The peaceful morning inside the Dao Realm Academy continued as usual.
After spending several hours inside the Spirit Herb Garden, Yao Chen finally walked back toward the disciple residence area. The fragrance of herbs still lingered faintly on his clothes, and his mind remained unusually calm.
Beside him walked Xue Lian, holding her small basket of freshly collected medicinal plants.
The two of them had spent the entire morning discussing herbs, their uses, and the delicate balance required to refine them into effective pills. For Xue Lian, the Spirit Herb Garden had always been a place of study and tranquility.
But for Yao Chen, it felt strangely familiar.
Almost like returning to a place he had visited countless times before.
Xue Lian glanced at him curiously as they walked along the quiet stone path.
"You really never studied the Medicine Dao before entering the academy?" she asked.
Yao Chen hesitated slightly.
"I… don't remember studying it," he answered honestly.
That was the truth.
Everything he knew seemed to appear naturally in his mind.
Sometimes the knowledge surfaced suddenly, as if someone whispered the information directly into his thoughts.
Sometimes he could even predict the effects of herbs he had never seen before.
Xue Lian slowed her steps.
"That's strange," she said thoughtfully.
"Even talented disciples usually need years of study to memorize so many herbs."
Yao Chen only smiled faintly.
If possible, he would also like to understand the mystery himself.
The two soon reached a small stone courtyard.
Several disciples had already gathered there.
At the center stood a tall wooden platform, surrounded by rows of stone seats.
An elderly man wearing deep green robes stood calmly on the platform.
Around him were dozens of disciples holding small scrolls and herb samples.
Xue Lian's eyes brightened slightly.
"Oh! The Medicine Dao lecture is starting."
She looked toward Yao Chen.
"Elder Mu teaches this class once every three days. Many disciples attend it."
Yao Chen nodded.
"Then let's listen."
They quietly joined the group of disciples.
The elderly man on the platform slowly opened his eyes.
His presence was calm yet profound, carrying the steady aura of someone who had studied medicine Dao for many decades.
"I am Elder Mu," he said.
"Today we will discuss the foundation of the Medicine Dao."
The disciples immediately fell silent.
Elder Mu raised a small herb in his hand.
"This plant is called Azure Heart Grass."
"Many of you believe its primary function is restoring spiritual energy."
Several disciples nodded.
"But that is only the most basic understanding," Elder Mu continued.
"If refined correctly, Azure Heart Grass can stabilize unstable meridians and even calm the spiritual sea of cultivators suffering from energy deviation."
He slowly walked across the platform.
"The Dao of medicine is not merely the memorization of herbs."
"It is the understanding of life itself."
"The balance between energy, body, and nature."
As Elder Mu continued speaking, Yao Chen suddenly felt a strange warmth inside his chest.
The golden flame deep within his body flickered slightly.
Then suddenly—
Images appeared in his mind.
An enormous ancient hall filled with thousands of alchemy furnaces.
Each furnace burned with powerful spiritual flames.
Disciples wearing ancient robes stood before the furnaces, carefully refining pills.
At the center of the hall stood a calm figure with long white hair.
His presence radiated wisdom and authority.
His voice echoed gently.
"The Dao of medicine is the Dao of life."
"To heal the body, one must first understand the harmony of heaven and earth."
Yao Chen's eyes widened slightly.
The voice felt incredibly familiar.
But before he could understand more—
The vision disappeared.
Back in the courtyard, Elder Mu continued speaking.
"If you only memorize pill formulas, you will never become a true alchemist."
"You must understand the principles behind the herbs."
He suddenly turned toward the disciples.
"Who can tell me why Azure Heart Grass becomes poisonous when refined together with Scarlet Flame Root?"
The disciples looked at each other nervously.
No one spoke.
After a moment, Yao Chen slowly raised his hand.
Elder Mu looked slightly surprised.
"Yes?"
Yao Chen spoke calmly.
"Because the two herbs contain opposite spiritual attributes."
"Azure Heart Grass carries cooling water essence, while Scarlet Flame Root contains violent fire essence."
"If refined together without a neutralizing herb, their energies collide and produce poison."
Silence filled the courtyard.
Several disciples stared at him with surprise.
But Yao Chen continued.
"There is another reason."
"Scarlet Flame Root accelerates spiritual energy circulation."
"When combined with Azure Heart Grass, it forces the herb to release its medicinal essence too quickly."
"That destabilizes the pill structure."
For a moment, Elder Mu simply stared at him.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Excellent."
"Very few new disciples understand this principle."
Whispers spread among the students.
"That's the One-Star Alchemist from yesterday."
"I heard his flame shook several furnaces."
Xue Lian looked at Yao Chen with clear admiration.
Even she had not thought of the second explanation.
Elder Mu nodded slowly.
"You have a strong understanding of medicinal theory."
"What is your name?"
"Yao Chen."
The elder repeated the name quietly.
"Continue studying the Medicine Dao carefully. You have great potential."
The lecture continued for another hour.
Elder Mu explained herb combinations, pill structures, and the dangers of improper refining techniques.
Yao Chen listened quietly.
Most of the information felt strangely familiar.
Almost like forgotten memories resurfacing.
After the lecture ended, the disciples began leaving the courtyard.
Xue Lian walked beside Yao Chen again.
"You surprised Elder Mu," she said.
"Even many senior disciples couldn't answer his question."
Yao Chen smiled awkwardly.
"I only guessed."
She laughed softly.
"You guess correctly very often."
Before he could respond—
A loud voice interrupted them.
"So you're Yao Chen."
Both of them turned.
A tall young man wearing dark academy robes approached with several followers behind him.
His expression carried obvious arrogance.
Xue Lian frowned slightly.
"Mo Tianyu…"
Mo Tianyu stopped directly in front of Yao Chen.
His gaze briefly landed on the alchemist badge hanging at Yao Chen's waist.
"So you're the new One-Star Alchemist everyone is talking about."
His tone carried faint mockery.
"I heard you performed well during the alchemy examination."
Yao Chen remained calm.
"I was fortunate."
Mo Tianyu smirked.
"Luck doesn't matter much in the Dao Realm Academy."
"Strength decides everything."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I hope your cultivation talent matches your alchemy skills."
Several nearby disciples sensed tension forming.
But before anything else could happen—
A deep bell suddenly echoed across the academy.
*BOOOOOONG*
The powerful sound vibrated through the air.
Every disciple looked toward the sky.
A glowing message appeared above the floating islands.
**Announcement**
"Tomorrow, the Outer Disciple Combat Ranking Trial will begin."
"All new disciples must participate."
Excited whispers immediately spread among the students.
"The ranking trial!"
"That determines the strongest new disciples!"
Mo Tianyu smiled coldly.
He looked back at Yao Chen.
"Perfect."
"I was hoping for an opportunity like this."
He turned and walked away.
"I look forward to meeting you in the arena."
Xue Lian looked worried.
"The ranking trial can be dangerous," she said quietly.
"Some disciples treat it very seriously."
Yao Chen looked toward the distant training grounds.
His expression remained calm.
"Then it will be a good opportunity to test my cultivation."
But deep inside his body—
The Primordial Flame flickered softly.
As if responding to the challenge.
And far beyond the Mortal Realm…
Ancient beings continued watching the young disciple whose journey had only just begun.
The storm surrounding the return of the Medical God was slowly approaching.
Yet Yao Chen still walked the academy paths like an ordinary disciple.
Unaware that every step he took was leading him closer to a destiny that would one day shake countless realms.
---
The announcement bell continued echoing across the academy.
Groups of disciples gathered everywhere discussing the upcoming trial.
"The ranking trial is tomorrow!"
"I heard Mo Tianyu will definitely rank in the top ten."
"Maybe even top three!"
Xue Lian looked slightly nervous as she walked beside Yao Chen.
"The ranking trial determines the future resources of outer disciples," she explained.
"Higher rank means better cultivation rooms, spirit herbs, and guidance from elders."
Yao Chen nodded thoughtfully.
"So it is not just a competition."
"It decides the path of cultivation."
They passed by one of the training arenas where disciples were already practicing intensely.
Two disciples were exchanging martial techniques at high speed.
But to Yao Chen's eyes…
Their movements appeared strangely slow.
He quietly observed their footwork and energy flow.
"Their breathing rhythm is unstable…"
"The left side defense is weak…"
Just as he finished thinking—
One disciple slipped slightly while attacking.
His opponent immediately knocked him down.
The match ended.
Xue Lian stared at Yao Chen.
"You predicted that."
Yao Chen only smiled awkwardly.
"I was just observing carefully."
But inside his mind, strange familiarity appeared again.
It felt as if he had witnessed thousands of battles before.
By the time they returned to the residence area, the sun was already setting.
Golden light illuminated the floating mountains.
Xue Lian stopped in front of her courtyard.
"This is where I live," she said.
Then she hesitated before speaking again.
"Be careful tomorrow."
"Mo Tianyu is already at the **Third Layer of Qi Refining**."
Yao Chen nodded calmly.
"I understand."
After she left, Yao Chen returned to his own room.
He sat down cross-legged and began cultivating.
Spiritual energy slowly circulated through his meridians.
Suddenly—
The golden flame inside his body pulsed.
Another fragment of memory appeared.
A vast battlefield under a crimson sky.
Countless cultivators were fighting.
At the center stood a white-haired man surrounded by golden flames.
His voice echoed across heaven and earth.
"The Medicine Dao does not only heal."
"It protects life."
Enemies trembled before his flame.
Yao Chen's heart shook.
Because the man in the vision looked exactly like him.
The vision disappeared instantly.
Yao Chen opened his eyes slowly.
The room was silent.
But deep inside his heart, a strange feeling emerged.
His past was slowly awakening.
And tomorrow's ranking trial…
Would only be the beginning.