In the central grandstand of the square, a group of elders from Jia Nan Academy were enthusiastically greeting each other.
"Haha, Old Zhao, you made it!"
"Yes! Old Li! I was out on a mission, but once I received the news, I rushed back. I didn't expect you to be here today as well. Didn't you say you weren't coming?"
"Hehe, I was planning to go to the Black Corner Region to look for medicinal materials for the Fighting Spirit Pill, but it's not urgent. I'll go after this selection tournament!"
"Fighting Spirit Pill? Didn't you say you already collected all the materials?"
"Yes, I've collected them all, and not just one set, but three. But some old coot told me they all failed, and if I want another attempt, I'll have to provide the ingredients again!" Elder Li said with a hint of resentment, glancing at Elder Huo, who sat nearby with his eyes slightly closed, sipping tea with an air of serene detachment, pretending not to hear.
Seeing Elder Huo's calm and composed demeanor, Elder Li felt a surge of frustration, nearly spitting out blood in anger.
'Alchemists think they're so great! Taking the ingredients I painstakingly gathered to practice their craft, demanding additional gifts even if they succeed, and if they fail, just shrugging it off with a casual "gather the ingredients and try again." It's enough to make anyone furious—yet you have to hold it in, swallow your anger, and keep smiling. You can't afford to offend them.'
There was no choice. The Fighting Spirit Pill was a sixth-grade pill, and only Feng City in the Black Corner Region could guarantee success. However, he didn't have close ties with Han Feng from Feng City, and Jia Nan Academy's Elder Huo, a peak 5th Tier Alchemist, was the most reliable option. What could he do? If he wanted the Fighting Spirit Pill, he had no choice but to let Elder Huo practice on his ingredients!
"Tsk tsk. Old Huo, you really failed three times?" Elder Zhao said with a hint of teasing as he looked at the two of them.
"Nonsense! In the world of alchemy, it's not called failure—it's called taking one step closer to success!" Elder Huo retorted, shooting the two of them a sidelong glance.
Elder Zhao and Elder Li were speechless. The other elders who were watching the drama unfold were also silent, staring at the stubborn, prideful Elder Huo, unsure of how to respond.
"You've all gathered quite completely today!" An elderly man accompanied by a red-clad young girl arrived at the grandstand and said with a smile.
"Greetings, Vice Dean!" The elders all rose and bowed in respect.
"No need for formalities!" The old man took his seat in the central position, while the red-clad girl stood obediently behind him. However, her darting, mischievous eyes betrayed her true nature—she wasn't as well-behaved as she appeared.
"Seeing all of you gathered here today, I'm sure it's because of that young fellow, right?" After scanning the crowd, the elder directly pointed out.
"Haha, Vice Dean, you're insightful. With that kid's cultivation, to think he came to Jia Nan Academy. I'm really curious about him!"
"Yes, yes, we're all quite curious!" The other elders nodded in agreement as soon as someone spoke up.
"You all…" The elder shook his head. He knew very well that these old foxes weren't here out of mere curiosity. Curiosity was part of it, but not the main reason. They had other motives.
The elders of Jia Nan Academy were not all part of one faction. There were always struggles for power, interests, or other things within any organization. Just because these elders were Dou Wang or Dou Huang, it didn't mean they were free from desires. On the contrary, their ambitions were even greater. Thus, fighting for influence within their own factions was crucial.
These old foxes each represented different factions. These factions weren't just from the outer academy elders but also included inner academy elders.
Although the Dean wasn't present in the academy, as long as the two guardians elders Qian and Bai, and the Grand Elder kept things in check, this kind of competition wouldn't cause trouble. In fact, it helped maintain the academy's vitality.
Thus, Jia Nan Academy didn't stop this division of factions. After all, cultivation was about competition—competing for resources and other things that aid in cultivation to achieve higher levels of power.
This year, the emergence of Xiao Bai, who had already reached the Dou Ling realm, with a clean background, no affiliations, and immense potential, had caught everyone's attention.
As long as he advanced to the Dou Wang realm, he could secure an elder position at Jia Nan Academy. If any faction could pull him into their camp, they would benefit greatly once he grew stronger. That was the real reason they were here today.
As for whether Xiao Bai will grow, they have no doubt about it. They've already reviewed his profile. If he could rise to such a level in a small place like Wu Tan City in the Jia Ma Empire, there's no reason he wouldn't grow even faster with the abundant resources of Jia Nan Academy.
"Don't even think about that kid. The Grand Elder has already taken notice of him," the old man said slowly, watching these hypocritical old foxes.
The elders seated on the platform glanced at each other in silence. They noticed the disappointed expressions on each other's faces. They had been subtly scheming against each other earlier, only to find out the Grand Elder had already claimed the prize. They wanted to say something, but no one dared, after all, the Grand Elder was a Dou Zong—someone they couldn't afford to provoke.
The Vice Dean nodded in satisfaction at their reactions. The Grand Elder's authority was truly unmatched. If it had just been him, these old foxes might not have backed down so easily.
"Hmm? That kid signed up, but why isn't he here yet?" The old man scanned the arena where the matches had already begun but didn't see the young man they had just been discussing.
"He's probably still in the Magical Beast Forest with his little girlfriend," said Elder Huo, who had been silent until now.
"How do you know?" The Vice Dean was taken aback, turning to look at Elder Huo, who was second only to him in influence in the outer academy.
"I ran into him in the Magical Beast Forest not long ago. He's a decent kid," Elder Huo mused, then noticed the odd looks around him and added with a haughty, disdainful tone, "It was just a coincidence—I wasn't there to recruit him. Besides, I'm an Alchemist. I don't need to play those games like the rest of you!"
The others were speechless. *So what if you're an alchemist?!*
"Grandfather, who are you talking about?" At that moment, the red-dressed young girl, who had been listening in confusion, leaned towards the elder and asked.
"Hehe... you always think you're the one with the best talent, don't you? Today, Grandpa will show you what true talent looks like!" The elder wore a mysterious smile, speaking with a hint of meaning.
"Tch!" The young girl curled her lips in disdain. Her talent had already surpassed the highest potential level of Jia Nan Academy. Very few in recent years had matched her—how much better could someone else possibly be?
The old man ignored her expression. He hadn't brought her here just to humble her pride. Lately, he had noticed some worrying behavior—she often pestered pretty female classmates while dismissing even the most outstanding male students. This filled him with unease.
He had brought her here today to see how she would react to Xiao Bai, an exceptionally talented young man and to test her attitude. After all, he would still be uneasy if he didn't. Even though he knew Xiao Bai had two girlfriends, it was still better than if his granddaughter had some peculiar preferences.
If his suspicions were true, wouldn't his old face be completely ruined?
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