Chapter 2169 — Old Bai Makes a Request

"This... Teacher Bai, I went to attend that... you know..." Right Panhu could not openly mention the Hidden World Families Summit, so he could only hint: "And besides, Wei Zhao went too..."

"It doesn't matter that he went. He has already passed my special test. He may take leave whenever he likes, and he scored full marks on the final exam as well!" Old Bai waved a hand. "But you are another matter. After school today, come to my office and take the special test. If you fail, you can look forward to flunking!"

"Yes..." Right Panhu nodded in grim-faced resignation, though resentment festered inside him. Why should Wei Zhao get off scot-free? Wei Zhao had passed the test? Then whatever test Wei Zhao could pass, he, Right Panhu, could certainly pass too! At that thought, his confidence returned.

"Very well, let us begin class." Old Bai paid Right Panhu's affairs no further mind. He opened the textbook and launched into the lesson, words pouring out in a torrent...

Right Panhu sat down in gloom, his gaze toward Wei Zhao growing sourer by the moment. This Hidden World Families Summit had been supposed to finish Wei Zhao off—yet Wei Zhao had not been finished off. Instead, for no reason at all, he had walked away with a whole heap of heaven-sent advantages.

"Young Master Right, Old Bai seems to look at Wei Zhao a little differently, doesn't he?" Yellow Hair said.

"I noticed. This won't do—I need to make an effort. I hear Old Bai has already taken one closed-door disciple. In this school, if he is going to take disciples, then Wei Zhao has an inside track. I have to fight for my chance as well!" Right Panhu said.

"How about we give Old Bai a gift?" Purple Hair said after a moment's hesitation.

"A gift? What gift? What do you have that is presentable enough to catch Old Bai's eye?" It was not as though Right Panhu had never considered the possibility, but after turning it over and over in his mind, he saw the difficulty: Old Bai's meridians were ruined, so anything to do with pill refining would be useless to him; and if they gave him money, he probably would not accept it. So Right Panhu truly was at a loss.

Over on Wei Zhao's side, now that Old Bai had begun lecturing, he pushed the notebook back to Wang Xinyan. She took it without a word, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, slipped off her coat and laid it on the seat beside her, then shifted her body toward Wei Zhao and listened to the lecture with full attention.

Wei Zhao smiled faintly. The two of them had already reached an understanding: Wang Xinyan knew that once Wei Zhao returned, she would certainly continue her cultivation, so she did not wait for him to speak—she simply took the initiative herself.

"Thank you," Wei Zhao said.

"What?" Wang Xinyan gave him an odd look. She neither denied nor confirmed anything, only tossed off the word and went back to listening intently...

Wei Zhao knew she was embarrassed, and he was not overly surprised. He entered the jade pendant space and began cultivating swiftly, though his divine sense remained outside, still listening to Old Bai's lecture.

The morning's classes passed. What Wei Zhao had not expected was that the scent about Wang Xinyan's body was truly wondrous. The whole of the previous night had not been enough for Wei Zhao to stabilize his Earth-rank mid-stage realm—yet after just this short while of contact today, he found that his Earth-rank mid-stage cultivation was already firm. This marvel made Wei Zhao long all the more to make Wang Xinyan his own.

Of course, Wei Zhao only entertained the thought. Although Feng Xiaoxiao had permitted him to take a primary wife, and he was not entirely without fondness for Wang Xinyan, such a matter could not rest on his wishes alone; better to let nature take its course. Besides, if he were to claim Wang Xinyan solely for the sake of his own cultivation, that would truly be too selfish.

"Wei Zhao, come with me to my office!" When class ended, Wei Zhao was just about to say something to Wang Xinyan when Old Bai called him back.

"All right." Wei Zhao nodded, rose to his feet, and walked out of the classroom with Old Bai.

Right Panhu hesitated a moment, then followed them out. He had meant to go see Old Bai anyway—Old Bai had told him to come for the test, so he had every justification for going. And second, he was curious what Old Bai wanted with Wei Zhao and hoped to eavesdrop.

The moment Wei Zhao stepped out the door, he noticed Right Panhu trailing behind, but paid him no mind. He went with Old Bai all the way to the office in the Biology Department faculty building.

"Xiao Yi, I hear you also attended the Hidden World Families Summit?" Old Bai asked.

"Yes, Old Bai. I am sorry—I missed so many days of class!" Though Wei Zhao held the privilege of skipping classes, he did not want to be too brazen before Old Bai, and apologized with great respect.

"No matter. You passed the test, so you may skip class whenever you like—those are the rules of Old Bai's class!" Old Bai waved a hand. "By the way, at the Hidden World Families Summit, I hear there is a pill-refining competition every session. Did you take part?"

"Ugh, don't even mention that pill-refining competition!" Wei Zhao laughed. "The rule this time was to refine a third-grade pill—whoever succeeded would win. In the end everyone forfeited. Not a single victor."

"Oh? A third-grade pill?" Old Bai was visibly taken aback. "Why a third-grade pill? In past competitions it was always a first-grade pill—whoever could refine a first-grade pill was the winner; if both refined one, they compared the grade of the pills, and if the grades were the same, they compared the time taken. I never heard of refining a third-grade pill! A third-grade pill—even Old Bai in his day could not guarantee success with every batch. Who on earth came up with the rule to compete with a third-grade pill?"

"Oh? You don't say?" Wei Zhao was slightly startled. Back at the pill-refining competition he had harbored some doubts—who could possibly refine a third-grade pill? But at the time he had not been the one setting the rules, so he had not looked into it. Now, hearing Old Bai say this, a trace of mocking amusement flickered at the corner of his mouth. "Could it be that idiot Right Panhu thought I was some formidable alchemist and deliberately raised the difficulty of the rules like that, fearing I would take first place?"

"Oh? Is there such a story?" Old Bai was startled as well. "So then, your skill in pill refining has improved by a great deal?"

"Improved? With your method, I cannot even condense a pill flame!" Wei Zhao gave a bitter smile and produced the alchemist cultivation heart-method oral formula and the pill-flame condensation formula Old Bai had given him earlier, handing them back. "I am returning these formulas to you for now..."

"You could not condense it..." Old Bai was at once somewhat disappointed.

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