Behind the courtyard alchemy shed of Dormitory #404, the five plump sweet potatoes on the brick charcoal stove sizzled softly in the quiet night air.
Grandpa Yao didn’t even notice the rising smoke.
Kneeling on one knee on the stone path, the silver-bearded old Pill-Saint pressed both palms flat against the cold flagstone, his translucent spiritual body trembling like an autumn leaf. Meanwhile, A second faint, agonizing metallic screech echoed up from ten miles beneath the campus bedrock:
<”Gui Suo! You promised that if we refined ten thousand batches of Foundation Pills inside these rings, you would release our junior disciples! Why are you heating the Soul-Melting Cauldron?!”>
*<”Release you?! Bwahaha! Old Pill-Saint Yao Gu, wake up!
In the 1,000-Sun Astral Academy, ‘Ring-Grandpas’ are disposable batteries! Once a freshman Chosen One drains your alchemy knowledge and reaches Rank 7, the script requires you to die heroically so the protagonist gets a rage power-up!”>*
“It’s Senior Brother Yao Gu... and Old Sword-Saint Jian Chen from the Northern Dipper... and Master Array-Weaver Mo...”
Grandpa Yao’s voice broke as tears of glowing silver soul-essence spilled down his weathered cheeks.
