Just as the two lolis, Qing Lin and Zi Yan, were happily eating, Xiao Yixian took out a jade token from her storage ring.
"Hmm? A message from Teacher?"
Hearing this, Qing Lin, who was beside her, brightened her eyes and then took out a jade token of the same style from her storage ring.
"Is Teacher finally coming to the academy?"
However, after checking the message within, a hint of disappointment appeared on her face.
"What did your teacher say?" Zi Yan leaned over from the side, her eyes sparkling with gossip and curiosity.
Zi Yan had indeed been curious about this "Teacher" that Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin often mentioned for a long time.
"Teacher said she'll be in seclusion for about a year, and told us not to worry and to cultivate well."
Qing Lin sighed, put away the jade token in her hand, and seemed a little downcast.
After all, it had been several months since she and Xiao Yixian joined Canaan Academy.
She had thought that Xiao Xue would soon come to Canaan Academy to reunite with them, but who knew she would announce a year or so of seclusion.
Xiao Yixian came over and patted Qing Lin's head in comfort.
She also missed the days by her teacher's side.
"Let's go, Qing Lin. Since Teacher has instructed us, we can't neglect our cultivation," Xiao Yixian said.
"Before Teacher comes to the Inner Academy, you must at least enter the top fifty on the Strong Ranking, or even the top ten."
"I think if Teacher were here, she would have the same, or even higher, expectations of you."
When Xiao Xue wasn't around, Xiao Yixian, as the senior sister, took on the responsibility of looking after Qing Lin's daily life and cultivation.
Although it was called looking after, Qing Lin was actually very self-disciplined and independent, and the two mostly encouraged and supported each other.
Currently, Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin have a relationship that is both mentor-like (sisters) and friends.
Qing Lin also agreed with what Xiao Yixian had just said.
To ask a disciple to break into the Strong Ranking within a year, and at least be in the top fifty;
This requirement might be a bit too demanding for most people.
After all, the new students in the Inner Academy each year are chosen from the top fifty among tens of thousands of recruits from the Outer Academy.
The one thing not lacking here is geniuses.
And veteran students who have been in the Inner Academy for over a year usually crush new students without any suspense.
Wanting to achieve a top fifty ranking in the Inner Academy in the first year is clearly adding unnecessary pressure on people.
Not to mention competing for a spot in the top ten of the Strong Ranking.
But Qing Lin, surprisingly, accepted it as her goal.
One must know, Qing Lin's leveling speed was actually not much slower than Xiao Yixian's.
In the original novel, when Xiao Yan encountered Qing Lin in Central Plains, he was roughly a two-star Dou Zun.
And at that time, Qing Lin had also reached the Dou Zun level.
But don't forget, when Xiao Yan refined the Fallen Heart Flame, he directly soared from a five-star Dou Ling to the peak of Dou Wang.
—In just over a year, he advanced more than ten levels.
At the Three Thousand Burning Flame, Xiao Yan also directly soared from a four-star Dou Zong to the peak of Dou Zong.
And Qing Lin being able to reach Dou Zun almost simultaneously with Xiao Yan indicates that her early leveling speed was incredibly terrifying.
Although Qing Lin had just become a Dou Zhe when she joined Canaan Academy a few months ago;
But now, Qing Lin is already a Great Dou Master.
—This is the terrifying aspect of the Green Serpent Three-Flower Pupils.
During her Dou Zhe period, Qing Lin could control fourth-tier and a small number of fifth-tier snake-type magical beasts, and absorb their Dou Qi to nourish herself.
And even just a small portion of the energy from those snake-type magical beasts was considered a "fortune" for Qing Lin at that time.
Therefore, her early advancement speed was not inferior to Xiao Yixian's before her Earthen Poison Body was fully activated.
Two major ranks in less than half a year!
And reaching Dou Ling means one can try to squeeze into the Strong Ranking.
Although there is still more than half a year until this year's Strong Ranking competition, previous years' results can be used as a reference.
Last year's Strong Ranking champion was still Zi Yan.
And from second to seventh place were all peak Dou Ling.
Because students who broke through to Dou Wang had all graduated from Canaan Academy.
So besides Zi Yan, there are currently no Dou Wang level students in the Inner Academy.
As for the reason, it's still the same: because the Fallen Heart Flame doesn't have much effect on Dou Wangs anymore.
In the original novel, Lin Xiuyai and others who fought Han Feng and followed Xiao Yan to the Misty Cloud Sect three times indeed reached Dou Wang.
However, they participated as "classmates who graduated from Canaan Academy together."
From eighth place onwards were high-level Dou Lings, and so on.
Occasionally, there were a few with lower strength but higher rankings.
However, in most cases, the Strong Ranking is ordered from highest to lowest strength.
Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin entered the Inner Academy a few years earlier than Xiao Yan in the original novel.
So the top ten were not Lin Xiuyai, Liu Qing, and others from the original novel.
However, Xiao Yixian didn't pay much attention to these people.
If she activated her Earthen Poison Body, she could break through to Dou Wang within a week and rub them into the ground.
With Xiao Yixian's current strength as a six-star Dou Ling, she could rank in the top thirty in previous years' Strong Rankings.
And there is still more than half a year until the Inner Academy competition.
So, Xiao Yixian's goal is second or third place.
Because she couldn't discern Xiao Xun'er's true strength.
And the goal she planned for Qing Lin was to be in the top fifty, or even top ten, of the Inner Academy competition.
This requirement, for Qing Lin, who possesses a special physique like the Green Serpent Three-Flower Pupils and has been tempered by the Fallen Heart Flame, is not unattainable.
Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin prepared to cultivate in the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower, and they were still using Zi Yan's exclusive cultivation room.
As the number one on the Strong Ranking, Zi Yan naturally had some privileges of being first.
For example, she had the best cultivation room in the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.
The cultivation rooms in the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower naturally varied in quality.
And the ordinary cultivation rooms on the first and second underground floors were for "the capable to occupy"—
Often, two or more factions would confront each other over a good cultivation room, sometimes even coming to blows.
Or some older students would coerce new students into giving up their cultivation spots.
Therefore, newcomers entering the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower are usually advised to go in groups.
Otherwise, having their spot taken is a minor matter, but if they are disturbed during cultivation and suffer a backlash of Dou Qi, it would be a huge loss.
However, the cultivation rooms deep underground are different.
The more layers underground, the closer one is to the Fallen Heart Flame, and the greater the benefits.
Naturally, the denser the fire poison within.
Therefore, one needs a certain level of strength to go deep into the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.
Moreover, the daily fire energy consumed there also increases exponentially.
Someone like Zi Yan, the undisputed number one in the Inner Academy, naturally had the right to use the cultivation room at the very bottom.
However, she rarely used it.
So, that cultivation room was appropriated by Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin from Zi Yan.
Zi Yan got her usual snacks, and Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin got a good place to cultivate; all three were very satisfied.
Xiao Yixian could clear fire poison, and Qing Lin's physical constitution far exceeded that of ordinary Great Dou Masters.
Therefore, they didn't feel any discomfort cultivating in Zi Yan's cultivation room.
On the contrary, they could feel themselves getting stronger every day.
This positive feedback is actually very motivating.
Seeing Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin preparing to cultivate in the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower, Zi Yan hesitated for a moment, then got up and followed them.
Anyway, she had nothing to do, so she might as well join in the fun.
Zi Yan had actually already reached the peak of Dou Wang, but to break through to Dou Huang, she needed a huge accumulation of energy.
This is why she would steal and eat medicinal ingredients whenever she had nothing to do.
—If she relied solely on tempering Dou Qi, she wouldn't be able to break through.
Moreover, for the Ancient Void Dragon, only reaching Dou Zun is considered adulthood.
Xiao Yixian led the two lolis to the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.
And seeing Zi Yan beside her, many students on the road who wanted to get close immediately ran away, faster than rabbits.
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