There are a great number of outer disciples, but the number decreases significantly upon entering the inner sect, and even more so when it comes to the true disciples, with only fifteen martial academies for the true disciples.
True disciples are those who have surpassed the True Martial Realm!
"If you have enough strength, not only can you enter the Elders' Academy, but you can also sit in the position of the Dean of the Zero Academy! The condition is that you must defeat the current Dean!"
Hearing this, Shen Xiang had a wild idea, which was to become the Dean of the Zero Academy, though that was just a thought. After all, those deans are old monsters.
"The Dean of the Zero Academy might be difficult, but the Dean of the Tai Dan Academy should be more manageable," Su Meiyao said with a light smile.
The Tai Dan Academy is the institution in charge of pills within the Tai Wu Sect. Although there is only one academy, it is divided into eight small courtyards, and all the members inside are alchemists.
"Only a second-level alchemist can enter the Tai Dan Academy. Let me see what level I am now..." Shen Xiang checked a chart. A first-level alchemist must be able to refine three types of mid-grade Mortal-level pills.
A second-level alchemist must be able to refine three types of high-grade Mortal-level pills and one low-grade Spiritual-level pill. The requirements for a third-level alchemist were even higher—they had to be able to refine three types of mid-grade Spiritual-level pills.
Currently, Shen Xiang was only a second-level alchemist, with the highest being eight levels. Above that was the rank of Alchemy Sect Master and Alchemy King!
Shen Xiang remembered that Su Meiyao had mentioned she was only at the level of an Alchemy Sect Master, which meant she could refine Heaven-level pills!
Shen Xiang then looked at the section on weapon forging. Tai Wu Sect had very few weapon forgers, almost none. The most developed forging faction on the Chen Wu Continent was the Divine Weapon Heavenly Kingdom, while the strongest alchemy faction was the Danxiang Taoyuan. Tai Wu Sect, however, was renowned for its sheer strength.
Leng Youlan, on the other hand, had gone to the Ice Wind Valley, a sect that focused on cultivating the extreme yin and extreme yang energies. Though it had fewer members, its strength was formidable, and the true energy cultivated there was extremely intense, giving the sect an overall strong presence.
Although Tai Wu Sect was considered the strongest among the Eight Great Sects, if it were to go to war with the other sects, even a victory would come at a great cost.
"Meiyao, Youyou, how about I find a way to have the alchemy masters here refine pills for you? That way, you can recover from your injuries quickly," Shen Xiang's eyes lit up with an idea.
"Can they refine Saint Pills?" Bai Youyou asked coldly.
Saint Pills! Shen Xiang had never even heard of them, let alone seen one.
"Is there no one here who can refine them?" Shen Xiang asked.
"Not for now, at least I've never heard of anyone who can. Forget about Saint Pills—even Heaven Pills are extremely rare," Su Meiyao sighed. "But you can, because you have the Dragon Saliva Technique. As long as we train you well and gather the necessary materials, it's possible."
Shen Xiang didn't expect that what he would be refining would be Saint Pills—what kind of existence were they?
"Let's focus on entering the inner sect first. Only after joining the inner sect can I learn more advanced martial arts!" Shen Xiang said. As an outer disciple, the highest one could learn was lower-tier Profound-level martial arts. Only after entering the inner sect would one have the right to learn upper-tier Profound-level or even Earth-level martial arts.
Every October, the Tai Wu Sect holds an examination for outer disciples to be promoted to inner disciples, and it was approaching quickly. Shen Xiang hadn't expected this timing.
Shen Xiang climbed to the rooftop and gazed at the numerous buildings around him. The innermost, deepest area was where the powerful inner academy lay.
Disciples of the Tai Wu Sect were given considerable freedom. The sect provided a wealth of martial arts techniques for its disciples and even arranged for experienced martial artists to give lectures. There were numerous training facilities in the various martial academies, as well as arenas for fair sparring.
Sometimes, the Tai Wu Sect would assign dangerous tasks to its disciples to help protect the Tai Wu State.
Shen Xiang changed into the Tai Wu Sect's uniform, a gray tight-fitting garment made from high-quality material. It could withstand ordinary flames and was resistant to normal swords. The outfit clung comfortably to the body, keeping one warm in winter and cool in summer.
Shen Xiang arrived at the center of the academy, where there was a small plaza. Surrounding the plaza were several buildings, each containing a variety of training equipment.
"Hey, new guy, I heard you're from the mortal realm, and you even took down Fang Liang in one move. Impressive!" A boy walked over, looking at Shen Xiang with admiration.
From his readings, Shen Xiang learned that the Chen Wu Continent was triangular in shape, with the mortal realm located in one corner. That corner was separated from the Eight Great States by a large mountain range, and its thin spiritual energy resulted in fewer powerful martial artists.
Shen Xiang smiled slightly and said, "That guy underestimated me, which is why he lost so badly."
The boy laughed and said, "That's true. Ever since Fang Liang became a disciple, he's been arrogant. I've long wanted to teach him a lesson."
The boy had dark skin and was a head shorter than Shen Xiang. Though not particularly muscular, he had a compact and robust appearance. His eyes gleamed with intelligence, and despite the scars on his face giving him a tough look, his smile was friendly.
"Yun Xiaodao, are you bullying the newcomer again?" A middle-aged man laughed from a distance. "Shen Xiang, this short guy in front of you is the strongest in our academy. He just doesn't want to be the dean, so he hasn't challenged Old Zhang."
Yun Xiaodao rubbed his nose and shot a disdainful look at the man. "I just want to spar with him. Martial artists need to practice often."
Several people gathered in the plaza, all with friendly smiles, making Shen Xiang feel that the academy had a harmonious atmosphere. From their conversations, he learned that many of them disliked Fang Liang.
Since Shen Xiang had just arrived, the other disciples didn't start their training right away. Instead, they chatted with him and told him about the academy.
Shen Xiang soon learned that Yun Xiaodao had arrived three years ago, starting from Martial Academy No. 3000 and working his way up. He was incredibly strong, at the tenth level of the Mortal Martial Realm, and came from the Yun family, one of the four great families of Tai Wu State.
Yun Xiaodao looked at Shen Xiang with fiery eyes. "Brother Shen, aside from Old Zhang, I've fought everyone here. You have to fight me too. Whether you win or lose, I'll give you five True Qi Pills. What do you say?"
Old Zhang, or Zhang De, was the dean of this academy, and the martial artists here called him that out of respect.
Shen Xiang knew that Yun Xiaodao was a battle maniac and the strongest in the academy. That meant he was the number one outer sect disciple.
"Xiaodao, you're at the tenth level of the Mortal Martial Realm, but I'm only at the ninth level. The gap is too big!" Shen Xiang shook his head with a smile. What surprised him was that Yun Xiaodao was only sixteen years old!
In the martial world of Chen Wu Continent, geniuses truly abounded, with many young and powerful martial artists.
"But you're a year older than me, so you have the advantage. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. Whether you win or lose, I'll give you five True Qi Pills!" Yun Xiaodao insisted relentlessly.