The rest of the class watched with astonishment at Princess Shasha, who had just undergone an instantaneous transformation. Noble as she was, it was unbelievable to see her so enthusiastically engaged—this was completely at odds with their impression of her as cold and aloof.
Prince Sharon's eyes sparkled brightly, and his peerlessly gentle and handsome face was touched with a hint of tenderness as he indulgently gazed at the little figure at the doorway. Although he was not as impetuous as Shasha, he couldn't help but feel excited.
"Is it you?" Instructor Luo Feng's graceful body trembled, a look of surprise rising on her beautiful face, "It's still class time, how could you be here?" She asked the girl at the door with exceptional gentleness, making the students in the class widen their eyes in disbelief. Was this still their cold and stern Instructor Luo Feng?
"By the order of Dean Lei Ming, Leng Zhiyan has come to report," Zhiyan nodded, looking past Shasha and speaking towards Instructor Luo Feng at the podium.
Boom, the room erupted into turmoil, and everyone stared at the girl with faces full of shock. What had she just said? By the order of Dean Lei Ming?
Could it be that she was well acquainted with the helmsman of Youlan Academy, Dean Lei Ming?
This thought, once it emerged, immediately unsettled the onlookers.
Dean Lei Ming, oh, what a revered and towering figure he was! As the custodian of Youlan Academy, he was like a deity in their hearts. And this youngster in front of them had made contact with a god in their minds?
"Are you saying you've met Dean Lei Ming?" The blue-robed young man asked, his eyes burning with intensity as he looked at Zhiyan, his chest heaving with impassioned fervor.
Swish, swish, swish, over fifty pairs of eyes focused on Zhiyan like spotlights, a uniform mixture of envy and jealousy on their faces.
Zhiyan's mouth twitched slightly, recalling the silver-haired, youthful-faced Dean Lei Ming and feeling suddenly speechless inside. Alright, she hadn't found him to be that powerful, at least, he didn't display any airs in front of her.
"I have," Zhiyan nodded, responding naturally, her eyes landing on Prince Sharon in the third row as a light smile curved her lips.
Prince Sharon's heart skipped a beat, his handsome face, as smooth as jade, blushed faintly, his eyes brimming with fervor and joy.
"You mean to say Dean Lei Ming sent you here to report?" Instructor Luo Feng, one hand on her waist and the other clutching at her collar, asked breathlessly. Did this little one mean to attend her class?
"May I?" Zhiyan didn't answer but counter-questioned, her clear eyes meeting the skeptical look on Instructor Luo Feng's face.
Boom, a thunderclap seemed to explode in her mind. Instructor Luo Feng's body shook, and her mouth gaped open into an 'O' shape. Was she dreaming? Or was this little girl deliberately mocking her because she had openly refused Princess Shasha's earlier suggestion?
Instructor Luo Feng, dressed in her water-pink attire, stood frozen in place, the look of surprise etched on her face for a long moment, until the stirring within the room snapped her out of her trance.
"Yes, of course! Quickly, you guys go and bring a brand-new desk, put it there—yes, right next to Princess Shasha," instructed Luo Feng excitedly, her face alight with enthusiasm.
A prodigy, a talent seen only once in a century! At such a young age she'd reached the mid-grade level of a Mid-level Sage and was a frighteningly gifted nine-year-old Alchemist. Such talent was unparalleled across the mainland; one might search with a torch and still struggle to find a second such prodigy. And now, this prodigy among prodigies was willing to join their class.
It was like a pie had fallen from the sky—Instructor Luo Feng had stumbled upon the impossible.
"She couldn't be that nine-year-old alchemist, could she?" a whispered voice rose, causing everyone to shudder violently and stare in astonishment at the little girl in front of them.
A nine-year-old alchemist? Rumored to also be a Mid-level Sage of the Mid-grade, was this legendary figure who had been the talk of the school just three days ago now standing right in front of them?
All the young boys and girls looked on with fervent gazes and faces full of admiration, the classroom bursting into an uproar, while the center of attention, Leng Zhiyan, sat indifferently in the seat that originally belonged to Shasha, with the noble Princess Shasha forcing a smile beside her, and Prince Sharon was even more astonishing as he magically offered her a cup of hot tea.
"Excuse me, is Student Leng Zhiyan here?" a deep, masculine voice rang out, causing everyone to turn their heads in surprise toward the door.
"Instructor Luo Feng, is there something you need?" Luo Feng's voice softened, his gaze ardently fixed on the newcomer.
The man was tall and robust, with handsome features, casually tossed ink-black hair, dressed in a purple shirt, exuding an indescribable air of casual elegance and a graceful aura, bearing a slight resemblance to Dean Lei Ming.
"My father sends a message, Student Leng Zhiyan's dormitory has been arranged in the quadrangle, this is an Amethyst Bracelet. Before entering, drip blood to claim it as yours. With it, there's no need to worry about the academy's formations," the man said, lifting his head and spotting Zhiyan instantly. With a raise of his hand, a sparkling Amethyst Bracelet flew swiftly towards Yanyan.
Gasp, the crowd drew in a sharp breath, staring in shock at the bracelet; Amethyst, it was actually made of Amethyst. Just the value of one Amethyst Bead on it was considerable. No, the focus wasn't on the value of the Amethyst Bracelet but rather the significance it symbolized behind it. Whoever possessed this bracelet could move unimpeded within the quadrangles.
"Wow, she can actually stay in the quadrangles?" a boy asked almost muttering, his gaze fixed in a daze.
"Seems like it." someone replied, and the whole class fell silent.
To reside in the quadrangles was such an immense honor. It was said that within the quadrangles, the Spiritual Energy was dense; those who lived there would find it difficult not to improve. Being able to stay there signified not only extraordinary talent but also foretold an exceptional future. Everyone, including Instructor Luo Feng, looked enviously at Zhiyan, their eyes ablaze with a burning desire.
"Ah, Little Yanyan is amazing, she can really stay in the quadrangles!" Shasha exclaimed with a high-pitched scream, excitedly hugging Yanyan's shoulders, while Sharon shook intensely before his eyes overflowed with a gentle joy. Someone like her indeed qualified to stay in the quadrangles.
Taking hold of the Amethyst Bracelet, Zhiyan glanced at it briefly before looking up at Lei Ming, who awaited her response, "Thank you for the Dean's kind offer, but may I decline? I wish to live with Princess Shasha." Her crisp, youthful voice rang out, like a thunderbolt that instantaneously shattered everyone's illusions.
Lei Nuo's gaze faltered, surprised as he looked at the delicate girl. The quadrangles, a place everyone dreamed of and envied, she had just declined without a moment's hesitation. Did she really know what she was doing?
If she didn't, he wouldn't mind taking the time to explain it to her all over again.
"The quadrangles are nice, but they aren't what I desire," she replied softly, firmly, and earnestly, once again leaving Lei Nuo at a loss for words. So, it wasn't that she didn't know; she just didn't want it.
What?
Over fifty boys and girls stretched their necks, eyes widening as they struggled to digest the meaning of those words.
A second passed, and the classroom was eerily silent, ten seconds passed, and everyone gaped in amazement, thirty seconds passed, and with a snap, the string in their minds broke, as they came back to their senses from their bewilderment with an expression as if looking at an idiot. Goodness, the quadrangles, did she think it was a marketplace where you could just come and go as you please?
The tall and noble Dean offered you an Amethyst Bracelet out of goodwill, a sign of his respect for you, and you blatantly disregarded his face, do you know what refusing an order means?