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Inside the room, Chen Qingyuan poured a cup of tea for his master, Yu Chenran, and asked softly, "Master, do you have something to tell me?"
"People's hearts are unpredictable. Don't reveal your true self unless absolutely necessary," Yu Chenran advised cryptically, not elaborating further.
Chen Qingyuan's eyelids twitched slightly at these words.
He wasn't foolish and could decipher the hidden meaning in Yu Chenran's words. A wave of unease washed over him – surely his master wouldn't harm him, would he?
"Don't let your imagination run wild, boy. If I wanted to harm you, would I have waited until now?" Yu Chenran guessed what was on Chen Qingyuan's mind, gave him a light kick, and chided with a laugh.
"Heh, I wasn't thinking anything of the sort," Chen Qingyuan replied, now feeling much relieved, and grinned broadly.
"Hum!" Yu Chenran rolled his eyes at him and huffed, "I see right through you, boy. But honestly, when I first saw… that, I was startled and envious."
"If Master desires it, this disciple will dig it out for you," Chen Qingyuan joked.
"Get lost, don't disgust me with such talk," Yu Chenran retorted.
With Chen Qingyuan's jest, the bond between master and disciple grew stronger, and the atmosphere lightened considerably.
"Please keep this a secret for me, Master," Chen Qingyuan requested.
"Nonsense, do you think your master is foolish?" Yu Chenran said, crossing his legs and sipping his tea, "I am personally protecting you , fearing any mishap."
Yu Chenran had no intention of revealing the secret of the three sacred elixirs inside Chen Qingyuan to even his closest confidants at the Academy. He planned to keep it to himself.
"Thank you, Master," Chen Qingyuan expressed his gratitude with a bow, feeling a warmth in his heart.
"Enough with the formalities. If you really want to thank me, bring me some better tea next time – this one is dreadful," Yu Chenran complained, deciding to leave.
Chen Qingyuan was smart enough not to make foolish moves, so Yu Chenran felt there was no need for further advice.
"Yes, Master," Chen Qingyuan replied with a wry smile, escorting Yu Chenran out, "Take care, Master."
After Yu Chenran left, Chen Qingyuan sat back down, feeling a wave of relief. It was indeed a narrow escape. He was fortunate to have made his breakthrough at the Dao Yi Academy. Had it been elsewhere, it would have attracted considerable trouble.
He took a deep breath, easing his spirit.
Then, a strand of Chen Qingyuan's consciousness entered the space within his jade bracelet. He hadn't forgotten his agreement with the Red-Dressed Girl. She had said that once he reached the Golden Elixir Realm, he could know the third agreement.
Now was the time. With curiosity and trepidation, his consciousness entered.
Buzz!
Inside the mysterious space of the jade bracelet, a line of text appeared – "Suppress all but you among the Ten Heroes of the Northern Wilderness."
"What?" Chen Qingyuan exclaimed in shock.
This task seemed overly demanding. The Ten Heroes of the Northern Wilderness were the strongest among their peers. Asking Chen Qingyuan to suppress them all was tantamount to dominating the entire younger generation of cultivators in the Northern Wilderness.
"Can we negotiate another agreement?" Chen Qingyuan whispered.
"Yes, we can revoke this agreement. Marry me, and everything is negotiable," the Red-Dressed Girl replied through the bracelet, able to converse briefly with Chen Qingyuan whenever he activated its prohibition.
"Suddenly, I think the original agreement is quite appropriate. No need to discuss further," Chen Qingyuan quickly changed his mind, fearing he might walk into another trap.
What a joke！Becoming Dao Companions with this woman would mean no peace for the rest of his life.
Chen Qingyuan's consciousness swiftly exited the bracelet's space and sealed its prohibition, afraid of hearing the Red-Dressed Girl's voice again.
"Suppressing the Ten Heroes of the Northern Wilderness is not an easy task!" Chen Qingyuan sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "Ah well!"
Despite having formed the foundation of the three sacred elixirs, Chen Qingyuan's Cultivation Level was still relatively weak. He couldn't hope to confront those top evildoers anytime soon，unless revealing all his Golden Elixirs, which would bring endless trouble.
"Anyway, she didn't set a deadline. I can just drag it out," he thought to himself.
Chen Qingyuan had always preferred a low-profile life, earning Spirit Stones through legitimate means. He didn't care about worldly fame or titles.
"The Dao Yi Academy's assessment must be ending soon," he thought, calculating the time.
If others knew that Chen Qingyuan had entered the Academy without undergoing the assessment, they would likely view it as unfair and be hostile towards him. In this world, respect was reserved only for the strong. Without demonstrating his true capabilities, Chen Qingyuan would struggle to gain acceptance.
Moreover, the two vice-principals wouldn't disclose that Chen Qingyuan was the inheritor of the Qing Sect. He had to face everything himself.
"If he couldn't handle these troubles, he wasn't fit to inherit the Qing Sect's legacy."
"Counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir," Chen Qingyuan decided to put these worries aside and continued his meditation and cultivation, consolidating his Cultivation Level and exploring the wonders of the sacred Golden Elixirs.
***
Time flew by quickly, and a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Over a hundred people participated in the assessment, but only the top ten were selected as Academy disciples. The rest were sent back to their original places. Since the Dao Yi Academy was in a separate, mysterious space, those who wished to find the Academy again would be unsuccessful.
The assessment was now over. Hundreds of participants stood at the Academy's entrance. Their injuries healed visibly fast, and their chaotic energies stabilized.
Some faces showed joy, others despair and frustration, fists clenched, eyes filled with unwillingness.
The most painful position was the eleventh, missing the tenth by just a few points. A little more attention to detail, one less mistake, and he could have made it into the top ten.
Unfortunately, opportunities don't come twice.
"The first place, Song Ningyan."
Zhao Yichuan, dressed in white and serving as the examiner, announced the final results.
Standing in the void, Zhao Yichuan looked down at the young woman at the front.
Song Ningyan, at the Elemental Infant stage of Cultivation, wore a dark long dress, beautiful and cold, reclusive, and not keen on conversation.
"You have the right to choose your own teacher," Zhao Yichuan said, offering Song Ningyan some privileges as the first-place winner and providing information about several instructors for her to choose from.
Unexpectedly, Song Ningyan looked up and said coldly, "I choose you."
Taken aback by her response, Zhao Yichuan quickly regained his composure, smiling slightly, "Alright, but don't regret it later."