Fang Lin's arrival also drew the attention of some Pill Apprentices.
"Look quick, isn't that Fang Lin?"
"Yes, that's him. Even if he's incredibly lazy, he wouldn't dare miss the pill refining lecture."
"Hehe, last time he fell asleep during the lecture. I wonder what ridiculous things he'll do this time."
"Who cares? That guy is simply a free-loader. They say he has a Reviving Dead Wood Body. Humph! What's the use of a good talent if you don't work hard? He'll still be buried and forgotten."
···
Fang Lin was as calm as usual, appearing completely at ease and unaffected by the nearby ridiculing and sneering comments.
"Fang Lin, over here." Lu Xiaoqing, not far away, waved to Fang Lin, signaling for him to hurry over.
Fang Lin smiled and quickly walked over and sat down next to Lu Xiaoqing.
Lu Xiaoqing reproached him somewhat, "Why are you so late? If the lecture starts and you're not here yet, you'll be marked as absent!"
Fang Lin laughed and said, "I bumped into Elder Meng and was delayed for a while. You see, I'm not late."
Before Lu Xiaoqing could say anything, a teenager next to her suddenly said: "Whether you come or not doesn't really matter; you'd just end up napping anyway."
Upon hearing this, Fang Lin merely laughed it off and wasn't bothered, but Lu Xiaoqing was visibly upset, glaring at the boy.
"Sun Hao, what is the meaning of this?" Lu Xiaoqing confronted the young man.
Fang Lin, on the side, urged, "Forget it, Brother Sun didn't do it on purpose."
Who knew, Sun Hao didn't appreciate it at all, and instead scoffed, looking at Fang Lin disdainfully. "Everyone knows that you, Fang Lin, are a worthless freeloader. Despite possessing talent, you have no ambition to better yourself. Last time, during the Pill Refining lecture, you were caught sleeping. I, Sun Hao, am ashamed to keep the same company as you."
After saying this, he got up, walked to a remote area, and sat down.
Lu Xiaoqing was so angry that she was speechless. Fang Lin patted her shoulder.
"It's okay. I'm not angry. Why are you so upset?" Fang Lin said laughingly.
Lu Xiaoqing turned her head and stared intently at Fang Lin. "Fang Lin, why don't you get angry? Are you really okay with freeloading for the rest of your life? You have such a good talent, why can't you make some progress?"
Fang Lin looked at Lu Xiaoqing's expression and knew she was truly frustrated with him.
Fang Lin reigned in his laughter, and said with sincerity, "Don't worry, I will pass the examination."
Lu Xiaoqing sighed, unsure if she was more disappointed or convinced, and said nothing more.
At this moment, a group of dozens of people walked over, all dressed as Pill Apprentices, but their mien was awe-inspiring, especially the one leading. Many Pill Apprentices revealed awe and admiration at him.
"Brother Kang, your old seats have been reserved." A few Pill Apprentices wore flattering smiles, speaking to the young man with last name Kang.
Kang Lu wore a neutral expression and slightly nodded. Then he walked to the frontmost spot in the Pill Array and sat down.
The Pill Apprentices who came with Kang Lu also seated themselves nearby, taking up the best area in the Pill Array.
However, none of the Pill Apprentices present showed any sign of dissatisfaction. On the contrary, many thought it was only natural.
Becuase he is Kang Lu, it is right that he gets the best spot.
Kang Lu was regarded as one of the most hopeful among the current Three Thousand Pill Refining Apprentices to pass the examination and become a regular apprentice. Although he failed twice before, both times he was only slightly short, especially the second time where he barely missed it.
If not for the strict rules of the Pill Sect, Kang Lu could have been an official apprentice after the second examination.
The third examination, which was coming soon, was almost certain to be passed by Kang Lu, so his status among the Pill Apprentices was incredibly high, with many followers.
After Kang Lu's arrival, the originally noisy Pill Array quietened considerably, and even those who were speaking, lowered their voices, fearing to offend Kang Lu.
Kang Lu sat cross-legged, closed his eyes and rested. His slightly thin face carried a hint of austerity.
"Brother Kang, among the newly recruited Pill Apprentices, there's someone who deserves some attention," someone said near Kang Lu.
Kang Lu didn't open his eyes and asked indifferently, "Who?"
The man replied, "This person's name is Fang Lin. He was found to be a Reviving Dead Wood Body during the entrance examination."
Kang Lu expressed a bit of surprise and curiosity.
Another person heard this and smiled disdainfully, saying to Kang Lu, "Brother Kang, I also know about that Fang Lin. While his talent is not bad, he lacks ambition. In a month since his initiation, he went to Herb Garden only once and even dozed off in the middle of the monthly lecture in the Pill Array. Such a person is not worth paying attention to."
Upon hearing this, Kang Lu laughed and said, "So this Fang Lin is the one who slept during the Pill Refining lecture. In that case, there's no need to pay attention to him. He's of no value."
Hearing this, the others nodded, agreeing with Kang Lu's sound judgment.
"Silence!"
A thunderous reprimanding voice echoed, and a figure descended from the sky, standing on the towering stone platform.
The person was clad in a white gown, with flowing hair and a beautiful face. It was a woman.
"What a treat that Elder Mu Yan is giving the lecture today!"
"We're so lucky. We got to see Elder Mu Yan just a month after entering the sect, and she's as elegant and refined as the rumors say!"
"Although Elder Mu Yan is beautiful, she is very strict. We have to pay close attention to the lecture, or we'll get reprimanded during the Q&A."
···
Elder Mu Yan's face was cold, her beautiful eyes surveyed all the pill apprentices in the room.
"Very good, all three thousand disciples are present. The class begins!" Elder Mu Yan said, her voice was soft, but it clearly echoed in each pill apprentice's ear.
Upon hearing this, all three thousand disciples, including the laid-back vagabond, Fang Lin, stood up and paid their respects to the four statues erected around the pill array.
These four statues represented the four great masters who had emerged from the Pill Sect, also being the four highest achievers from the Purple Mist Sect.
After achieving the grandmaster status, they left four legacies, sealed in the statues, for future disciples of the Pill Sect.
However, so far, no one had been able to receive any of the legacies left by the four masters, but these four statues still stood, embodying the noble symbol of the entire Pill Sect.
After paying their respects, the three thousand disciples sat down again to listen to Elder Mu Yan's lecture.
Because the class was aimed at the Pill Apprentices, Elder Mu Yan explained the knowledge of plants and herbs, rather than going deep into the intricacies of pill refining.
Botanical knowledge is the foundation of pill refining, and even though it is basic, it is profound and far-reaching. Even accomplished Pill Refiners continue to learn about it.
The only ones who dismissed the knowledge of plants and herbs as insignificant were the shallow ones. Their mindset would restrict their accomplishments in life.
While Elder Mu Yan was stern, she was very experienced at teaching. She clarified complex botanical knowledge in simple terms, allowing most of the Pill Apprentices present to understand.
Lu Xiaoqing listened very seriously, holding a pen and paper, occasionally jotting down Elder Mu Yan's words. There were quite a few people like her.
Fang Lin sat there, seemingly lost in a daze, his eyes fixed on the sky.
After a while, Fang Lin closed his eyes and started to snore.
Fang Lin fell asleep again!
The moment the snoring sound echoed, Lu Xiaoqing's eyes widened in disbelief. He actually fell asleep again in such an important event? Had he gone mad?
"Wake up!" Lu Xiaoqing promptly nudged Fang Lin, but it was already too late. The piercing snore reverberated loudly inside the quiet pill array, immediately attracting the attention of everyone including Elder Mu Yan on the stone platform.
Elder Mu Yan's face remained emotionless, but her eyes were terrifyingly cold.
Kang Lu glanced back, a hint of disdain in his corner of his mouth.
"This Fang Lin is really helpless." Sun Hao, who had mocked Fang Lin before, sneered.
Fang Lin groggily opened his eyes, looked around, and asked Lu Xiaoqing, "Is the lecture over?"
Lu Xiaoqing wished she could push Fang Lin into the ground. How could he sleep through it and still ask such a foolish question?
Lu Xiaoqing didn't dare to speak out. She wished dearly that Fang Lin would receive a severe punishment.
Fang Lin also became aware of the situation and felt helpless.
"Alas, my physical body is too weak. I accidentally fell asleep just like that." Fang Lin thought to himself, immediately feeling a bone chilling gaze upon him.
"What's your name?" Elder Mu Yan's voice sounded, a hint of anger in it.
The pill apprentices below looked at Fang Lin with a trace of schadenfreude, thinking that Fang Lin was in deep trouble.
Last time when Fang Lin fell asleep during the pill refining lecture, he was severely reprimanded by an elder. Now he had fallen asleep again, but this time, it was during Elder Mu Yan's lecture.
Elder Mu Yan was famously stern among the elders. Once, a pill apprentice was joking around during her lecture and had his limbs broken on the spot.
This time, Fang Lin slept directly below her, and many disciples could already see Fang Lin's bleak outcome.
In response to Mu Yan's question, Fang Lin could only answer, "Disciple Fang Lin."
Mu Yan nodded, her face suddenly turned cold, and she shouted, "How dare you, Fang Lin! Do you know your crime?"
Fang Lin looked at Mu Yan with a pitiful expression and said grievances, "Disciple, what is my crime?"
Mu Yan was so angry that she laughed instead, she said, "You dared to sleep during my lecture. For all the years I have been teaching, this is the first time I've encountered a disciple like you, and you still dare to ask 'what is my crime?'"
Fang Lin respectfully saluted Mu Yan and said, "Elder, it's not that the disciple was sleeping. After listening to the elder's lecture, the disciple was deep in thought. Please understand, Elder."