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Chapter 97: Joining the Alchemy Department! The Inner Courtyard Competition Approaches!
Faced with Elder Huo's sudden invitation, Xiao Ze was momentarily stunned, his face showing a pensive expression.
Seeing Xiao Ze's lack of immediate refusal, Elder Huo continued persuading him.
"Because of the unique nature of alchemists, even though the academy's teaching is strict, the Alchemy Department is actually very relaxed, even more so than the Inner Courtyard."
"The Inner Courtyard still has a monthly intensive training session at the Heavenly Incineration Qi Tower, but the Alchemy Department doesn't have anything like that."
"If you want to cultivate, you can cultivate. If you want to refine medicine, you can refine medicine."
"In fact, the Alchemy Department is like a combination of the academy and the alchemist guild."
Hearing this, Xiao Ze roughly understood that joining the Alchemy Department would be beneficial and harmless to him.
"In that case, I'm willing to join the Alchemy Department!"
Xiao Ze clasped his hands and said, while Elder Huo showed a rare hint of a smile.
"Haha, good! I'll have Senior Li come over to familiarize you with the Alchemy Department."
In no time, a tall female instructor walked in, wearing the uniform of an alchemist, with three golden stars standing erect on her chest.
Xiao Ze took a glance at the instructor's face, she appeared quite young.
To have already reached the rank of third-grade alchemist, her talent seemed pretty good.
"Senior Li, this is the new student who just joined the Alchemy Department. Please help him get acquainted with the department, alright?"
"No problem."
Senior Li, upon seeing Xiao Ze's face, immediately smiled and beckoned to Xiao Ze.
"Let's go, little guy. I'll show you around the Alchemy Department."
In the room, Elder Huo and Elder Xue exchanged glances, shaking their heads with a smile.
This kid not only has extraordinary luck but also has a face that's quite lethal.
Senior Li usually sees the head of the Alchemy Department as a strict and indifferent person. After all, they're not in a superior-subordinate relationship.
As mentioned earlier, the Alchemy Department is like a guild with the nature of the academy.
...
"Little guy, I'm Li Yingying. You've joined the Alchemy Department in the Inner Courtyard, right?"
"Yes, I'm Xiao Ze, nice to meet you, Senior Li."
Xiao Ze respectfully said.
As Senior Li walked ahead, she suddenly stopped and turned around, looking Xiao Ze up and down.
"You're Xiao Ze, who has recently been making waves in the academy, ranked second on the strong list?"
"That's me."
Senior Li couldn't help but walk around Xiao Ze as if trying to see through him.
"Young genius... Wait, I heard you have a water attribute, how can you become an alchemist?"
Senior Li suddenly remembered. This was the Alchemy Department! Elder Huo also said Xiao Ze should join the Alchemy Department. Isn't this ridiculous?
Although he's ranked second, with unparalleled talent in cultivation, isn't this too absurd?
"It's like this..."
Xiao Ze explained briefly, leaving Senior Li somewhat shocked, nodding in acknowledgment.
Such an encounter is truly enviable.
"Alright, this is the branch of the Alchemy Department set up in the Inner Courtyard. The most important thing in the Alchemy Department is the Pill Quota."
"With the Pill Quota, you can exchange for anything you want within the Alchemy Department! Pills, medicinal materials, precious pill formulas, and even guidance from instructors!"
After Senior Li finished speaking, she also took out a crystal card to show Xiao Ze.
"You probably haven't obtained one yet. Let me help you..."
As she spoke, she noticed Xiao Ze pulling out a crystal card as well, with a higher Pill Quota than hers!
"This... This can't be right. Are you really a new student who just joined the department?"
Senior Li snatched the crystal card from Xiao Ze's hand, unable to believe it.
Even though she had just exchanged for a precious pill formula with her Pill Quota a few days ago, she shouldn't be inferior to a student who just joined the Alchemy Department!
"Cough, Senior Li, this is actually a benefit from the External Courtyard Training Program..."
Xiao Ze's words left Senior Li speechless.
"You, kid, really make people envious!"
After sighing, Senior Li resumed her duties as an instructor.
"Now that you've joined the Alchemy Department, you have your own means to gain Pill Quota."
"Alchemy Department students usually submit the pills they refine to the department in exchange for Pill Quota..."
"Of course, there are many other ways to gain Pill Quota, such as submitting pill formulas, medicinal materials, and so on."
"Like me, as an instructor, each time I guide a student, I can gain half of the Pill Quota the student spends."
"Pill Quota in the Alchemy Department is like currency. The more, the better. If you want to obtain precious pill formulas, little guy, you'll have to work hard."
Senior Li patted Xiao Ze's shoulder, speaking earnestly.
"I see, thank you, Senior Li."
After Senior Li's explanation, Xiao Ze also understood why the Alchemy Department was said to be even more free than the Inner Courtyard.
In this form, it was indeed similar to the alchemist guild.
"Alright, little guy, you should have a basic understanding now. If you have any doubts about alchemy in the future, you can come to me. But remember, I'll charge you Pill Quota for my guidance~"
Senior Li bid farewell to Xiao Ze and left.
Xiao Ze stood still for a moment, then headed to the Pill Formula Management Repository.
Amid the astonished gazes of the elder guardians, Xiao Ze exchanged for two second-grade pill formulas and one third-grade pill formula.
To suddenly produce so much Pill Quota, even some instructors might not be able to do it.
The elder guardians marveled at Xiao Ze's actions.
Xiao Ze then went to the Medicinal Material Management Repository and exchanged for some medicinal materials from Elder Xue.
Looking at the crystal card, Xiao Ze shook his head.
"All the Pill Quota I've saved up for months is gone in an instant."
"I'll have to refine some pills and exchange them for Pill Quota here later, or else sitting on an empty mountain won't get me anywhere."
And so, Xiao Ze joined the Alchemy Department. Apart from refining pills himself, he could also receive feedback rewards from Xiao Yan every day.
From small bonuses to tenfold rewards, his alchemy skills soared rapidly.
After exchanging for the pill formulas, Xiao Ze quickly went back to experiment.
Even third-grade pills could be successfully refined.
In other words, Xiao Ze was now at least a third-grade alchemist.
And the harder Xiao Yan worked, the faster Xiao Ze's alchemy skills improved.
Every day was a day of progress.
Apart from alchemy, Xiao Ze also devoted a lot of effort to cultivation.
Although he was already at the peak of the Dou Ling realm, due to the special nature of the golden sapling in the void space, Xiao Ze could still continuously absorb and devour Dou Qi.
While the height of the Origin Tree didn't increase, the diameter of its trunk kept expanding.
Looking at the Origin Tree in the void space, Xiao Ze couldn't help but wonder.
At this rate of growth, is it possible to turn the Origin Tree into a cylinder ten meters high and ten meters in diameter before he breaks through to Dou Wang?
Thinking of this ridiculous scene, Xiao Ze shook his head and dismissed the unrealistic idea from his mind.
He could try to break through to Dou Wang at any time now.
It's just that he would wait until after the Inner Courtyard Competition and endure the tempering of the Origin Flame before attempting a breakthrough. Perhaps he could gain greater benefits that way.
End of this chapter.
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