Straight into the Inner Academy, an Azure Nether Longevity Pill?

"Old man Hu Gan wanted to see me?"

Lin Chen froze for a moment at the news, then seemed to think of something. The academy's rewards for the top five in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament must be ready to collect. It's about time.

Then he nodded, offered a polite smile, and said, "Sorry for the trouble, junior. Lead the way."

Not long afterward, in the heart of Jia Nan Academy's Outer Academy.

Inside a two-story building set beside a lake amid beautiful surroundings, Lin Chen climbed upstairs and slowly pushed open the study door.

Before him was a spacious, bright room filled with crisscrossing bookshelves. The shelves were densely packed with books, which gave off a faint scent of paper and ink.

At the center, an old man with white hair and a white beard was slowly leafing through some documents, leaving the entire study exceptionally quiet.

"You're here?"

The old man greeted him casually without looking up from the documents.

"Yes. Where are the others?"

"They're a little farther away. They'll take a while yet. Sit down first."

Only then did Hu Gan slowly raise his head. With a sweep of his sleeve, a nearby chair instantly slid behind Lin Chen. He was about to ask something when his gaze suddenly sharpened.

His expression changed, his composure giving way to shock as he barked, "What have you done now, you little bastard? Peak Dou Ling? What pills did you swallow this time? How could they be that potent?"

"You're going to ruin the reputation I spent half my life building!"

"You took first place in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament by popping pills. Weren't you already the strongest student in the Outer Academy? Why are you still at it?"

Hu Gan slammed the table, unleashing a terrifying wave of Dou Emperor pressure. Rings of energy rippled outward, visible to the naked eye. Before Lin Chen could sit down, the chair behind him exploded into countless flying splinters.

"Deputy Headmaster, let me explain. This time..."

Lin Chen instinctively stepped back, swallowed nervously, and hurried to explain.

"What pills did you take this time?"

Hu Gan snorted coldly, his eyes filled with the frustration of someone who hated seeing good iron fail to become steel. As the deputy headmaster of Jia Nan Academy's Outer Academy and a mighty Peak Dou Emperor, what sort of genius had he not seen over the years?

But he truly had never seen anyone like Lin Chen!

The boy popped pills every other day, then promoted them to other students afterward. Once he sold them, he went right back to taking more. He broke through an entire major realm in two years, swallowing pills as casually as eating meals and leveling up as easily as passing gas. It was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight!

With Lin Chen's talent, he was certain to become a Dou Wang expert even without taking pills. Hu Gan's seasoned eye had long since recognized the boy's exceptional potential, yet he insisted on taking a crooked path.

Dou Qi raised through pill-popping was insubstantial and unstable. It amounted to destroying his own foundation. Why wouldn't the boy listen?

"Deputy Headmaster, here's what happened. When I went out earlier, I stumbled upon a fortunate opportunity. I found the burial site of a Dou Zong expert, and inside was a bottle of pills called Lesser Life Devouring Pills. Their effects are unusual. They..."

Seeing this, Lin Chen hurriedly poured out the explanation he had prepared before Hu Gan's anger could boil over.

After finishing, he thumped his chest and solemnly promised, "Don't worry, Deputy Headmaster. With my talent, I'll definitely break through to Dou Wang within three years and shine for our Jia Nan Academy. As long as I, Lin Chen, am around, Jia Nan Academy will never fall!"

"I would never dare forget your kindness, either. When I first entered Jia Nan Academy, you were the one who gave me a meal. I wanted to call you Dad and look after you in your old age, but you said you already had a girl and didn't need me for that..."

"You wouldn't let me become your disciple, either. You just tossed me a Xuan-class cultivation method to practice. But I don't hold it against you. We can each reckon our relationship our own way. Once I become a Seventh-Rank Alchemist, I'll definitely get you a Sect Breaking Pill. Then you can enjoy a life of leisure..."

"Enough! You little rascal, you only have three years left to live, and you can still smile!"

As Hu Gan listened to Lin Chen ramble on, his expression softened considerably, though he still interrupted him with a stern face. Then he remarked as if in passing, "I'll take you to the Book Collection Pavilion in a bit. I remember there being an Azure Nether Longevity Pill in the fifth spot of the fourth row along the left wall. I don't know whether someone has taken it."

"You'll be joining the Inner Academy next. Given your Peak Dou Ling strength, there's no need for you to participate in the Inner Academy's Fire Energy Hunting Competition. I'll discuss it with the other elders and arrange for you to enter the Inner Academy directly."

"The sooner you join, the sooner you can cultivate in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. It can temper your Dou Qi and accelerate your cultivation, which will help make up for the flaws caused by your reckless pill-popping..."

"Don't do that, Headmaster! I heard plenty of seniors will be participating in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition. I need to join, too! I love dealing with seniors. Bullying those weaker than me? I would never do such a thing!"

When Lin Chen heard the words "Azure Nether Longevity Pill," his expression remained perfectly ordinary.

But when he heard that Hu Gan intended to send him straight into the Inner Academy, his expression changed drastically. He hastily added, "I understand the bigger picture, Headmaster! Our Jia Nan Academy has been around for so many years. We can't break the rules just for me!"

"I'm willing to join the Fire Energy Hunting Competition and really mix it up with the seniors! I'm not afraid of hardship. Don't go easy on me, Headmaster. Give me a few fat... a few nice, plump seniors. I'd be delighted to receive their guidance!"

At those words, the heaviness in Hu Gan's heart vanished like smoke. He pointed at Lin Chen, so angry that he laughed.

He couldn't help laughing as he scolded, "You little brat. I was right not to take you in back then. When it comes to shamelessness, this old man truly can't compare!"

"If I'd taken you as my disciple and let you run amok under my name, I probably wouldn't have lived long enough for that girl Hu Jia to look after me in my old age. Behave yourself. This matter is settled. If you dare go bully the weaker students in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, I'll break your legs!"

Hearing Hu Gan's resolute tone, Lin Chen knew there was no room left for negotiation. He immediately gritted his teeth and cursed, "This is unfair! I'm going to report you to the First Elder! You old man, you're abusing your authority for personal ends! Sending a student straight into the Inner Academy—you're a law unto yourself!"

"I, Lin Chen..."

"Agree, and you'll receive a Blue Fire Crystal Card with two thousand fire energy points as soon as you enter."

Hu Gan completely ignored Lin Chen's accusations. Reclining in his chair, he produced a steaming cup of tea from somewhere, took a small sip, and spoke at his leisure.

"A Blue Fire Crystal Card? A third-tier Fire Crystal Card?"

Lin Chen froze, instinctively rummaging through his memory for the relevant information. There were only five tiers of Fire Crystal Cards in total, weren't there?

Then his expression changed, and his face instantly filled with smiles. "I support every decision the academy makes. I have always put the academy's interests first. Since the academy requires it, I guarantee my compliance. I have no objections whatsoever."

"Even if the First Elder comes, he cannot change your decision on this matter. I approve with both hands raised!"

Hu Gan snorted coldly, offering no comment.

After all these years together, he had long since figured out the boy's character. He was just about to say something.

Suddenly, a knock came from outside, accompanied by the mingled footsteps of several people.

"Deputy Headmaster, may we come in?"