"That thumb ring of his is a spatial storage artifact. The Star Token should be inside his Storage Ring. After you swipe the points, remember to give the jade token back.

"That jade pendant at his waist is of fine craftsmanship; it should be worth quite a bit. If you're short on travel funds, you can take that too.

"He probably has a few other things on him. It's not safe to leave them there, so you might as well search him and help keep them secure," Tang Yan personally instructed from the sidelines.

Dark lines formed on Yu Juechen's forehead. Do you think everyone is as shameless as you? I'll just take his Storage Ring, that's enough!

When Yu Juechen walked over, he found Bai Yu staring at him with a gaze full of contempt and fury. Bai Yu said faintly, "Brother, with your strength at the ninth grade, you must hail from a great clan, right? Are you really going to stoop to rooster-crowing and dog-stealing tricks just to snatch a bit of worthless junk from this Bai?"

A wave of shame washed over Yu Juechen. But since he had already walked over, could he really just turn back now? In his sudden panic, Yu Juechen was nearly overwhelmed by his own quick wit. He let out a loud shout, "What? You refuse to accept defeat and want to fight me again? Good, I admire your courage!"

With that, he brought a palm strike down hard on the back of Bai Yu's neck. Bai Yu was already heavily injured and had no strength to resist. His eyes rolled back, and he promptly fainted.

Yu Juechen quickly pulled off Bai Yu's Storage Ring, a sudden thrill rising in his chest. Remembering Tang Yan's reminder that the opponent's Star Token was still inside, he decisively retrieved it.

He had originally planned to spare the man's points, but when he saw the balance of over two thousand Star Values, Yu Juechen couldn't help but widen his eyes. Good heavens, there's actually this much?

Forget it. Since I'm already robbing him, the grudge is settled. What harm is there in taking some Star Values?

He cleanly transferred all the Star Values to his own Star Token. Just as he was about to leave, Yu Juechen's eyes fell upon the jade pendant hanging at Bai Yu's waist.

Pure white and crystal clear-it was undoubtedly top-grade White Sand Jade!

This item was highly valuable. He hadn't brought much silver on his journey this time, so he might as well take it to sell.

He had already started taking things. What difference would a little more make? Yu Juechen hesitated for only a moment before mimicking Tang Yan's earlier actions, patting Bai Yu down. To his surprise, he actually fished out a bottle of pills.

Delighted, he pocketed the pills. He then stood up and cursed, "Natural spiritual treasures of heaven and earth belong to no one. They belong to the capable! Since you insisted on trying to take things that aren't yours, snatching a few of your belongings is just teaching you a lesson."

"Brother Tang, I've made quite a haul this time myself. There must be dozens of pills, quite a few medicinal herbs, and over a thousand Beast Cores. If you don't want them, I'll trade them for more pills once I get out."

Yu Juechen walked happily over to Tang Yan and quietly boasted.

Damn, so robbing people feels this good!

Thinking back on his miserable, impoverished life over the past month, he secretly filled with regret. If he had just robbed everyone who provoked him, he wouldn't have suffered so much!

Tang Yan was stunned, staring wide-eyed at Yu Juechen. How could such a pure-hearted person change so drastically in the blink of an eye?

Within the council hall, the elders of the Azure Dragon Academy were also staring with wide eyes.

After a long moment, Xiao Cangshan finally reacted, offering a wry smile. "This Tang Yan... it's one thing for him to be shameless, but now he's leading others astray. I wonder what Old Man Yu would think if he knew his son was being taught like this..."

The other elders also shook their heads with bitter smiles. They had heard every word of Tang Yan's instructions to Yu Juechen loud and clear.

This year's batch of new students was truly a unique crop of talents!

"Congratulations, Brother Yu, on returning fully loaded." Tang Yan snapped back to reality, patting Yu Juechen's shoulder in admiration. This kid had the makings of an excellent bandit!

"It's nothing worth mentioning. I still have much to learn from Brother Tang," Yu Juechen said, waving his hand modestly.

Your talent is far too high. This master has nothing left to teach you... Tang Yan complained inwardly.

Walking over to Wan Fei and the others, Tang Yan's eyes filled with guilt. "I'm sorry about what happened this time."

"We're all brothers here. There's no need to dwell on it," Du Shu said excitedly. "But you-since when did you become so fierce? You even beat a Black Rank ninth-grade expert to the ground!"

"Your natural talents are also formidable. Trust me, you'll be able to do it soon too," Tang Yan replied. "Here are your things; divide them among yourselves. As for these Star Values, take two thousand each." Tang Yan wasn't stingy. With a flash of blue light, the Star Values seamlessly transferred into their Star Tokens.

"Decisive in battle, brave and resourceful, deeply loyal, and blessed with extraordinary talent. When he officially enters the academy, I will personally test his soul power. With his temperament, if he possesses the aptitude, he should be able to achieve considerable success in the Alchemy Dao."

Elder Huo offered his heartfelt evaluation before standing up to leave. "This year's new students are rather interesting. Cangshan, perhaps we really can look forward to next year's Tingxiang Academy War."

"Indeed. Later, I will also test his spiritual roots to see if they align with the Formation Dao. He might just be a natural seedling for formations." Elder Zhen chuckled, standing up and heading for the door.

Hearing such high praise from the two esteemed elders, the rest of the room turned serious. The Tingxiang Academy War-could they truly reclaim their former glory?

"Alright, everyone. Pay close attention to any promising new students in the coming days. Make sure you are all prepared to welcome them on the final day," Xiao Cangshan ordered with a wave of his hand. The elders respectfully took their leave.

Once the hall was empty, Xiao Cangshan sat alone in his grand armchair, a profound light flashing in his eyes.

"As one of the three great academies of Tingxiang, we have been ranked at the very bottom for four consecutive terms. If we place last again this time, it is highly likely we will lose our qualifications as one of the major three." Xiao Cangshan let out a heavy sigh, his gaze falling upon Tang Yan's registration details.

Tang Yan, from Yun City in the Eastern Region. Cultivation base before the selection-Black Rank fourth-grade!

Xiao Cangshan's slender fingers tapped rhythmically against the table. Staring at Tang Yan's file, he remained lost in thought for a long time...

...

"Let me introduce you. This is Yu Juechen," Tang Yan said, turning to Wan Fei and the others.

If not for Yu Juechen's timely intervention, today's situation would have been disastrous. Wan Fei and the rest hurriedly stepped forward to express their gratitude.

"You're welcome. I acknowledge Tang Yan as a brother! And I trust that any friends of his are absolutely worth getting to know," Yu Juechen replied, sending a clear signal of goodwill.

"Brother Yu, these are Wan Fei, Fang Xuan, Du Shu, and Lin Dongxue," Tang Yan introduced them one by one.

As they were all youths of similar age, they quickly became acquainted.

"How should we spend the remaining time?" Fang Xuan asked, looking toward Tang Yan.

"There are still three days left, but our Star Values have already passed the required mark. We can use this time to consolidate our cultivation. However, if we run into Li Kuanglan and his group-Kill Without Mercy!" A cold glint of killing intent flashed through Tang Yan's eyes.

"Agreed!" the group replied in unison.

"By the way, is there a trading area nearby?" Tang Yan asked, a sudden thought coming to mind.

"There's one not far from here. What do you need to trade for?" Yu Juechen asked.

"I need to exchange for some spiritual herbs and Beast Cores," Tang Yan replied with a smile.

"Didn't you just say you didn't want Beast Cores anymore?" Yu Juechen's face darkened.

Tang Yan felt quite helpless about it as well. He had assumed that since the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron had already evolved once, it would no longer require vast amounts of spiritual treasures to sustain itself.

But he had just specifically tested it. When he threw Beast Cores inside, the Pill Cauldron still devoured them immediately. However, after absorbing the energy, the cauldron remained entirely unresponsive.

Tang Yan still harbored countless doubts regarding the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron.

Why did it constantly need to devour spiritual treasures?

And during his intense battle with Yun Zhonghe earlier, why did the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron give him the distinct, unsettling feeling that it possessed a will of its own?

These various questions continuously deepened the mystery weighing on Tang Yan's heart.

But since it was still willing to absorb Beast Cores, he figured he might as well keep feeding it to see what other secrets he could unlock.