Chapter 530: Preparations

Ye Xuan had waited a long time for this moment. As he thought of the legendary Gumo Menglan, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

It hadn’t been easy.

Under the instructor’s guidance, Ye Xuan and the others soon arrived at their new residences.

Compared to the living conditions in the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard was more than twice as good.

A series of independent courtyards, like villas, appeared before them. They were magnificent and stately, spaced apart, neither too close nor too far from one another.

What surprised Ye Xuan even more was that the arrangement of these courtyards wasn’t random. Instead, they followed a peculiar pattern, forming a massive Array.

The closer a courtyard was to the center of the Array, the denser the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi one could sense.

"There’s a method to choosing your residence," the instructor explained. "The closer you are to the center, the better the effects of absorbing Heaven and Earth Profound Qi. As new students, the nine of you may only choose from the courtyards on the periphery for now."

Lin Yuan and the others looked surprised upon hearing this. They hadn’t expected even the residences in the inner courtyard to be so elaborate.

Soon, everyone had chosen their respective courtyards. Ye Xuan’s group of four didn’t deliberately pick, but they all chose residences close to one another.

As for the other five, because of what had happened earlier, they felt too embarrassed to be too close to Ye Xuan’s group and so chose a different area.

Once everything was settled, the instructor left.

At the same time, news of what had happened outside the Core Hall during the day spread rapidly throughout the inner courtyard.

Ye Xuan’s dominance and terrifying strength caused quite a stir in the inner courtyard.

However, unlike the outer courtyard, the students of the inner courtyard were more focused on cultivation. Their interest in such matters was much weaker than that of the outer courtyard students.

Naturally, Ye Xuan paid no mind to any of this. He didn’t have the time to care.

Back in his own courtyard, Ye Xuan took out the broken Array Disc he had gotten from Chen Jin.

Then, he began to analyze the array patterns and information on it.

’These kinds of informational Array Discs all have certain limitations and patterns. Although the main body of the Array Disc is damaged, as long as I can find the underlying pattern, I can use the information within to determine the other party’s location.’

Ye Xuan began to deconstruct the array patterns inside one by one.

’Mm, just as I thought.’

With Ye Xuan’s expertise in array patterns, he quickly figured out the mode of communication for this Array Disc and began to trace it back.

「Two hours later.」

Ye Xuan put down the Array Disc, which was now mostly dismantled, and let out a long breath.

’Based on the last trace of information remaining, the Array Disc that sent the message seems to be in a region about ten thousand li away from Gale Light Academy, to the southeast.’

Ye Xuan took out a map of the Dream Realm Plain. He focused his gaze on the area ten thousand li southeast of Gale Light Academy.

In that region, there were a few scattered cities. Only one of them was relatively large.

’As expected, Duan Tianlang and his group should be in this city, Grayfield City.’

A cold, sharp light glinted in Ye Xuan’s eyes.

If he were strong enough, he would definitely capture Duan Tianlang and the others one by one. But right now, he couldn’t do that.

’I wonder if Vice Director Ge and the others have found Chen Jin’s body. Based on the items in Chen Jin’s Storage Ring, they should be able to guess his identity as a disciple of the Profound Mystery Sect. I just don’t know if they’ll suspect me.’

’Forget it. I can’t be bothered to think about these things. I have to refine the Gumo Menglan Pill tomorrow. I must get myself into peak condition today.’

Ye Xuan put away the broken Array Disc and began to cultivate.

Early the next morning, Ye Xuan left his courtyard.

’I have the Gumo Menglan, but to refine the Gumo Menglan Pill, I still need to find a refinement lab. I wonder where I can find one in the inner courtyard?’

"Xuan Ye, good morning."

Just then, Dongfang Zisi walked out of a nearby courtyard. Seeing Ye Xuan, she gave a slight smile.

In the early morning, the mist was thick and hazy. Dongfang Zisi’s smile was utterly captivating.

"Morning," Ye Xuan replied with a faint smile.

"So early. Where are you heading?" Dongfang Zisi asked curiously.

An idea struck Ye Xuan. As a student of the academy’s Alchemy Element, Dongfang Zisi might know something about the inner courtyard’s refinement labs.

"Do you know where there are any refinement labs in the inner courtyard?"

"Refinement labs?" Dongfang Zisi’s eyes lit up.

To be honest, she deeply admired Ye Xuan’s accomplishments in Alchemy. The Profound Pill Pavilion had been able to develop so many special-effect Pills back then, something Dongfang Zisi found almost unimaginable. Now, hearing him mention a refinement lab, her heart skipped a beat.

"Of course I know where the refinement labs are. I’ve only been here a day myself, but I am a student of the Alchemy Element, after all. Finding a lab is second nature to me. But if you’re planning to refine a Pill, you have to let me be your assistant."

Dongfang Zisi said with a sly smile.

"You?"

Ye Xuan looked Dongfang Zisi up and down, his gaze appraising.

"What do you think? I’m a Fifth Grade Alchemist. Having me as your assistant shouldn’t be an insult, should it?"

Dongfang Zisi looked confident. Such a young Fifth Grade Alchemist was a rare sight in the history of the Dream Realm Plain.

Unexpectedly, Ye Xuan heard her and nodded seriously. "So-so. Barely acceptable."

A Fifth Grade Alchemist was indeed just "acceptable" to him.

This was enough to thoroughly exasperate Dongfang Zisi. She fumed internally, ’I’d like to see just how strong your talent for Alchemy really is.’

The two of them walked forward together.

As they passed by Lin Yuan’s courtyard, they happened to see Lin Yuan coming out of his room.

"Huh?"

Seeing the two of them, the usually composed Lin Yuan couldn’t help but reveal a strange expression.

’Everyone says Xuan Ye and Dongfang Zisi are close. It looks like the rumors aren’t baseless. Tsk tsk. This Xuan Ye isn’t just amazingly strong in the Sword Dao, I didn’t expect him to be so skilled at picking up girls, too.’

As one of the ten great beauties of the Dream Realm Plain, Dongfang Zisi’s fame wasn’t limited to just Gale Light Academy.

There were quite a few students in the academy who were infatuated with Dongfang Zisi, but no one had ever managed to make her see them in a special light. Yet Xuan Ye, who had only joined the academy a few months ago, had already developed such a relationship with her. This made even Lin Yuan, a man wholly devoted to his cultivation, sigh in amazement.

"Where are you two headed? The Trial Pagoda?"

"To the Alchemy Element."

"Then we’re not heading the same way." Lin Yuan shook his head. "After your guidance yesterday, I had several new epiphanies. I’m planning to go to the Trial Pagoda today for a good training session."

"Isn’t the Trial Pagoda in the outer courtyard?" Ye Xuan was confused.

"I can tell you haven’t done your homework." Lin Yuan laughed. "The inner courtyard has a Trial Pagoda too, so you can train here as well."

"Really? There are actually two Trial Pagodas?"

Ye Xuan was taken aback.

The Trial Pagoda at Gale Light Academy was the most unique training ground Ye Xuan had ever seen. Even in the Profound Domain in his past life, he had never seen anything like it. If Gale Light Academy truly had two of them, it would be too outrageous.

"There’s actually only one Trial Pagoda. The one in the inner courtyard and the one in the outer courtyard are the same. They just have two different entrances."

"Is that so?"

Ye Xuan finally understood.

After bidding each other farewell, Ye Xuan, led by Dongfang Zisi, soon arrived at the inner courtyard’s Alchemy Element.

Since it was also Dongfang Zisi’s first time there, it took them some time to find the place to request a refinement lab.

The staff member looked at their information and smiled. "You two must be new students who just joined the inner courtyard, right? I don’t know what kind of Pill you want to refine, but according to the rules, new students get one opportunity to have the Alchemy Element refine a Pill for them for free."

"That won’t be necessary. We just need a refinement lab. Please give us the highest-grade one available."

The staff member didn’t press the matter. He took out a register, flipped through it, and said, "Refinement Lab Number Six is currently vacant. It costs three hundred Lower Grade Profound Stones per day. How many days will you need?"

"Three hundred Lower Grade Profound Stones?"

Ye Xuan was startled. That price was not cheap.

However, to Ye Xuan, three hundred Lower Grade Profound Stones was nothing.

After paying the fee, Ye Xuan quickly arrived at the refinement lab.

All of the Alchemy Element’s refinement labs were located in the same area, numbered according to their grade.

Refinement Labs Number One through Ten were the highest-grade labs. Among them, Numbers One through Five were for the exclusive use of the Alchemy Element’s instructors and were not available for rent.

It was still early, so the vast area of refinement labs was mostly empty of students.

Upon entering the lab, Ye Xuan immediately realized his three hundred Lower Grade Profound Stones had not been spent in vain. The entire lab was extremely luxurious, equipped with every kind of apparatus imaginable. In particular, the Refining Array within was a high Seventh-level one. This meant that as long as one’s cultivation was sufficient, it was possible to refine Seventh Grade Pills.

"Xuan Ye, what kind of Pill are you planning to refine?"

Dongfang Zisi asked, a little curious.

The staff member had just clearly stated that new students entering the inner courtyard could have the Alchemy Element refine a pill for them for free once. Dongfang Zisi had long known about this rule.

But not only did Ye Xuan refuse, he instead spent three hundred Lower Grade Profound Stones to rent a refinement lab.

One had to know that three hundred Lower Grade Profound Stones was enough to buy some ordinary Fifth Grade Pills. Ye Xuan’s actions left Dongfang Zisi a little confused.

"You’ll know what Pill I’m refining soon enough. For now, process these Spirit Medicines."

Ye Xuan waved his hand, placing a large quantity of Spirit Medicines on the refinement table as he spoke calmly.

Most of these Spirit Medicines were Tier Six Spirit Medicines, emitting a dense medicinal aroma. They were of many varieties and in astonishing quantities.

"Tier Six Spirit Medicines."

Dongfang Zisi was shocked at the sight.

"Xuan Ye, are you planning to refine a Sixth Grade Pill? You’re only a Tier Five Martial Sect!"