66: The fish has taken the bait!

Mo Xuan looked at the carefree appearance of his Disciple and couldn't help but sigh.

"Stinky Kid, did you think today was just a casual stroll?"

Jiang Donghua blinked.

"What else could it be?"

Mo Xuan sneered, flicked his sleeve, and spoke with his hands behind his back.

"Did you think with your meager cultivation, you could detect how many top experts were secretly probing your body today?"

Jiang Donghua was stunned.

"Probing? What probing?"

Mo Xuan glanced at him and said slowly.

"The Soul Secrets of three Dou King Elders, the secret observation of Dean Lei Tian, and the inspection by the Hun Yu."

"You were thoroughly inspected, inside and out!"

Jiang Donghua.

...???"

He was stunned for two seconds, then suddenly looked down at his hands, touched his face, and wore an expression of disbelief.

"The inspection is already finished?"

"How come I didn't feel anything at all?!"

Mo Xuan scoffed.

"With your cultivation level, it would be a ghost if you could detect it!"

Jiang Donghua scratched his head, then suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up.

"Then is this blood fang saber compensation after the successful inspection?"

Mo Xuan snorted and said lightly.

"What else?"

"Did you think that without me, this Fifth-Grade Alchemist, backing you up, those Elders would look highly upon you?"

"And give you a fifth-tier treasured saber? Dream on!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Donghua immediately adopted a fawning expression. Thinking that his Master's Disciple being suspected by other Elders must have been unpleasant for him, he leaned forward and said with a grin.

"Master is wise! Master is mighty!"

"This Disciple knew that following Master means never having to worry about enjoying the best things in life!"

While speaking, he diligently massaged Mo Xuan’s shoulders and beat his back, acting like a flattering little eunuch.

Mo Xuan was amused by his appearance and scolded him with a laugh.

"Scram! Stop sucking up here!"

Jiang Donghua chuckled, but then thought of something and lowered his voice to ask.

"Master, the Academy shouldn't suspect me anymore, right?"

Mo Xuan's gaze darkened slightly, and he said slowly.

"Not openly, no, but some people secretly won't give up easily."

Jiang Donghua frowned.

"Should we check again?"

Mo Xuan didn't answer directly, just gave him a meaningful look.

"Be low-key during this period."

"Keep the blood fang saber for self-defense, but don't flaunt it too much."

Jiang Donghua nodded solemnly.

"Understood!"

Seeing that the matter was almost settled, Jiang Donghua was about to say goodbye and leave when he suddenly heard Mo Xuan cough twice.

"Ahem..."

Jiang Donghua paused, turned back to look at his Master, and blinked.

"Master, is your throat uncomfortable?"

Mo Xuan glanced at him and said slowly.

"Recently, I accidentally acquired a Body Tempering Secret Art, at the xuan-rank high-tier level."

Jiang Donghua's ears instantly perked up!

A xuan-rank high-tier Body Tempering Secret Art?!

That is a good item!

Mo Xuan continued to talk to himself, as if he hadn't noticed his Disciple's reaction:

"What a pity, I can't find a suitable person to inherit it."

Jiang Donghua.

"..."

He widened his eyes, wearing an expression that said, "Master, are you messing with me?"

"Master! Look at me! Me!"

Mo Xuan pretended not to hear, raising his head to look at the ceiling.

"Alas, if this secret art isn't practiced, leaving it unused is a waste."

Jiang Donghua grew anxious, rushed forward in a flash, grabbed Mo Xuan's sleeve, and smiled profusely.

"Master! Your beloved Disciple is right here!"

"Look at my physique! My talent! My diligent and studious attitude!"

"If you don't pass it to me, who else can you pass it to?!"

Mo Xuan then lowered his head as if "suddenly realizing," sizing up Jiang Donghua a few times, feigning hesitation.

"You? Can you handle it?"

Jiang Donghua patted his chest to guarantee.

"Absolutely! Master, please rest assured, this Disciple will study diligently and practice hard, and will definitely not disappoint your expectations!"

Mo Xuan's lips curled up slightly, but he quickly straightened his face and said seriously.

"This secret art is called the Heavenly Thunder Body Tempering Art. It is not easy to cultivate and requires enduring a lot of hardship."

Jiang Donghua waved his hand dismissively.

"A piece of cake! What kind of hardship hasn't this Disciple endured?"

Mo Xuan nodded, took out an ancient jade slip from his robes, and handed it to Jiang Donghua.

"Take it and practice well."

Jiang Donghua accepted the jade slip as if it were a priceless treasure, happily placed it into his storage ring, and didn't forget to flatter him.

"Master is generous! Master is the best!"

Just as Jiang Donghua happily stuffed the jade slip into his storage ring and prepared to slip away, Mo Xuan's voice drifted over slowly.

"Kid, now that you've taken the benefits, shouldn't you do something for your Master?"

Jiang Donghua stopped, slowly turned around, and showed a wry smile that meant, "I knew it."

"Master, I could hear your abacus clicking from downstairs."

Mo Xuan narrowed his eyes, smiling like an Old Fox.

"If Lin Yue comes looking for you again, asking irrelevant questions or making strange moves..."

"Just play along and try to glean more information."

Jiang Donghua raised an eyebrow.

"Master, are you asking me to be an undercover agent?"

Mo Xuan stroked his beard, his expression meaningful.

"I've already given you the benefits first. If you fail to get useful information!"

"Tsk, the other good things I have might just end up being given to another obedient Disciple."

Jiang Donghua's eyes lit up!

Higher risk, higher reward!

He immediately rubbed his hands together, leaned forward, and lowered his voice.

"Master, don't worry! This Disciple is a professional at extracting information!"

"However..."

He winked slyly.

"If I catch a big fish, shouldn't those 'other good things' of yours be prioritized for your most dutiful Disciple?"

Mo Xuan slapped him on the back of his head.

"Stinky Kid, daring to haggle with your Master?"

Jiang Donghua covered his head and grimaced, but his grin widened even further.

This was a profitable exchange!

After descending from the Alchemy Department, Jiang Donghua rubbed his head while calculating.

"Lin Yue, huh? Daring to use this young master as a scapegoat."

"Just watch me expose your entire background!"

Jiang Donghua walked back to his personal alchemy room, constantly replaying the contents of the secret conversation with his Master in his mind.

"So that's it. My cultivation speed is too fast, and it has already attracted the attention of certain people."

He rubbed his chin, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes.

"No wonder the Hall of Enforcement was watching me. This speed is indeed a bit exaggerated."

Suddenly, he stopped, his brows furrowed.

"Wait a minute!"

"Yesterday, Lin Yue told me that 'people from the Law Enforcement Department had investigated me'!"

"But how could a mere student like him know the movements of the Law Enforcement Department?!"

Jiang Donghua's pupils contracted slightly, and a chill ran up his spine.

"Is this guy clairvoyant, or did he know the inside story beforehand?!"

"There is definitely something wrong!"

He recalled Lin Yue's "kind reminder" expression at the time, and now he only felt creeped out.

"He put on quite a performance!"

"I almost fell for his deception!"

What concerned Jiang Donghua even more was the mysterious faction his Master mentioned.

"The Blood Demon Sect!"

Mo Xuan's description was simple, but every word revealed apprehension.

"A sect that specializes in cultivating evil techniques, skilled at devouring others' vitality, seizing control of their bodies, and even impersonating the deceased to resurrect."

"Their members lurk very deeply, making them impossible to guard against."

Jiang Donghua felt his scalp tingle.

"Isn't this just a 'secret agent organization'?"

"No wonder the Academy is so tense."

He clenched his fist, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes.

Perhaps this is why the spirit death tree appeared in Peace Town in the future.

It is absolutely impossible for those old monsters in the Academy to turn a blind eye to a large number of students and Elders dying silently, or even being secretly replaced.

Speaking of which, my transmigration to the Fighting Qi Continent is probably at least several decades earlier than Xiao Yan's arrival.

The main thing is, during the process of solving this problem, I must absolutely not be eliminated by the people of the Blood Demon Sect.

Jiang Donghua adjusted his state of mind and slowly wandered over to the main hall of the Alchemy Department, looking at the Junior Brothers who were still scratching their heads over the Fire Control Technique, a smile involuntarily appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"If I'm going fishing, I need to look the part."

"Since I need to lure Lin Yue, I must first make myself seem valuable."

"At the very least, I can't stay in the alchemy room every day, or he won't even see my shadow."

With his hands behind his back, he strolled up to a group of Alchemist apprentices, watching them frantically control the flames, resulting either in scorching the medicinal ingredients due to excessive heat or failing to form the elixir due to insufficient temperature. He couldn't help but shake his head.

"Tsk, this Fire Control Technique is too crude."

Several Junior Brothers looked up, and upon seeing Jiang Donghua, their eyes immediately lit up.

"Senior Brother Jiang! You came at the perfect time!"

"This Fire Control Technique is too difficult. We've been practicing for half a month, but we still can't master it."

Jiang Donghua smiled slightly, casually picked up a portion of medicinal ingredients from the table, flicked his fingertip, and a wisp of azure flame instantly rose.

"The Fire Control Technique, besides hard practice, also relies on Soul Power."

He lightly tapped his finger, and the flame moved as if commanded by his arm, sometimes as gentle as a stream, sometimes as fierce as a wild beast. The medicinal ingredients tumbled in the fire, yet their essence remained completely unharmed.

"Watch closely—"

The flame suddenly contracted, turning into a thin thread that precisely enveloped the ingredients. Extraction, purification, and condensation were completed in one smooth motion!

"Clink!"

A round elixir landed in his palm, its fragrance spreading everywhere.

"This, it's done just like that?!"

"Senior Brother Jiang didn't even look?!"

The surrounding Junior Brothers were dumbfounded, their jaws nearly dropping to the floor.

"The Fire Control Technique can be used like this?!"

Jiang Donghua nodded in satisfaction, casually tossing the elixir to one of the Junior Brothers.

"It's yours."

That Junior Brother clumsily caught it, too excited to speak coherently.

"Th-thank you, Senior Brother Jiang!"

The others looked at him eagerly, their faces full of admiration.

"Senior Brother Jiang, your Soul Power is too strong, isn't it?!"

"That's right! We struggle just to stabilize the flame after practicing for so long, yet you can refine elixirs with your eyes closed?!"

Jiang Donghua waved his hand, wearing an expression that said, "Just basic operations, nothing special."

"Just practice more."

"Of course, talent is also very important."

Jiang Donghua stood in the center of the alchemy room with his arms crossed, watching the Junior Brothers in front of him who looked like they wanted to press their faces into the Medicine Cauldron, and couldn't help but sigh, rubbing his forehead.

"You blockheads."

He flicked his finger, and a wisp of Fighting Qi 'clinked' against the forehead of a Junior Brother who was sticking his butt out to observe the heat.

"Alchemy is sensed using Soul Power! What good is it to stare with your eyes wide open?!"

The named Junior Brother covered his forehead, looking wronged.

"But, but Elder Mo said we need to accurately gauge the heat..."

"That's when refining healing powders! If elixirs relied solely on sight, what is the Alchemist's Soul Power for?!"

Jiang Donghua snatched the medicinal spatula from his hand, casually grabbed a handful of stinking Rotting Bone Grass from the pile of ingredients, and threw it into the Medicine Cauldron.

"Close your eyes!"

Under the bewildered gazes of the crowd, he suddenly released his Soul Power.

The flame inside the Medicine Cauldron suddenly transformed into a fine silk net. The Rotting Bone Grass tumbled and decomposed in the azure fire, impurities were precisely removed, and the essence gathered like a trickle.

"Open your eyes."

Everyone craned their necks to look, only to see a pool of emerald-colored medicinal liquid quietly resting at the bottom of the cauldron, while Jiang Donghua hadn't even lifted his eyelids the entire time.

"This..."

Jiang Donghua shoved the medicinal spatula back into the hands of the stunned Junior Brother, tapping his temple with a look of disappointment.

"The changes in the flame and the reactions of the medicinal ingredients inside the Medicine Cauldron rely on the perception of Soul Power! Not your eyeballs!"

Inside the main hall of the Alchemy Department, Jiang Donghua sat on a chair with his legs crossed, cracking melon seeds while watching the group of Alchemist apprentices clumsily fuss over their Medicine Cauldrons, sighing silently.

"If it weren't for fishing, who would be willing to be a free instructor here!"

In Jia Nan Academy, the atmosphere among Alchemists has always been realistic. The time of high-tier Alchemists is precious; who would waste it on a group of apprentices who can't even refine a first-grade elixir?

Those third- and fourth-grade Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters are either busy entering secluded cultivation to break through to higher realms, or they are being courted by the various major powers within the Academy, earning resources everywhere.

Occasionally, when they are in a good mood, they might guide one or two promising newcomers, but most of the time, these apprentices can only rely on self-exploration or spend contribution points to attend public lectures given by the Elders.

"No wonder the Academy Alchemy Department has such a high annual elimination rate; they are all forced to leave because they can't see a future."

Jiang Donghua shook his head, casually flicked out a wisp of Fighting Qi, helping an apprentice who nearly blew up his Medicine Cauldron stabilize the flames.

The apprentice looked over with a face full of gratitude, but Jiang Donghua just waved his hand lazily.

"Don't thank me, I was just bored."

In fact, he was waiting for the fish to bite.

He narrowed his eyes, seemingly careless, but in reality, his Soul Power had already quietly spread out, sensing every movement within the hall.

"That guy Lin Yue should be losing his patience soon, right?"

Sure enough, not long after, a familiar figure walked in from the side door of the hall.

Lin Yue!

He wore a gentle smile on his face and held a scroll of Pill Formula in his hand, as if he were just passing by accidentally.

"Junior Brother Jiang, what brings you the interest to guide the newcomers today?"

Jiang Donghua sneered internally, but showed a simple, honest smile on his face.

"I was idle anyway; since I was tired from cultivation, I just helped them out."

Lin Yue walked a few steps closer, feigning emotion.

"Junior Brother Jiang is truly kind-hearted, unlike some people who look down on everyone once they gain a little ability."

Jiang Donghua rolled his eyes internally.

With acting like that, it's a waste that you're not in a troupe!

But he played along verbally.

"Sigh, actually, I didn't think too much about it; I just felt that everyone has it tough."

A barely noticeable hint of satisfaction flashed in Lin Yue's eyes. He then lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously.

"Oh, right, Junior Brother Jiang, I recently acquired an ancient Pill Formula. It is said to help people break through bottlenecks, but there are some parts I don't understand. I wonder if you are interested in studying it together?"

Jiang Donghua's heart skipped a beat—it's here!

He immediately put on a look of interest.

"Oh? What Pill Formula? Senior Brother Lin, tell me the details!"

Lin Yue's lips curled up slightly. He took a step closer, lowering his voice even further.

"It's crowded and messy here. Why don't we go to my residence to discuss the details?"

Jiang Donghua sneered internally, but his face showed hesitation.

"Isn't that inappropriate? What if people misunderstand that we are privately trading Pill Formula forbidden by the Academy!"

Lin Yue waved his hand.

"Don't worry, I obtained this Pill Formula from outside, and it has nothing to do with the Academy."

Jiang Donghua "struggled" for a moment, and finally "reluctantly" nodded.

"Alright then, should I come find you later?"

Lin Yue smiled contentedly.

"Good. I will wait for you at the Bamboo Forest Courtyard in the eastern district tonight at the hour of Xu (7-9 PM)."

After speaking, he patted Jiang Donghua's shoulder and turned to leave.

Jiang Donghua watched his retreating figure, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"The fish has taken the bait!"