Chapter 39: Hidden Dragon Academy
Hidden Dragon Academy? Cao Ziwei?
The various elders exchanged strange glances.
Looking toward the direction beyond the sect, Elder Mo remarked, "Stop squabbling for now... As expected of the Hidden Dragon Academy, they act swiftly."
Soon, a man dressed like a scholarly teacher appeared atop a Mechanical Fish, smiling at the Beast Taming Sect’s crowd.
“Inferior one, Cao Ziwei of the Hidden Dragon Academy, greets the fellow Daoists of the Beast Taming Sect.”
He continued, “I’ve come here today for this young friend who just emerged from the Cavern Heaven.” His gaze fell on Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Mouse.
“He has met the qualifications to enter the ‘Hidden Dragon Academy,’ so I’ve come personally to invite him.”
“Greetings, Mr. Cao,” the elders responded with courtesy.
The surrounding Outer Sect disciples found this outrageous. An external power recruiting people right in front of their eyes?Yet the elders didn’t seem particularly opposed to the situation.
“Young friend, do you know of the Hidden Dragon Academy?” the teacher asked Lin Jing.
Lin Jing, slightly confused himself, replied, “I’ve read a little about it in books.”
“The Hidden Dragon Academy is part of the Ancient Celestial Kingdom, a place to train immortal officials...”
“Exactly,” the teacher explained. “Cultivators from the Hidden Dragon Academy have the chance to become immortal officials. Upon passing examinations, they can directly govern a city, forming an alternative system for becoming an immortal official.”
“Of course, the requirements for entering the Hidden Dragon Academy are incredibly stringent. However, since the Cavern Heaven chose you, you clearly meet the criteria.”
“So, are you interested in joining the Hidden Dragon Academy?”
Lin Jing shook his head. “I apologize, but I am a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect.”
“That’s not a conflict,” the teacher responded with a smile. “Your sect master himself once studied at the Hidden Dragon Academy. In fact, he governed a city in the Great Wasteland for ten years.”
“And now, isn’t he still the sect master of the Beast Taming Sect?”
“Being a Beast Taming Sect disciple and a Hidden Dragon Academy student are identities that can coexist. Many prodigies from various sects have studied at the Hidden Dragon Academy.”
Lin Jing began to understand. The academy sought to deepen its ties to the core members and talents of different sects. Even if someone left the academy later, they would remain aligned with its influence—like retired officials with national affiliations!
He glanced at Elder Mo, who said, “Listen to Mr. Cao’s proposal and decide for yourself.”
The teacher smiled politely at Elder Mo before continuing, “Young friend, you may not fully understand the Hidden Dragon Academy yet. Joining it will benefit you greatly.”
“It possesses a deeper foundation than the Beast Taming Sect and offers a path to acquiring ‘immortal official credentials’ while learning the Hidden Dragon Secret Art.”
“Have you heard of the Hidden Dragon Secret Art?”
“It originates from the True Dragon Secret Art created by the Ancient Emperor. It allows immortal officials to harness the power of local dragon veins, enhancing both cultivation and combat ability. This is why they can govern entire cities and suppress evildoers across realms.”
“Moreover, the Hidden Dragon Secret Art has other uses. For instance, within the Beast Taming Sect, it’s the best method on the continent for nurturing dragon-blooded spirit beasts—bar none.”
“Of course, joining the academy isn’t mandatory; it’s entirely up to your will. But as a cultivator of the Ancient Celestial Kingdom, possessing such credentials would undoubtedly smooth your path to greater heights in the future.”
“Do I need to decide now and follow you, Senior?” Lin Jing asked.
“Not at all. This is merely an invitation. Take some time to consider. Your current cultivation of the fourth level of the Qi Refining stage is still a bit low. You can wait until you are about to reach Foundation Establishment to join. The academy has superior methods for establishing foundations and even advancing to the Golden Core stage.”
“Thank you, Senior. I’ll give it serious thought,” Lin Jing replied with cupped hands.
The Pine Leaf Mouse swished its robes and mimicked his gesture.
“If you decide, crush this jade slip, and someone will come for you. If not, simply discard it,” the teacher said, bidding farewell to the elders of the Beast Taming Sect.
As he departed, the elders finally exhaled deeply.
“That man... his cultivation is likely beyond the Nascent Soul stage,” said Elder Li Hai, a bead of cold sweat on his forehead.
“Could he have reached the Divine Transformation stage?” Elder Yu pondered.
Meanwhile, Lin Jing silently held the jade slip, glanced at the elders, and sighed.
What was going on? He didn’t want to leave the sect or become an official.
“Since the academy invited you personally, you should go,” Elder Mo finally said after some hesitation. “It’s a rare opportunity, and Mr. Cao’s words make sense. The academy indeed has a deeper foundation than the Beast Taming Sect.”
“For instance, they likely have multiple versions of Foundation Establishment techniques that grant Innate Special Constitutions, something the Beast Taming Sect lacks.”
“With the sect’s Foundation Establishment method, you’ll be tied to the Great Wasteland your entire life. It may not matter much, but if you aim for ascension, this difference might hold you back.”
“Elder Mo...” Lin Jing wanted to argue that he had a Longevity Body, and the Pine Leaf Mouse was a rare beast, making them too vulnerable outside.
“I understand,” Elder Mo reassured him. “When the sect master returns, I’ll request a suitable Nascent Soul ancestor to accompany and protect you during your time at the academy!”
Besides, the academy might even be safer.
“Until then, focus on improving your cultivation. Ideally, reach the ninth level of Qi Refining!”
Having heard this much from Elder Mo, Lin Jing exchanged a glance with the Pine Leaf Mouse and decided not to argue further. If safety was guaranteed, who wouldn’t want to explore beyond a single place?
“Should I head to Danxia Peak for cultivation?” Lin Jing asked.
“Come on, then!” Elder Shen of Danxia Peak beamed, her smile as bright as a Dragonbone Flower.
“I’ll personally take you to Danxia Peak and help you choose a cave!”
Fearing competition from the other peaks, she quickly pulled Lin Jing along, leaving the other elders shaking their heads in resignation.
Seriously?
Still, they left, leaving only Elder Yu, Elder Li Hai, and a few newly promoted Inner Sect disciples on the Mechanical Fish.
Seeing this, Elder Yu froze. “Wait, are these disciples really being left to me?”
---
Danxia Peak
Elder Shen arranged an excellent cave for Lin Jing. Though it lacked spirit fields, it came with a pill refining room connected to earthfire.
“Thank you, Elder Shen,” Lin Jing said respectfully.
“No need to thank me. Although you’re skilled in mechanisms, pill refining is a whole new field. You must work hard. Here’s the Fire Control Technique, essential for Danxia Peak disciples. Usually, due to limited energy, disciples won’t directly cultivate fire techniques but instead rely on a fire pet to breathe flames while using the technique for assistance.”
“Since you don’t currently have a fire pet, practice with the earthfire for now. Should you wish to raise a fire pet, let me know. I’ll help you choose a few promising beasts. Beast fire is ultimately superior to earthfire for pill refining.”
Elder Shen left after leaving behind the Fire Control Technique jade slip.
Once alone, Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Mouse exchanged glances.
“Forget about that academy for now. Let’s figure out this pill refining first,” Lin Jing said.
“Chirp!” The Pine Leaf Mouse looked at him curiously—was he planning to find a new pet?
“Not for now,” Lin Jing shook his head. “I can barely afford you.”
The Pine Leaf Mouse nodded in agreement.
“Still, earthfire is mundane. Its low effectiveness makes pill refining success rates terrible. Without a flame attribute in the Beast Taming Qi, it’s unsuitable for fire techniques.”
“Like that Violet Flame Alchemist from the Pill Cauldron Sect—her purple flame looks excellent for pill refining. If only we had something similar to assist...”
Contracting her isn’t an option... Suddenly, an idea struck Lin Jing. “To do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools. If spiritual bamboo can spray water, why can’t a spiritual plant spray fire?”
He recalled a plant from the Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna—a unique Malignant Plant called “Fire Cloud Chili.” Though of a low grade, it enabled creatures that consumed it to spit fire. The drawback? Severe internal burns.
“What if, by merging it with other plants, we could create a spiritual plant capable of producing exotic fire while nourishing the five organs?”
“You could eat the modified Fire Cloud Chili and pretend to be a fire spirit beast. Then we wouldn’t need a new fire pet.”
The Pine Leaf Mouse froze.
It grabbed its storage pouch, seemingly making a firm decision to leave the cave. But before it could escape, Lin Jing caught it.
“Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!”
The Pine Leaf Mouse flailed its claws, protesting vehemently. It would rather Lin Jing find a proper fire pet. Asking a wood-element spirit beast to breathe fire was simply too much!
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