After Southwind Academy's graduation ceremony today, this cohort of students would be considered to have formally graduated. They would be heading to other college-level institutions all across the Xia Kingdom, continuing their cultivation or turning to other occupations. They might never meet again.
After the ceremony, Li Luo, Lu Qing'er, Yu Lang, and Zhao Kuo received a private summons from the dean to his garden.
"Thanks to you four, Southwind Academy has managed to keep the best school title this year. I guess I owe you thanks," he said, smiling at them over the bush he was pruning.
Zhao Kuo made a non-committal incline with his head. He knew that he had not done much other than ride Li Luo's coattails to glory.
Yu Lang, on the other hand, was smiling as bravely as though he had bled and fought for Southwind Academy.
"Sir, it seems unnecessary to call us here just for thanks,” Li Luo said.
"Am I really such a dead plank to you?" the dean replied irritably.
"Dean, Sir!" Yu Lang burst out. "You are my most respected person. I won't let you speak about yourself that way. Take the word ‘dead’ out!"
The dean brandished his shears threateningly at Yu Lang, who leaped back in alarm.
"Hmph.
"From now on, you’re not students of Southwind Academy. In two months, all of you will be headed for the Astral Sage College. That is the place where you young ones can chase your dreams. But regardless of where you eventually land, you will always be my Southwind Academy alumni.
"Although you all did quite well in the exam, that's no basis for arrogance. When you get to the Astral Sage College, you'll learn just how vast the Xia Kingdom is. There are plenty of crouching tigers and hidden dragons.
"Of course... If you can become like Jiang Qing'e, you can ignore what I just said."
They nodded. Besides the more flighty Yu Lang, the other three were solid, grounded characters. Especially Li Luo. If not for this final exam, he would still be happily burrowed in anonymity, his bottomline untested.
After his short parting speech, the dean reached into the folds of his clothes and pulled out pale-yellow pills. Puffs of fragrance came from them.
"These are Bitter Lotus Pills. When your resonant power reaches the Tenth Seal level, you may use one. They will accelerate your resonance consolidation, increasing the chances of success. Take these as an additional reward from the exams."
The four were delighted. Pills were a rare sight, unlike spirit liquids and purifying lights, which were consumed in large quantities. They were more pricey, and it was an extremely generous gesture on the dean's part.
They had heard that Bitter Lotus Pills were distilled from the sap of trees of resonant power. Only large schools could cultivate such things. And for beginners still in the Ten Seals Stage, there was no better medicine than the Bitter Lotus Pill.
Many people failed multiple times when condensing their resonances. This cost them precious cultivation time. The Bitter Lotus Pill could steady their transition.
"Sir, if anyone calls you a plank to my face, I'll be the first to teach them a lesson!" Yu Lang vowed fervently.
The old man shot him a sideways look but decided against replying to this slippery character. He handed over the pills.
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