Chapter 79

Today, Nanfeng Academy held a grand graduation ceremony, marking the official end of the studies for this year's students. From now on, they would either move on to other prestigious institutions in Daxia, continue their cultivation, or switch to other professions, each going their separate ways, perhaps never to meet again.

After the ceremony, Li Luo, Lu Qing'er, Yu Lang, and Zhao Kuo were called to the old dean's courtyard.

"This time, the four of you have helped Nanfeng Academy maintain its status as the top academy. I really want to thank you for that," the old dean said, pruning the flowers in the courtyard before turning to look at the four of them with a smile.

Zhao Kuo scratched his head. He knew he hadn't contributed much, just benefiting from Li Luo's efforts.

Yu Lang, on the other hand, grinned without a care, as if he had truly bled and blocked blades for Nanfeng Academy.

Li Luo smiled and said, "Old Dean, if you just called us here to thank us verbally, it's not really necessary."

The old dean replied with a hint of annoyance, "In your eyes, I'm just a stingy old man, right?"

Yu Lang angrily said, "Dean, you are the person I respect the most. I won't allow you to speak of yourself like that. I suggest you remove the word 'dead'!"

The old dean raised the scissors in his hand, aiming at Yu Lang's lower half, scaring him so much that he jumped back two steps, his face pale with fear.

"Hmph."

The old dean huffed and said, "From now on, you are officially leaving Nanfeng Academy. In two months, you will be heading to the Holy玄Star Academy, the place you have all been dreaming of. No matter how far you go in the future, you will always be students who came from Nanfeng Academy."

"However, although your performance this time was good, don't let it make you arrogant. When you get to the Holy玄Star Academy, you will realize just how vast Daxia is and how many talented individuals it harbors."

"Of course, if you can be like Jiang Qing'e, then disregard what I said."

The four of them nodded at the old dean's words. Apart from Yu Lang, who was always a bit carefree, the other three were quite steady, especially Li Luo, who would have remained hidden underground if not for this exam, and no one would have known his true strength.

After his lecture, the old dean reached into his pocket and pulled out four small crystal bottles. Each bottle contained a light yellow pill, emitting a faint fragrance.

"This is the Bitter Lotus Pill. When your Phase Power reaches the Tenth Seal, you can consume and refine it. It will accelerate the formation of your Phase Seed and increase the success rate. Consider it an additional reward for your performance in the exam."

Upon hearing this, the four of them were pleasantly surprised. Unlike the large quantities of Spirit Water and Odd Light, pills were rarer and more expensive. The fact that the old dean was giving them four Bitter Lotus Pills showed his generosity.

Li Luo and the others had heard of the Bitter Lotus Pill. It was said to be made using the sap of the Phase Power Tree, so only major academies could produce it. For beginners at the Tenth Seal, the Bitter Lotus Pill was considered the best spiritual medicine.

After all, many people might fail multiple times when trying to form their Phase Seed, wasting valuable cultivation time. The Bitter Lotus Pill could reduce the failure rate, making it highly valuable.

"Old Dean, if anyone dares to call you stingy again, I'll be the first to confront them!" Yu Lang promised solemnly.

The old dean glanced at him but didn't bother to argue with this notorious troublemaker. He casually tossed the pills to the four of them.

"Go. Although I'm a bit reluctant, I have to admit that the Holy玄Star Academy is the true top academy. No other academy in Daxia can compare to it."

"Moreover, only when you enter the Holy玄Star Academy will you truly understand the reality of this world."

"Your future will be exciting, and I look forward to hearing more about your achievements here at Nanfeng Academy."

Hearing the old dean's words, the four of them felt a sense of emotion and bowed to him before leaving.

As Li Luo was about to leave, the old dean looked at his back and suddenly said, "Li Luo, good boy, you haven't disgraced your parents."

Li Luo paused, looking at the clouds above Nanfeng Academy. He felt a lump in his throat. He had thought he no longer cared about others' opinions, but the old dean's words made him realize that his efforts had not been in vain.

He understood that what he cared about was not others' opinions, but simply not wanting to be a blemish on his parents' reputation.

Because he loved those two seemingly unreliable parents very much.

And they, clearly, felt the same way.

After completing his studies at Nanfeng Academy, Li Luo returned to his usual tight schedule. As he had said, he did not relax at all after achieving first place in the Tian Shu Prefecture Academy Exam, because from any perspective, it was just a small victory.

In two months, he would be heading to the Holy玄Star Academy, where he would finally see how many young geniuses Daxia truly had.

This time, he vowed to be even more low-key at the Holy玄Star Academy.

During the two-month break, Li Luo set a goal for himself: to reach the Tenth Seal, and if possible, to attempt forming his Phase Seed and advance to the Phase Master realm.

It was said that some students in other prefectures had already reached the Tenth Seal in the exam. After the two-month break, those top students would likely have the strength of the first stage of the Phase Master realm. Therefore, Li Luo felt he could not afford to relax.

Of course, none of this was the most important thing. The most important thing was that his lifespan was already in the final five-year countdown.

After all, while being low-key was important, his life was even more important.

As the break passed, about half a month later, Li Luo found, as expected, that his Phase Power had reached the Ninth Seal.

Additionally, his skills in refining Spirit Water and Odd Light had improved dramatically. He could now refine second-grade Spirit Water and Odd Light, making him a qualified second-grade Phase Refiner.

Overall, Li Luo was quite satisfied with his progress during the half-month break.

However, as his Phase Power approached the Phase Master realm, Li Luo began to review the "Little Unphase Divine Forging Technique" left by Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan. He had to consider an important question: when he reached the Phase Master realm, what attributes should he primarily and secondarily cultivate in his second Phase Palace?