In Yan Cangtian’s medicinal herb garden at Tianwei Academy.
"Oh, so Su Dongling has entrusted you with his life's work!"
Yan Cangtian sighed after hearing Ling Feng recount how Su Dongling had instructed Su Qingxuan to pass on the Classic Formula of Ten-thousand Poisons to him.
In terms of value, the Classic Formula of Ten-thousand Poisons was even more precious than the Classic Formula of the Medicine King, which took over ten years to complete. Such a remarkable book was passed on without any conditions. Yan Cangtian felt humbled by Su Dongling's generosity.
"Master Su is so kind to me. I don't know how to repay him."
"Since Su Dongling gave you the Classic Formula of Ten-thousand Poisons, study it well. It might prove useful when you go to the demon domain," Yan Cangtian patted Ling Feng's shoulder. Though he was very curious about the Classic Formula of Ten-thousand Poisons, he couldn't bring himself to ask for it.
Ling Feng understood Yan Cangtian's thoughts and suggested, "Elder Yan, many parts of the Classic Formula of Ten-thousand Poisons are difficult to understand. It would be better if we study it together."
"You rascal!" Yan Cangtian shook his head with a smile. "Alright, alright. Don't tempt me. I still have some self-control. Although alchemy and poison mastery are related, I am not suited to be a poison master. It's unnecessary for me to read it."
Yan Cangtian coughed a few times and changed the subject. "What about you? The promotion assessments are coming up. What are your plans afterward?"
"I haven't decided on the specifics yet, but I need to return to the Wenxian Sect first," Ling Feng replied calmly.
"Hmm, as the leader of a sect, you should indeed go back and check on things," Yan Cangtian nodded. Ling Feng had already told Yan Cangtian about his past, so Yan Cangtian knew that Ling Feng, despite his young age, was already a sect leader.
"After handling the sect's affairs, I plan to head south to the Nanjiang demon domain. With the demonic core, there shouldn't be too many problems," Ling Feng continued.
"Given your cleverness, I'm not too worried. But I will still accompany you. Although I can't go inside, I can wait at the perimeter to assist if needed."
Ling Feng shook his head and declined. "No need, Elder Yan. Have you forgotten that I have a black donkey with me? Though it is of a lower grade, its strength is decent, and since it is a member of the demon race, it can move around more conveniently."
"In that case, I won't say more," Yan Cangtian nodded slightly. "However, if you don't return after the two-month break, I will come to the Nanjiang demon domain myself!"
"Rest assured, Elder Yan. I won't die that easily."
Seeing Yan Cangtian's resolute expression, a warm feeling surged in Ling Feng's heart. Meeting such a respectable senior at Tianwei Academy was indeed a great fortune for him.
"Alright, let's not dwell on this. I've been busy for a while and finally gathered all the materials to refine the Divine-Will Nine-Transformations Pill. Tonight, let's fire up the furnace and start refining. I'm eager to advance to the human emperor realm as soon as possible."
"Haha, then I wish you an early advancement to the human emperor realm, Elder Yan!"
The old and the young man laughed heartily and then got busy. The Divine-Will Nine-Transformations Pill was an eight-tier medicinal pill used to break through to the human emperor realm. Even with the combined efforts of Ling Feng and Yan Cangtian, they were not confident of succeeding on the first try.
Yan Cangtian prepared materials for three attempts. If they couldn't succeed within three tries, he would have to give up on refining the Divine-Will Nine-Transformations Pill. After all, there was only one Poison Fruit of Ten Thousand Evil, and it couldn't withstand too many losses.
They worked tirelessly for most of the night. Although the first attempt didn't fail, it only produced a semi-finished product.
Fortunately, on the second attempt, they learned from the previous experience and successfully refined a batch of high-quality Divine-Will Nine-Transformations Pills.
When the furnace opened, nine round pills emerged—a complete set of Divine-Will Nine-Transformations Pills. To fully refine these pills and circulate the power of nine transformations throughout the body was the key to breaking through to the human emperor realm.
Half a month later, amidst the diligent preparations of the students, the promotion assessment finally arrived as scheduled.
The entire assessment spanned about seven days. The first five days were dedicated to various cultural exams, including alchemy, forging, inscriptions, and arrays. After a day of rest, the final martial arts assessment began.
At the end of the five days of various cultural exams, some students looked relieved, while others were doubtful about their performance.
Undoubtedly, Jiang Xiaofan was one of those feeling doubtful.
After the five-day assessment, Jiang Xiaofan sat in the courtyard, questioning his life choices and wondering if he could pass any subject. If he failed all of them, he would have to become a junior to his peers in the next term.
Similarly distressed was Wang Yishan, the big guy who, despite his usual bravado, was just like Jiang Xiaofan—strong in body but simple-minded. Together with Zhou Kai, the three muscle heads could only console each other.
"Xiaofan, don't worry too much. I think your performance in the forging assessment was not bad. Although you broke the hammer, you did startle the teacher. Maybe they'll pass you out of shock," Ouyang Jing said, holding back his laughter.
"Second Brother, stop teasing me. I'm already stressed out!" Jiang Xiaofan replied, frustrated.
"Alright, Xiaofan, let me tell you some good news. Captain Gu told me that you've already joined the East Court's sword team. So, even if you fail the promotion assessment, you can still be directly promoted to a sky-tier student. You have nothing to worry about."
"Really?" Jiang Xiaofan jumped up, his face lit up with a mixture of relief and annoyance. "Big Brother, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Reading more books is good for you," Ling Feng said, trying to suppress a smile. "If it weren't for this promotion assessment, you wouldn't have studied so hard."
"Right, Brother Feng is looking out for you," Feng Mo and the others laughed.
At this moment, a figure appeared at the gate of East Court Tianshu. It was Liu Yunfei, the young master of the Liu family from Jiangdu.
Liu Yunfei knocked on the door and called out, "Brother Ling, it's Liu Yunfei. May I come in?"
"Brother Liu!" Ling Feng quickly stood up. Seeing Liu Yunfei approaching, he asked with a smile, "Brother Liu, what brings you here?"
"I’m not here for personal matters," Liu Yunfei replied with a wry smile. "My cousin asked me to find you. She has something to tell you."
"Miss Qin?" Ling Feng lightly patted his forehead, feeling a bit helpless. He knew Qin Wanwan had feelings for him, but he could only see her as a good friend.
"She's waiting for you by the river," Liu Yunfei said, looking at Ling Feng. "Brother Ling, she said she won't leave until she sees you. Knowing my cousin, she means it. You should go."
"Uh..." Ling Feng shook his head and chuckled. "Alright, I'll go. She can't eat me, can she?"