BTTH: Auto Cultivation System

 

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“Hmm... It has always seemed strange to me, but it appears the Inner Academy is indeed not within Jia Nan Academy. Could it be hidden within the boundless mountains behind the academy?” Xin Yu murmured, her hand resting thoughtfully on her chin.

“It is said that the location of the Inner Academy is a closely guarded secret, Xin Yu. Even if you were to ask those who have entered, they would remain silent,” Li Mei whispered softly.

Mei Ling sighed, her gaze distant. “I understand now why an escort is necessary. I never imagined that the mountains behind the academy could harbor such dangers…”

Roar!

“Speak of the devil, Mei Ling…” Wei Jie’s eyes sharpened as he looked toward the cliffs. A pack of magical beasts had appeared, their eyes glinting with ferocity as they surrounded the flying boats. Without hesitation, the beasts leaped towards them.

Yet, as they breached the hundred-meter mark around the group, they were halted by the overwhelming force radiating from the barrier created by Hu Gan and the three elders. The lesser beasts, awed and intimidated, retreated warily.

But not all would be so easily deterred. Among the endless expanse of these treacherous mountains, there was no shortage of terrifyingly powerful magical beasts. As they ventured further into the mountains, some of these formidable creatures ignored the oppressive aura of Hu Gan and the elders, pressing forward with savage intent.

In response, Hu Gan and the elders unleashed their formidable might. With a mere wave of their hands, bolts of energy as fierce as lightning shot through the sky. The air was filled with the sounds of muffled impacts as the massive magical beasts exploded into a shower of blood, their bodies plummeting lifelessly to the earth below.

As they continued their flight, waves of ferocious magical beasts assailed them from all directions. But no matter how relentless the onslaught, not a single beast could breach the barrier formed by Hu Gan and the elders.

“How many times has it been now?” Wei Jie glanced at Ming Cheng, who could only shake his head and sigh, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

Initially, they were stunned into speechlessness by the sheer strength of the elders and the sight of magical beasts being shredded to bits. However, after witnessing this display of power multiple times, they grew accustomed to it, choosing instead to focus on resting their minds and bodies.

“Still, does anyone know what makes the Inner Academy so special?” Li Mei’s gaze shifted to Xiao Hua and Xiao Xun Er, hoping they might have heard something from Elder Huo or the Deputy Headmaster.

“The Deputy Headmaster has never mentioned anything about the Inner Academy to me, so I’m just as uncertain. However, every time we see students return from the Inner Academy, their strength has always increased drastically compared to when they first entered,” Xiao Xun Er replied, shaking her head with a troubled tone.

“I’m in the dark just like you, Sister Li Mei. My master has never spoken of it, except to warn me to stay away from the Black-Corner Region and focus on alchemy,” Xiao Hua added, also shaking his head. This response caused a flicker of surprise among the group, as they knew Elder Huo had shared some knowledge with them, but he had sworn never to reveal the secrets of the Inner Academy.

“I can’t help but wonder what’s so special about the Inner Academy that they go to such lengths to keep its location hidden from the Outer Academy…” Xin Yu mused aloud, her hand resting thoughtfully on her chin. She glanced over at the boys, hoping they might know something. “Ming Cheng, Wei Jie, do either of you have any idea?”

Wei Jie scratched his head at Xin Yu’s question. “No. Like you, all I’ve heard are rumors from those who returned to the Outer Academy, but they’ve never shared the real reason behind it…”

Ming Cheng opened his eyes and glanced at Xin Yu before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He spoke with a deep, measured tone. “While I don’t know exactly what’s inside the Inner Academy, I’ve heard rumors. It’s said that the Medicinal Emperor himself covets something within the Inner Academy, and he has been watching it for a long time.”

“Medicinal Emperor? Ah, you mean that scoundrel Han Feng.” Mei Ling’s brows furrowed as she realized who Ming Cheng was referring to, her voice laced with disdain. “Of all people, that bastard is the last one who deserves the title of Medicinal Emperor!”

Li Mei crossed her arms, her fingers lightly tapping her chin as she pondered deeply. “As much as we despise that bastard, his skills in refining are undeniably exceptional. Yet, even he covets something within the Inner Academy... I wonder what it could be?”

Just they were pondering, the flying boats came to a halt. They came to the front and Xiao Xun Er asked Hu Gan, "Deputy Headmaster, is something going on?"

"No, we have arrived to the entrance of the Inner Academy." Hu Gan replied with a deep voice.

"Here? I don't see any entrance..." Wei Jie walked forward to the deck, stood slightly behind the elder on his flying boat and glanced around. However, he was uncertain when he discovered that, other than a bottomless gorge under their feet, the other places were still boundless mountains with lushes of green. In addition, their front is a dead-end with the boundless mountain stood on their path. Forget about the Inner Academy, there wasn’t even a single human figure.

Hearing this, the Deputy Headmaster smiled faintly. “The Inner Academy is not so easily entered, even for its own students.”

With that, Hu Gan took a step forward, and four pairs of resplendent Dou Qi wings unfurled from the backs of the elders. The wings flapped gracefully as they soared into the air, coming to a stop after covering a short distance. Glancing at the other three elders, Hu Gan waved his hand, and a surge of energy shot out, striking the space in front of him. Almost instantly, a strange scene began to unfold.

As the energy passed through a seemingly empty area, it created a wave-like ripple in the air. The ripple fluctuated rapidly, and at its center, a different view emerged, revealing something beyond the dead-end they had perceived.

The scene showed the same boundless mountains and thick forests, appearing identical to what lay before them. Yet, there was an undeniable difference in the atmosphere.

“Ah… This seems very familiar,” Wei Jie muttered, his expression one of astonishment.

“Indeed, another Space Lock,” Ming Cheng remarked, narrowing his eyes as he watched the wave-like ripples continue to fluctuate in the empty space. His tone carried a hint of admiration. “Jia Nan Academy is truly rich with history.”

As the ripples transformed the scenery, much like a door opening to another realm, Hu Gan and the three elders returned to their respective boats.

"Let's go." With a wave of his hand, the flying boats started to move forward, slowly entering the wave-like ripples that's giving off a familiar feeling that of a portal. Finally, the silver-colored energy ripple draws in swiftly manner, and the portal disappeared completely. At this moment, this entire region had changed into an extremely ordinary boundless mountain and forest.

As they passed through the portal, the flying boats fly for a little while before it slowly descends into a an open ground within the thick forest and on the middle of it was two old men which had been waiting for them on the stage with flames lit on the pillars that stood at the center of the open ground.

"Ke ke, Old Hu, punctual as always. We can always rest assured when we let you escort the new students. So, I take it they are the one that cause some changes..." At this moment, one of the two old men smiled at the leading Hu Gan and said when he saw the large group of people entering.

“Indeed. Despite his youthful appearance, he had defeat Dou Spirit before," Hu Gan nodded and smile.

The two old men sucked in cold air as they heard Hu Gan's words. They knew that it wasn't a surprising thing to defeat a normal Dou Spirit, however, defeating one at such a young age is what caused them to be speechless.

Hu Gan continued, “Nevertheless, I didn’t expect you to be on duty this year. It looks like it’s going to be quite a taxing task.”

“This cannot be helped,” the two old men replied, shaking their heads helplessly.

“All of you, come forward.” Hu Gan turned and gestured for Xiao Hua and the other six to approach. Once they were all by his side, he pointed toward the two old men. “These two are Elders of the Inner Academy. This is Elder Su, and this other person is Elder Qing. If you encounter any issues within the Inner Academy, you can seek their guidance.”

With a faint smile, Hu Gan then addressed Elder Su and Elder Qing. “Ke ke, these seven young ones were the top-ranked in this year’s Qualifying Competition. Their strengths are exceptional, especially these two,” he said, indicating Xiao Hua and Xiao Xun Er. “I doubt there are many in the Inner Academy who could match up to them.”

“We’d be more surprised if anyone could,” Elder Su replied with a wry smile, though a hint of amazement laced his voice. “After all, who would have expected a six-year-old boy to reach the level of a seventh-tier alchemist, let alone defeat a Dou Spirit?” He glanced at Elder Huo with a touch of envy. “You’re incredibly fortunate to have such a disciple… And despite his achievements, he remains loyal and respectful, even surpassing you in alchemy.”

“Haha! Xiao Hua has always been loyal and respectful, even before he accepted me as his master,” Elder Huo replied, his voice tinged with pride.

Elder Su, though slightly irritated by Elder Huo’s boastfulness, refocused on the matter at hand. He shook his head again and turned his attention to the students in front of him. “You’re all new here, so I hope you’ll quickly adapt to this place. Doing so will allow you to reap the greatest benefits. Normally, I would speak of previous years, but I doubt any of them could compare to the seven of you who have reached the peak of Dou Grandmaster without the aid of the tower.”

The mention of the 'tower' piqued the interest of Li Mei and the others, but they set their curiosity aside for now, focusing intently on Elder Su.

With a wave of his hand, Elder Su summoned a large pile of black-colored crystal cards. With a casual flick, he tossed the crystal sheets into the air. Instantly, the cards seemed to come alive, hovering in front of each student.

Xiao Hua and Xiao Xun Er calmly extended their hands, catching the cards without hesitation. Meanwhile, Li Mei and the others were momentarily startled but soon followed suit, reaching out to grasp the black-colored crystal cards.

As Xiao Hua and Xiao Xun Er held the cards, and the others examined theirs, they felt a strange, warm energy emanating from within. Lowering their heads to take a closer look, they noticed that the cards had a transparent crystal screen. Imprinted on the screen was a large, red number: “20!”

“No need for formalities or lengthy speeches. You’ve passed the Qualifying Competition and earned the right to enter the Inner Academy. However, the true test begins now,” Elder Su declared, his voice steady and authoritative. As he surveyed their expressions, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips upon seeing the seriousness and determination etched on their faces. “There is only one thing you need to know at this moment—guard the crystal card in your hand as though it were your life, for within the Inner Academy, it might very well be. Once you enter, you will understand its true importance.”

Xiao Hua and Xiao Xun Er exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. They then looked to their older brothers and sisters, who nodded in acknowledgment. Without hesitation, the crystal card in their hands quivered briefly before being safely stored within their storage rings.

“Now that you have received your crystal cards, you will proceed into the forest behind me. Your task is to reach the Inner Academy at the far edge of the forest,” Elder Su continued, a faint smile playing on his lips as he raised a finger, pointing toward their storage rings. “Within the forest, a group of your seniors awaits, ready to ambush you and seize the number displayed on your crystal cards. For them, the ‘Fire Energy’ imprinted on your cards is an irresistible temptation. You may evade them or face them in combat, but as long as you are not captured and successfully reach the Inner Academy, you will earn your final reward. The sooner you arrive, the greater the reward.”

Elder Su placed his hands behind his back, his voice echoing through the dark, foreboding forest behind him as he declared, “This contest in the forest, within our Inner Academy, is known as the ‘Fire Energy Hunting Competition.’”

With a sudden intensity, he raised his voice, reverberating through the clearing. “Now, I announce that this year’s ‘Fire Energy Hunting Competition’ has officially begun! Students, begin to flee!”

At Elder Su’s command, the seven students wasted no time. They dashed into the forest, their figures blurring into the shadows as they moved with astonishing speed, leaving even Elder Su and Elder Qing momentarily stunned.

“I never thought I’d be amazed by the speed of Dou Grandmaster practitioners,” Elder Su remarked with a faint smile, his voice filled with admiration.

“Indeed,” Elder Qing agreed, nodding in acknowledgment. He gazed at the forest with a frown. “Due to their sudden rise in talent, we’ve increased the number of seniors participating. However, it seems that quantity does not replace quality. With talents like Xiao Hua and Xun Er, aside from the Black Demon Group and the White Demon Group, I doubt any other group could match these seven exceptional students.”

“From their expressions just now, they aren’t planning to hide or run. Instead, they seem intent on hunting down the seniors. I almost feel sorry for the senior group now. They joined the competition to smoothen the shadows within their heart during the 'Fire Energy Hunting Competition', but it seems the shadow will become even bigger…” Elder Su shook his head, his tone one of helpless resignation.

Hu Gan and Elder Huo could only share a rueful laugh at their comments. They knew all too well the prowess of their disciples and couldn’t help but sympathize with the senior group facing such formidable opponents.

---

As Elder Su's voice echoed through the forest, Xiao Hua and the others charged forward, knowing that the elder's announcement was not just for them but also for the seniors hidden within the woods. These were not inexperienced novices—they quickly understood that lingering at the entrance would only give their senior opponents time to prepare ambushes. Thus, they dashed swiftly into the depths of the forest.

After running for a while, the seven of them came to a halt on a sturdy tree branch. Ming Cheng and Wei Jie, with their keen experience, ensured that all traces of their presence—whether Dou Qi or footsteps—were erased, leaving no clues for their pursuers.

"I doubt we’re planning to charge straight into the senior groups, right?" Wei Jie leaned against the tree trunk, glancing at the others. "After all, without even discussing it, we all know we're here to hunt our 'kind and lovely' seniors."

"Exactly. We need more information, especially about these crystal cards and the 'Fire Energy' Elder Su mentioned," Li Mei responded, her eyes thoughtful.

Mei Ling nodded, her brow furrowed in contemplation. "The ‘tower’ Elder Su spoke of also bothers me. What did he mean by ‘aid from the tower’? Could it be related to how the seniors’ cultivation progresses so rapidly?"

"Whatever it is, we’ll get our answers soon enough. After all, our ‘kind’ seniors will surely be eager to explain it to us... given the right persuasion," Xin Yu said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes

"We’ll leave that to you, Sister Xin Yu," Xiao Hua said with a helpless shake of his head, already feeling sympathy for the seniors who would soon face her. He turned to the others and added, "However, even if some of the seniors are weaker than us, they have more experience and the advantage of knowing the terrain. We need to proceed cautiously."

"That's true, Xiao Hua," Li Mei agreed, summoning her crystal card with a wave of her hand. "If there's one advantage we can use, it's this. From what Elder Su said, the numbers on these cards are what our seniors are after. They likely won't attack in large groups since they wouldn’t want to share the spoils."

"The problem is their numbers," Ming Cheng said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes in thought. "We need to consider how many seniors are participating in this competition, how large their groups are, who the strongest groups and individuals are, and of course, we need answers to Li Mei’s and Mei Ling’s questions as well."

"We should let Xin Yu handle the interrogation. Even those thugs from the Black-Corner Region spill everything once she appears," Wei Jie teased, though his grin faltered when Xin Yu gave him a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. A shiver ran down his spine under her gaze.

"Then, we’ll strike when they grow impatient. Let’s hope it’s not at night—fighting in the dark would put us at a disadvantage," Xiao Hua concluded. The others nodded in agreement, settling down to rest while they waited for their prey to become restless and careless.

However, as the afternoon sun began to descend, the group stirred. They could sense seven presences approaching.

"Ming Cheng, Wei Jie, you erased our tracks, right?" Mei Ling asked, her gaze fixed on the direction of the approaching presences.

"Of course," Ming Cheng replied, his eyes also on the incoming group. "It seems they’re actively searching for us, rather than just stumbling upon us. Our seniors must be impatient."

"Or what we’re carrying is so precious that they can’t afford to let anyone else take it first," Wei Jie added. He glanced at the others and asked, "So, what’s the plan?"

"They’re not particularly strong. Let’s deal with this quickly before more seniors catch wind of us. We can have the seniors to answer all the question he have." Xiao Hua decided. The group nodded in agreement, and each of them concealed themselves, ready to strike.