Journey to Jia Nan Academy

"Little Yanzi has left."

Yun Zimo sighed softly while clutching the letter in his hand, a trace of guilt stirring in his heart. It was he who had intentionally triggered the Woe Poison Body last night to force Yao Lao to make a move.

The Blood Lotus Essence two-piece set, the flight Dou Technique, and the storage ring—all of it was calculated, merely to trade for a single opportunity to have Yao Lao intervene!

Yao Chen, Yao Chen, if only all medicine shelves could be covered in dust...

He was gambling, using resources he had no use for to bet on whether Yao Lao was truly that legendary grandmaster who wished for nothing but dust upon his shelves.

To put it bluntly, he was scheming against Yao Lao, yet he would offer his utmost sincerity in return. After all, everything was for Xiao Yi Xian!

"Woeful Poison Scripture..."

Yun Zimo looked at the Woeful Poison Scripture and sighed.

I shall ask Little Yanzi for a favor in the future...

"Take good care of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion."

After giving instructions to the disciples, Yun Zimo and Xiao Yi Xian boarded a Blue Eagle and headed straight for Misty Cloud Mountain.

"Senior Brother Yun Yun has gone down the mountain to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to gather herbs?"

Yun Zimo took the list from the elder's hand, his heart stirring upon hearing the report that Yun Yun had gone to the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

"Although he is only at the peak of the Dou Ling realm, with Senior Brother Yun Yun's capabilities, there shouldn't be any problems, right?"

Yun Zimo shook his head, ceasing his thoughts. Yun Yun never did anything without certainty; since he had already descended the mountain, he must have made full preparations.

"Is this the list of exchange students?"

Yun Zimo looked at the ten names in his hand. As expected, there were more disciples from prominent families; there were only three commoners...

There was no helping it. The right to education was largely held by the nobility; it was already no small feat for three commoners to be included.

"Very well, arrange for them to go to the treasury to select their weapons. We depart in three days."

In those three days, the ten disciples, who considered themselves lucky, were coached by various elders and hall masters in etiquette and rhetoric, forcibly polished into the "public face" of the Misty Cloud Sect!

It seems I must add a course on morality in the future, Yun Zimo thought to himself as he observed the impatience on the disciples' faces. He had already planned to implement the Five Virtues and Six Arts; focusing solely on cultivation was clearly a major issue.

"Chirp--!"

The Misty Cloud Law Enforcement Team, clad in soft armor, piloted the Tier 3 Gale Griffin, guarding the massive flying beast that carried the disciples in its center.

"With your constitution, why follow along instead of staying in the sect?"

Standing atop the Tier 2 Blue Eagle, Yun Zimo erected a soul shield to block the howling high-altitude winds, speaking with feigned annoyance to Xiao Yi Xian in his arms.

Xiao Yi Xian did not speak, merely pressing tightly against Yun Zimo. It was her first time at the Misty Cloud Sect, and she was unfamiliar with everything. Compared to those elders with their inscrutable expressions, she preferred to stay with Yun Zimo.

"You can rest assured in cultivating that Woeful Poison Scripture," Yun Zimo said softly. He still trusted Yao Lao's judgment.

"Once I find that old poison doctor, your path to the Dou Ancestor realm will be within reach."

A year ago, Yun Zimo had begun arranging for people to search for the old poison doctor who studied the Woe Poison Body at the border between the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire. With the help of mercenary groups and people from the Black-Corner Region, he believed they would find him before long.

"Dou Ancestor..."

Xiao Yi Xian smiled bitterly. According to the Woeful Poison Scripture, if the issue of the Woe Poison Body was not resolved before reaching the Dou Zun realm, every star gained in the Dou Ancestor realm was a step closer to death.

Feeling Xiao Yi Xian's arms tighten around him, Yun Zimo tightened his own hold on her. A Dou Ancestor... perhaps only Xiao Yi Xian could achieve a breakthrough to the Dou Ancestor realm within half a year.

"Hall Master Yun, it has been a long time. Your strength has improved significantly."

Having received the news in advance, Elder Lin greeted the Misty Cloud Law Enforcement Team quite courteously. Although he saw that most of them were only at the Dou Grandmaster level, he still cupped his hands politely.

"Which academy are these people from? Even their guards are only Dou Grandmasters!"

Many students of Jia Nan Academy whispered among themselves. They assumed this was just another academy sending students for an exchange, never imagining that this was already the Misty Cloud Sect's top-tier team.

Of course, it was mostly because those elders were willing to lower their pride, allowing them to maintain appearances...

"People from the Misty Cloud Sect?"

The students enrolled from the Jia Ma Empire looked in bewilderment at the silver clouds and swords engraved on the soft armor of the law enforcement team. They could not understand why people from the Misty Cloud Sect would come to Jia Nan Academy.

"You will stay here for one year. During the holidays, you may return to the sect or your own families. In one year, I hope to see that you have all become Dou Grandmasters."

Yun Zimo said to the six Misty Cloud disciples who were only at the Dou Shi level, before taking the remaining four Dou Grandmaster disciples with Xiao Yi Xian toward the Jia Nan Inner Academy.

"This Jia Nan Academy is truly full of talent."

As they walked, Xiao Yi Xian saw that the instructors were all uniformly at the Dou Grandmaster level, with even Dou Ling and Dou King experts appearing from time to time.

"The Inner Academy is the true gathering place for experts. The students there are basically all above the Dou Grandmaster level, and the outstanding ones are at the peak of the Dou Ling realm or even the Dou King realm. Once they graduate, they are figures who can roam the Northwest Continent freely."

Yun Zimo also sighed softly. Thinking of how the Misty Cloud Sect barely maintained its reputation with a few Dou Kings and two Dou Emperors, he couldn't help but marvel at the strength of Jia Nan Academy once again.

Crossing the endless, overlapping mountain ranges, deep within the lush and mysterious forests, a rift valley suddenly appeared, spanning across the earth.

After once again slaughtering all the magical beasts that had been pursuing them, Elder Lin flicked his hand, and a beam of energy blasted into the strange space above the mountain stream. Waves of peculiar energy surged, and silver light flickered in the previously empty air, rippling like water.

"Jia Nan Academy is truly amazing; the Inner Academy is hidden in such a miraculous place."

Xiao Yi Xian exclaimed in admiration as she watched the silver gate slowly open.

Elder Lin waved his hand gently and took the lead into the silver portal. After a moment of dizziness, the group found themselves standing in a forest once more.

"To the north, such powerful Dou Qi fluctuations!"

Just as he entered, Yun Zimo looked up toward the far north, where incredibly formidable Dou Qi fluctuations were surging!

The group flew across the endless mountains and forests, and a moment later, they saw a massive basin filled with rows of buildings and bustling with noise. With his sharp eyes, Yun Zimo even spotted a colossal black tower crouching upon the earth in the northern part of the basin.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Jia Nan Inner Academy!"

An old man in a black robe with white hair and a white beard stood at the very front of the group, hovering in mid-air with a gentle smile.

"Great Elder!"

Elder Lin bowed slightly before introducing the black-robed old man before them.

"The Great Elder of the Inner Academy, Su Qian!"

"Take them to arrange their accommodations; I wish to have a proper chat with young brother Yun."

Great Elder Su Qian gave the order, then personally led Yun Zimo and Xiao Yi Xian away from the spot.

"Young brother Yun is truly extraordinary. You are the one who slew the Blood Butcher and stirred up the Black-Corner Region a few years ago, aren't you?"

Su Qian chuckled softly.

"It seems nothing in the Black-Corner Region can be hidden from Jia Nan Academy."

Yun Zimo did not care whether Su Qian's words were sarcastic or not, simply speaking his mind, and upon hearing this, Su Qian burst into laughter.

"As long as you don't incite large-scale riots in the Black-Corner Region, Jia Nan Academy won't interfere. Besides, by killing that madman, the Blood Butcher, you solved a small problem for us."

Behind Su Qian, an elder also chuckled.

Yun Zimo smiled knowingly; he naturally understood the rules of the Black-Corner Region, so he had always tried to maintain a sense of proportion whenever he caused trouble.

"Who is that? To think the Great Elder would personally go to welcome them!"

The students ranked at the top of the Strong Ranking gazed at Great Elder Su Qian and the people behind him, all of them stunned and distracted.

"Old man Su Qian has guests?"

A little girl in white with purple hair saw Su Qian leading the group from afar. She took a bite of the fruit in her hand, frowned as she swallowed it, and then skipped toward the Dean's office.

"Hey, where is my Roland Fruit?!"

In the medicinal herb storehouse of the Alchemy Department, an elder stared at an empty jade plate in a daze, before suddenly roaring in a fit of rage.

"Zi Yan! You stole my medicinal herbs again!"