Chapter 2921

Ouyang Tianyun explained briefly, "Once you reach the Golden Core stage, your appearance will stop aging. So, it is best to break through after you are eighteen. I broke through in the first half of this year."

She told Yan Xiwan all the pros and cons of reaching the Golden Core stage.

Yan Xiwan was startled, then felt relieved. "Good thing I just finished Foundation Establishment. If I had reached Golden Core, I would never grow up."

"It’s not that you won’t grow up. Mortals grow for twenty years, but immortals might take two thousand years," Ouyang Tianyun reminded her gently.

Yan Xiwan nodded. Distracted by this topic, she had forgotten that Ouyang Tianyun had put a bracelet on her wrist, effectively selling herself to her for free.

Ouyang Tianyun glanced at her, a slight smile on her lips. This little ancestor had temporarily forgotten about her marriage trick. When she remembered, she wouldn’t be able to say much anyway.

Yan Xiwan looked at her hand and sighed with relief. "Good, I haven’t entered the Golden Core stage yet. Plus, the spiritual energy here is thin, so breaking through isn’t easy."

"Breaking through doesn’t always require spiritual energy. Karmic merit or faith can also convert into it. I’m just telling you in advance. Your Foundation Establishment cultivation is fine, but for Golden Core, wait until you’re over eighteen."

Although Ouyang Tianyun had planned the marriage trick, she still told her what she needed to know.

Yan Xiwan remembered his advice. "I’ve got it. I won’t break through to Golden Core before I’m eighteen."

"Good," Ouyang Tianyun nodded.

After driving for about forty minutes, they arrived at a place surrounded by water on three sides. It was hard to find unless you knew where to look.

"Is this the First Research Institute?" Yan Xiwan asked curiously.

There was no one around, so she wondered why this place was called the First Research Institute.

Ouyang Tianyun smiled. "This belongs to the First Research Institute, but this is just the front. The real institute is underwater. Today, I’ll only show you the surface. The scenery here is nice."

"Okay," Yan Xiwan said. She understood that Ouyang Tianyun had her reasons.

Since the underwater part was the main institute, the surface was also important. Most importantly, Yan Xiwan noticed that as they got closer to the water, a strange kind of spiritual energy was released from the surface.

It was spiritual energy, but different from the usual air.

"Is this spiritual energy?" Yan Xiwan’s eyes lit up. "Is there a spiritual vein underneath?"

"Smart girl," Ouyang Tianyun praised. "There is indeed a spiritual vein below, but it’s a low-grade one. For us now, it’s very good. We can’t absorb too much spiritual energy, so using mid or high-grade stones would be a waste. Plus, we can’t find those easily right now."

Ouyang Tianyun led Yan Xiwan to the riverbank and pointed gently at the riverbed. "I found this low-grade spiritual vein by accident. It happens to be a branch of the Dragon Vein, so we can’t extract it. It needs to nourish the Dragon Vein."

As cultivators, they knew every country had its own Dragon Vein. If the Dragon Vein dried up, the dynasty would fall. A Dragon Vein nourished by a spiritual vein would have more vitality, making the dynasty last longer.

"It’s good. Full of life, and the new Dragon Vein is very active," Yan Xiwan said, seeing the situation clearly.

"Of course," Ouyang Tianyun said with a smile. "The world has changed, the sun and moon are new. This Dragon Vein is new, so it is full of vitality."

Yan Xiwan also noticed some small black spots on the Dragon Vein. These were likely small disturbances and disasters, but they wouldn’t last long, just like the current times.

"It’s good. I wish I could come here to cultivate," Yan Xiwan said enviously.

"If you want to come here, it’s easy. After you graduate from high school, you can work here," Ouyang Tianyun said.

"I need to go to university," Yan Xiwan glared at him.

Ouyang Tianyun laughed. "Then come here as an intern after you start university. Isn’t that good?"

Yan Xiwan looked at him for a while before saying, "Actually, I prefer medicine. I’ll probably become a doctor, but I want to research drugs. Can you do drug research here?"

"Of course," Ouyang Tianyun smiled. "If you have a project, tell me. I can put it under my name."

Ouyang Tianyun had his own lab, so putting projects under his name was possible.

Yan Xiwan said, "I’ll consider it. But I’m still young and lack experience, so research isn’t possible yet."

"People like us have long lives. You can research slowly and accumulate experience," Ouyang Tianyun told her.

Yan Xiwan nodded.

"Alright, let’s walk around," Ouyang Tianyun said.

Since it was rare to come here, and it was a good place for cultivation, Yan Xiwan naturally wanted to explore.

"Your school issue is solved. Are you really not going to skip grades?" Ouyang Tianyun asked as they walked.

"Unless the college entrance exam returns, let’s keep it this way," Yan Xiwan said honestly. She was basically dragging time.

Ouyang Tianyun smiled. "Yes, restoring the exam is most important."

"Looking at the current situation, it’s unlikely the exam will return in the next four or five years," Ouyang Tianyun said, looking at the Dragon Vein and making a calculation.

"So, going to school year by year is good. Only my younger brother suffers," Yan Xiwan said seriously.

"When your brother graduates high school, why not recommend him to the Industry and Agriculture University?" Ouyang Tianyun suggested.

"My brother has three years left in high school. No rush," Yan Xiwan said calmly. "Maybe things will change in three years."

No matter what, the Capital was under the Emperor’s feet. News traveled fast there. In three years, there might be news about the exam.

If that happened, it would be better for her brother to rest for two years and then take the exam.

Students who took the college entrance exam had more value than those recommended to the Industry and Agriculture University.

Ouyang Tianyun understood this. He thought about whether he should find a way to push for the early restoration of the exam.

Yan Xiwan looked at Ouyang Tianyun again. "Brother Tianyun, did you go to the Industry and Agriculture University?"

Ouyang Tianyun nodded. "It’s normal. I skipped grades, so I went there. But I only stayed for one year before coming to the First Research Institute."

Ouyang Tianyun was an absolute genius, the representative of "other people’s children" in adults’ eyes.

Yan Xiwan nodded. "Actually, this is good for me. I have extra time to read medical books."

"You don’t want to go to the Industry and Agriculture University because you want to go to a medical university, right?" Ouyang Tianyun understood her thoughts.

Yan Xiwan nodded. "I’m learning Traditional Chinese Medicine now, but I think Western emergency knowledge is good too. I want to learn it and combine it with TCM. So, I need systematic study."

Ouyang Tianyun understood. "So, in your spare time, you read medical books and learn TCM from Old Man Yuan?"

"Yes. Besides learning TCM from my master, I’m reading books on drug making. I’ve thought about it. TCM is restricted to some extent. I have a good master who teaches me practice, but patients might not trust me because I’m young. Young age means less experience. So, besides daily practice, I want to study drug making when there are no patients."

Yan Xiwan didn’t hide anything. "I’ve thought about it. Many medicines we use daily are in short supply. I want to research more, maybe help everyone."

Ouyang Tianyun agreed. "Good idea. You’ve chosen the right path. But know this: once you choose the path of a healer, you can’t retreat."

"I won’t retreat, and I won’t regret it," Yan Xiwan said seriously.

Ouyang Tianyun rubbed Yan Xiwan’s head. "Good. To celebrate you finding your path, I’ll take you to eat something good later."

(⊙o⊙)… Does this need celebration? In Yan Xiwan’s heart, such things didn’t need celebrating.

Ouyang Tianyun smiled gently. "We should celebrate what needs celebrating."

"I have money, but no tickets. Don’t get anything too expensive," Yan Xiwan reminded him.

"No, just a special small shop," Ouyang Tianyun said.

"Aren’t special small shops not allowed now?" Yan Xiwan asked.

Ouyang Tianyun smiled. "This shop is backed by a certain research institute. Many people from the institute host guests here, so no one dares to interfere."

Although researchers were special talents, they were still human. Humans needed to eat and socialize. If you didn’t provide a place to eat and talk, it was like milking a cow without feeding it grass. That wouldn’t work.

Yan Xiwan had noticed recently that although the economy in the Capital was suppressed, the order was relatively better. This was probably because it was the Capital.

No one dared to offend the Emperor. The Emperor’s anger could cause millions of deaths and bloodshed for thousands of miles. So, no one would oppose the Emperor.

Since the Emperor was in the Capital, it was even less likely for anyone to cause trouble.

Thus, the Capital was much more stable. Although various small shops were suppressed, underground trading still existed, such as black markets.