CHAPTER 80: CHAPTER 9: ACADEMY’S ATTENTION

"Let me see yours."

"Let me see yours too."

"Nice color."

"Yours is deeper."

"Pleasure working with you."

Hidden Dragon City, a corner.

Lin Jing and Xu Zhizhi met a few days later.

Xu Zhizhi admired that Lin Jing’s Hidden Dragon Secret Technique had already been cultivated to the second stage with a blue mark, and said enviously, "I arrived a few months earlier and tried everything to make a name, and you just came for a few days? Secret technique level caught up so quickly!"

Lin Jing sighed, "For the revival of the sect, I have to work harder."

After all, the sect’s sealing had a trace of his responsibility.

"I also know a bit about your sect’s situation, blessings and misfortunes are intertwined, maybe your luck is too strong, and the sect couldn’t bear it," Xu Zhizhi lamented.

"In any case, you need not worry too much! With your luck, you will certainly be able to revive the sect! Just seize the opportunities that come your way!"

"Even heirs of major sects, sons of Nascent Soul, descendants of Divinity Transformation, or Innate Spirit Bodies won’t receive special recruitment from the academy, but those like us who were chosen by Grotto Heaven, the academy will personally invite. Do you know why?"

"Because cultivators who have entered Grotto Heaven are highly likely to enter it a second, third time! It’s an opportunity from the Immortal Realm, greater than anything else!"

"That’s why I must slay that Snowfield Cultivator, cut off the snowfield’s luck, and because of this, I became widely known," Xu Zhizhi said, "So, Brother Lin, as long as you grasp the opportunities in the future, you will definitely become the revival leader of the Beast Taming Sect. I, Xu Zhizhi, have never been wrong about people!"

"Thanks to Brother Xu’s kind words," Lin Jing remarked, "You scholars certainly speak eloquently."

Xu Zhizhi smiled warmly, "We’re friends now, past matters are gone like smoke, and if you ever need help in the future, you can come to me."

"Lastly... let me remind Brother Lin, for the next few days, go out less, and if you must go out, disguise yourself!"

"Your fame is soaring, surely people from the academy will target you, seeking to fulfill themselves through your renown!"

"Understood." Lin Jing replied, "Next, I plan to go study in the library, what about you, Brother Xu?"

"I need to find the few people I hired to pay them Spirit Stones," Xu Zhizhi said.

...

Hidden Dragon Academy.

Inside a dark hall, two rows of long stone tables were placed, with a dozen white stones neatly arranged atop them.

Suddenly, one stone emitted a glow, followed by seven or eight stones lighting up one after another, forming a few illusory figures from the light.

"The five-yearly recruitment day is approaching; who will be the chief examiner this time?" a figure spoke.

"Let Zi Wei do it. He has specially recruited four exceptionally talented students for the academy this year, they can assist him with the evaluation," another figure replied.

"How are these four? I’ve heard that some little monsters will be sent to the academy, can these four hold their ground?"

"This opportunity for fame is left to them, if they can’t grasp it, it’s their own loss."

...

After parting with Xu Zhizhi, Lin Jing headed to the academy.

He only had a few more pages of the Dan Book to memorize, and he intended to engrave them into his mind today.

Understanding is one thing, first memorize them fully, as reading a hundred times leads to comprehension.

Inside the library, Lin Jing held a book in one hand to memorize, and used a Divine Technique with the other hand to massage his forehead, relieving fatigue.

As his True Qi waned, he took out a bottle of Spirit Supplement Pills and threw them into his mouth.

"So-called self-created pill formulas, most are not creations ’from nothing’."

"Most alchemists’ ’original formulas’, plainly speaking, are just ’improved formulas’."

"They are based on the shoulders of predecessors, on pills of similar effects, adding materials, reducing materials, substituting materials, using different flames, using different alchemical techniques, and producing a pill that is ’similar’."

Creating a pill formula of one’s own, after Lin Jing understood it for several days, is neither difficult nor easy.

If an alchemist seeks to create an "Ascension Pill" formula that allows even the dogs and chickens to ascend, it would undoubtedly be a fool’s dream.

This pill is unprecedented on the Celestial Essence Continent, with bizarre effects that can’t be concocted by lower realm alchemists, it’s completely an Immortal Pill.

But if an alchemist only desires to create a "Healing Pill", it’s much simpler.

There are tens of thousands of Spirit Plants with healing properties in this Cultivation Realm, so there are many different versions of healing pills circulating in the market.

Some unknown clinics in small towns dare to advertise "unique secret recipes" and "original formulas".

Because the development and refinement of low-level pills are indeed not difficult. Some first-grade pill formulas even use only one or two ingredients, and alchemists only need to extract their nutrients and condense them into pills.

Lin Jing desired a Longevity Foundation Establishment Pill for a blood refinement method, neither too high nor too low in difficulty.

Not high because Foundation Establishment Pill is only a second-grade elixir, most sects have an exclusive Foundation Establishment Pill suitable for their own cultivation techniques, just like the Beast Taming Sect’s Demon Path Foundation Establishment Pill, which has been thoroughly researched by cultivators.

It’s not low because Lin Jing has only tried refining first-grade elixirs and not yet second-grade ones; attempting second-grade elixirs at the Qi Cultivation stage is very difficult, generally only achievable by those in Alchemy Dao Heaven.

It’s said that Zi Ling’Er of the Pill Furnace Sect succeeded, and what she refined was the most difficult special Foundation Establishment Pill among second-grade elixirs, which is what Lin Jing needed, hence she made a name for herself in the Hidden Dragon Academy.

However, Zi Ling’Er is an Alchemy Cultivator, and having received insight in Bodhi Heaven, it’s no wonder she’s capable, while Lin Jing himself is currently just a novice in Alchemy Dao.

"If I want to research an exclusive Foundation Establishment Pill, naturally it can’t be from scratch..."

"It’s through existing pill formulas, adding my own elements, continuous attempts, continuous practice, until success or continuous failure."

Lin Jing had already selected a formula from the Dan Book.

Second-grade elixir, Beast Blood Pill!

It’s a Body Tempering elixir.

The Dan Book in the library didn’t record any blood refinement methods, but the Beast Blood Pill’s ingredients involve various beast bloods.

Since it’s related to blood, it became Lin Jing’s research target.

Besides, another formula he planned to study was the most mainstream and common formula for ordinary Foundation Establishment Pills on the continent, as all sects’ exclusive Foundation Establishment Pills are mostly derived from improving this formula.

"Now with the top-class beast fire from the Dragon Carp, and preparing an excellent-grade Pill Furnace, the preparatory work is almost done."

Slowly refine, slowly research, time is the one thing Lin Jing has plenty of.

The comprehension boost from the Hidden Dragon Secret Technique isn’t Lin Jing’s greatest asset in researching pill formulas; time is!

Now he can live for over a millennium, and the Pine Leaf Mouse can live for five to six hundred years, and this is only at the Qi Cultivation stage.

Even the Dragon Carp is relatively long-lived. A wild Carp without cultivation can live over a hundred years, let alone a Qi Cultivation stage nine Carp spirit with awakened powerful dragon veins!

All are longevity species! It’s all about who outlasts whom.

As Lin Jing stepped out of the library, an expression of surprise suddenly appeared on his face.

He saw a middle-aged man, who looked like a teacher, smiling as he waited for him.

"Haven’t seen you in a few days, and you’ve certainly made some noise," Mr. Cao smiled, "It seems you’ve already familiarized yourself with the rules of Hidden Dragon Academy, no wonder you were chosen by Grotto Heaven. Due to your outstanding performance, the academy has decided to give you an opportunity for fame!"