Jia Nan Academy

After the selection ended and Xiao Yun and the others returned home, news that he was the only person in all of Wutan City accepted by Jia Nan Academy with S-Tier Potential spread like wildfire, firmly confirming the rumors that Xiao Yun was Wutan City's number one genius.

Over the following days, the news spread to several nearby cities and towns as well. His fame soared, and it was believed that Xiao Yun's name would soon spread throughout the entire Jia Ma Empire.

Three days later, Xiao Yun carried his luggage and headed to the meeting point with the Xiao Long brothers, accompanied by many members of the Xiao Clan. "Xiao Yun, when you're away from home, you must be careful. Always keep your guard up, and don't recklessly let others use you as a weapon."

Xiao Zhan patted Xiao Yun on the shoulder. He was satisfied with everything about this nephew, but there was one thing that worried him. Xiao Yun was simply too young, and he feared that the still-immature Xiao Yun might be exploited by others.

After saying this, Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Long and Xiao Hu. "You two should keep a closer eye on Xiao Yun at the academy. We're all family. Xiao Yun is so young, so you need to clearly explain the pros and cons of certain matters to him."

They could not disobey the clan leader's instructions. Xiao Long hurriedly nodded and agreed, promising that he would do so. Xiao Yun nodded as well. "Uncle Xiao Zhan, three elders, you should head back. I'll be careful at Jia Nan Academy."

With that, the three of them walked toward Instructor Xu Ning's group and climbed onto the back of the flying magical beast.

It was a giant bird known as an Azure Stone Roc, a Tier-3 Magical Beast. Although its flying speed could not compare to a Dou Wang's, it was still much faster than traveling on land.

Once everyone was aboard, Instructor Xu Ning controlled the magical beast and took off toward Jia Nan Academy.

Inside one of the rooms on the flying magical beast's back, Instructor Xu Ning gathered all the new students and began explaining Jia Nan Academy and the Black-Corner Region where it was located.

The Black-Corner Region was a chaotic place where all sorts of people gathered. It lay between the Jia Ma Empire and two other great empires, a lawless zone beyond anyone's control. Thus, most wanted criminals on the Northwestern Continent fled into the Black-Corner Region to evade pursuit.

"Things are fine while you're inside the academy. Your personal safety can be guaranteed there. But once you step outside its gates, keep your eyes open. In the Black-Corner Region, don't meddle in other people's business.

"Whether they're old people, women, or even children, any of them could be the one who takes your life. The Black-Corner Region has no need for kindness. Compassion is useless there!"

Instructor Xu Ning sternly warned them. As for whether the new students would take his words to heart, that depended on their own awareness. Still, it did not matter much. Students who went out to gain experience needed to cultivate at the academy for several years and reach a bottleneck before they were permitted to leave.

Generally speaking, Jia Nan Academy also had a Law Enforcement Team in the surrounding area. The team consisted of academy instructors and students, with instructors leading the students to witness the dangers of the world and gain experience. This was also a prerequisite for students going out to train.

Before long, Instructor Xu Ning finished speaking. He waved his hand and sent all the new students back to their rooms. It would still be several days before they reached Jia Nan Academy.

Over these days, Xiao Yun stayed in his room and cultivated diligently. He had seen from the Status Panel that his cultivation progress bar was already more than halfway full, so he aimed to break through to a Two-Star Dou Zhe before entering Jia Nan Academy.

Aside from leaving his room to eat, Xiao Yun spent all his time cultivating Dou Qi. Hard work paid off, and on the night before they were due to arrive at Jia Nan Academy, Xiao Yun officially became a Two-Star Dou Zhe.

Time slowly passed as everyone cultivated Dou Qi. Finally, one morning, the group arrived at Jia Nan Academy. Instructor Xu Ning woke everyone up, and through the window, Xiao Yun saw the outline of an enormous city.

That was Canaan City, Jia Nan Academy's city. Compared to Canaan City, Wutan City, where Xiao Yun had grown up, was like a rural market town.

Soon, the flying magical beast landed at Canaan City's flight station. Instructor Xu Ning led the new and older students down and out of the station.

Once outside, a broad street paved with Qing Shi appeared before them. The surging crowds on the street made Xiao Yun secretly click his tongue in amazement.

The bustling atmosphere made Xiao Yun feel as if he had returned to the scene from several days ago, when Instructor Xu Ning had come to Wutan City to recruit students. As expected of the birthplace of the continent's oldest academy, its name alone drew countless people to visit and join.

Without lingering on the streets, Instructor Xu Ning led them through the city, turning this way and that. They walked for a full half hour before arriving at the gates of Jia Nan Academy.

Standing at the entrance, Xiao Yun was deeply shaken by the enormous academy gates. Even in his previous life, he had never seen gates this massive. Above them hung a plaque bearing four large characters:

Jia Nan Academy!

Instructor Xu Ning led the new students to a plaza. The older students who had accompanied him during recruitment had already left to collect the contribution points for completing their recruitment task.

Before long, only the new students remained in the plaza, waiting to be assigned by the instructors. The instructors responsible for recruitment had priority in making their selections.

Xu Ning could select several promising students from this group and directly bring them into his class. The remaining new students would be assigned to different instructors' classes according to their potential values.

Without question, Xu Ning dismissed everyone else, telling them to report to the new student registration office for assignment, while keeping only Xiao Yun by his side.

"Xiao Yun, how about joining my class? I'm currently a Nine-Star Da Dou Shi and a Xuan Tier instructor. If you join my class, you'll have access to more resources. I'm also confident that I can break through to Dou Ling in a few years. By then, the resources I can allocate to you will be even greater."

Xu Ning did not beat around the bush. He directly laid out his advantages, making it clear that if Xiao Yun joined his class, he would give him whatever resources he had.

Xiao Yun nodded. He had come to Jia Nan Academy to obtain more resources. Now that an instructor was willing to provide them for him, why would he refuse?

"Instructor, I'm willing to join your class. However, I also want to take courses in the Alchemy Department. My clan tested my Dou Qi attributes before. I have a fire attribute, along with a trace of Wood Qi."

"I couldn't tell that you had the talent of an alchemist as well. Not bad. Unfortunately, Old Xu here didn't have that talent back then. I only had a single fire attribute. Otherwise, I'd at least be a Dou Ling by now."

Xu Ning sighed. "You can take courses in the Alchemy Department. The Teaching Department's schedule does not conflict with the Alchemy Department's. Since you want to give it a try, I'll take you there to register. It will also be a good chance to familiarize you with the academy."

With that, Xu Ning briskly led Xiao Yun toward the building where the Alchemy Department was located.

Along the way, Xu Ning explained the academy's buildings and shared knowledge about the Alchemy Department with Xiao Yun.

"In the Alchemy Department, dedicated instructors teach the students alchemy knowledge. Every week, the academy also provides some free medicinal materials for students to use in alchemy examinations."

"But let me tell you this first. The Alchemy Department is not like cultivation talent—it depends on each person's alchemy skill. If you want to obtain more resources from the Alchemy Department, you can only do so by achieving outstanding results in the weekly alchemy examinations."

Xu Ning was afraid that Xiao Yun might misunderstand things after joining the Alchemy Department, so he specifically reminded him.

Xiao Yun nodded to show that he understood. Soon, Xu Ning brought him to the Alchemy Department building. At a glance, he saw an Alchemy Department registration desk downstairs, where a young man was sitting and dozing off.

"No need to register here. Come with me." Xu Ning motioned for Xiao Yun not to wake the young man. Instead, he led him straight into the building. On the first floor, Xu Ning found an Alchemy Department instructor he knew and directly arranged an aptitude test for Xiao Yun.

The instructor took out a transparent crystal ball and told Xiao Yun to place his hand on it. Following the instructor's directions, the crystal ball soon emitted a red glow, along with a faint hint of green.

"Very good. We can recruit another student for the Alchemy Department this year. Come with me. Old Xu, you can go now." The instructor swiftly completed Xiao Yun's paperwork and pulled him away.

Afterward, Xiao Yun followed the instructor around the place where they usually practiced alchemy. Along the way, the instructor carefully explained some matters concerning the Alchemy Department.

"Tomorrow, choose your Alchemy Department class times carefully so they don't conflict with your Teaching Department classes. Every day, a Third-Tier Alchemist will be responsible for teaching.

"However, I suggest that you attend only one alchemist's lessons. You aren't an alchemist yet. If you absorb too many different alchemists' experiences, it will have a major impact on your future path in alchemy."

"When learning alchemy, the foundation is extremely important. I suggest you thoroughly memorize the Encyclopedia of Medicinal Materials, basic alchemy techniques, and similar materials before attempting to refine medicine yourself."

"Every week, the academy provides some low-tier medicinal materials for you to practice with. Make sure to seize every opportunity to refine medicine.

"An alchemy competition is also held every year. The prizes for the top three are pill formulas, and this may be the easiest way for you to obtain pill formulas.

"Another way is to raise your alchemist rank. The academy will reward you with pill formulas for that as well. If you want even more pill formulas, you will need to exchange contribution points for them.

"Contribution points are rewards gained by completing missions issued by the academy. In this regard, we alchemists can earn contribution points more easily than others."

"Remember, alchemy is like cultivation. You cannot aim too high. Building a solid foundation is the true path. Under normal circumstances, there is no danger while you are learning alchemy,

"but every year, many arrogant students begin refining medicine before building a proper foundation. In the end, their furnaces explode and they are injured, sometimes even leaving their cultivation permanently unable to advance."

The instructor earnestly warned Xiao Yun, regret showing on his face, as though he lamented those students who had taken the wrong path. "That's all I have to say. Remember to come choose your classes tomorrow."

Xiao Yun hurriedly nodded and thanked him, carefully committing the instructor's words to memory.

Xiao Yun had never come into contact with alchemy in either this life or his previous one. Before, he could only imagine it in his head. He was a complete beginner, so he naturally had to remember the advice of his seniors.

He understood this well: on the Dou Qi Continent, those who did well were not necessarily alchemists, but alchemists always did well!

However, the conditions for becoming an alchemist were extremely demanding. Not only did one need suitable Dou Qi attributes and Soul Power, one also needed vast amounts of money and medicinal materials for support.

To put it simply, although the Xiao Clan was one of Wutan City's three great clans, its wealth would probably be exhausted just by training a single Second-Tier Alchemist.

Xiao Yan might have become a master alchemist at such a young age, but that was because the continent's number one alchemist had always stayed by his side to teach him. Even so, Xiao Yan had spent countless sums of money and medicinal materials, and his alchemy talent was among the very best.

If Xiao Yun wanted to afford the profession of an alchemist, at this stage he could only rely on Jia Nan Academy. The Xiao Clan and the hundred thousand gold coins in his card were definitely not enough.

After Xiao Yun left, the instructor immediately sent information about Xiao Yun joining the Alchemy Department to someone.

"A seven-year-old Dou Zhe with alchemist talent too. A monster like that is rare. I have to tell Fire Elder. If Fire Elder is pleased and takes him as a disciple, won't the benefits for me be enormous?"