Two and a Half Years Later!

Two and a half years later.

Soft light streamed through the window onto the boy's handsome face, with its sword-sharp brows, star-bright eyes, rosy lips, and pearly teeth. Jiang Yun opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air, emerging from cultivation.

"An Eight-Star Great Dou Master at last." Feeling that the vortex in his dantian had fully transformed into a solid crystal, Jiang Yun smiled, then fell into thought.

"I've spent three years in the Outer Academy and read every book here. There's no reason to stay any longer. It's time to head to the Inner Academy."

A year earlier, Jiang Yun had been a nine-star Dou Shi. With the means at his disposal, securing a place in the Inner Academy would not have been difficult, but a nine-star Dou Shi was hardly considered strong there.

Although Zi Yan was powerful, Jiang Yun could not hide behind her every time, could he? Besides, he still had some books left to read in the Outer Academy's collection, so he had postponed entering the Inner Academy by a year.

With that decided, Jiang Yun stepped out of his room. Seeing Zi Yan's tightly shut door, he knew she had run off somewhere to roam wild again.

Over these two and a half years, supplied with Zi Yan's "mountains" of medicinal ingredients, Jiang Yun had successfully refined a fifth-grade pill and become a fifth-grade alchemist. As for where he had obtained the pill formulas?

For that, he had to thank the selfless teachers of the Alchemy Department. Over these two and a half years, quite a few more elders had fired up their furnaces to refine pills and answer everyone's questions, and Jiang Yun had seized those opportunities to collect a good number of formulas.

Most, however, were below the fourth grade. That changed after one particular occasion, which had also yielded his greatest harvest.

Jiang Yun still remembered the day Elder Huo from the Inner Academy had suddenly visited the Outer Academy's Alchemy Department to answer the students' questions. He had even fired up a furnace and refined a King-Breaking Pill, a fifth-grade pill that, as its name suggested, was used to break through to Dou Wang.

Jiang Yun had been somewhat puzzled by Elder Huo's visit, but once he met him and saw his surging soul power, he understood the reason.

It was because of the soul cultivation method he had left behind back then.

The academy had eventually discovered that lump of iron. After the people in the Outer Academy failed to unravel its mysteries, Hu Gan had sent it to the Inner Academy, where it ultimately landed in Elder Huo's hands.

What followed was simple. Elder Huo obtained the soul cultivation method within it and officially broke through to become a sixth-grade alchemist half a year later. To express his gratitude for this fortuitous opportunity, he had specially come to lecture at the Outer Academy for three days.

All one could say was that cause and effect had come full circle. Had Jiang Yun not left behind that soul cultivation method, Elder Huo would not have reached the sixth grade so soon and would never have come to lecture at the Outer Academy. Jiang Yun, in turn, would never have obtained that fifth-grade pill formula.

With Jiang Yun feeding her, Zi Yan was living very comfortably indeed, her cultivation shooting upward by leaps and bounds. She had now reached the late stage of a fifth-rank magical beast, equivalent to a human seven-star Dou Wang. With the physique of an Ancient Void Dragon, she could contend with a human Dou Emperor.

Now, whenever Zi Yan went off gallivanting in the Magical Beast Forest, Jiang Yun felt thoroughly reassured about her safety!

Knock, knock, knock-

"Come in-"

A deep voice came from within. Jiang Yun pushed the door open and entered, finding a middle-aged man bent over his desk, writing. At the sound, the man raised his head, and a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes when he saw Jiang Yun.

"Student, who are you?"

Hearing his question, Jiang Yun answered unhurriedly, "Teacher, I'm Jiang Yun, a student from Yellow Tier Class Three!"

"Yellow Tier Class Three? Isn't that my class? I don't think I have a student like you." Jiang Yun's answer only left Wu En more bewildered, and he scrutinized him.

Jiang Yun was nearly ten now and had grown to a height of one and a half meters, already surpassing Zi Yan. This had left her sulking for quite some time, after which she had become even more determined to grow up.

Although the ten-year-old Jiang Yun still looked somewhat young, his refined features and gentle, cultured bearing hardly made him someone one would forget at a glance. Yet Wu En simply could not remember having such a student in his class.

"Three years ago, Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan..." Jiang Yun was not surprised by this reaction. Neither he nor Zi Yan had attended a single class in these three years. They were the very picture of delinquent students.

"Oh, it's you!" At the mention of Hu Gan, realization dawned on Wu En, and he finally remembered the little fellow he had met once.

Hu Gan had personally arranged Jiang Yun's enrollment, so Wu En naturally knew about this little prodigy. However, neither he nor Zi Yan had attended a single lesson in three years. Wu En had never expected him to appear before him three years later.

"Yes, Teacher Wu. Zi Yan and I would like to sign up for the Inner Academy Selection Tournament in three days!" Seeing that he finally remembered, Jiang Yun nodded, evidently unaware of just how appalling his behavior over the past few years had been.

"You?" Wu En was momentarily stunned by Jiang Yun's request. Although he could not discern his cultivation, the boy had already met the admission requirements three years earlier, meaning he had possessed at least eighth-stage Dou Power. At that age, he had indeed been an unheard-of prodigy.

Presumably, he had reached Dou Shi over these three years? That would certainly qualify him to compete for a place in the Inner Academy.

Still, Jiang Yun was far too young. At his age, Wu En had still been floundering around at the Dou Power stages, and the comparison left him briefly dazed.

"Is that not allowed?" Seeing his reaction, Jiang Yun frowned and asked in puzzlement.

"It is!" Wu En nodded somewhat woodenly, then looked at Jiang Yun curiously. "Jiang Yun, could you tell your teacher what your current cultivation is?"

"You'll find out when the time comes, Teacher!" Jiang Yun gave a mysterious smile. With the matter settled, it was time for him to leave.

Watching Jiang Yun's retreating figure, Wu En's heart suddenly began to pound. He had a feeling that his class would gain two more places in the Inner Academy this time. Those would all count toward his performance!

Earning credit without lifting a finger-was there anything happier in the world?

Coming back to his senses, Wu En hurriedly took out the registration roster he had prepared and personally added Jiang Yun's and Zi Yan's names. Afterward, looking at those last two names, he could not help grinning foolishly.

He could see the position of black tier instructor beckoning to him!

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

That morning, after washing and dressing, Jiang Yun left his residence with Zi Yan and headed toward the venue for the Inner Academy Selection Tournament.

Along the way, Jiang Yun saw many young men and women wearing Jia Nan Academy uniforms heading in the same direction, every face brimming with excitement.

The Inner Academy!

That was the true heart of Jia Nan Academy. Everyone who came here was a prodigy from some corner of the world. Who would not want to enter the Inner Academy and become one of its leading figures?

The first-year students who had just entered Jia Nan Academy were clearly very interested in this annual Inner Academy Selection Tournament. After all, it was closely tied to their own futures. Who knew whether they would be among the competitors a few years down the road?

This was their first time watching the Inner Academy Selection Tournament. Though they lacked the strength to participate, they could still broaden their horizons and witness the brilliance of prodigies from all over. Thus, anticipation for the coming competition all but overflowed from their faces.