Two Dark Horses

Chapter 49: Two Dark Horses

Seeing Luo Mu walking toward the Alchemy Department, the senior student from that side was stunned for a moment before her face lit up with ecstasy, and she followed him with a beaming smile.

The Alchemy Department's mentor had assigned this woman to recruit Luo Mu; as long as she succeeded, there would be unexpected benefits to be gained, so how could she not be happy?

The others saw this and their expressions grew slightly anxious.

"Junior, what are you doing?" one senior sister couldn't help but ask.

"I appreciate the kindness of all you seniors, but I had already decided to choose the Alchemy Department and have a deep fondness for this path. I hope you can understand," Luo Mu said, pausing his steps.

Although Luo Mu wasn't afraid of anything, he didn't want to offend these so-called seniors the moment he stepped through the school gates, so he offered an explanation. As for what they thought after hearing it, that was their own business; Luo Mu would no longer concern himself with it.

Under the beaming gaze of the Alchemy senior, Luo Mu walked toward the Alchemy Department's recruitment desk.

Every year when enrolling new students, the academy's upper management assigned quotas to each department. These quotas were naturally measured by how many new students each department recruited; if the quota was met, the academy provided rewards, but if it wasn't, the mentors of those departments would inevitably face punishment.

Therefore, it was to meet these quotas that the scene before them had unfolded.

The strength Luo Mu displayed at nineteen was not low; he was a genius beyond reproach and naturally a target for recruitment by every department. Even the Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Making departments were no exception.

Whether Luo Mu had talent in those three areas, the mentors did not know. However, they still fought to take him under their wing. They weren't fools; there were actually selfish motives behind doing so.

Whether he had talent in talisman making, alchemy, or artifact refining didn't matter. What mattered was that Luo Mu's cultivation talent was astonishing. As long as he maintained this speed, reaching the tenth layer would be just around the corner. By then, he would successfully enter the Wanfa Sect, and as his mentor, the benefits would be substantial.

Watching Luo Mu leave and seeing the smug look on the faces of those in the Alchemy Department, the mentors and students of the other departments looked displeased. Some with short tempers even let out cold snorts, clearly holding a grudge against Luo Mu.

"Heh... what an idiot. Isn't choosing the Alchemy Department just ruining his own future?" Bai Lin looked at Luo Mu in the distance, arms crossed, his tone dripping with disdain.

"The senior is right. The Alchemy Department only practices the most basic attack spells of the cultivation world. Although they involve all five elements, their attack power is pitifully low. It's common to suffer losses when fighting others. This junior looked quite sharp, so why would he choose this department? It's truly a waste of his cultivation talent." The senior sister from the Wood Department shook her head and sighed as she watched Luo Mu; she also didn't think highly of his decision to join the Alchemy Department.

"In this world, there are far more fools than smart people. Never look at what a fool does with a normal person's mindset. Isn't that right, Ling'er?" Bai Lin had addressed the first part to the Wood Department senior, but the latter part was directed at Xiao Ling'er, who stood beside him looking distracted.

"Ah? What did you say, Senior?" Xiao Ling'er, who had been lost in thought, hadn't been listening to Bai Lin at all. Seeing him ask her, she was startled and asked with a flustered expression.

A cold glint flashed in Bai Lin's eyes, which he then masked perfectly.

"Has our department met its quota for this year?" Bai Lin ignored Xiao Ling'er and asked the Wood Department senior.

"We only need a few more people," the woman replied honestly, without hiding anything.

"That's good..."

With Luo Mu having chosen the Alchemy Department, the other seniors who had come to invite him returned to their respective camps and set their sights on other new students. Luo Mu arrived at the Alchemy recruitment desk and, under the enthusiastic guidance of the mentor, quickly completed the paperwork. Once everything was finished, his school uniform had changed slightly; a small tripod pattern and a large character for "Alchemy" now appeared on his sleeves.

"Junior, let me tell you, our Alchemy Department isn't as bad as they say. Although our spell attack power is a bit low, it isn't impossible to compensate for. As long as you have a good artifact in hand, you'll be just as formidable when fighting other cultivators. Furthermore, if you have talent in alchemy and are lucky enough to obtain pill formulas that increase spiritual power, not only will your cultivation advance by leaps and bounds, but you'll also earn quite a few spirit stones."

Seeing Luo Mu finish his registration, the senior sister who had brought him over spoke to him enthusiastically.

Luo Mu knew everything she said, but he had no intention of chatting with her. He simply nodded slightly and offered a faint smile.

"That Senior Bai Lin from the Wood Department does have high cultivation, but our Alchemy Department isn't without experts either. Take Senior Li Hu from our department, for example; he is also an expert at the ninth layer. When the Wanfa Sect recruits disciples next time, there will definitely be a spot for Senior Li Hu. Moreover, Senior Li Hu is rich in alchemical experience; even if he doesn't break through to the tenth layer by then, he can still enter the Wanfa Sect without any issues." The woman spoke like a chatterbox to Luo Mu.

"Li Hu." At the mention of Li Hu, Luo Mu's brows twitched as he remembered who this was. Wasn't that the person who had mocked Qu Yi that day? He had heard he was a direct descendant of the Li Family.

Luo Mu had no good impression of this person. Although he knew from Qu Yi that this man was in the Alchemy Department, he hadn't expected his cultivation to have reached the ninth layer, nor that he had such accomplishments in alchemy.

"Hong Mei, you don't need to stay here. Take student Luo Mu around the academy, then tell him about our academy's culture and the things he needs to be aware of. Make sure student Luo Mu has a general understanding of our academy by the end of the day, or he might suffer a loss without even knowing why." Just as the woman wanted to say more to Luo Mu, the mentor sitting in the chair spoke up.

So this overly familiar senior is named Hong Mei. Luo Mu muttered to himself, secretly noting her name.

"Yes, Mentor." The senior named Hong Mei replied respectfully, then called out to Luo Mu and led him away.

And so, it wasn't until the sky turned slightly dark that Luo Mu walked out of the academy gates. Since he had his own place to stay, Luo Mu declined to live on campus.

Although he didn't have many secrets, Luo Mu didn't want to expose himself to others either. Keeping some trump cards that no one else knew about made Luo Mu feel more secure.

After leaving the academy, Luo Mu couldn't stop sighing to himself about how wealthy and imposing Jinxiu Academy truly was. Throughout the day, Luo Mu had wandered around with Hong Mei, who acted as a half-guide, and yet he had only seen a rough outline of the academy. Due to time constraints, there were many places Luo Mu had only viewed from the outside without the luxury of time to go in and see them, which left him feeling somewhat regretful.

Understanding the academy's layout was necessary to avoid getting lost, which would be incredibly embarrassing. At the same time, Luo Mu had learned a bit about the academy's culture, especially the "Grudge Platform" where personal grievances could be settled, which had taken him by surprise.

He wondered what kind of person could come up with such a strange trick, and Luo Mu secretly marveled at it. Deep down, however, he actually admired the practice.

I hope that during my time at the academy, I won't have to step onto that Grudge Platform. Luo Mu thought to himself, though judging by the indifferent expression on his face, he didn't seem to care much about the matter.

As he left the academy, Luo Mu also heard a very interesting piece of news. Today, Luo Mu had caused a small sensation by reporting as a new student with sixth-layer Qi Refining strength, but in the afternoon, another genius had appeared!

She was only seventeen years old and had already reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining! And this new student was a girl! This had shocked the mentors and seniors, who hadn't yet recovered from the shock of Luo Mu, all over again.

A scramble for the new student had begun!

In the end, after a Fire Department mentor tempted her with a low-grade artifact, the girl chose the Fire Department without hesitation, excitedly telling everyone that she was naturally fire-attuned and would have chosen the Fire Department even without the artifact.

When these words were spoken, the mentor who had offered the artifact felt his mouth twitch, lamenting that he had been too impulsive.

The appearance of Luo Mu and this girl were two dark horses that had unexpectedly emerged among the new students, catching the attention of many high-ranking officials in the academy. Naturally, the academy would cultivate such heaven-sent talents vigorously to bring glory to the school and suppress the other academies before the Wanfa Sect. As for which departments they chose, the upper management didn't seem to care.

It stood to reason; no matter the major, they were all part of Jinxiu Academy. It was just that choosing a major suited to oneself allowed one to shine even brighter.

This was just an interlude Luo Mu heard as he left; he just smiled and didn't pay it much mind. By now, Luo Mu had long since left the academy and arrived at a secluded alley in the South City.

"It's been a month; there should have been a result from Qu Yi's side by now!" Standing outside the alley, Luo Mu thought to himself before stepping inside.