Registration

With Qu Yi having spoken to this extent, Luo Mu could guess the general gist of what followed without needing further explanation. It was no wonder that the man, Li Hu, had been so disdainful after hearing their conversation earlier.

"Hmph! If not for that fellow's family having a staggering foundation and piles of countless medicinal herbs, he wouldn't even know when he'd reach the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage with his aptitude—it would take until the Year of the Monkey!" Qu Yi snorted coldly, his face full of resentment.

"The ninth level of the Qi Refining stage?" Luo Mu was slightly startled, not having expected that he had underestimated the other man's strength. However, judging by his appearance, he was in his twenties, several years older than Luo Mu. Hearing the implication in Qu Yi's words—that the man had reached this realm by consuming numerous spirit pills—piqued Luo Mu's curiosity.

"Oh? I am a bit curious. Could Fellow Daoist Qu elaborate?" Luo Mu said with a smile.

"Actually, this is no secret. Although he is a member of the Li family, his aptitude is truly mediocre. Finding his cultivation unable to advance an inch, he chose to study alchemy. Because his family's reserves are astonishing, he has had access to vast amounts of spirit herbs and pill formulas. Over these years, he has indeed achieved quite a bit in the art of alchemy."

"It is said that he has long been able to refine pills that boost cultivation for the Qi Refining stage. Precisely because of this, he was able to forcefully raise his cultivation to the ninth level at his age despite his ordinary aptitude. In three years, the Wanfa Sect will hold its once-a-decade disciple selection. With his attainments in alchemy, if nothing goes wrong, he should be scouted by the Wanfa Sect's envoys, allowing him to soar to success and enter the Wanfa Sect to cultivate!"

As he spoke, Luo Mu clearly sensed the bitterness in Qu Yi's tone. And it was understandable; others could practice alchemy without any worries, having herbs in abundance, while Qu Yi had to humble himself to beg others for the sake of artifact refining, even nearly losing his life for materials. The grievances he had suffered were no small matter.

What surprised Luo Mu, however, was that Li Hu was also entering the alchemy department, and since Luo Mu had chosen the same, things were bound to get interesting.

"Actually, you needn't be like this. With different origins, the starting line is naturally different. There is no need to compare yourself to others. As long as you do your best to accomplish what you should and what you want to do, the harvest is secondary. The key is that you have tried and never given up. Do not seek to surpass others; only seek to surpass yourself." Seeing the sour look on the other man's face, Luo Mu smiled and offered some counsel.

Qu Yi was slightly shocked; he hadn't expected Luo Mu to be capable of such words at his young age, which caught him off guard. Upon reflection, Qu Yi felt that Luo Mu's words held a measure of truth. He shook his head and decided not to dwell on the matter any further.

"Fellow Daoist Luo, you saw what happened earlier. Heh... I don't fear being laughed at by you, but although I am passionate about artifact refining, I am still a bit lacking when it comes to crafting mid-grade magical tools. Do you still intend to entrust your materials to me?" After a self-deprecating laugh, Qu Yi asked Luo Mu.

Despite his words, Qu Yi still hoped for Luo Mu's agreement. He looked at Luo Mu with expectant eyes, waiting for his answer.

"Since I have already agreed to entrust the materials to you, I have already prepared myself for the possibility of them being wasted. You need not feel any pressure, Fellow Daoist; just refine them with peace of mind." The expression on the other man's face touched a chord in Luo Mu's heart, and he replied with a smile.

At this moment, Luo Mu felt that Qu Yi was much like himself. Back when he was striving to step onto the path of cultivation, had he not also struggled through countless efforts and setbacks? The Qu Yi before him, for the sake of artifact refining, had likely suffered no fewer grievances than he had.

For a moment, a sense of shared hardship stirred in the depths of Luo Mu's heart.

"That's great! Thank you, Fellow Daoist!" Qu Yi's face lit up with joy, and he spoke with an excited tone.

Luo Mu smiled without saying more and led the way into the city. Qu Yi followed closely behind, brimming with excitement—whether he had forgotten Li Hu's insult or had simply buried it deep in his heart, it was impossible to tell.

A short while later, the two successfully entered Jinxiu City and parted ways. Qu Yi went off to refine the magical tool for Luo Mu, while Luo Mu headed toward the Jinxiu Academy in the center of the city...

Looking at the magnificent complex of buildings before him, Luo Mu was deeply shocked. Having never seen Jinxiu Academy, it was inevitable that he would be stunned by such an imposing institution. It was incomparable to the tiny school in Dragon Gate Town.

Students came and went, dressed in long white robes, making the entrance lively. These were genuine cultivators; although their cultivation levels were not very high—most were a level or two lower than Luo Mu—there were quite a few whose strength surpassed his.

Luo Mu hailed from Dragon Gate Town, which in all these years had produced only one cultivator, Xiao Ling'er. If one counted Luo Mu, the "little poison-thing," that made a grand total of two.

Yet here, the sheer number of students passing through the gates left Luo Mu feeling shaken. However, after a moment's thought, he calmed down.

Jinxiu City was surrounded by countless small towns. Even if each town produced only one cultivator, the total number would be significant. Moreover, hundreds of thousands of mortals lived in Jinxiu City, and with countless new lives born every day, it was inevitable that some would possess spiritual roots.

Calculated this way, it was no surprise that Jinxiu Academy had so many cultivators.

Luo Mu stood blankly at the gates of Jinxiu Academy. With his black mask on and his sixth-level Qi Refining strength faintly radiating, he naturally drew the attention of many passing students.

A sixth-level Qi Refining cultivation was not considered high among the students of Jinxiu Academy, but it wasn't low either; it was firmly in the middle. Since Luo Mu's clothing was extremely plain—not like that of a student—yet he possessed sixth-level strength, it naturally piqued the curiosity of many.

Some of the lower-level female students, seeing that the half of his face visible outside the mask was quite handsome, couldn't help but steal a few extra glances, becoming even more curious about the hidden half.

When Luo Mu finally regained his senses, he realized the awkwardness of the situation: he had been standing at the academy gate, becoming the center of attention.

With a helpless smile, Luo Mu shook his head, composed himself, and walked toward the gate, where a two-meter-tall wooden sign was erected with the words "Registration Office" written upon it.

"Hello, I am here to register." The receptionist at the desk was a white-haired old man whose strength was only at the third level of the Qi Refining stage, which Luo Mu spotted at a glance. However, Luo Mu did not act arrogant; instead, he politely greeted him and stated his purpose.

Hearing this, the old man looked up at Luo Mu. Having worked as a receptionist at the academy for decades, he had seen countless people and judged Luo Mu's approximate realm at a glance. Seeing how young Luo Mu was, the old man's face remained impassive, but he was inwardly shocked.

To reach the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage at such a young age—the old man hadn't seen many like that in all his decades. Thinking of his own life, having only reached the third level, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Name, age, place of origin, current cultivation realm, and which department you wish to enter." Looking at Luo Mu, the old man asked five questions in a row, his tone so concise that Luo Mu was slightly surprised.

"Name is Luo Mu, age nineteen, from Dragon Gate Town, sixth level of the Qi Refining stage, and I wish to enter the Alchemy Department." Luo Mu did not hesitate; having already made his decision, he replied with equal brevity.

The old man nodded, his brush moving across the paper to record Luo Mu's information. A moment later, he finished and pulled a crystal ball the size of a fist from the side, handing it to Luo Mu.

"This ball is to test your bodily attributes. Only after understanding your own attributes can you more easily choose the cultivation techniques suitable for you," the old man said as he handed it over.

Luo Mu naturally recognized the crystal ball and knew its purpose, but he made no move to take it.

Luo Mu had entered the Dao through poison. After being tempered by vast amounts of toxins, his constitution had long since become poison-attributed, a fact he was well aware of. The crystal ball before him was designed to test the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Whether it could detect a poison attribute, he did not know, but one thing was certain: whether it could or could not, it was not a good thing for him.

If it were detected, he would surely become a target of attention, perhaps even captured by some old monsters for research.

If it were not detected, the trouble would be even greater. If one lacked the five-element constitution, how did one cultivate? How had he reached his current realm?

Therefore, facing the crystal ball, Luo Mu only offered a slight smile and did not reach out to take it.

"I have already tested my attributes; they are wood-attributed. There is no need to trouble myself with another test and waste time." Luo Mu said softly with a friendly smile.

"Very well." The old man was quite straightforward. Seeing Luo Mu's reluctance, he did not press the matter and retracted the crystal ball. Testing attributes was for the student's benefit; if the student didn't want it, the old man certainly wouldn't insist. As for whether the student had truly tested them or if he was truly wood-attributed, the old man cared even less—it was the student's own business, unrelated to him.

"To enroll in the academy, the annual tuition is one hundred low-grade spirit stones. Any issues?" the old man asked in a flat tone.

"No issues." Luo Mu smiled, and after answering, he flicked his sleeve. One hundred low-grade spirit stones appeared on the table before the old man, arranged neatly.

With a sweep of his divine sense, the old man counted the stones. He nodded, a hint of a smile finally appearing on his face, and took out a token. The token was black, made of an unknown wood. The old man waved his hand, and a white light flashed over the token; Luo Mu's name appeared on the front, and the words "Jinxiu Academy" on the back.

Afterward, the old man took out a set of school uniforms and placed them, along with the token, in front of Luo Mu.

"Hmm, the amount is correct. This is your uniform and your identity token. Keep them safe. From now on, you are a student of our Jinxiu Academy. Welcome, young man."