw all of you."

Mang Tian Ruler walked over step by step, looking toward the people he knew.