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Night had fallen, and sitting in front of the bamboo house by the blue sky and sea, Qin Shang's figure seemed somewhat desolate, with an ancient zither lying across the table before him.
"Yin Zhu must have arrived in Milan by now. Have you seen him? Nina, oh Nina, do you know how much I long to see you? But I cannot, my shoulders bear too much, far too much.
Flowing Water runs high and serene into the night, entering my ears with clarity.
Its nimble intent understood, without a word, a single string resounds.
The cool and melodious tones turn into verses, entrusting my words to you, listen closely.
A piece of my heart's desire, fate won't let the flute and zither miss each other in this life, leaving behind the most beautiful musical bond, right here.
She arrives leisurely, carrying your favorite zither, making tonight even more exquisite.
Under the thousand-mile radiance, cherishing the moon's company.
I play a tune to send my thoughts to you, wholeheartedly, there within lies my steadfast heart."
The zither sounded, tears fell; though it was not the Haiyue Qinhui Zither, at this moment, when Qin Shang's hands touched the zither strings, his thoughts had already submerged into the depths of ancient memories.
Yin Zhu hadn't worn the Moon God's Protection, but he had already put on the Mind Protection and the Life Guardian. Although Nina had appeared fierce today upon learning he was Grandpa Qin's disciple, aside from a profound sense of sorrow, he could clearly feel Nina's deep yearning for Grandpa Qin. Nina gave him a feeling akin to kinship.
The Mind Protection was a silver necklace, forged from an unknown metal, with a heart-shaped silver gemstone set in the pendant. As soon as Ye Yinzhu put it on, the gemstone unexpectedly attached itself to his chest, and a strange elemental fluctuation merged perfectly with his spiritual power. His mind seemed to become more lucid, and his spiritual power was compressed into a more solid form under the influence of that intangible elemental energy.
The Life Guardian, about an inch wide, fitted snugly around the wrist, right against the skin. With a total of eight light green gemstones inlaid in the blue metal, a gentle energy connected with the heart meridian, producing a warm sensation. All three magical products were related to defense, and even though Yin Zhu was unfamiliar with these items, he could sense their value.
"Hey, you've been sitting there for ages, not sleeping or meditating, what are you thinking about?" Sura asked curiously from her bed.
"Ah!" Yin Zhu startled from his reverie, "Nothing much. The freshman competition starts in two days."
Sura chuckled, her large eyes still bright in the night, "You're really going to participate, huh? Don't get your hopes up, your Divine Music Department won't stand a chance. Better rest up early. It would be wiser for you to think about your future."
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Two days passed quickly, and every day when Ye Yinzhu arrived at the Divine Music Department, Nina would gather the five of them to arrange the tactics for the upcoming competition. She seemed to have forgotten about the incident that day and didn't pay much extra attention to Ye Yinzhu anymore. However, beneath her stern facade, her gaze occasionally revealed a touch of gentleness.
Under the shining golden sun, the Milan Magic Martial Academy was filled with vibrant life, with plants of various shapes releasing the freshest air under the sun's rays. Although the location was close to the northern end of the continent, the temperature remained quite comfortable due to summer.
Besides the central district, more than two-thirds of the Milan Magic Martial Academy's area was comprised of the training fields of the various departments; after all, both magical and martial skills required ample space for practice. Today, the training fields were especially lively as over ten main fields were hosting the freshman competition.
A large number of new students and students from other grades gathered around the arenas where the competitions were held, and the most popular was Training Field No.6, where today's competition between the Divine Music and Water departments was taking place.
The Divine Music Department's training field was the auditorium where the new students had taken their tests before, which obviously was not suitable for competition. Therefore, after determining the order of competition through drawing lots, the competition had to be held at the Water Department's training field.
Training Field No.6 spanned over a thousand square meters, as all departmental magic required a certain range to be executed, and this area was not considered very large. Theoretically, as this was the Water Department's training field, their students should have made up the majority of the spectators. But at this moment, nearly six thousand people had already gathered around Training Field No.6, more than ten times the number of Water Department students. The reason was simple; since the establishment of the Milan Magic Martial Academy, it was the first time for the Divine Music freshmen to compete, and the nobly born beauties of the Divine Music Department had an extremely high reputation in Milan. It was well known that the majority choosing to become Divine Music Masters were from the highest echelons of nobility, the only ones who didn't need to worry about their future livelihoods. Who could say that among this year's freshmen, there weren't princesses from the countries across the Ryuzakinus Continent?
"Divine Music! Divine Music! Divine Music…" The cheering, like surging waves, rose and fell in succession. Even some of the Water Department students were cheering for the Divine Music Department. No one expected the Divine Music Department to win, but to see so many beautiful women from the Divine Music Department was the desire of all male students. If someone could leave a good impression on the beauties, it would be a stroke of immense luck.
There were twenty seats on the spectator stand of Training Field No.6, which were usually meant for the Water Department teachers to watch students practice. But now, it became a place for teachers from both the Water and Divine Music departments to watch the competition. Director Nina sat in the central position, and by her side sat the Water Department head, an Intermediate Blue rank Sorcerer, Wagner. Teachers from both departments were seated on either side. Fortunately, most of the Water Department's teachers were female, so the Divine Music Department's beautiful teachers weren't harassed much. After all, the beauty of the Divine Music teachers was as famed as that of their students.
"Director Nina, I originally thought the rumors of the Divine Music Department participating in the competition were just that, rumors. I never expected it to be true," Wagner said, a thin little old man who looked at Nina with a sly smile.
Nina didn't even glance at him, her eyes fixed on the students of both departments who had already entered the field, replying indifferently, "As the Number One System of the Milan Magic Martial School, why shouldn't the Divine Music Department participate? You'd better think about how to keep your Water Department from finishing last in the freshman competition again."
"You…" Wagner was greatly embarrassed. Water Attribute magic was generally weaker, with healing not on par with the Light Attribute, and offensive magic required at least the Green rank to truly show its power. So, in previous freshman competitions, they often finished last. And those who chose the Water Department mostly came from modest backgrounds; the Water Department had the highest number of working-study Mages. This meant that the students didn't have sufficient wealth to purchase advanced magical products.
"Since it's a competition for all freshmen, it is natural for the Divine Music Department to participate," an elderly voice sounded behind them. Nina and Wagner both turned around in surprise, only to find an old man dressed in a pale Jinse Magic Robe who had appeared behind them without notice.
Even the always proud Nina stood up immediately upon seeing this person, respectfully saying, "Dean Fergerson, hello."
Wagner, surprised, said, "Dean Fergerson, you're here too?"
Dean Fergerson smiled slightly, the wrinkles on his face deep enough to trap any bean, "With the Divine Music Department in the fray, naturally, I have to show support for Director Nina. I believe there must be outstanding freshmen in the Divine Music Department this year." He understood Nina better than Wagner did. Nina's pride was renowned across the Milan Empire – if there was no certainty of success, the attack-lacking Divine Music Department wouldn't stand in today's field.