Hill walked through the deep corridors, passing layers of arches, as bright light gradually poured down from above, dispelling the surrounding darkness and chill.

Looking up, Hill found himself in a grand Central Courtyard, a typically highly symmetrical courtyard surrounded by four corridors, each supporting high arching ceilings and protruding floors.

The architectural style exhibited its unique slender, curved, and adorned features, where the corridors were covered with rows of raised arched supports, forming an interwoven arcade, beneath which were long rows of windows adorned with iron flowers, glass, and ornaments, showcasing an exceptionally unique artistic style.

More footsteps echoed from all directions as many apprentices like Hill stepped into the Central Courtyard, magnified and repeatedly echoed under the peculiar structure of the corridors.

Many young apprentices would pause at the corners, feeling unfamiliar with the complex structure of the building. Hill was the same initially, departing much earlier every day to avoid getting lost.

Hill continued forward, where besides the scholars’ figures, many workers were busy, following the blueprints given by the scholars to update the building.

No one knew what kind of building the Grand Tutor intended to create; ever since Hill became his apprentice a few years ago and came to this building, it had been under constant reconstruction, its scale continuously expanding over the years, with complex corridors interwoven and dense houses arranged out of sight.

Every morning upon waking, there would be some level of change to the building. Sometimes Hill even felt the building possessed life, becoming a kind of uncanny Alchemy Matrix.

Hmm... This indeed sounds strange, but with the Grand Tutor’s abilities, it’s not impossible.

Hill remembered the Grand Tutor saying that no matter how much he optimized the structure of the building, it was ultimately constrained by space, so he planned to install multiple Curved Path Gates in the coming days, transforming the building into a living labyrinth.

This was not the end; according to the Grand Tutor’s vision, the building would continuously expand until it became a great city accommodating all scholars. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

This sounded somewhat crazy, but Hill had become accustomed to it.

After all...

Hill passed through the last grand gate, and dazzling golden light filled his eyes, as if he had stepped into a world forged of gold, with golden brilliance everywhere.

After a brief dizziness, Hill’s vision gradually cleared up, and the apprentices commonly referred to this place as the Golden Palace, though it wasn’t entirely made of gold, but covered with layers of radiant Canyin-colored Alchemy Matrix that appeared to ignite brilliantly when the entire building operated.

The light within the Golden Palace dimmed, and the hall was filled with books, manuscripts, and experimental equipment, with groups of scholars busily working, some poring over manuscripts, others instructing students, and others conducting experiments.

The air was filled with the scent of various chemicals, as several scholars manipulated oddly-colored gases by the long tables, using burners to ignite them, exploring the composition and nature of the gases.

On another table, a scholar was performing an anatomy experiment, carefully removing organs for observation and study, while a nearby student meticulously recorded the experimental results, mastering how to apply these knowledge to the fields of medicine and biology.

Maps and charts hanging on the walls provided initial insights into modern disciplines for the scholars’ research, including astronomy, mathematics, and anthropology. Each studied discipline symbolized the boundaries and realms of knowledge, encouraging scholars to realize the importance and complexity of their explored fields.

Hill continued forward, passing through layers of rigorous checks, turning into deep spiral corridors, reaching the underground depths of the Golden Palace, where he met his Grand Tutor amidst the blue glow.

"Grand Tutor."

Hill saluted the busy back figure, which remained unresponsive, seemingly absorbed in research. Hill was used to this; he went directly to his position and resumed his previous research.

A few minutes later, two figures entered the room one after the other, also apprentices of the Grand Tutor and Hill’s friends.

"You’re here early, Hill."

The man came to Hill’s side, patting his shoulder, his somewhat dark face full of cheery smiles, "What, didn’t get lost this time?"

Hill paused his current task, a wave of helpless emotion surfacing on his face.

At that moment, another figure came over, soft hands pinched Hill’s cheeks from behind, moving them up and down, forming strange funny faces.

Amid laughter, Hill looked up to see a pair of beautiful eyes gazing down at him.

Hill paused for a moment, then freed himself from the woman’s grip, his expression returning to the previous helpless and cold demeanor.

"I truly envy you two..." Hill turned sideways, looking back at his two friends, "You’re inseparable, huh."

"You’re just too reclusive, junior." Suzi raised her hand and messed up Hill’s hair.

Saqin watched his junior cheerfully from the side, everyone liked Hill. From the first day the Grand Tutor brought him back, Hill had demonstrated remarkably strong talent, the Grand Tutor even said Hill’s achievements might surpass everyone... including himself.