The script didn’t include a scene where he gave pills to the four women, but Yan Zhen was truly grateful for their care over these past days. He wanted to repay them in a small way.
He had already prepared his excuse.
“These are ones I picked up at a street stall. The vendor didn’t recognize their value and thought they were just ordinary Healing Pills, so he sold them cheap.”
In a fantasy world’s street stalls, treasures of all kinds could be found, and protagonists were especially skilled at unearthing top-tier items. Casually snagging a few Minor Yuan Pills like that seemed perfectly normal.
Yet the four women didn’t buy it. Yan Meng’er and Mi Xue’er, having awakened memories of their past lives, along with Mentor Yu Xuan, quickly connected it to Yan Zhen’s future godlike mastery of pill refining.
With their knowledge and familiarity with Minor Yuan Pills, they could tell at a glance that these had been refined somewhat crudely—not the work of a seasoned hand.
Could he have refined them himself?
Did he specially take leave and hide at home just to refine pills?
Yan Ruyu also had a vague feeling that the pill in her hand held special significance for Yan Zhen. Otherwise, why would he be beaming with pride like this?
She recalled the scene from her dream: Yan Zhen wielding flames of every color, refining an entire landscape into a pill. Could these be his own work? But when had he learned pill refining?
Right! When Clan Leader Grandpa had fallen ill, it was Yan Zhen who somehow produced a Tier 4 pill that cured him.
Yan Ruyu suddenly understood. Yan Zhen must have a Tier 4 Pill Refiner as a hidden master teaching him!
“I’ve only ever seen Minor Yuan Pills in books before. There are five in total—one for each of us. Just take them.”
Seeing his excitement, the four women were now one hundred percent certain: these were Yan Zhen’s own creation.
A novice Pill Refiner, finally succeeding after much effort, couldn’t wait to share them. He carried that hint of youthful pride and delight.
—How adorable~
The four women’s gazes toward Yan Zhen instantly turned misty and affectionate.
Under their silent, warm scrutiny—like they were doting on a sweet but simple-minded child—Yan Zhen felt a touch of awkwardness. His excuse was solid, wasn’t it?
The women quickly snapped out of it and spoke one after another.
“Thanks, Cousin! You’re the best. Meng’er loves you the most~”
“Little Brother Yan Zhen, giving me such a precious pill… Your senior sister is so touched. Love you~”
“Thank you. I just happen to need one. I-I’ll gladly accept it.”
“You have a good heart, Yan Zhen.”
Hearing their thanks filled Yan Zhen’s vanity to the brim. He even had two extra bowls of porridge before retreating to the Crystal Stone Space to continue refining pills.
Minor Yuan Pills were excellent treasures, useful all the way up to the Mystic Master Realm. The more he refined, the better—he could use them or sell them.
Not that he needed the money back.
…
As night fell, three auras of Mystic Practitioners emanated from the house before slowly receding after a long while.
Mentor Yu Xuan knew her three disciples had all advanced.
She herself had been stuck at Five-Star Mystic Master for some time. This was the perfect opportunity to break through.
She stared at the Minor Yuan Pill in her palm for a good while before reluctantly swallowing it.
A single Minor Yuan Pill wasn’t enough to support her breakthrough, so Mentor Yu Xuan had prepared other pills as well.
By dawn, she had reached Six-Star Mystic Master.
…
Yan Zhen hadn’t expected them to be so efficient. They had all advanced in just one day.
“There’s one week until the Monthly Assessment. Everyone, prepare well,” Mentor Yu Xuan began her instructions. “The Monthly Assessment lasts two days and includes four parts: first, the theory test; second, the cultivation test; third, the mystic technique test; and fourth, the combat test.”
The theory test was a straightforward written exam.
For the cultivation test, one simply went onstage and touched the Testing Stele. Those who met the standard would advance classes.
The mystic technique test required demonstrating the techniques taught in class—mostly the Air Breaking Seal, as it best evaluated a student’s mystic power intensity and control.
The combat test was a one-on-one against a Mystic Scholar Puppet wielding a Light Shield. Victory came from shattering the shield head-on or striking the red-marked vital points. The faster the win, the higher the score.
The top one hundred in combined scores across the four tests received varying numbers of pill rewards. The top ten could also enter the Academy Scripture Pavilion to freely select one mystic technique.
The week before the Monthly Assessment was free cultivation time—no classes. The three women stayed home to consolidate their cultivation, while Mentor Yu Xuan guided them from time to time. She occasionally went out to instruct Xiao Xinyan as well.
As for Yan Zhen, he kept refining pills.
The Monthly Assessment posed no challenge for him; no preparation needed.
In the “Mystic Academy” arc of the script, the only things worth his attention were claiming the top spot on the Nine Stars Ranking and the Graduation Assessment.
Days passed, and soon it was the end of the month. The Monthly Assessment began.
Yan Zhen’s vacation ended. He returned to the academy with the three women, and the System issued a new task.
First came the theory test: four questions in half an hour.
All basic questions on the Mystic Practitioner Realm. Any student who had paid attention in class could score high.
Yan Zhen happened to be the one who hadn’t attended those classes, so he lost points there.
Though he knew the script and settings inside out, to meet the role-playing requirement, he controlled his score to around eighty.
After the theory test came the cultivation test.
The exam moved to the Testing Plaza, starting with Intermediate Class 1, student number one, and proceeding upward.
Among them, Four-Star Mystic Practitioners from the beginner classes could enter the intermediate classes; Seven-Star Mystic Practitioners from intermediate could enter advanced; and Nine-Star Mystic Practitioners from advanced could ascend the Nine Stars Ranking.
Prospective graduates in the Mystic Scholar Realm no longer took the Monthly Assessment—they simply awaited pickup by Holy Land Academy.
“Intermediate Class 1, number eighteen, Mi Xue’er, age nineteen, Six-Star Mystic Practitioner. Evaluation: Good!”
“Intermediate Class 1, number nineteen, Yan Ruyu, age nineteen, Six-Star Mystic Practitioner. Evaluation: Good!”
The two institute beauties from Intermediate Class 1 took the stage one after another, drawing everyone’s attention. Hot gazes fell upon them.
Not only were the two beauties stunning, but their talents shone too. They were the dream girls of many male students at Mystic Academy. From the crowd below, someone foolishly shouted, “I love you!” only to be disqualified by the Discipline Mentor and tossed out of the Testing Plaza.
“Intermediate Class 1, number forty-nine, Yan Zhen, age sixteen, Six-Star Mystic Practitioner. Evaluation: Top-Tier!”
When the young instructor hosting the test announced Yan Zhen’s cultivation with evident excitement, the intermediate class students below erupted in an uproar.
They had already taken notice of Yan Zhen—he was the only male disciple Mentor Yu Xuan had accepted, and he was so close to several beauties. Envy and jealousy burned in their hearts.
He had entered as a Five-Star Mystic Practitioner, and now, just a month later, he had advanced a star? That speed was ridiculous!
A “Top-Tier” evaluation was exceedingly rare, signifying entry into the Mystic Scholar Realm before age twenty—a honor worthy of the academy’s history books!
“Intermediate Class 2, number thirty-eight, Xiao Shi, age seventeen, Five-Star Mystic Practitioner. Evaluation: Excellent!”
Xiao Shi clenched his fists, staring at Yan Zhen surrounded by Yan Ruyu, Mi Xue’er, and other girls. Jealousy and unwillingness twisted his face.
He took a deep breath, reminding himself that the mystic technique and combat tests would decide who was truly superior.
“Intermediate Class 3, number zero-two, Lan Guang, age twenty, Seven-Star Mystic Practitioner. Evaluation: Good!”
Hearing the name “Lan Guang,” Yan Zhen looked up.
