Chapter 14: Becoming Elder Huo's Disciple

The next day, after the opening ceremony, Xiao Ming could not wait to head to the building where the Alchemy Department was located.

At the Alchemy Department, Xiao Ming met a middle-aged man who looked like a tutor and expressed his intention to join the Alchemy Department. The tutor first asked Xiao Ming if he had any talents as a pill refiner and if he had studied alchemy before.

Xiao Ming repeated what he had told Ge Hu yesterday.

The middle-aged tutor frowned and looked at Xiao Ming.

Tutor Ge Hu was right, every year there were many people who went to the Pill Refining Department to apply, and although there were many who succeeded, there were also many who failed, and some even went without even knowing the requirements to become an alchemist.

Therefore, the tutor did not want to listen to Xiao Ming's version.

Waving his hand, he asked the student next to him to bring him a test crystal.

"Hold out your hand."

Xiao Ming looked at the crystal ball and, without the slightest hesitation, placed his hands on it.

After a slight silence, the crystal ball turned fiercely red, and after a moment, it was actually as hot and dazzling as a ball of fire.

In the midst of the fiery red, a hint of bright green could be clearly seen.

"Not bad, you really have the talent of an alchemist, you will be a student of our alchemy department from now on."

After receiving a positive result, this tutor immediately gave Xiao Ming a lecture on the general knowledge of the Alchemy Department.

"On the one hand, in our Alchemy Department, there will be regular lectures from instructors who are fourth grade alchemists or above. The lectures are open to the public, and anyone can come and listen to them, and can ask questions of the tutor after the lecture."

"Of course, if a student has outstanding talent as an alchemist and is accepted by a tutor as a disciple. If the tutor is willing to devote his time to his student, of course, that is another story."

"Secondly, in our alchemy department, the rank in the original admissions does not apply, I know you are a new entrance student of rank S this year, but it is useless here, you have to earn the resources with your own strength in alchemy."

"Thirdly, in the initial stage as an apprentice alchemist, the academy will provide recipes and also medicinal herbs, but it is a fixed amount and the amount won't be too much, if an alchemist really wants to keep growing, frequent practice is necessary, I suggest buying your own medicinal herbs to start as soon as possible."

"Once you have started with alchemy, every time you advance one tier as an alchemist, you will be rewarded with three pill recipes, the types of which you can choose. If you want to get more pill recipes, you have to exchange them for contribution points, which can be redeemed for helping the academy to refine pills. Remember that the unique recipes obtained at the academy should not be passed on freely."

"Of course, according to the alchemist rules, medicinal materials to help the academy to refine pills will be provided by the academy, but the success rate of pills must be guaranteed. In addition, after entering a tier, as before, alchemists of different tiers can apply to the academy for a certain amount of medicinal materials to practice every month. Regardless of success or failure, if the pills are successful, they go to the academy; if they fail, the medicinal materials are counted as the academy's cost."

"However, you are still a novice, so you don't need to think much about it, for now, just study hard first. Remember my advice, growing as an alchemist consumes huge resources, you should buy more herbs to practice first, and after entering the first tier, you can help the academy refine pills to get more resources later."

Xiao Ming nodded his head in thanks, his mentor's advice was very helpful, don't look at the original Xiao Yan's refining pills so easily, excluding the reason for his talent, it was more because he had an alchemy venerable who was known as the number one alchemist in Dou Qi Continent around him to teach him closely, even so, Xiao Yan also consumed a large amount of medicinal materials.

Xiao Ming did not have the same treatment as Xiao Yan, and he would not take advantage of Jia Nan Academy, so paying them was definitely an obligation.

At this time, Xiao Ming already felt that his pockets would shrink a lot for a long time.

'Phew, good thing I'm not really poor now, otherwise, it would be a bit difficult, the Xiao family can't afford to pay for me to refine pills'.

If he has the alchemist talent and informed the Xiao family, they would definitely be happy to provide it, but when one thought about the size of the Xiao family, he feared that they would have to go bankrupt.

When the middle-aged tutor saw that Xiao Ming had the talent of an alchemist and was a young genius who had made a name for himself at Jia Nan Academy in the past two days, a thought suddenly appeared in his head and stayed.

When Xiao Ming was about to leave after learning about the Alchemy Department's class schedule, the middle-aged tutor finally couldn't help but speak.

"Little fellow, I have a suggestion for you that will allow you to save resources and have someone to teach you, do you want to listen to it?"

"Is there such a good thing?" Xiao Ming paused in surprise.

"Ahem, recently the alchemy department elders are recruiting disciples, with your talent you can give it a try, if you want, I can introduce you."

So, this was it, there was nothing to consider, Xiao Ming immediately agreed.

Seeing that Xiao Ming agreed, the middle-aged man was very happy, Xiao Ming had a good cultivation talent and had a high chance of being accepted as a disciple, this would also be beneficial to him.

"In that case, wait for me here for a while."

...

"Hmm, are you the genius Xiao Ming that they have been wildly rumoring about in the outer courtyard for the past two days?"

Elder Huo looked at Xiao Ming, who was waiting quietly not far away and asked with interest.

The fact that the academy had recruited a six-year-old Dou Practitioner in the past two days was already known among the academy's top brass.

A six-year-old three-star Dou Practitioner was so rare that he had never seen such a person in his life.

Even Hu Gan's granddaughter, who was known as a demon, was no match for him.

He had even heard that some elders were considering taking this young Dou Practitioner as a disciple.

'I did not expect that this Xiao Ming, in addition to his extraordinary cultivation talent, would actually have the talent of an alchemist'.

'Since that is so, then I will take him as my disciple before the others come looking for him'.

Elder Huo thought inwardly with great joy.

At Elder Huo's question, Xiao Ming respectfully saluted and replied, "Yes."

Xiao Ming knew that he would cause a sensation sooner or later, but it hasn't even been three days, he didn't expect that even the elders of the Alchemy Department would know about him, so he could only say that he was too talented.

The closer Elder Huo looked at Xiao Ming, the more satisfied he was, he was young and although he was a genius, there was no pampered look on his face, he was very good.

"I am the fifth-tier alchemist in charge of the alchemy department, Elder Huo, are you willing to adore me as your master?"

"Yes, Xiao Ming pays his respects to the master." Elder Huo's words were exactly what Xiao Ming wanted, there was no reason to refuse, and he immediately paid his respects.

"Hahahahahaha, not bad, get up." Elder Huo happily helped Xiao Ming up.

The middle-aged tutor beside him, seeing that things were going well, said, "Congratulations Elder Huo, you must be happy to have a good disciple."

"Hm." Elder Huo stroked his white beard, then took out a ring from his hand and handed it to Xiao Ming, saying, "Disciple, this ring contains a gift I have prepared. Inside it contains the resources for your future cultivation, as well as some gold coins, Qi Methods and Dou Techniques, books, pill recipes, and pills, so, if there is anything you don't understand, ask me directly."

"Thank you, master." Xiao Ming took the storage ring a little embarrassed.

Elder Huo had given a lot of gifts, which made him feel embarrassed.

Actually, this was because Xiao Ming's fame was great these days, and some basic information had spread among the upper echelons, and Elder Huo knew that he came from a small family in the Jia Ma Empire, and probably did not have much money, and the cultivation techniques were also not very good.

This is not only the case with Xiao Ming, many people who come to study at Jia Nan Academy are like this, Huo's Elder is a rich and generous fifth-tier alchemist, so he simply groomed it for his own disciple.