"Eight segments of Dou Zhi Qi, classified as F-grade potential, is the minimum standard for Jia Nan Academy.
Nine segments of Dou Zhi Qi, classified as E-grade potential. One-star Dou Practitioner, D-grade... and so on, the highest is S-grade, five-star Dou Practitioner."
Ruo Lin covered her red lips and chuckled softly, her long eyelashes fluttering as she stared curiously at Yan Qingshan's position.
"An S-grade potential newcomer, I've never seen one in my ten years at Jia Nan Academy, but I didn't expect to see one above S-grade today!"
In fact, not only Ruo Lin, but everyone else also wanted to know Yan Qingshan's specific strength.
Shi Kai had previously revealed his Dou Qi gauze armor, which was a genuine Dou Master's strength. Being able to defeat him so easily meant Yan Qingshan had to be at least a Dou Master.
And Yan Qingshan wasn't even twenty years old yet. A Dou Master under twenty was surprising not only to the Jia Nan Academy students but even to Instructor Ruo Lin.
It wasn't that Jia Nan Academy didn't have such students. The monsters in the Inner Academy, if counted, definitely had many Dou Masters under twenty.
But for someone as young as Yan Qingshan to appear in a small place like Wutan City was truly astonishing.
Moreover, from Xiao Yi Xian and the others' previous conversations, it was clear that Yan Qingshan wasn't from some external family but an ordinary townsperson from a small town around Wutan City, making people even more curious about his secrets.
Ruo Lin smiled and held the ink brush, saying softly, "Alright, let's begin. Starting from the left, state your name, grade, and age."
"Huang Yan, nine segments of Dou Zhi Qi!"
"E-grade potential!"
"Liu Hui, eight segments of Dou Zhi Qi!"
"F-grade potential!"
…
"Xiao Yu, nine segments of Dou Zhi Qi!"
"E-grade potential!"
...
"Xue Lan, three-star Dou Practitioner!"
"Huh, what, you're a three-star Dou Practitioner!"
Instructor Ruo Lin had probably been saying F and E for too long and didn't react immediately to Xue Lan's words, confirming with her in shock.
"Three-star!"
Xue Lan nodded in confirmation, her face showing little emotion. Her talent was certainly top-notch among the newcomers, but having seen true geniuses, she had long been utterly defeated.
"B-grade potential!"
Instructor Ruo Lin nodded, her eyes filled with anticipation. She had thought Yan Qingshan was the only huge surprise, but it turned out to be double the joy.
Wondering if she would be "slapped in the face" again, she looked at Xiao Yi Xian expectantly, ready to be pleasantly surprised.
Xiao Yi Xian said crisply, "Xiao Yi Xian, seven-star Dou Practitioner!"
"How, how much!"
Instructor Ruo Lin was stunned, almost dropping her brush. Had she misheard, or had the girl misspoke? This young girl, who looked like she was just blossoming, was already a seven-star Dou Practitioner? Surely, she was joking.
Not only Ruo Lin was stunned, but everyone else also looked incredulous. Xiao Yi Xian was one of the youngest newcomers.
Yan Qingshan and Xue Lan had shown their strength, so everyone had some guesses about her, but most thought she was the weakest of the three. Who would have thought the big shot was here!
Xue Lan had a prepared expression. She had long since taken it all in stride. It wasn't Yan Qingshan who had utterly defeated her, as she could see Yan Qingshan's efforts. Absorbing Heavenly flames and other treasures to increase his cultivation was understandable.
But Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Ling, one with weak cultivation and the other who couldn't even get enough to eat before, these two girls had surpassed her decades of hard work in just a few months, like rockets. She realized the gap between people could be so vast.
Ruo Lin smiled warmly at Xiao Yi Xian and said softly, "S-grade potential, this is just a rough estimate for you. Once you're at the academy, I'll talk to the vice principal. For someone special like you, the academy has a special training plan."
"Thank you, Instructor Ruo Lin!"
Xiao Yi Xian nodded and smiled, returning to sit next to Yan Qingshan.
Instructor Ruo Lin walked up to Yan Qingshan and asked curiously, "You're the only one left, little guy. What level has your cultivation reached?"
"Whatever."
Yan Qingshan didn't seem interested in the topic, just glanced up and replied casually.
Instructor Ruo Lin frowned. "How can it be whatever! I need to know your specific cultivation to report to the vice principal and determine your potential and arrangements."
Yan Qingshan shrugged. "My cultivation has progressed too quickly recently, so using it to calculate potential isn't very scientific. Anyway, I'm no longer a five-star Dou Practitioner."
Instructor Ruo Lin looked helpless. "I know you're no longer a Dou Practitioner, but I still hope you can tell me your specific cultivation, so I can report it to the academy and get some benefits for you."
Yan Qingshan seemed interested and asked, "Benefits? Can I enter Jia Nan Academy's library?"
Instructor Ruo Lin said awkwardly, "That, I'm afraid not. There's no precedent for that. Only the top five in the Inner Academy competition are eligible."
Yan Qingshan continued, "Then, when is the next Inner Academy competition?"
Instructor Ruo Lin glanced at Yan Qingshan thoughtfully and replied, "There's still half a year until the next Inner Academy competition. If you want to join the Inner Academy, with your strength, you have a good chance.
But some of the seeded students in this class have impressive backgrounds. If you want to compete for the top five, I don't recommend joining the Inner Academy at this time."
Yan Qingshan and Instructor Ruo Lin's conversation naturally attracted everyone else's attention. The newcomers, except for those who knew the inside story, were confused, while some of the older students seemed enlightened.
Yan Qingshan's strength meant he didn't need to waste time in the Outer Academy and could completely compete for an Inner Academy spot. But they agreed with Instructor Ruo Lin's words.
This year's seeded students were very strong, and some had very mysterious origins, not from the Northwest Continent. The older students had heard their names.
Yan Qingshan nodded. "Half a year, that's not too long. You just said this year's students are very strong. Have any of them broken through to Dou Spirit?"
Instructor Ruo Lin chuckled. "How could that be! Dou Spirit is the Inner Academy's graduation requirement, and there aren't many even in the Inner Academy."
"That's the point. If there are no Dou Spirit, then what do I have to hesitate about? I'll wait another half year. Teacher, continue with the arrangements. I'm going to cultivate."
Yan Qingshan wasn't surprised. He shrugged, turned, waved at Instructor Ruo Lin, and walked to another corner to cultivate.
"He just said if there are no Dou Spirit, there's nothing to hesitate about. So, he's not a Dou Master..."
Instructor Ruo Lin and some clever people were shocked, the words "Dou Grandmaster" flashing through their minds. Although it was just a guess, Xiao Yi Xian and Xue Lan's attitudes seemed to confirm it.