The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Brilliant! Simply brilliant!

Liu Qing couldn’t help but be impressed. To be able to improve the First-Grade Dragon Tiger Bone Strengthening Pill to such an extent was something even he was incapable of. The youth before him was so young, yet he possessed such profound theories on the Alchemy Dao.

’He’s truly something else!’

"I stand corrected!" Liu Qing was utterly convinced. He slowly bowed, performing a formal salute. He was a man who could accept defeat gracefully. In the Pill Realm, the accomplished were the teachers, regardless of age.

Seeing Liu Qing act this way, the other teachers all gasped. Those who were also Alchemists weren’t quite as shocked, but the teachers who weren’t Alchemists were all completely stunned.

Who was Liu Qing?

He was a major figure in the Yunxiao Empire’s Pill Realm, a Fifth-Grade Alchemist. How could a man like that bow to a mere youth?

In all their years, they had never witnessed something so bizarre. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Good heavens, this kid is really something. To make even Teacher Liu so thoroughly convinced... Impressive."

"Teacher Liu is a proud man. The only person who could earn his sincere admiration would have to be an Alchemist with extraordinary accomplishments in the Alchemy Dao."

"Could this youth’s mastery of the Alchemy Dao truly have reached such heights?"

"The Mansion Master’s judgment is truly something else..."

The way these teachers looked at Qin Ya was no longer filled with disdain. Instead, it held a hint of awe. Their attitude had changed completely.

Qin Ya smiled faintly and accepted Liu Qing’s bow with composure, unconsciously exuding the air of a Grandmaster. To him, giving a few pointers to a Fifth-Grade Alchemist was the most natural thing in the world.

The teachers watched, their hearts jolting. ’This youth actually has such an aura!’ If not for his apparent age, they would have mistaken Qin Ya for a great Grandmaster who had been immersed in his field for many years.

"So, do I have the qualifications to teach now?" Qin Ya turned to Yun Yu, his gaze as sharp as a blade. Despite being an Extraordinary Strong Person, Yun Yu still felt a piercing chill!

"Of course, you do." Yun Yu’s gentle smile was as pleasant as a spring breeze. "We welcome you, Teacher Qin!"

"Welcome!"

"Haha, we have another new teacher."

Seeing that Qin Ya had won everyone over, Huaa Que smiled and announced, "I declare that from this day forward, Qin Ya is the twenty-seventh High-Level Teacher of our Mingxin Academy! Let’s give him a warm welcome!"

A High-Level Teacher?

Good grief! Everyone was stunned all over again. Still, no one raised any objections. Hadn’t they all seen Liu Qing, another High-Level Teacher, been completely won over? Besides, they had to respect the Mansion Master’s decision.

Among the teachers, Lin Yifeng smiled bitterly. He had been hailed as Mingxin Academy’s youngest teacher in a decade, but that title had now been snatched away by a mere boy—a High-Level Teacher, no less.

In fact, the youngest High-Level Teacher in the history of Mingxin Academy had just been appointed. His name was Qin Ya!

.........

Mingxin Academy was immense. As far as the eye could see, there were tall pavilions, waterside gazebos, and beautiful gardens. Mountains crisscrossed the landscape to the north and south, their peaks and ranges overlapping, creating a view of perilous cliffs and unique formations. It felt less like an Academy and more like a miniature world. Even Qin Ya, who had lived two lives, was astonished by Mingxin Academy’s profound heritage and resources.

After leaving the Master Dao Pavilion, Qin Ya headed for a mountain peak. He executed Carefree Travel, his figure moving with a divine grace, like an Exiled Immortal. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed the dense mountain forest and arrived at a place of quiet elegance.

A lake rippled gently, and a pavilion stood quietly on its shore. By the water’s edge, two women were practicing with their swords. One was older, but she still carried herself with a captivating grace. The other had silver hair cascading over her shoulders, skin as smooth as cream, and a face of celestial beauty.

Seeing Qin Ya return, Qin Yuxiang stopped her sword practice. "Xiaoya, how did it go? Was everything successful?"

"Of course. When I’m involved, success is guaranteed." Qin Ya smiled, then looked over at Leng Ningshuang. "What’s this? Ningshuang, you want to learn the sword?"

"Mhm. After my Profound Yin Bloodline awakened, I started my Cultivation. I’m already a Human Element Ninth Grade Martial Artist now, but I’ve hit a bottleneck, so I wanted to learn a Sword Skill for self-defense," Leng Ningshuang said with a nod.

"I see."

Qin Ya mused for a moment, amazed by the Profound Yin Bloodline. In such a short amount of time, she had traveled a path that most people couldn’t complete in a lifetime. ’Her cultivation speed... it might not be any slower than my own.’

"What Cultivation Technique are you practicing right now?" Qin Ya asked.

Although Leng Ningshuang was a bit confused by the question, she answered truthfully, "The Cultivation Technique I’m practicing was given to me by my grandfather. It’s an Earth-Tier Top-Level Technique called the Cold Ghost Spirit Technique, and it’s a perfect match for my Profound Yin Bloodline."

"An Earth-Tier Top-Level Technique... that’s not good enough."

Qin Ya frowned. In his past life, Gu Hanyan had also possessed the Profound Yin Extinct Vein, and the Cultivation Technique she practiced was the Cold Ice Hell Secret Scripture, a Celestial-Tier Upper Class Technique. Only a technique of the Celestial Tier or higher could fully unleash the power of the Profound Yin Bloodline.

"Ningshuang, stop practicing that Cold Ghost Spirit Technique for now. In a few days, I’ll copy down a new Cultivation Technique for you," Qin Ya said. Having spent this time with her, he had come to approve of her greatly. He wasn’t a block of wood; he could of course sense her feelings for him.

He, on the other hand, couldn’t quite put a name to his own feelings for Leng Ningshuang. They were hazy, like viewing flowers through a mist—always separated by a thin veil. ’Perhaps it’s best to let things be,’ he thought. ’If we let nature take its course, everything will work out when the time is right.’

"Okay!" Leng Ningshuang’s faint smile seemed to make the entire world lose its color. Even a thousand flowers blooming in unison could not compare to its brilliance.

Qin Ya was momentarily mesmerized but quickly collected himself. "Aren’t you afraid the Cultivation Technique I give you will be a lower grade than the Cold Ghost Spirit Technique? You know, there are very few Earth-Tier Top-Level techniques in the entire Yunxiao Empire."

"I trust you, Brother Qin," Leng Ningshuang said with conviction.

Her absolute trust sent a tremor through Qin Ya’s heart, as if a long-silent chord had been struck. "...Right. Okay."

Qin Ya was uncharacteristically flustered. His mind felt like a chaotic swarm of thoughts. Forcibly calming himself, he turned to Qin Yuxiang. "Aunt, how is your practice of the Setting Sun Blood coming along?"

"I’ve already reached Minor Achievement," Qin Yuxiang said, her face flushed with excitement. A Celestial-Level Lower Class Swordsmanship technique! This was something she would never have even dared to dream of before, yet now she was actually learning it.

"Oh?" Qin Ya was intrigued. He was genuinely surprised that Qin Yuxiang had managed to learn Setting Sun Blood so quickly.

Qin Yuxiang wasn’t an Awakened, so her Cultivation speed couldn’t possibly be as miraculous as his or Leng Ningshuang’s. And yet, she had still managed to reach Minor Achievement in the Setting Sun Blood Reflected Sword Technique this quickly.

Seeing Qin Ya’s surprised expression, Qin Yuxiang took up her sword, Star Trace, and leaped back to give herself space before beginning her demonstration.

Instantly, Sword Qi surged, transforming into a brilliant golden radiance.

Within the light, Qin Yuxiang’s sword, Star Trace, executed countless exquisite moves—dots, thrusts, flicks, chops, and slashes. Her movements were sublime and left no trace, like a master calligrapher’s brush. What was even more astonishing was that her form contained an inexplicable Dao Rhyme that was utterly captivating.

Suddenly, her Swordsmanship reached its zenith. Qin Yuxiang leaped dozens of feet into the air, radiating brilliant light. The Star Trace in her hand seemed to transform into a blazing Sun. Then, the Sun plummeted like a setting sun, generating countless streams of Sword Qi. Among them, a single streak of blood-red Sword Light was particularly soul-stirring.

BOOM! The attack crashed down, and the lake’s surface erupted in a hundred-foot-high wave.

"A Celestial-Level Sword Skill... it really is in a league of its own!"