223: Master Breakthrough

"The top five in this year's Grand Competition are Jiang Donghua, Zhao Ming, Wang Han, Lin Xiu, and Bai Ling!"

Dean Lei Tian's voice, like a great bell, clearly spread to every corner, especially when the first name was called, inevitably stirring up another wave of excited whispers among the audience.

"Three days later, in the early morning, gather outside the Scripture Pavilion. Do not be late!"

"Scripture Pavilion!"

These three words made countless students in the audience burst into eyes filled with extreme envy and longing.

Earth-Rank Cultivation Method, rare Dou Technique—these were huge opportunities that could change their cultivation paths!

However, at this moment, most people's gazes were not fixed on the enviable list, but rather firmly locked on the figure that was slowly walking down the arena.

The sunlight seemed to particularly favor Jiang Donghua, as golden rays of light spilled over his tall figure and handsome profile.

That crushing battle did not dishevel his clothes in the slightest; his demeanor remained cool and otherworldly, yet filled with a fatal attraction due to his unfathomable strength.

He walked down the arena step by step. Wherever he passed, the crowd involuntarily parted, forming a path. They watched him with complex gazes—awe, admiration, jealousy, scrutiny—but no one dared to step forward and stop him.

And in the eyes of even more female students, stars were practically popping out!

"Senior Brother Jiang! Look here!"

"Senior Brother Jiang! My newly refined elixir is beneficial for stabilizing cultivation!"

"Senior Brother Jiang, my family has high-grade tea..."

Screams, invitations, and even suggestive flattering voices rose and fell, almost drowning him.

At this moment, Jiang Donghua, in the eyes of these young girls who were just experiencing their first crushes or eager to admire strength, was undoubtedly the most dazzling and admirable object in the entire Outer Academy—a true eligible bachelor: top-tier strength, outstanding appearance, and limitless prospects!

He didn't even need to do anything; just standing there, he automatically attracted all the focus and adoration.

On the high platform, the Fat Elder stroked his beard, smiling with a hint of mischief.

"Tsk tsk, Old Lei, look at this kid. He's going to have a lot of romantic troubles, I'm afraid. I bet the hearts of those little girls in the Outer Academy won't be calm for days."

Elder Yan still kept a straight face, but seeing the almost out-of-control scene below, the corner of his mouth twitched imperceptibly.

"Hmph, these pretty faces are just seductive illusions that will only affect the speed of one's punches! I hope he doesn't get led astray by them!"

Dean Lei Tian shook his head helplessly, but his tone carried a hint of imperceptible indulgence.

"Young prodigies are always like this. As long as his Dao heart is firm, these are merely scenery along the way."

Below, Jiang Donghua seemed completely oblivious to the overwhelming enthusiasm around him, or perhaps he was simply accustomed to it.

He looked straight ahead, his steps neither pausing nor faltering, walking directly through the fervent crowd. The shy calls and enthusiastic invitations were merely whispers in his ears.

His calmness, on the contrary, added a few more layers of mystery and charm, causing the wave of screams behind him to rise even higher.

It wasn't until his figure completely disappeared at the end of the square that the fervent atmosphere gradually subsided, but discussions about him and his astonishing performance today were destined to become the hottest topic in the Outer Academy for a long time to come.

With one battle, he became a legend; who in the world would not know him?

While the clamor of the Outer Academy Grand Competition had not yet completely subsided, and everyone was still immersed in the heated discussions about Jiang Donghua's overwhelming strength, another even more sensational event, like a giant rock thrown into a lake, stirred up even greater waves in the Outer Academy of Jia Nan Academy!

The next day, a majestic and vast aura, without any warning, erupted from deep within the Alchemy Department!

This aura, like a sleeping giant dragon awakening, soared into the sky with unparalleled pressure, instantly sweeping across the entire Outer Academy area!

The clouds in the sky seemed to be stirred by this momentum, and the invisible energy fluctuations caused all students below the Dou Ling Level to feel a palpitation and shortness of breath.

"What's going on?!"

"What a terrifying aura! Even stronger than a Dou King!"

"It's coming from the Alchemy Department!"

Countless shocked gazes simultaneously turned towards the direction of the Alchemy Department.

Students rushed out of their dwellings, feeling the chilling yet majestic power.

Jiang Donghua was originally in the alchemy room, calmly concentrating and sifting through the subtle insights from yesterday's battle.

The moment this aura erupted, he suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them!

This aura was majestic, with a hint of familiar heat and medicinal fragrance, but its core intensity had undergone a qualitative leap!

Dou Huang!

It was definitely an aura of the Dou Huang level!

And the source of this aura, Jiang Donghua didn't hesitate for a moment. With a flicker of his figure, he appeared outside the alchemy room, his sharp gaze fixed on the core area where the aura had erupted.

That was precisely the secluded cultivation place where his teacher, Elder Mo Xuan, usually meditated!

"Teacher!"

He muttered softly, a rare expression of surprise and joy intermingling on his face.

He knew well that his teacher had been stuck at the Peak Dou King for over half a year. Although his alchemy skill was about to break through to Sixth-Rank Alchemist, the bottleneck in his Dou Qi cultivation was exceptionally firm.

He hadn't expected that he would succeed in one fell swoop today!

That aura surged like a tide, lasting for about half an hour, and the power it contained made countless people change color.

Finally, like all rivers returning to the sea, it was swiftly reined in by a powerful will, returning to calmness as if it had never appeared.

But the entire Outer Academy could not be calm.

"It's Elder Mo Xuan! Elder Mo Xuan of the Alchemy Department has broken through!"

"Dou Huang! Our Alchemy Department finally has a Dou Huang expert!"

"Oh my god! His alchemy skills are superb, and now his Dou Qi cultivation has also entered the Dou Huang realm! Elder Mo Xuan is truly soaring to great heights!"

The news spread like wildfire.

Dean Lei Tian of the Outer Academy immediately sent people to the Alchemy Department to confirm, and then the news spread: Elder Mo Xuan, head of the Alchemy Department, had successfully broken through to the Dou Huang level!

For a time, congratulations, exclamations, and discussions drowned out all previous topics.

The birth of a Dou Huang expert held significance far beyond what a student competition could compare to.

This represented a significant upgrade in the overall strength and foundation of the Outer Academy of Jia Nan Academy!

Especially since this Dou Huang was also a highly respected high-level Alchemist!

And as Elder Mo Xuan's only direct disciple, Jiang Donghua's status also rose accordingly, drawing even more attention.

"No wonder Senior Brother Jiang is so monstrous; it turns out his teacher is even more abnormal!"

"A master and disciple duo—one is a Dou Huang expert and a quasi-Sixth-Rank Alchemist, the other is an unparalleled genius at Peak Dou Ling. The Alchemy Department is going against the heavens!"

"Senior Brother Jiang's background is too strong!"

The gazes that were already focused on Jiang Donghua now carried countless more complex meanings.

Envy, awe, apprehension, and even more overflowing admiration in the eyes of many female students.

It was one thing for his master to be a Master Alchemist, but Jiang Donghua's own strength was also not weak. If one could win over Jiang Donghua, perhaps in the future, elixirs could be eaten like beans!