Upon returning to the academy, Eddie was met by Haye Yew, Yehken, the Ly brothers, and students from the Death Class eagerly awaiting him.
Old Fox was the first to greet him, his relief evident at seeing Eddie unscathed. He whispered a question about the situation, to which Eddie gave a brief response about the two Tenser Seniors and the ongoing probe.
Old Fox, quickly sensing the complexities, shifted focus to lauding Eddie's courage and wit.
He declared extra merits and a reward of ten gold coins for each student, even spontaneously deciding to host a meal to calm everyone's nerves, eliciting cheers from the Death Class.
Though unfamiliar students looked on with curiosity, they kept their distance.
The long-haired girl and Princess Chimmon's children, especially little Princess Beibei, eagerly surrounded Eddie.
Overcome with a mix of fear and relief, Beibei leapt into Eddie's arms, bursting into tears.
The Death Class, having been teleported back to the academy without Eddie, were fraught with anxiety over the battle's unclear outcome.
While Old Fox and many feared the worst, Yehken and a few believed in Eddie's safe return. Despite her academic prowess, young Beibei was, after all, just a child.
Her emotions got the better of her until Eddie, with his adept comforting skills, quickly turned her sobs into smiles.
Haye Yew, brimming with pride, loudly claimed his incredible luck was Eddie's protective charm, asserting that misfortune was unlikely with his presence.
Yehken, silent but with a firm nod, acknowledged Eddie's safe return.
Upon hearing the news, Sophia rushed in, her face ashen with worry.
She threw herself into Eddie's embrace, clinging tightly, as if fearing he would disappear like smoke if she let go.
The crowd, not just Eddie, reassured her, and after thoroughly inspecting her brother and finding him unharmed, Sophia's tension eased.
Eddie always felt watched from somewhere, yet with his abilities, he couldn't pinpoint the observer's location. Who could be secretly watching him?
Could it be the Drunken Cat Lady?
Just as he was about to use his insight to search, the watching gaze vanished, seemingly sensing Eddie's intent to search earlier than he acted.
"Well, no harm done..." Eddie was surprised at how Chang Chun Ivy Academy hid dragons and crouched tigers.
Not only were Old Fox and the Drunken Cat Lady impressive figures, but the hidden observer was also a formidable person.
This academy, with its more than three-thousand-year legacy, indeed had a profound foundation.
Due to the Tenser Senior incident, the Death Class wasn't continuing with missions as usual but was taking a break for free time.
Sophia handed Eddie a letter from Inan.
The handwriting was elegant and delicate, unmistakably feminine.
Inan wrote that she was currently under her aunt's training and couldn't visit the academy for now, promising to meet Eddie later.
Eddie felt a slight regret that Inan couldn't make it; after all, reading books without flirting seemed like a wasted opportunity. He decided to attend a class by Granny Wendy along with Sophia.
Granny Wendy was a renowned master of plant-based disciplines, and most importantly, her knowledge of the basics was unparalleled in the academy.
Eddie expected her class to be packed, but upon arrival, he found only two students besides himself and Sophia.
After a while, Yehken arrived, dragging a still drowsy Haye Yew. The class was almost empty, save for two peculiar students.
One was skinny as a monkey with a beast as fat as a pig, while the other's beast seemed normal, but the owner was wrapped up like a dumpling from injuries. Both were diligently taking notes before the class.
As freshmen, Eddie, Sophia, Yehken, and the Ly brothers didn't recognize these odd students.
Haye Yew, possibly the only one familiar with them, was lost in a dream, chasing beauties and too busy to open his eyes.
Yehken simply smiled at the two peculiar students in a friendly gesture. They quickly gestured for Yehken and the others not to sit too close, for reasons unknown.
"Students, I am your instructor, Granny Bird Teng..." Initially, Eddie thought Granny Wendy would be a kind-faced old lady like Physician Granny.
However, he was completely mistaken.
Granny Bird Teng appeared to be a woman in her late forties, with rosy cheeks, smooth skin, and clear, spring-like eyes. Aside from some crow's feet, she showed no signs of aging. Her attire was simple, yet she possessed an extraordinary demeanor.
Granny Wendy radiated a special aura of rationality and wisdom, appearing unflustered by anything the world could throw at her, her demeanor calm and gentle, like a still, ancient well.
Had Eddie not known beforehand that she had once been a mentor to Emperor Alexander, Elder Haye Yew, Old Fox, and others, teaching students who were now nearly two hundred years old, and herself being over three hundred, he would have mistaken her for a woman in her forties or fifties.
Granny Wendy's classes were relaxed, without roll calls or rigid adherence to the textbook, relying instead on her experience.
After ten minutes of discussing the basics of plant-based beasts, she paused and smiled, inviting further questions: "Besides plant-based subjects, feel free to ask anything else."
"I'd like to inquire about the relationship between beasts and warriors, and if possible, some information on sacred beasts and divine beasts," Eddie said, his mind filled with questions.
Though he had gained some advanced knowledge of beast cultivation from his summoning tome, his understanding of the basics was lacking.
Granny Wendy began:
"Beasts are classified into ordinary, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and diamond ranks. Most warriors are familiar with ordinary rank beasts."
"Bronze and above are considered elite beasts. Once they reach the gold rank, they're known as kings, hence the term 'Gold King Beast.' "
"Platinum and diamond rank beasts are extremely rare and cannot be cultivated artificially. We won't focus on them for now. "
"Once a beast reaches the strength of a seventh-level overlord, a specialized instructor will guide you to the next realm... In our Dragon Ascend Continent, typically, no creature surpasses level ten. In other words, only ordinary rank beasts can reach level ten. "
"Most level ten creatures exist due to special reasons, like the Sea King Whale, Island Turtle, Ancient Trees, and so on... These creatures, due to their enormous size and long lifespans, have no natural predators, allowing them to easily grow to level ten. "
"However, as they possess great strength and lack predators, they rarely engage in battles, limiting their evolutionary opportunities and remaining ordinary rank throughout their lives, with no chance of mutation."
As Granny Wendy spoke, the two peculiar students below scribbled notes incessantly.
Eddie listened intently, realizing that Granny Wendy was a deeply concealed powerhouse.
Although she appeared to have the strength of a fifth-level master, Eddie's insight revealed only illusions she projected. She seemed far more formidable than Emperor Alexander, Elder Yue Hai, and Old Fox, whose powers he still couldn't fathom.
Eddie wondered if Granny Wendy might be one of the legendary seven innate experts of the Great Xia Kingdom.
But why would an innate expert be teaching at an academy? Without evidence, Eddie hesitated to be certain.
Regardless of her true identity, Eddie found her knowledge far more profound than the rigid information in books.
Granny Wendy explained the beast ranking system, emphasizing the growth disparity between ordinary and elite beasts and the limits of each rank in the natural world.
"Are you saying that at their natural peak, silver beasts only reach level eight, and gold beasts only level seven?" Eddie asked.
"Yes," Granny Wendy affirmed, "In the wild, without human cultivation, silver level eight and gold level seven beasts have no natural predators and can prey on almost any creature except those of the same level. "
"However, evolution is difficult for them. While there are over a thousand known ordinary level ten creatures, gold level seven beasts are rare, with fewer than fifty recorded, many existing only in legends and unproven in the food chain's hierarchy."
"Are there creatures beyond gold level seven elsewhere, like in the Heaven-Reaching Tower?" Eddie inquired further.
Granny Wendy explained, not disclosing the specifics of the realm beyond level seven, but Eddie guessed it involved cultivating innate abilities.
"Yes, such creatures exist, but that's beyond the scope of today's lesson. When you reach level seven, someone will guide you further. "
"Now, let's address the second question about warriors. Beyond the known ten levels, there's another realm after reaching the level seven Overlord. Once you attain that realm, you will be guided to higher development."
...
"Can you discuss the comparison of combat strength between beasts and warriors? Also, can you talk about sacred beasts and divine beasts?" Eddie asked, eager to gauge his own strength and understand the classification of his beasts, especially Little Wenli, as either a sacred or divine beast.
"Certainly, I'll now discuss the relationship between beasts and warriors and how to cultivate sacred and divine beasts!" Granny Wendy's calm statement sent shockwaves through the class.
Cultivate sacred and divine beasts? How could that be possible? Can they truly be nurtured through human efforts?