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In the end, Han Yue didn't get her way. Wu Bai wanted to take advantage of his good condition to refine a few more Zen Heart Pills.

After all, he would need them for his cultivation in the Inner Academy.

Using Sixth-Grade Pills for cultivation was extravagant, but still within Wu Bai's means.

The medicinal herbs for one batch of a low-level sixth-grade pill cost only 150,000 Gold Coins. To a sixth-grade Alchemist, that was dirt cheap.

Of course, that was the cost price Wu Bai paid at the academy warehouse. At a shop in the Black-Corner Region, he would be lucky to get a batch for less than a million.

He used up all ten sets of ingredients for the Zen Heart Pills and produced ten finished pills. A hundred percent success rate.

After working through a day and a night, Wu Bai had also found his current limit:

"Seventh-grade Soul Power, but my Dou Qi cultivation is still the biggest constraint..."

Wu Bai lay down on the soft bed and soon fell asleep.

By the time he woke, it was already the following afternoon.

Yawning, Wu Bai went into the bathroom and washed up. Only then did he slowly feel refreshed.

Click.

The door opened, and Han Yue came in carrying a food box.

Wu Bai sat on the bed and opened his arms to her. Two seconds later, Han Yue let him pull her into an embrace, smiling.

"The Inner Academy Selection Tournament starts tomorrow. Have you signed up?"

"I told my Mentor ages ago. What about you?"

"I signed up when I went to see Elder Huo a couple of days ago."

They spoke lazily, as though they weren't worried about tomorrow's tournament in the slightest.

Yellow Springs Demon Saint privately decided this couldn't go on. He needed a high-grade Storage Ring so he could stay inside it.

Otherwise, if these two youngsters got carried away, was their teacher supposed to sit there and watch?

The little fellow beneath the Magma had a decent Storage Ring. Too bad he had been in a hurry to investigate that strange space last time. Otherwise, he would have killed the fellow and taken everything.

And Han Feng, who held half a scroll of the Flame Mantra—he ought to find a chance to kill him too.

"Ge Lie of Yellow Tier Class One versus Wu Bai of the Alchemy Department!"

In the enormous arena-like square, a dense crowd filled the stands, craning their necks as they waited for the legendary figure to appear.

It was the first day of the Inner Academy Selection Tournament. The place should have been loud with chatter.

But as soon as the referee called that name, everyone fell silent without thinking. Even their breathing grew quieter.

Step. Step. Step.

An ordinary-looking young man walked onto the stage, one step at a time.

The referee announced the start. Before his opponent's disbelieving eyes, a huge Blue-White Palm Seal shot out and sent him flying.

"The winner: Wu Bai of the Alchemy Department!"

Only after the young man stepped off the stage did the spectators come to their senses. Cheers erupted like a tidal wave.

"Wu Bai! Wu Bai! Wu Bai!"

"Wu Bai, you're incredible!"

"Lord Wu Bai, I want to have your babies!"

"Lord Wu Bai, you smell so good!"

"Aaaah!"

"Yellow Tier Class Five..."

The referee's voice vanished beneath the cheers of Wu Bai's fans.

Helpless, he waited for the crowd to settle down before announcing the next match.

"Wu Bai, everyone seems to like you."

"Heh, I can tell. What can I say? I'm a lovable Alchemist."

"Hahaha..."

Several elders at the Peak Dou Emperor level laughed warmly at Wu Bai's joke.

As a student of the Alchemy Department, it was only natural that Wu Bai had been pulled over to sit beside the Department Head.

But although he sat there, his attention kept drifting toward Han Yue.

He was even using his Soul Power to speak with her.

"Han Yue of Profound Class One versus Sa Te of Profound Class Three!"

Han Yue was well known in the Outer Academy too. She was often mentioned as someone always at Wu Bai's side, but no one dared underestimate her.

Many wondered whether the woman at his side was merely there to look pretty, or whether she truly had skills of her own.

Han Yue casually formed a Frost Spear. In just a few moves, she sent her opponent flying.

Quite a few gazes turned toward the young man seated beside the academy's elders.

"Well, look at that. Another Dou Ling. Are you two little monsters planning to go into the Inner Academy and bully the senior students?"

Hu Gan couldn't resist teasing them.

Forming an object from Dou Qi was plainly a Dou Ling's hallmark ability.

"Probably not. Those senior students are quite strong."

Wu Bai gave it some serious thought, then shook his head. Many of the Inner Academy's senior students were Dou Ling. They wouldn't be easy to bully.

As for the senior students at the Da Dou Shi level, they probably didn't have much Fire Energy anyway. Bullying them would be a waste of time.

He would be better off trading Medicinal Pills to the Inner Academy's elders for large amounts of Fire Energy. That was far simpler.

At that, Hu Gan merely smiled.

Then again, the boy had barely dealt with the Inner Academy's senior students. He didn't yet know what awaited newcomers there.

Three hundred and twenty-eight students had signed up for this year's Inner Academy Selection Tournament, so the first round of eliminations went quickly.

The format was hardly fair. Those with the highest cultivation were treated as Seeded Competitors and wouldn't meet one another before the top fifty.

But Wu Bai and Han Yue were a whole major realm ahead. No matter how outstanding the Dou Shi and Da Dou Shi were, they posed no threat—unless they, too, possessed Heavenly Flames and a secret technique like the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations that could raise their cultivation across a major realm.

After several days of competition, three students Wu Bai didn't know joined him and Han Yue in the tournament's top five.

Then again, Wu Bai didn't know many students to begin with...

The Han Family members who had trained with them last time, along with several of Han Yue's close friends, had all reached the top fifty. They could enter the Inner Academy too.

The day after the tournament ended, the five of them came to the Vice Dean's office.

Hu Gan explained the Inner Academy to them, though he was mainly speaking to the three students Wu Bai didn't know.

Wu Bai needed no explanation. Given his circumstances, the Inner Academy's senior students would have to be mad not to compete for the chance to treat him like an honored guest.

There was no need to worry about Han Yue, either.

Once they finished the annual formalities, Hu Gan led them to the main event.

A hidden passage opened, and they followed Hu Gan inside.

About half an hour later, light suddenly flooded their vision.

A tranquil valley appeared before them.

They climbed steadily upward, finally stopping in front of an ancient Library Pavilion.

"The top five of this year's Inner Academy Selection Tournament have been decided. Elders, please show yourselves and open the seal."

Hu Gan's voice, infused with Dou Qi, echoed through the valley. Wu Bai and the others bowed along with him in respect.