Chapter 148: Dragon Strength Pill

Below the Stage

"Xun'er, is Xiao Bai alright? It looks like he's arguing with the elders." Xiao Yi Xian turned to Xun'er and asked softly, a hint of worry flashing in her beautiful eyes. She didn't know what was being said up there, but she saw that Elder Huo seemed to be trying to take Xiao Bai away. However, he remained still, appearing somewhat anxious as he said something that made the elders frown.

"No worries! Xian'er, don't worry. You heard what that elder just said, right? Brother Xiao Bai refused—he wants to participate in the next round of the competition!" Xun'er patted her head with a smile, comforting her.

Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian felt relieved. However, sensing Xun'er's playful gesture, she reached out her delicate hand and lightly pinched her cheek, feigning annoyance. "Xun'er, are you treating me like a little kid?"

"Well, you looked so soft and worried just now—so adorable that I couldn't help it!" Xun'er giggled, holding onto her hand.

"You…" Xiao Yi Xian smiled gently, her heart filled with warmth. She knew that Xun'er, who was usually cold and aloof, only acted this way toward those she considered close. Otherwise, this playful side of hers was probably something only Xiao Bai had ever seen!

The interaction between the two girls also caught the attention of several male students nearby. They turned to look, their gazes heating up as they admired the two stunning young women—one pure like a green lotus, the other ethereal like a celestial being.

"Huh? Brother Xiao Bai seems to be calling us!" Xun'er suddenly noticed from the corner of her eye that Xiao Bai was looking in their direction. When he saw that she had noticed him, he waved at them.

Although the two girls were puzzled, they still got up and walked toward the competition stage.

"Come, come! Xun'er, Xian'er, these are Vice Dean Hu Gan and the elders of Jia Nan Academy!" As soon as they arrived, Xiao Bai grabbed one of them by each hand, smiling as he introduced them.

"Xiao Xun'er (Xiao Yi Xian) greets the Vice Dean and the elders," the two girls said, bowing slightly in respect.

"No need for such formalities," Hu Gan said, looking at the two intelligent and graceful young women. He couldn't help but marvel—Xiao Bai truly had a way with people!

"Vice Dean, esteemed elders, this is why I insist on participating in the second round—I want to help them enter the top five!" Xiao Bai didn't beat around the bush and stated his purpose directly. After all, this was completely within the rules.

"Tsk, tsk… Impressive! Xiao Yi Xian, I recall that back in the Magical Beast Forest, you were a five-star Dou Shi, right? How has it only been a short while, and you're already at Da Dou Shi?" Elder Huo exclaimed in surprise upon sensing Xiao Yi Xian's cultivation level.

"What?! You said you encountered them a month ago, right? In just one month, she advanced from a five-star Dou Shi to Da Dou Shi?" The elders all turned their astonished gazes toward the white-clad girl.

"Elder Huo overpraises me! It was all thanks to him; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to break through so quickly." Xiao Yi Xian smiled and looked at Xiao Bai with eyes full of warmth.

This was what Xiao Bai had told her—if anyone asked about her cultivation progress, she should credit it all to him, and he would handle the rest!

"Heh, my Xun'er and Xian'er are just naturally talented—is that a problem?" Xiao Bai grinned as he looked at the elders, using the simplest yet most irrefutable reasoning to shut down any further questioning.

"…" The elders stared at the black-clothed youth, who had an expression that was both smug and shameless, momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing their expressions, both Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help but smile faintly. Their beautiful eyes gleamed with amusement—this was a side of Xiao Bai they had never seen before, as if he were proudly showing them off to everyone!

"Alright!" Hu Gan clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Since they are both Da Dou Shi, let's just place them in the top five! They both have the strength to enter the top twenty, or even the top ten, so getting into the Inner Academy is guaranteed. And with this kid in the second round, even if you combine all the other contestants, they still wouldn't be his match. There's no need to waste time on unnecessary formalities. What do you all think?"

"No objections," the elders nodded. Initially, they had assumed that Xiao Bai's companions were at the Dou Zhe or lower-tier Dou Shi level, making it difficult to justify placing them in the top five. But now that they knew the truth, they had no issues—everything was still within the rules, just with a few skipped steps.

"Alright, then it's decided." With just a few words, Hu Gan settled the matter. He then gestured toward the referee's panel and informed a judge that the top three spots were now determined. Turning to the crowd, he added, "If anyone has questions, let's discuss them in the viewing stands. Let's not hold up the competition here."

Xiao Bai was about to leave, but Elder Huo was watching him like a hawk and refused to let him go. Dragged along, he had no choice but to take Xun'er and Xian'er with him as they followed the others to the viewing stands.

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Huang Class 2.

After seeing Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian called over by Xiao Bai, Teacher Ruo Lin noticed a certain emotion in Xiao Yu's eyes and sighed softly, saying gently "Yu'er, don't think about it. You can't handle him!"

Xiao Yu's face flushed slightly, but she quickly composed herself and smiled faintly, "What are you thinking about, Teacher Ruo Lin?"

Having spent so much time with her, Ruo Lin knew Xiao Yu well. She murmured softly, as if to herself, "When you're young, meeting someone too extraordinary can be good if it works out. But if it doesn't, don't let yourself fall too deep. Otherwise, it'll affect your life later on!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu's lips curled into a bitter smile. Her gaze grew distant as she whispered, "Fall too deep? You'd need the chance for that first. Teacher Ruo Lin, you don't know that guy. Since childhood, how should I put it?"

"Although he lost his parents at a young age, he's been mature and independent since childhood. He's handsome, talented, and many of the girls around the same age in the Xiao family have admired him at some point. But that guy seems to only have eyes for Xun'er. To everyone else, his attitude is always the same: kind, yet distant!"

"At first, we all thought he'd only treat Xun'er that way. But today, I realized that's not the case at all. His attitude toward Xiao Yi Xian is different from how he treats the rest of us."

Teacher Ruo Lin was taken aback. When she was at the Xiao family, she had only inquired about Xiao Bai's cultivation and hadn't paid much attention to other matters. But hearing Xiao Yu's words now, she couldn't help but admire his demeanor.

Though they hadn't interacted much, his behavior toward Xun'er and Xian'er was evident. To the girls he liked, he was endlessly affectionate, but to others, if he had no intention of taking responsibility, he wouldn't give them even the slightest hope!

Looking at Xiao Yu, whose expression had become somewhat downcast, Teacher Ruo Lindidn't know what to say at that moment. She could only comfort her by patting her shoulder.

On the Central viewing platform.

The Vice Dean Hu Gan returned with a group of people and glanced at the red-dressed young girl standing idly nearby, observing her discreetly.

When she noticed everyone had returned, her eyes swept around until they suddenly lit up, her slender peach-blossom eyes gleaming with what seemed like restless excitement.

This made Hu Gan's heart leap with joy. It seemed his granddaughter wasn't the kind of person he had feared—perhaps the young men from before simply hadn't caught her eye. The thought filled him with relief!

However, as he followed her gaze, his expression froze, and his face turned dark instantly.

His granddaughter wasn't looking at Xiao Bai; she was staring at the two charming girls instead!

Hu Gan realized he had celebrated too soon. He knew this little troublemaker had issues!

At this moment, he wished his little mischievous granddaughter's attention had been on Xiao Bai rather than those two girls!

"Little troublemaker, if you're going to stand, stand properly. If you're going to sit, sit properly. What kind of behavior is this, slouching around in public? Have you no manners?" Hu Gan glared, his beard bristling. At this moment, no matter how he looked at her, he found his granddaughter utterly unsatisfactory!

Xiao Bai glanced over and saw a red-dressed young girl lazily leaning against a vertical railing, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her alluring curves were undeniably eye-catching.

"Tch!" The red-dressed girl clicked her tongue. If it were just her and Hu Gan, she wouldn't have cared less about the old man's scolding! But with all the elders present today, she decided to humor him. Pushing off the railing, she sauntered over to where Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian, who were whispering.

"Hello, two beautiful ladies! My name is Hu Jia, and I'm the granddaughter of that grumpy old man with the beard!" The red-dressed girl, Hu Jia, greeted the two with a bright smile.

Both Xiao Bai and Hu Gans eyes twitched at the same time. Hu Gan's face darkened, while Xiao Bai looked rather strange—someone was openly trying to steal his girls!

"Xiao Bai, come, sit next to me. Let's have a chat!" Elder Huo gestured for Xiao Bai to sit next to him on one of the empty chairs and asked with a smile, "How much do you know about Alchemists?"

"Well... let's say I've done a little bit of research on pill refining," Xiao Bai glanced at the nearby elders who were watching them and replied hesitantly.

"You have some basic knowledge, huh? Haha, great, great! Looks like you're interested in this profession!" Elder Huo was a little surprised but quite pleased.

Becoming an Alchemist wasn't just about talent; one had to be genuinely interested in the profession. Learning the art of alchemy required a lot of time, and given Xiao Bai's talent for cultivation, Elder Huo had been worried that Xiao Bai would only be interested in cultivation and would feel learning alchemy was a waste of time. If that was the case, even with excellent alchemy talent, it would be wasted!

"Don't worry. As long as you're interested, with your qualifications, it will be very easy for you to reach the 1st Tier!" Seeing Xiao Bai's hesitant tone, Elder Huo assumed his prior studies might have been rudimentary and offered gentle reassurance.

Meanwhile, Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian, who were chatting with Hu Jia, exchanged a strange look after hearing this. Xiao Bai sighed inwardly and thought to himself that it would be better to just say it directly, or else he might offend someone!

"In fact, I am already an Alchemist."

"What? You've already reached the 1st Tier? Have you taken the Alchemist Guild's assessment?" Elder Huo's eyes widened in surprise. When they investigated Xiao Bai in Wutan City, they knew there was no Alchemist Guild there, not even a first-tier Alchemist. They had thought that he wouldn't have had any opportunity to contact Alchemists, yet it turned out this guy was already an Alchemist!

"I haven't been to the Alchemist Guild," Xiao Bai shook his head. He had no interest in traveling just to take an exam for a badge. At its core, it was just a certification—useful for discounts on herbs, but nothing more. And since the Jia Ma Empire lacked high-grade herbs he needed, it held little appeal for him.

"Then how are you sure you're an Alchemist? Being an Alchemist isn't that simple. It's not enough to just burn medicinal materials into pill shapes!" Elder Huo frowned. This boy had a calm demeanor and seemed methodical, surely he wouldn't make such an unreliable claim!

"Isn't it simple? Just have him refine a pill on the spot. A first-tier pill doesn't take long. The proof is in the product!" The gray-robed elder, growing impatient with Elder Huo's skepticism, cut in with a suggestion that earned nods from the others.

Xiao Bai had been about to speak but was interrupted by the gray-robed elder. Looking at him, he realized it was the same elder who had been an excellent support during the previous match. Xiao Bai couldn't help but think, what a good person!

"This is indeed a good idea. Let this serve as his first-tier assessment!" Elder Huo wasn't angry and even thought the suggestion was a good one. He turned to Xiao Bai and asked, "How about it? Do you want to try it right here?"

"Sure, but let's skip the first-tier pill; it's not much of a challenge!" Xiao Bai paused and then, under the slightly skeptical gazes of the elders, spoke softly, "Let's try a fifth-tier one."

Silence.

The entire viewing platform froze. Everyone stared at Xiao Bai as if he had lost his mind.

"What did you say? Do you have no respect for the Alchemist profession at all?" Elder Huo's face was first filled with astonishment, and then a wave of intense anger surged within him. His already-red face turned even darker with fury as he glared at Xiao Bai, as if he wanted to devour him.

*This brat… I never expected him to be so delusional!* The more he had admired Xiao Bai earlier, the angrier he felt now. *An eighteen-year-old fifth-tier alchemist?* The mere thought was absurd—yet this kid had the audacity to say it out loud!

Before, he had thought that he had finally found a good talent with outstanding soul power. Since his own soul power wasn't strong enough, he had been stuck at the fifth-tier for many years, unable to find a breakthrough to the sixth-tier. He had hoped to pass on all his Alchemy skills so that this kid could go further, but now he realized this person was so arrogant!

"Xiao Bai, are you serious?" Even Vice Dean Hu Gan, who had been staring at Hu Jia with a dark expression, now turned his attention to Xiao Bai. His face was serious as he asked. If this was true, it would be a great fortune for Jia Nan Academy.

"Yes! Xiao Bai, don't aim too high. We all believe you can reach the fifth-tier, but for now, let's refine a first-tier pill first!" The gray-robed elder, seeing the atmosphere was tense, secretly gave Xiao Bai a signal, suggesting he back down.

Xiao Bai smiled gratefully at the gray-robed elder. The problem was, the pills he refined below fourth-tier had an unusual energy signature—akin to fourth-tier pills. If he made one now, he'd have to explain the discrepancy, and that was just tedious. If only he hadn't run out of fourth-tier or higher pills, he could've just pulled one out as proof!

"The truth will come out in the refining. What do you say, Vice Dean?" Xiao Bai said calmly with a smile.

"Good! What do you need? Tell me, I'll prepare it for you!" Hu Gan seeing Xiao Bai's calm demeanor, which didn't seem to be fake, was somewhat excited. He couldn't help but stand up and give the order.

"Medicinal materials, pill furnace, pill formula!"

"No need to fetch anything—I have it all here!" Elder Huo, seeing that Xiao Bai was serious, although still somewhat doubtful, was no longer as angry as before. When he saw Hu Gan preparing to fetch things, Elder Huo directly took out a pitch-black pill furnace from his spatial ring, placed various medicinal materials on the table, and handed Xiao Bai a scroll. He said lightly:

"A fifth-tier pill, the Dragon Strength Pill. Take a look for yourself! If you can refine it, all of this is yours. And I'll apologize for my earlier words!"

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