Shen Luo returned to Jia Nan Academy and found Su Qian still in seclusion.
He checked with his soul power.
The old fellow had successfully broken through to Four-Star Dou Zong.
He seemed to be consolidating his cultivation, presumably unwilling to waste the Seventh-Grade Pill's remaining medicinal power.
Half a month later.
After returning from the world at the earth's core, Shen Luo strolled around the Inner Academy with Zi Yan!
He had hunted down quite a few more Dou Emperor-level Flame Lizardmen, one of whom had even exuded a Dou Zong's aura.
Shen Luo's Heavenly Tyrant Body was already absurdly powerful. After swiftly killing his prey, he immediately fled far away.
Through his soul perception, he sensed numerous seventh-rank Flame Lizardmen rushing up from below.
Fire Beads were similar to magical beasts' monster cores, red all over and containing a Flame Lizardman's entire reserve of pure fire-attribute energy.
They could practically be called walking pills.
With the Devouring Ancestral Talisman's help, Shen Luo had advanced from the early stage of Two-Star Dou Zong to the middle stage.
His progress was only so-so, but his Heavenly Tyrant Body required roughly ten times as much energy as other people. Without the dense energy in the world at the earth's core, advancing this quickly would have been impossible!
And as his strength increased, his Heavenly Tyrant Body grew ever more powerful.
The purple blood throughout his body hummed, and every wave of his hand revealed his domineering might!
A bold confidence that he was invincible among his peers began to grow within Shen Luo!
Surely not. I'm only a middle-stage Two-Star Dou Zong. I can't possibly chase down and beat a Nine-Star Dou Zong!
Before heaven destroys a man, it first drives him mad!
Until my Tyrant Body reaches full mastery, I absolutely can't get too arrogant!
A man has to keep a low profile!
Holding Zi Yan's little hand, Shen Luo wandered through the Inner Academy, savoring their sweet time together!
After returning to the academy, Zi Yan had led Shen Luo into the deep mountains beside Jia Nan Academy to expand her territory aggressively. Shen Luo had turned quite a few fifth- and sixth-rank magical beasts into roast meat, which ended up in their bellies.
They collected the natural treasures those beasts guarded, such as Red Lotus Fruit and Vajra Fruit. They ate half outright, while Shen Luo refined the other half into pills for them to eat.
The purple glow around Zi Yan grew increasingly intense. Occasionally, she sighed, a trace of weariness appearing on her face. Shen Luo guessed that she would advance within the next few days.
Recently, she had eaten plenty of natural treasures plundered from the Black-Corner Region. With Shen Luo's high-grade pills tending to her, her body, malnourished for years, had received ample nourishment and care like parched land welcoming a long-awaited rain!
The immense energy had not only replenished her deficiencies but was also enough to support Zi Yan's evolution from a fifth-rank to a sixth-rank Ancient Void Dragon.
"Hey, Zi Yan!"
A young man in black robes greeted her from afar.
He had sword-like brows, star-bright eyes, an extraordinary bearing, sharply defined features, and a handsome face.
He wore a pair of tall leather boots and carried a pitch-black heavy ruler taller than himself on his back.
Judging by his aura, he was only around twenty, yet his strength had already reached Six-Star Dou Ling!
Such cultivation talent was certainly quite impressive!
Shen Luo raised an eyebrow.
There was no need to probe with his soul power. A wave of heat from the young man had already washed over him.
It was indeed the aura of the Green Lotus Core Flame!
The black-robed young man jogged over, and Shen Luo turned slightly.
"Oh, it's you, Xiao Yan!"
Zi Yan paused in surprise.
She had met Xiao Yan a few times. He was an Alchemist and had made some medicinal pellets for her, so she had a fairly good impression of him!
"I haven't seen you in ages. Have you finished your pellets?"
Two jade bottles suddenly appeared in Xiao Yan's hands. He gently shook them, his face brimming with pride!
"Look, I've already prepared them for you. Don't stand on ceremony with me!"
Zi Yan glanced at them, then looked away. The delight Xiao Yan had expected never appeared on her face.
"Sorry, Xiao Yan, but you don't need to make medicinal pellets for me anymore!" Zi Yan took a pill the size of a longan from her Storage Ring and held it in her palm.
"Look, I've got plenty of these!"
Xiao Yan blinked, staring gravely at the pill in Zi Yan's hand. "Th-this is... a Sixth-Grade Pill?"
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
The people in the entire Black-Corner Region who could refine Sixth-Grade Pills could be counted on one hand, and not one of them was ordinary!
How could she have one?
Besides, just a short while ago, Zi Yan had looked like a starving ghost. She had treasured even first- and second-grade medicinal pellets and had even been willing to trade high-grade soul fruits for them.
How was she casually pulling out sixth-grade pills now?
Could pills like these even be eaten as snacks?
Even I haven't had one!
Although Yao Chen could refine them, doing so consumed a tremendous amount of soul power, and finding the medicinal ingredients was no easy task either!
"Zi Yan, which senior refined that pill for you?"
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes.
Could Elder Huo from the Alchemy Department have advanced to the sixth tier?
But even if he had, he couldn't possibly refine one for Zi Yan!
"My mate gave it to me!"
Zi Yan pointed at Shen Luo beside her.
Shen Luo looked somewhat awkward. "Zi Yan, how many times have I told you not to call me your mate?"
"Mate?"
Xiao Yan awkwardly put away the jade bottles in his hands, turned his head slightly, and glanced at Shen Luo, who was dressed in an elder's robes. He bowed and cupped his hands.
"This junior, Xiao Yan, greets you, Elder!"
Shock slowly welled up in Xiao Yan's heart.
This man looks about my age, yet he holds the position of an Inner Academy elder. Could he already be a Dou Wang expert?
Shen Luo nodded without answering!
He couldn't be bothered with him!
Shen Luo studied the Storage Ring on Xiao Yan's hand.
At this point in time, the Tou She Ancient God Jade seemed to be in Xiao Yan's possession.
He had worn through iron shoes searching in vain, only to find it without lifting a finger.
Still, he would have to plan carefully to avoid the Gu Clan's scrutiny!
Meanwhile, Yao Chen's soul was concealed deep within the Bone Spirit Ring, playing dead the entire time!
"Xiao Yan, did you need something from me?" Zi Yan naturally linked her arm through Shen Luo's and asked softly!
She didn't dislike Xiao Yan, but that was about all there was to it. Their connection largely revolved around the medicinal pellets he refined.
Xiao Yan liked going into seclusion alone, and Zi Yan was a lone wolf as well. They had only met two or three times!
"Uh, didn't I establish an organization called Pan Gate with this year's new students?"
Seeing that Shen Luo was ignoring him, Xiao Yan scratched his head.
"But everyone's a new student, and we have too few experts. We're far behind Lin Xiuya's and Liu Qing's factions, so..."
He looked up at Zi Yan.
"So I'd like to invite you, the number one on the Strong Ranking, to join Pan Gate. Your position would be second only to mine. How about it?"
Shen Luo's expression remained unchanged.
In the original story, Zi Yan had indeed joined this organization called Pan Gate.
Everyone of any standing in the Inner Academy liked to build their own faction, and Xiao Yan was naturally no exception!
"Sorry, Xiao Yan. I've been busy improving my strength lately. You should find someone else!"
Zi Yan refused outright.
Although she had been with Shen Luo for less than two months, her horizons and knowledge were already worlds apart from what they had once been.
The factions they had robbed in the Black-Corner Region belonged to Dou Huang experts. They had even brought the insufferably arrogant Medicine Emperor Han Feng firmly to heel.
Pan Gate?
An organization of Inner Academy students playing house?
It could offer her nothing!
Not even emotional fulfillment.
It would only waste her time.
"All right, then!" Xiao Yan swallowed helplessly and slunk away!
Shen Luo rubbed Zi Yan's head, his face full of affection!
I haven't doted on her for nothing. Not for nothing!
This little girl's performance today was truly commendable!
All that I've given her hasn't been in vain!
Watching Xiao Yan's retreating figure, Shen Luo seemed to remember something!
He suddenly took a Seventh-Grade Pill from his Storage Ring, waved it, then quickly put it away again. With his arm around a thoroughly puzzled Zi Yan, he slowly walked off.
The sleeping Seven-Colored Little Snake on Xiao Yan suddenly opened her eyes the instant she smelled the pill's fragrance. She crawled out from his clothing, her slit pupils fixed intently on Shen Luo's retreating figure!
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