231: Thank you, Brother Jiang.

Jiang Donghua finally calmed down slightly from his immense joy. He tightly gripped the Heaven Burning Furnace Art token in his hand, holding the key to the path of the strong.

Turning his head to look at Bai Ling, whose face was still somewhat pale, a rare, brilliant, heartfelt smile appeared on his handsome face. That smile was like melting snow under pouring sunlight.

"Bai Ling, I truly owe you this time! If you hadn't intervened, this item might not have been mine."

His voice carried sincere gratitude.

He paused, his expression becoming extremely serious. Looking into Bai Ling's eyes, he solemnly made a promise.

"I, Jiang Donghua, will remember this favor. From now on, in this Jia Nan Academy, whether in the Inner Academy or the Outer Academy, if you encounter any trouble, you can come find me. As long as it is within my capabilities, I will assist you with all my strength!"

As soon as he spoke, a hint of shock and deep envy flashed across the eyes of Zhao Ming, Wang Han, and Lin Xiu standing nearby.

A favor promised by Jiang Donghua!

This was far more valuable than any pill or gold coin!

One must know that the person before them was not only the champion of the Outer Academy Grand Competition and a genius at the Peak Dou Ling stage, but also a Fourth-Grade Alchemist Master with boundless prospects!

Moreover, he also had a newly advanced Dou Huang teacher backing him!

This meant that his promise contained powerful personal strength, valuable medicinal resources, and an awe-inspiring backing!

This was practically receiving an incredibly powerful talisman and aid within the Jia Nan Academy!

Bai Ling clearly hadn't expected Jiang Donghua to give such a weighty promise. She was stunned for a moment, then a trace of genuine smile and radiance appeared on her pale face, and she nodded vigorously.

"Alright! I'll remember that! From now on, I'll stick close to you, Senior Brother Donghua!"

After this incident, the relationship among the five people became even more subtle.

As for Jiang Donghua, he was already completely satisfied; the trip to the Scripture Pavilion had yielded perfect results far exceeding his expectations.

Jiang Donghua successfully obtained the Heaven Burning Furnace Art and was content.

Wang Han and Bai Ling had also obtained items, and their gains far surpassed what they had anticipated.

At this moment, among the five, only Lin Xiu and Zhao Ming had yet to obtain truly desired items.

Although they had also managed to grab a few things, they were either slightly lower in rank or not perfectly suited to them, causing anxiety and unwillingness to surface on their faces once more.

The time the Scripture Pavilion was open was clearly running out; the speed at which the surrounding light clusters were flying seemed to be slowing down, as if signaling the end of the opportunities.

Jiang Donghua saw the expressions of the two.

Since he had achieved his goal and had received a great favor from Bai Ling, he was in excellent spirits and proactively spoke.

"Lin Xiu, Zhao Ming, time is short. Let me help you sense for something."

After speaking, without waiting for the two to reply, his massive Fourth-Grade Alchemist Soul Power surged out once again, covering the area.

This time, it was not a rough scan, but a directed and intense search for high-energy fluctuations of the Wood Attribute and Lightning Attribute, paying special attention to light clusters that might contain movement techniques or fierce attacking intent.

With Jiang Donghua's powerful assistance, who was practically a human radar, efficiency immediately increased greatly.

In just two or three minutes, Jiang Donghua's gaze sharpened, locking onto a light cluster that was moving through the green light stream and appeared exceptionally light and agile.

"Lin Xiu, front left, the emerald green one—its aura is very active!"

Hearing this, Lin Xiu's spirits lifted. He flew out without hesitation and accurately snatched the light cluster into his hand.

The light dispersed, revealing a scroll made of some kind of soft leaves, emitting a fresh, grassy aroma.

"Leaf Shadow Following Wind Steps," a xuan-rank high-tier movement technique Dou Technique.

Efficacy: Cultivating this method allows one's body to move like a leaf shadow and one's steps to follow the wind.

It greatly enhances the cultivator's movement and evasion capabilities in complex environments. It consumes relatively little Dou Qi, has strong sustainability, and is especially skilled at maneuvering within a small range. When cultivated to mastery, the body becomes elusive and difficult to capture.

After quickly sensing its properties, a satisfied smile immediately appeared on Lin Xiu's face!

Although this wasn't a direct offensive Dou Technique, it was precisely the high-grade supplementary cultivation method he currently needed most to compensate for his weakness in movement!

Moreover, the Wood Attribute perfectly matched his cultivation method!

"Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang! This is exactly what I needed!"

Lin Xiu clasped his hands solemnly towards Jiang Donghua, overjoyed.

Almost at the same time Lin Xiu succeeded, Jiang Donghua's Soul Power captured an extremely swift, silver-white light cluster carrying faint, violent arcs of lightning!

"Zhao Ming! Rear right, that silver streak of lightning!"

Zhao Ming reacted instantly, transforming into a Lightning Light and rushing forward. With thunderbolts swirling around his five fingers, he grabbed the silver-white light cluster attempting to escape!

*Crack!*

The light shattered, revealing the item inside. It was neither a scroll nor a jade slip, but a short spear, or perhaps a long spike, about four feet long, dark silver in color, and extremely uniquely shaped!

It was not forged from metal, but seemed to be polished from some kind of crystallized bone. Its texture was incredibly hard, the shaft naturally winding, its tip flashing with chilling light and residual electrical arcs, and its tail even had a natural barb!

A fierce, violent power of thunder emanated from this peculiar long spear.

Information simultaneously flooded his mind: this was a Lightning Attribute long spear forged primarily from the tail spike of a Sixth-Tier Demonic Beast, the Lightning Scorpion Dragon, supplemented by Lightning Attribute ores.

It was inherently part of a Sixth-Tier Demonic Beast's body and naturally possessed a strong lightning penetration effect.

If driven by Lightning Attribute Dou Qi, its power would be immense, even capable of partially amplifying the release speed and power of Lightning Attribute Dou Techniques!

The moment Zhao Ming gripped the Lightning Light long spear, he felt his own Lightning Attribute Dou Qi resonate strongly with it. The spear shaft trembled slightly, emitting a low thunderous sound, as if it had been tailor-made for him!

On his usually stern face, an expression of uncontrollable ecstasy surfaced at this moment!

"What a spear!"

Zhao Ming couldn't help but let out a low cry, stroking the cold yet wildly powerful spear shaft with adoration.

He then looked towards Jiang Donghua, his eyes complex, finally condensing into a brief but extremely solemn expression of gratitude.

"Brother Jiang, thank you! Zhao Ming will remember this favor!"

Up to this point, none of the five people who entered the Scripture Pavilion had left empty-handed!

Soon after the last item found its owner, the strange space of the Scripture Pavilion seemed to sense it naturally, and the fluctuations of the surrounding spatial barrier gradually intensified.

The flying light clusters slowed down further, eventually disappearing into the barrier one by one, like tired birds returning to the woods.

The entire space began to tremble slightly, and the halo entrance at the center reappeared and expanded.

"Time is up, it's time to leave."

Jiang Donghua was the first to sense the change and spoke.

The other four nodded in succession, solemnly putting the cultivation method scrolls, strange bone fragments, or the Lightning Light flashing long spear into their storage rings. Their faces were filled with excitement and satisfaction, knowing the trip had been worthwhile.

The five people stepped into the halo entrance one after another, experiencing that brief sensation of traversing space again. The scenery changed, and they were once again standing outside the ancient gate of the Scripture Pavilion.

Dean Lei Tian of the Outer Academy was still standing there like a boulder, just as he had been when they arrived, having never moved.

Seeing the five appear, Lei Tian's majestic gaze immediately swept over them like a hawk, carefully passing over each of their faces.

When he saw that the faces of these five youngsters were, without exception, filled with undisguised excitement and the joy of gain—even the usually sternest Zhao Ming and Jiang Donghua had expressions of satisfaction—

—a hint of surprise involuntarily appeared on Lei Tian's usually placid face, which then turned into a smile of gratification.

"Oh?"

Dean Lei Tian's voice boomed like a great bell, and he asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Looking at you all, did everyone manage to get something to their liking? That's quite rare this year."

The five exchanged smiles and nodded affirmatively.

"Good! Excellent!"

Seeing this, Dean Lei Tian couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh heartily, appearing very pleased.

"This is truly rare! In previous years when the Scripture Pavilion opened, there were always one or two unlucky youngsters who came out empty-handed and dejected, too depressed to eat for days. This batch of yours, however, has both good luck and strength, managing to return fully loaded! Not bad, very good indeed!"

He did not stint on his praise.

Great gains for the students meant a stronger backbone for the academy in the future, which was something he was happy to see.

After laughing, Dean Lei Tian's expression straightened, and his tone became serious.

"Since you have obtained your opportunities, digest them well. I give you three days to initially comprehend and familiarize yourselves with your gains, and to handle all remaining miscellaneous matters in the Outer Academy."

His gaze swept over the five, and he said in a deep voice.

"Three days from now, in the early morning, gather here again. At that time, I will personally lead you all into the Inner Academy!"

"The Inner Academy!"

Hearing these two words, the five people's eyes narrowed sharply, immediately bursting forth with an even more fervent light.

The Outer Academy was merely the starting point; the true core of the Jia Nan Academy—the Inner Academy—where experts gathered, competition was fiercer, and resources were more abundant, was their genuine goal!

"Yes, Dean!"

The five responded in unison, their voices filled with anticipation and fighting spirit.

Dean Lei Tian nodded in satisfaction and said no more. His figure flickered, and just like when he arrived, he silently vanished from the spot like a ghost, leaving only the five individuals behind.

With the Dean gone, the atmosphere seemed to ease slightly, but the excitement of entering a new environment still permeated the air.

A moment later, Zhao Ming, Lin Xiu, Wang Han, and even Bai Ling, all simultaneously turned their gazes towards Jiang Donghua.

If Jiang Donghua hadn't intervened to help Wang Han at the critical moment during this trip to the Scripture Pavilion, proactively shared information to facilitate cooperation, and finally used his powerful Soul Power to help them search, it would have been absolutely impossible for them to succeed so smoothly and for everyone to be satisfied.

In particular, Jiang Donghua's unfathomable strength and his generous demeanor had already earned him several more degrees of respect in their hearts.

The group exchanged glances, and then, led by Zhao Ming, they all solemnly clasped their fists towards Jiang Donghua.

Zhao Ming spoke concisely.

"Senior Brother Jiang, please look out for us in the Inner Academy in the future."

Lin Xiu smiled gently.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang, for your help this time."

Wang Han, with the loudest voice, said.

"Senior Brother Donghua, Old Wang remembers this! Just give the word if you need anything in the future!"

Bai Ling also smiled sweetly.

"Senior Brother, don't forget my medicinal pills~"

Although their words differed, their gratitude and the implied attitude of taking him as their leader were consistent.

Jiang Donghua looked at the four people before him, returned the gesture calmly, and smiled faintly.

"You are too polite, we simply helped each other out. See you in the Inner Academy, and take care."

After a simple farewell, the five did not linger. Filled with excitement, they transformed into several streaks of light and shot off in different directions, eager to return and thoroughly study the precious opportunities they had just acquired, making their final preparations for the trip to the Inner Academy three days later.