While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 70 Meeting with Hu Qian, Elder's Assessment
"Elder Su Qian and Vice Dean Hu Qian?"

Lu Yu was slightly taken aback, then nodded in understanding and asked, "Does Elder Hao know where Elder Su Qian is now?"

"Elder Su Qian's whereabouts are elusive, and I have no idea where he is at this moment."

Elder Hao shook his head and sighed softly. He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and said, "If you wish to apply for the position of elder, you might as well go to the outer courtyard and find Vice Dean Hu Qian. I will write a letter explaining the situation, and he will understand."

After saying that, Elder Hao wrote a letter with swift and powerful strokes. Once the ink had dried slightly, he solemnly handed it to Lu Yu, leaving a mark of fighting spirit on the seal with his fingertip.

"take it."

Elder Hao handed the letter to Lu Yu and explained, "That old fellow Hu Qian doesn't usually have anything important to do; he just likes to stay in his study."

"Go directly to his study; you're sure to find him there."

"Thank you, elder."

Lu Yu accepted the letter, bowed respectfully, and then turned to leave.

……

Outer courtyard.

Inside the vice president's study.

Hu Qian put down the letter in his hand, looked up at Lu Yu, and said in a calm tone, "I understand your purpose. According to the academy's rules, after a student is promoted to Dou Wang, there are usually only two paths to choose from - either become an elder and serve the academy, or graduate and leave the academy."

He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips and continued, "However, if you are unwilling to be bound by the duties of an elder but still want to cultivate in the upper levels of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, there is a third way—to become an honorary elder of the academy."

"Honorary elders do not hold real power, nor do they enjoy the academy's resources. Their only privilege is the ability to enter the upper levels of the Qi Refining Tower for cultivation."

Hu Qian stroked his beard and added, "Of course, to obtain this status, one must pass the corresponding assessment and make significant contributions to the academy."

He smiled slightly and gave a few examples: "For instance, thirty years ago, 'Flame Spear' Xiao Lie single-handedly suppressed the three major villains of the Black Corner Region, establishing the academy's prestige, and was therefore granted the position of honorary elder."

"Fifteen years ago, 'Medicine Fairy' Liu Qingyao improved three Grade 5 medicine formulas, increasing the success rate of pill formation by 30%, and thus obtained this qualification."

"Recently, the 'Sword Maniac' Wu Ya even chased down a Dou Wang who had harmed a student over a thousand miles, and escaped from the hands of several Dou Wang powerhouses, winning the academy's recognition with his absolute strength."

Hu Qian looked intently at Lu Yu and said, "So, if you really want to take this path, you have to prove your worth. Now, tell me—what can you bring to the academy?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu pondered for a moment, then took out a jade slip containing his inheritance, inscribed two prescriptions on it, and handed it over, saying, "I have two improved prescriptions here that may be of some help to the academy. Please take a look, Vice Dean."

"Oh?"

Hu Qian raised an eyebrow slightly, not holding high expectations when he took the jade slip.

After all, Canaan Academy has a profound foundation; what kind of rare prescriptions haven't they seen?
He initially glanced at it casually, but his expression quickly became focused: "This is... an improved version of the Qi-restoring Pill? A Golden Essence Pill? Hmm, interesting..."

Upon seeing the second prescription, Hu Qian suddenly gasped and exclaimed, "Purple Jade Barrier-Breaking Pill? A peak fifth-grade pill?"

"A Battle Spirit Realm expert can directly increase their star level by two stars without any side effects after consuming it? And each person can only consume it once in their lifetime? This…"

Hu Qian's expression changed drastically. He straightened up abruptly, his wide sleeves knocking over the teacups on the table, and he was completely unaware that the brown tea was spreading across the table.

It is well known that in the Dou Qi Continent, there are countless pills that can enhance cultivation. There are pills for Dou Shi, Da Dou Shi, and even Dou Wang and Dou Huang powerhouses. However, pills that can help Dou Ling powerhouses break through are extremely rare.

Ironically, the pill called "Dou Ling Dan" was actually a pill used to enhance one's Dou Wang realm.

This Purple Jade Barrier-Breaking Pill can actually help a Douling expert improve their realm in a way that would otherwise be useless, and even by two stars at once.
Hu Gan's breathing grew heavier, his chest heaving violently. He repeatedly checked the authenticity of the prescription, his fingers unconsciously tightening until his knuckles turned white.

After seeing all the ingredients, he took a deep breath, barely calming his agitated emotions, but his eyes still shone with disbelief.

"This prescription..." Hu Qian's voice trembled slightly as he said, "is it an improved version of the peak fourth-grade Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill?"

He pointed to several key ingredients on the jade slip and said, "The proportions of these main and auxiliary ingredients are seven-tenths similar to those of the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill..."

"The vice president has a keen eye; that's exactly right."

Lu Yu smiled and nodded.

That's right, the formula for this Purple Jade Barrier-Breaking Pill is an improvement on the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, except that the improver was not him, but a group of alchemists from the future Endless Fire Domain.

They not only enhanced the drug's efficacy to be effective even against cultivators at the Douling level, but also optimized the method of administration—changing the original requirement of taking two pills at once to only requiring one pill.

Hu Qian nodded, his fingers unconsciously stroking the beard on his chin. Suddenly, he looked up and gave Lu Yu a meaningful look, saying, "However... this ingenious improvement method probably wasn't your doing, was it?"

Lu Yu smiled calmly and said, "Vice Dean, you are wise. This prescription actually comes from the legacy of a reclusive master, and it is said to have been deduced and improved by a group of top alchemists."

Hu Qian nodded thoughtfully and continued to study the details of the prescription, even though the difficulty of refining this improved pill was much higher than that of the original Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill.

But he knew in his heart that compared to the value it brought, this price was insignificant.

After a while,

Hu Qian slowly put down the jade slip, his gaze towards Lu Yu now different, his expression solemn as he said, "The value of this prescription is indeed enough to earn you the position of honorary elder. However..."

He suddenly stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and slowly said, "According to the academy's rules, to obtain the status of an elder, one must pass a special test."

"Assessment?"

Lu Yu showed a look of doubt at just the right moment.

Hu Qian turned around, looking at him with piercing eyes, and asked in return, "Do you know why the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower can temper battle qi?"

Seeing Lu Yu pretend to shake his head, Hu Qian said in a deep voice, "Because a mature Fallen Heart Flame is suppressed at the bottom of the tower!"

He raised his hand to stop Lu Yu's surprise and continued, "The seventh and eighth floors are close to the location of the strange fire, and the entire Qi Refining Tower only has ten floors. The tenth floor is the place where the Fallen Heart Flame is sealed."

"The Fallen Heart Flame is a matter of fundamental importance to the academy, and because of its immense value, it is inevitable that some with ulterior motives will deliberately approach it."

"so……"

Hu Qian walked back to the table, pointed his finger at the jade slip, and explained, "To obtain the qualification for high-level cultivation, you need to prove your loyalty first."

"This is what is known as the elder assessment."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu nodded thoughtfully and asked in return, "Then what kind of assessment does the Vice Dean require of this junior?"

"It's very simple."

A cold glint flashed in Hu Qian's eyes, and with a sudden flick of his sleeve, a scroll unfolded on the table with a "snap".

The portrait on the scroll is incredibly lifelike; it depicts a sinister-looking man in a red robe, with an air of wickedness about him.

"Fan Cheng, the fourth elder of the Blood Sect, is a five-star Dou Wang."

Hu Qian's voice was as cold as ice as he said, "In the past six months, four inner court students have gone missing in the Black Corner Region. Although this guy is shrewd..."

"But the academy still managed to uncover some clues..."

Hu Qian slowly straightened up, his fighting spirit surging like a tide, causing the candlelight in the study to flicker. He stared at Lu Yu and said, word by word, "Bringing his head to us is the best proof of your loyalty."

(End of this chapter)