Who Gave You the Nerve!

Han Yue returned at sunset, the heat in her body not yet fully faded.

Her eyes shone with excitement, and there was a spring in her step.

"How was it?"

"Incredible. No wonder countless students fight for a chance to train there."

"I'm glad you liked it. Once you've adjusted, you can head down a few floors. With your Dou Ling cultivation, the fourth or fifth floor should suit you. But there's no rush. You can work your way down one floor at a time."

"Got it. Thanks for the reminder, Xiao Bai!"

Han Yue pressed against Wu Bai and kissed him with a smile.

But Wu Bai did not kiss her back, which surprised her.

"What's wrong?"

"It's my first time refining a Dou Ling Pill. I need to get into the right state of mind. I don't want to waste all three sets of Medicinal Herbs on my first try."

Wu Bai shook his head slightly. Truth be told, he was nervous.

After all, he had already talked a big game...

"Oh. Then how about I stay here and keep watch over you for the next few days?"

"There's no need. Teacher is here too."

"But it's not convenient for Teacher to show himself. Let me keep watch."

"All right. Sorry for the trouble, Yue'er."

"No, Xiao Bai. You're the one doing the hard work."

"Heh..."

Wu Bai chuckled, pulled Han Yue onto his lap, and buried his face against her chest.

Her faint, cool fragrance relaxed his body and mind, quickly bringing him into peak condition.

The sun set, and the moon rose above the treetops.

Blue-white flames lit the villa's first floor. That spacious, quiet room was Wu Bai's Pill Refining Room.

Sixth-Grade Pills were different from lower-grade pills. The latter caused only minor energy fluctuations.

But when some high-grade Sixth-Grade Pills took shape, they could cause violent tremors. Walls might crack and roofs might collapse.

For safety, Wu Bai had deliberately chosen the sturdiest room on the first floor as his Pill Refining Room.

Han Yue sat in the living room, keeping watch while listening to the Yellow Springs Demon Saint's guidance on her cultivation.

In truth, the Yellow Springs Demon Saint was doing most of the watching. His senses could easily cover a radius of over ten kilometers.

But if anything actually happened, Han Yue would have to handle it.

"Stop worrying about that boy, girl. His Soul Power is comparable to a Seventh-Rank Alchemist's, and his Earth Tier Cultivation Method gives him ample Dou Qi reserves. Refining a little Dou Ling Pill should be a breeze."

Seeing Han Yue's attention wander, the Yellow Springs Demon Saint produced a Ruler from who knew where and tapped her on the head.

"I understand, Teacher."

The tap brought Han Yue back to her senses. She listened attentively to the powerful elder's lesson.

It was not until the early hours of the morning that the Yellow Springs Demon Saint stopped. He raised his head, noticing a faint energy fluctuation.

A few breaths later, the energy released as the pill formed burst out in full. The cups on the living room table trembled for more than ten seconds.

Han Yue's eyes lit up with delight, and she immediately turned toward the Pill Refining Room.

Before long, a lock clicked softly.

Wu Bai emerged, stretching.

"Why are you still standing there? Go back to bed. It's late."

At his words, Han Yue did not ask how it had gone. She went upstairs with him at once.

The Yellow Springs Demon Saint smiled and shook his head, then returned to the little stone sphere.

The next day.

Hurried footsteps interrupted Wu Bai's return to sleep, his head resting in Han Yue's lap.

He opened his eyes and saw a young man from the Han Family.

"Sir, Miss."

"Has something happened?"

Wu Bai sat up and looked at the young man standing outside the door.

"Yes. An older student is saying that although you're a Fifth-Rank Alchemist and clearly no weaker than the older students, you still bullied weaker opponents during the Fire Energy Hunting Competition..."

"Do you know who he is? How strong is he?"

"We've found out. He's an older student at the Two-Star Dou Ling level. His brother took part in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition."

"Challenge him for me. Noon today, at the Arena. Just him and me."

The calmness in Wu Bai's voice made the young man from the Han Family shiver involuntarily.

He nodded quickly and turned to leave.

Wu Bai lay back down on Han Yue's lap, closed his eyes, and said nothing.

Han Yue said nothing to dissuade him, either. There was nothing to discuss. This called for a hard response!

They had been insulted to their faces. What kind of person would simply swallow that?

A mere Two-Star Dou Ling dared tell a Sixth-Rank Alchemist how to behave. Who gave him the nerve?

If this had happened in Tianbei City, he would have been buried by noon for something he said in the morning.

And the ones to do it would probably have been the Hong Family, the Han Family's rivals.

Factions in the Central Plains, where the powerful were everywhere, understood better than most that strength commanded respect.

Countless people would fight for the friendship of a Sixth-Rank Alchemist.

Even a family like the Han Family, with a Dou Zong expert at its helm, could at most invite a Fifth-Rank Alchemist to serve as a guest elder.

Only at Jia Nan Academy did their shared status as students blur the gap between them so greatly.

Anywhere else, who knew how many people would gladly bury that brainless fool to curry favor with the young Sixth-Rank Alchemist?

Time passed quickly, and the appointed hour of noon drew near.

The Arena in the Inner Academy could hold a thousand people. By then, it was packed, with every seat taken.

Many students training in the Heavenly Flame Qi Refining Tower had rushed out the moment they heard the news, eager to watch the spectacle.

Challenges were common in the Inner Academy, but this was the first time they had seen a Fifth-Rank Alchemist—none of them knew the truth yet—challenge someone to a fight.

Even many Inner Academy elders had flown over to watch.

The challenged party, the Two-Star Dou Ling, huddled in a corner. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the weight of all those stares.

The geniuses on the Strong Ranking were warning him with their eyes.

Even some of the elders glared at him in disgust.

The Two-Star Dou Ling had never imagined he would one day draw everyone's attention like this.

Someone called for silence, and the entire Arena fell quiet.

The steady, synchronized sound of footsteps echoed through the Arena.

At the front walked the young man.

He had an unremarkable face and a well-proportioned build. Apart from his unusually bright eyes, nothing about him stood out.

Beside him walked a tall young woman with cool, striking features, as aloof as a snow lotus on an icy mountain.

Nine young men and women followed behind them.

When the young man reached the edge of the Arena, the others stopped.

His bright, calm eyes swept across the stands. He sensed every presence there without missing a single one.

At last, his gaze settled on an empty platform behind the stands.

Wu Bai gave a slight nod, then turned his gaze to the young man who had already stepped down.

With a single look, the young man felt as though Wu Bai had seen straight through him. Not a single secret remained hidden.