Wang Menglu's face still showed traces of shock.
Her emotions were turbulent as she said, "Horn, I apologize for what happened earlier."
"It was my ignorance."
She was a courageous person.
Nie Jiuxuan nodded and remarked, "Mr. Su, your methods have truly opened my eyes!"
Tang Yuxin, hearing Mr. Nie's praise for Horn, felt genuinely happy for him.
Horn glanced at Xu Hu, who was still kneeling, and asked, "How long do you plan to stay down there?"
"Alright, stand up now!"
Xu Hu kowtowed to Horn a few more times before rising from the ground. "Mr. Su, no matter what happens in the future, I, Xu Hu, am willing to lay down my life to assist you!"
His sincerity was evident.
Horn nodded slightly.
With his current level of cultivation, did he really need help from anyone on Earth?
Nie Jiuxuan turned to Wang Menglu and asked, "Little girl, are you willing to be my apprentice?"
He had originally intended to accept her as his disciple. Now that he had lost Cheng Zhi, his desire to recruit new disciples had grown even stronger.
Wang Menglu had always wanted to become Nie Jiuxuan's disciple. The surprise was so unexpected that she immediately knelt before him and said, "Master, I humbly accept your offer!"
Nie Jiuxuan helped her up with a smile. "My good disciple, stand up!"
"You mentioned that Mr. Su refined ten Qi Condensation Pills at once?"
Wang Menglu then presented the pills that Horn had refined. "Yes, Master, it's true!"
"These are the ten Qi Condensation Pills that Horn made."
"Even though he's only a one-star Alchemist, he's undoubtedly the strongest one-star Alchemist on Earth!"
Nie Jiuxuan took the ten dark blue Qi Condensation Pills from Wang Menglu's hand, a look of shock crossing his face. Even he couldn't refine Qi Condensation Pills of such high quality!
Not only had Horn refined ten pills at once, but the quality of each one was exceptional. This young man could indeed be considered the strongest Alchemist on Earth.
"Mr. Su, I am far inferior to you in refining one-star elixirs."
"In the future, we could discuss refining two-star elixirs. I won't hold back any of my knowledge; I'm willing to share my experience with you."
Nie Jiuxuan's tone was serious.
Wang Menglu urged, "Horn, why don't you thank my master?"
"In the alchemy world today, many alchemists don't teach everything they know to their disciples."
"My master truly appreciates you!"
Nie Jiuxuan waved his hand dismissively. "Menglu, Mr. Su might become the number one Alchemist in our Xia Kingdom one day."
"It would be an honor to play a role in his growth!"
He then looked at Horn again. "Mr. Su, I have a request, if it's not too bold."
"Would you consider joining our Alchemist Association in Linzhou?"
"Don't worry; you won't be bothered with trivial matters."
Horn was about to refuse, but Tang Yuxin quickly spoke up. "Horn, just agree to Mr. Nie's request!"
Wang Menglu, noticing Horn's lack of interest, had subtly signaled Tang Yuxin to intervene.
Tang Yuxin, understanding her friend's intentions, took the initiative. Horn, who had a soft spot for Tang Yuxin, relented and said to Nie Jiuxuan, "Alright, you can handle the details."
Nie Jiuxuan smiled and nodded.
Xu Hu beamed, "Mr. Nie, congratulations on adding such a talented member to your association."
Tang Yuxin had classes later, and Xu Hu had initially suggested a meal together, but they had to postpone it.
With Xu Hu's lung condition now cured, Nie Jiuxuan no longer needed to visit the academy's Spirit Medicine room, so the two left the academy together. Nie Jiuxuan wanted to personally oversee Horn's induction into the association.
Once they were gone, Wang Menglu spoke first. "Horn, why is my master being so respectful to you?"
"Before today, he probably didn't know you were a one-star Alchemist."
"Even if he knew about your abilities, he wouldn't need to be so deferential!"
"My master is, after all, a genuine three-star Alchemist."
Tang Yuxin, also puzzled, stared intently at Horn.
"He's afraid of my strength," Horn replied honestly.
Wang Menglu was momentarily stunned. "My master is at least at the peak of Innate strength."
"And you can only reach the realm of Innate Dzogchen at best."
"The difference in strength between you and my master isn't that significant. I think he respects you because he recognizes your potential."
"He wants to learn from you with his humility."
Wang Menglu's reasoning made sense to Tang Yuxin as well. "Horn, it's a good thing you've known Mr. Nie for a while; otherwise, today could have gone very differently."
"Mr. Nie is a man who can distinguish right from wrong!"
Horn didn't elaborate further.
Tang Yuxin asked, "Menglu and I have classes later. Would you like to come to the classroom and observe?"
Horn was about to agree when a voice echoed in his mind. "Young disciple, come to my office. I have something to discuss with you. If you dare refuse, I'll find your little girlfriend."
It was Dean Lin Zixuan who had sent the message. She had long noticed the close relationship between Horn and Tang Yuxin.
"What does this woman want?" Horn muttered to himself. "Does she really want me to treat her celestial body?"
Then, he said to Tang Yuxin, "Yuxin, I'd like to take a walk around your college."
"We'll meet in the square later."
Tang Yuxin nodded. "Okay, see you later!"
With Horn's level of cultivation, he shouldn't encounter any danger at the academy.
After parting ways with the two women, Horn went to the dean's office.
He pushed the door open and entered.
Lin Zixuan, dressed in a purple gown, was sitting at her desk, correcting documents. Her serious expression made Horn think of pushing her down on the desk.
When she saw Horn enter, Lin Zixuan put down her pen and frowned slightly. "Young disciple, do you know that you're in danger right now?"
Horn walked over and sat on the desk, looking down at Lin Zixuan from above. From this angle, he could clearly see her chest.
To be honest, Horn didn't mean to stare. He quickly looked away. "Dean Lin, I'm not interested in you."
"Although I've mastered water techniques and could perfectly solve the problem of your celestial body, I have no desire to engage with you in that way!"
Lin Zixuan noticed Horn's earlier gaze, and now, hearing his words, she burst out in anger. "You scoundrel, go to hell!"
Horn quickly jumped off the desk.
Bang!
The entire desk exploded under Lin Zixuan's surge of energy.
At that moment, Yan Chuan wheeled in Yan Jie, who had been crippled by Horn and Lu Lin. Yan Chuan had not expected to find Horn in the dean's office and had overheard Lin Zixuan berating Horn.
"Dean Lin, what a sight!" Yan Chuan sneered. "Flirting with a young man in your office!"
"I've truly learned something new today."
"If you need a man so badly, I can help you."
Yan Chuan's face twisted into a mocking grin.