Go to the Alchemist Department!

With a thunderous boom, dust and smoke billowed across the entire arena.

As coughing erupted from the crowd, Xiao Yan knew the battle should have ended. His hard training over this period had allowed him to master Eight Extremities Collapse to perfection.

In terms of power, even a fourth-tier magical beast would not dare take that punch head-on!

Just as Xiao Yan was preparing to leave the stage, he suddenly noticed a figure still standing amid the smoke.

"Xiao Yan! I never expected you to improve so much in just a few months. No wonder the academy values you so highly. If it had been the old me, that punch of yours might have defeated me outright." As Lin Yan spoke, the smoke gradually dispersed.

Lin Yan's figure appeared on the arena. Though he staggered somewhat, he had not suffered any major injuries.

There was only a faint fist mark on his massive axe.

"I underestimated you. I didn't expect you to withstand that punch of mine." Xiao Yan nodded, then slowly took out the Mysterious Heavy Ruler from his Storage Ring.

The onlookers cried out in surprise. "Xiao Yan took out the Mysterious Heavy Ruler!"

Lin Yan gave a self-mocking smile. "I never thought you would so easily make up for the gap between our realms with your Dou Techniques."

Xiao Yan looked at his fist and said, "I haven't put in less effort than anyone else, so I don't believe you can defeat me!"

Xiao Yan raised the Mysterious Heavy Ruler, recalling the scene from seven months ago when he had first participated in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition.

Lin Yan stroked his axe, his gaze fixed determinedly on Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan! I've waited a long time for this day! Mountain Splitting Axe!"

An even more powerful technique gathered upon Lin Yan's axe as he swung it down viciously.

"Good. Last time, I defeated you with the aid of pills. This time, I'll defeat you fair and square! I'll silence every voice that doubts me!" Xiao Yan held the ruler horizontally before his chest as a massive crimson glow enveloped it.

Flame Splitting Wave-Devouring Ruler!

Three days later.

Xiao Yan lay in the courtyard while Xun Er peeled fruit for him.

"Come on, Lin Yan. You only lost to me once. Do you have to take it this hard?" Xiao Yan said helplessly.

Lin Yan turned his head away and said, "Stop pretending. You beat me! You're stronger than me, and more talented than me. I admire you."

After fighting twice, Xiao Yan and Lin Yan had become friends. Xiao Yan could not help laughing at Lin Yan's temper.

Xiao Yan smiled. "All right, all right, I'm done teasing you. I heard Lin Xiuya and Liu Qing have both come out of seclusion?"

Lin Yan nodded and continued, "It seems they both broke through. They're both seven-star Dou Lings now. Before long, their strength should be enough to challenge the top ten of the Strong Ranking."

A piece of fruit appeared in Xiao Yan's mouth. As he chewed, he said, "I see. Recently, I've been thinking of going to the Inner Academy's Alchemist Department to train my alchemy skills."

Lin Yan was rendered speechless by Xiao Yan's expression.

Then he asked, "Mm. What grade of alchemist are you?"

Xiao Yan smiled. "Third-grade, I suppose. This time, I want to become a fourth-grade alchemist!"

Lin Yan snorted. "Do you think becoming an alchemist is that easy? You think you can become a fourth-grade alchemist just because you say so?"

Xiao Yan did not answer. He simply spent 1,500 Summoning Points to upgrade himself to a fourth-grade alchemist.

Name: Xiao Yan

Age: 16 years and 9 months

Strength: Two-star Dou Ling

Alchemist Level: Fourth-grade Alchemist

Cultivation Method: Flame Mantra (High Xuan Class)

Dou Techniques: Eight Extremities Collapse (High Xuan Class), Mystic Divination Palm (Low Xuan Class), Heaven Collapsing Technique (High Xuan Class), Flame Splitting Wave-Devouring Ruler (Low Earth Class), Flame Cloud Fist (Low Earth Class)

Summoned Powerhouse: Hai Bodong (Seven-star Dou Emperor)

Eight-Winged Black Emperor Snake (Peak Dou Emperor)

Yun Potian (Six-star Dou King)

Summoning Slots: 3/5

Heavenly Flames: Myriad Beast Spirit Fire

Green Lotus Core Flame

Item: Mysterious Heavy Ruler

Summoning Talismans: Three Intermediate Summoning Talismans

Summoning Points: 5000 (Can be exchanged for various items in the System Mall)

Xiao Yan had not raised his alchemist level to fourth-grade just to show off.

It was because when he went to fulfill the Three-Year Agreement, Xiao Yan wanted to take the championship of the Alchemist Tournament as well.

Though that was also showing off, it was not the kind of showing off they imagined.

"Fourth-grade pills? Aren't those things easy enough for anyone with hands?" Xiao Yan deliberately provoked Lin Yan, and Lin Yan took the bait as expected.

"Fine, I'll go with you right now. I refuse to believe you're amazing at fighting and also a genius at alchemy. How could there possibly be someone that ridiculously talented in this world?" Lin Yan was convinced Xiao Yan was bluffing.

Only after the two of them arrived at the Alchemist Department did Lin Yan begin wondering whether Xiao Yan truly knew alchemy.

All the alchemist students watched Xiao Yan and Lin Yan. Lin Yan was a longtime student, and quite a few people knew him.

Although Xiao Yan had been in the Inner Academy for some time, he spent most of it in seclusion, so very few people recognized him.

An Alchemist Department student named Ye Xian approached them. He was the oldest and strongest alchemist here.

"Lin Yan, what are you doing here? Did the fire poison in your body flare up again?" Ye Xian teased.

Lin Yan clenched his fists angrily, but in the end, wary of Ye Xian's status, he did not lash out.

It seemed this Ye Xian held quite a high position in the Alchemist Department. Xiao Yan stared at Ye Xian with an aggressive gaze, and Ye Xian glared right back without yielding.

"I'll remove his fire poison myself, so there's no need for you to worry about it." After saying that, Xiao Yan tossed a bottle of pills to Lin Yan.

Lin Yan had not expected Xiao Yan to care so much about him that he had prepared the pills in advance.

Ye Xian said disdainfully, "Did you two come here just to make fools of yourselves?"

Xiao Yan looked at the four water-ripple marks on Ye Xian's chest and said, "You're only a fourth-grade alchemist. Why do you always act as though you're superior to everyone else?"

Ye Xian's expression instantly darkened. He had spent so long in the Inner Academy that, aside from the elders, no one had ever dared speak to him like that.

Lin Yan's attitude made it clear that even those in the top ten of the Strong Ranking did not dare speak to Ye Xian that way.

"Who's that? He's got some nerve, talking to Senior Ye Xian like that!"

"I think his name is Xiao Yan. I heard he's some kind of genius!"

"This is the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy. Who here isn't a genius?"

The crowd's discussion reached Ye Xian's ears. With a smile that did not reach his eyes, Ye Xian said, "Xiao Yan, is it? I've never heard of you. You're a new student, right?"

"What does that have to do with you? Who are you to care whether I'm a new student?" Xiao Yan snorted coldly.

Lin Yan hurriedly tugged at Xiao Yan's sleeve, but Xiao Yan shook him off.

Ye Xian said "good" three times in succession, then said, "If you've come to the Alchemist Department to cause trouble, then let me tell you this: you picked the wrong place!"