Time passed, and it was soon noon.
By this time, Xiao Ling had finished refining one Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill and was refining the next one.
In front of the pill cauldron in the center of the grass, Xiao Ling’s hand seals changed continuously.
He gave a low shout, “Condense!”.
The medicinal liquid inside the cauldron began to merge, slowly becoming an uneven pill prototype.
As time passed, that somewhat irregularly shaped pale white pill prototype gradually became rounded.
A brilliant light radiated from it, making it look like a white gemstone.
At the moment the pill burst out with brilliant light, circles of tangible energy ripples spread out continuously in all directions with the cauldron as the center.
The surrounding grass bent down one after another, and Xiao Ling’s smooth and flowing blue-silver hair also fluttered with the wind.
Xiao Ling ended the hand seal, stopped the beast flame inside the cauldron, took out a jade bottle, and slightly activated Vacuum Palm.
The Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill fell into it.
After refining the pills, Xiao Ling felt exhausted all over.
His Battle Qi had been completely consumed.
Without thinking more, he lay directly on the soft grass.
Seeing this, Han Yue panicked and quickly ran over.
She crouched in front of Xiao Ling and asked with concern, “Junior Xiao Ling, are you okay?
Are you feeling unwell?”
Seeing this, Xiao Ling felt a warmth in his heart.
He shook his head and spoke, “It’s just that too much Battle Qi was consumed.
I’ll be fine after resting for a while.”
Sigh, although my soul power is enough to refine the pills, my Battle Qi cultivation is still too low, and the level of Flame Mantra is not high.
I still need to go out and find Heavenly Flames to absorb as soon as possible.
Looking at Han Yue’s worried face, Xiao Ling’s eyes rolled and he suddenly spoke, “Senior Sister Han Yue, can you help me wipe my sweat?
My body is too tired right now; it’s not very convenient.”
Hearing this, Han Yue hesitated for a moment, but looking at Xiao Ling’s weak appearance and his forehead covered in sweat, she muttered in her heart, “Junior Xiao Ling became this weak just to refine pills for me; it’s only right to help wipe his sweat.”
So she took out a handkerchief she usually used from her storage ring, bent down, and began to wipe the sweat from Xiao Ling’s face.
Looking at Han Yue’s beautiful face and feeling the gentle wiping on his forehead, Xiao Ling suddenly felt his heart thumping.
“Damn it, my heart is in chaos again.”
Feeling Xiao Ling’s somewhat burning gaze, Han Yue also stopped the movements in her hand and met Xiao Ling’s gaze.
For a time, an ambiguous atmosphere spread between the two, and the air was filled with hormones.
Looking at Han Yue’s slightly red face, Xiao Ling swallowed his saliva and couldn’t help but say, “Senior Sister Han Yue, you are really beautiful.”
Hearing this, Han Yue’s face became even hotter, and her head felt a little dizzy.
She suddenly felt her heart speed up, as if it was going to jump out of her chest.
Seeing such an inviting scene, Xiao Ling wanted nothing more than to take a bite of her face.
But he still held back.
“The time hasn’t come yet; I can’t make a move now.
I still have to nurture it for a while before I can harvest the fruit.”
With a thought, a jade box appeared in his hand.
With a flip of his palm, he opened the box, revealing a milky white pill inside.
Xiao Ling said to Han Yue, “Senior Sister Han Yue, this is my gift to you.
It contains a pill called the Fixed Face Pill.
Its effect is to freeze a person’s appearance at the age it is taken; it will never change.
Hearing this, Han Yue was also shocked.
After living for so many years, she had never heard of such a miraculous pill.
Actually, she was a bit embarrassed to take this pill, but the temptation of eternal youth was still very attractive.
Seeing Han Yue’s hesitant look, Xiao Ling immediately guessed her thoughts.
He directly grabbed Han Yue’s right hand, stuffed the jade box into it, and said seriously, “Senior Sister Han Yue, you don’t want to become an old woman a hundred years from now, do you?”
Hearing Xiao Ling’s words, Han Yue thought of her future aged appearance and tightened her grip on the jade box, replying, “Then I will thank Junior Xiao Ling.”
Seeing that she had accepted the gift, Xiao Ling withdrew his hand from Han Yue’s, handed the jade bottle containing the two Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills to Han Yue, and said with a smile, “Senior Sister Han Yue, your pills.
Don’t forget to take them.”
Han Yue grabbed the bottle and gave Xiao Ling a beautiful roll of her eyes.
Recalling the series of events just now, she realized she had been played by Xiao Ling.
Her face couldn’t help but turn red; the hand that had just been held still had a trace of lingering warmth.
Feeling Xiao Ling staring straight at her, Han Yue didn’t dare to stay any longer.
She left a sentence, “I’ll refine the pills first.
Come to my courtyard at noon tomorrow to ask about the Central Plains,” and then ran out of the courtyard.
Xiao Ling watched Han Yue’s graceful figure leave the courtyard and laughed helplessly.
He took out a pill for restoring Battle Qi from his belt.
After taking it, he sat cross-legged to recover his Battle Qi.
Returning to her room, Han Yue panted slightly, the blush on her face not yet completely dissipated.
Looking at the pill Xiao Ling had stuffed into her hand and recalling that burning gaze, she couldn’t help but mutter in her heart, “Xiao Ling really likes me.
Not only did he let me ride his Rayquaza before, but he also gave me such a precious Fixed Face Pill.
He must like me, otherwise he wouldn’t be so special to me.”
This thought flashed through her mind, and the blush on Han Yue’s face increased by a few more degrees.
She immediately buried her head in the quilt.
“Actually, if it’s Xiao Ling, it’s not impossible.”
Time passed like a white horse galloping across a gap.
In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
Xiao Ling’s cultivation had reached 3-Star Great Battle Master, only one step away from 4-Star Great Battle Master.
The annual Inner Academy selection tournament of Jia Nan Academy was about to begin today.
At this time, in Xiao Ling’s courtyard, six young men and women were gathered together.
They were Xiao Ling, Xiao Xun’er, Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, Lin Yan, and Liu Qing.
Xiao Ling said to everyone, “Let’s work hard together.
There will be no problem for us to take all of the top five spots.
Xun’er, just perform your strength normally.
With your cultivation of 5-Star Battle Master, entering the Inner Academy will be easy.” As for why Xiao Xun’er was only a 5-Star Battle Master, it was likely because the Gu clan lady didn’t care about the opportunity to choose treasures in the Book Collection Pavilion and didn’t want to reveal her strength.
Hearing this, everyone nodded one after another, their eyes showing a light of confidence.
Lin Yan on the side couldn’t suppress his fighting intent even more.
He said passionately, “I really look forward to the battle coming soon.
My Lihuo Axe is already thirsty.”
Lin Xiuya, however, spoke up, “Don’t be careless.
Although our strength is basically ahead of the other students, there is still Han Xian, whose cultivation is not much different from ours.”
Hearing this, the tough Liu Qing said disdainfully, “Just that guy who only knows how to refine medicine?
Not all alchemists are as powerful as Xiao Ling.
Lin Yan also agreed, “A mere grain of sand is not half as good as me.
Usually, he acts arrogant, but he only behaves when he sees us.” He then said to Xiao Ling, “When you first came to the Outer Academy for a year, didn’t he mock you because Elder Huo of the Alchemy Department favored you?
Why didn’t you give him a lesson?”
Hearing this, Xiao Ling rubbed his chin, “At that time, he lost to me in an alchemy contest.
Besides, what adult would get angry with a child?”
Han Yue on the side intervened appropriately, “Let’s talk about the arrangements for the Inner Academy.
There are many students stronger than us in the Inner Academy.
It’s better to arrange things in advance than to enter without preparation.”
Lin Xiuya took the opportunity to speak, “Xiao Ling and I have also discussed this before.
We can build a faction together.
This will also make it more convenient for us to obtain cultivation resources.”
Xiao Ling also joined in, “As long as you are willing, let’s build a faction together.
With the talent of the few of us, we will soon become the strongest faction in the Inner Academy.
And I will bring Rayquaza with me.
Now that it is a Tier 4 monster, no one in the Inner Academy can beat it.”
After thinking for a while, Han Yue spoke first, “I’ll join this faction.
My combat power is not very strong; you’ll have to take care of me.”
Xiao Ling nodded and replied, “Rest assured, as long as you’re in the same faction as me, if you are bullied for no reason, I will certainly teach the other party a lesson.”
Liu Qing joined in, “I’m also willing to participate in the faction building, but after my cousin enters the Inner Academy, she must also join this faction.”
Lin Xiuya also said, “Don’t worry, Xiao Ling and I have already considered your cousin’s issue.
When she reaches the Inner Academy, she can directly join us.
It’s just that you shouldn’t spoil your cousin too much then; don’t let her develop an arrogant personality.
That’s not good.”
Seeing everyone agree, Lin Yan also spoke, “Then I’ll also participate in the faction building.
But how should the positions be assigned?”
Everyone also nodded and turned their gaze toward Xiao Ling and Lin Xiuya.
Xiao Ling said unhurriedly, “I have no experience in managing a faction.
I will serve as the Alchemy Elder, Lin Xiuya will serve as the Gate Master, Han Yue will help manage the faction, and Lin Yan and Liu Qing, you two will be the fighters.
Xun’er will just be a member of the sect.”
To this, everyone had no objections.
Lin Xiuya and Han Yue were certainly more outstanding in their ability to manage things.
Xiao Ling was the only alchemist among them, and his grade was not low, with much room for improvement in the future.
Lin Yan and Liu Qing were both bellicose types, so combat was more suitable for them.
As for Xiao Xun’er, besides Xiao Ling, everyone thought she was just a Battle Master.
Xiao Ling didn’t plan to let her waste time elsewhere; focused cultivation was more important than anything.
In fact, there was a more important reason why Xiao Ling didn’t become the Gate Master, which was that Xiao Ling would certainly leave the academy for a period of time.
To avoid trouble then, he simply didn’t become the Gate Master.
With Xiao Ling’s help, the strength of these few was only stronger than the original story at the same period.
For pills like the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, as long as the materials were prepared, Xiao Ling would help refine them as practice.
Even for the Three-PatternsBlue Spirit Pill that Xiao Xun’er could use, Xiao Ling had refined one for her long ago.
After listening for a long time, Xiao Xun’er suddenly said, “Brother Xiao Ling, give the faction a name.”
Hearing this, Xiao Ling rubbed his chin and thought for a while, then spoke, “Let’s call it the ‘Supreme Autonomy Gate’.”
After saying this, he stood up and walked out of the courtyard gate first.
Everyone followed behind him toward the arena for the Inner Academy selection tournament.