"What is going on here?" Han Jun thought to himself, completely at a loss.
"You are the first students to pass my test so easily. I must say you have really surprised me," Teacher Zhang smiled as she readjusted her glasses. She looked at Yue Bing and asked, "Tell this teacher how you managed to know that the question was for you."
Han Jun was confused. "???"
Yue Bing smiled and stood up. "When you pointed at him, your middle finger dropped down at the very last moment. Many might not know the symbolism of gestures or might probably ignore it, but I know and understand it, so I couldn't ignore it. It's a lesson for an Ice element cultivator to study someone very well, and that is what I did. I studied you thoroughly. Your simple practice might confuse someone else, but for someone whose state of mind is almost perfect like mine, it's easy to catch the meaning in time. I am not only an Ice element cultivator but also a thinker; I calmly calculate the air around you to prove that the question was for me," she explained.
"How intelligent! What a talent!" Teacher Zhang exclaimed, clapping three times to express her happiness. "And you... why didn't you respond when I asked the question?" Teacher Zhang looked at Han Jun, her gaze fixed on him.
Han Jun, still struggling to accept the sudden turn of events, blinked twice. He couldn't possibly say that he knew nothing, which is why he didn't speak, could he? He stared fixedly at Teacher Zhang, trying to confirm if the question was directed at him or not. It seemed to be, as her gaze was glued to him. He cleared his throat lightly and stood up. His eyes glowed unnoticed, and his voice resonated.
"Indeed... I was about to reply when you pointed at me, but at that very last moment, your body language explained things, which means 'female,' so I kept quiet."
Upon hearing Han Jun's words, Yue Bing suddenly looked at him, a mixed expression on her face, and tears welled up in her eyes, unnoticed by anyone.
"Haha! Good! If the academy has students as intelligent as you both, we will never be oppressed again," Teacher Zhang said emotionally.
Han Jun seemed to come back to his senses. "What was my reply?" he thought to himself in confusion when he saw Teacher Zhang's happy expression. "Wait, don't tell me I was possessed just now," he thought.
"Alright, you both show me your student ID and qualification token," Teacher Zhang instructed after composing herself.
Yue Bing was the first to present her qualification token and student ID. Her ID was a second-grade ID, and her token was blue in color. Aside from the color and element, there was no difference between her token and Han Jun's own.
After thorough verification, Teacher Zhang returned her ID and token to her, and then checked Han Jun's as well. After verifying, she returned his items too. "Good, you both should go back to your seats," she said.
Han Jun and Yue Bing nodded and returned to their seats.
"Alright, because of our talented new students who just joined us, I will give a brief explanation about Third Square, Class A, Fire and Ice Cultivators Class. You must be wondering why the two elements are combined in one class," she said with a smile directed towards Yue Bing. "These elements are indeed opposites, and one of the reasons they are joined together in this class is due to their opposition. While it can cause significant damage to a cultivator if one tries to cultivate both, they can be incredibly powerful when combined to launch an attack. Sure, the Ice element is supposed to remain solitary, but it has some advantages over Fire, which you will discover as you study and practice harder. Any questions?" she asked.
"Yes!" Han Jun stood up. "As far as I know, it's supposed to be Water that combines with Ice, since it is Water that results in Ice. Why is it Fire?" he asked in confusion, eager to learn.
Teacher Zhang smiled and picked up a large book from her table. She walked over to Han Jun and handed it to him. "This question is already known to the students in this class, but I will answer you since you are a new student. Water is indeed the mother of Ice, but Fire isn't complete opposite. Do you know that when Fire interacts with Ice, it changes back to Water and becomes hot? The heat does not transform the Water into a Water element any longer, but rather to Fire," she explained after Han Jun took the book from her.
"Wu Dong, come here. Zi Chen, come here," Teacher Zhang suddenly called.
"Here comes another trouble," Zi Chen muttered as he stepped out.
"Let's have a little practice on how the Ice element is successfully turned into the Water element. Build a snowball, Wu Dong," Teacher Zhang said, readjusting her glasses.
"Yes," Wu Dong replied, spreading her palm wide. Slowly and calmly, she built a huge snowball and set it down gently on the ground.
Teacher Zhang adjusted her glasses again. "You've improved. I'm proud of you; it only took you a quarter of an hour to build it successfully. However, even though you've improved, it's still too slow and, quite frankly, rather useless in battle," she said.
"I understand, Teacher. I will work harder," Wu Dong replied with a respectful bow.
"That's good," Teacher Zhang commented, walking over to her desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out an iron bowl. "Here." She let the bowl hover in the air. "Fill it with ice cubes until it's full," she instructed.
"Yes," Wu Dong responded. With a swift motion of her hands, the bowl began to fill with ice cubes, each one appearing with a gentle push of icy force from Wu Dong, who focused intently.
Teacher Zhang nodded in satisfaction. "Now it's your turn, Zi Chen. Melt the ice," she instructed.
Zi Chen looked at Teacher Zhang for a moment before clasping his hands together. He opened his palms towards the bowl and ignited a vibrant flame, sending flickers of fire dancing toward the bowl. The flames enveloped the bowl, burning fiercely, and the sound of something boiling soon filled the air.
"Twenty painstaking minutes? Are you even serious about your studies, Zi Chen?" Teacher Zhang snapped, readjusting her glasses in irritation.
"As expected," Zi Chen thought to himself, slightly lowering his head.
"I will get back at you," Teacher Zhang said with a furrowed brow, glaring at the bowl, which was still trapped in flames. "Do I need to remind you to withdraw the fire now?" she almost shouted in frustration.
"Oh!" Zi Chen suddenly returned to reality and quickly extinguished the flames with a wave of his hand.
Teacher Zhang cast another glance at Zi Chen before sending them back to their seats. She took the bowl and moved closer to the ice ball. "This is why hot water can't be considered water any longer." She slowly poured the extremely hot water onto the ice ball, and it began to melt away. She walked to her desk and placed the empty bowl on the table. "Water cannot hurt water, but fire can. The same applies to cultivators of ice and fire. That's why ice and fire are interconnected here; it helps you understand the weaknesses and strengths of both elements. This knowledge is crucial when you face an opponent who cultivates the opposite element. Water is an exception, as it's the source of ice. While it can dissolve ice, it can also transform into ice. However, fire can never do that," she explained and looked at Han Jun. "Do you understand now?"
Han Jun nodded.
The book in your grip is a brief introduction to the ice element and more about the fire element. You should read it well and return it once you're finished. "Teacher Zhang said."
Han Jun nodded again, his gaze fixed on the book.
Any more questions? "she asked, but no one replied." Since there are no more questions, let's move on to today's business. "She said and returned to her desk, picking up something similar to chalk from the table to write on the board." Today…..
It's Already Afternoon, The Nonfiction Bell Rang Loudly.
"That's all for today; see you another time," Teacher Zhang said as she left the class with her books.
"Great goodness, that old female devil finally left! But weird, why didn't she assign us homework today?" Zi Chen murmured, glancing at Han Jun, who was staring intently at the book in front of him.
"Captain, are you contemplating how long it will take you to finish this big book? If you don't want to read it, you don't have to; you can keep it for a few days and return it later. She isn't a cultivator; she can't detect whether you've read it or not," Zi Chen whispered into Han Jun's ear from behind.
Han Jun seemed to snap back to reality at Zi Chen's whisper, blinking several times. "Is there anything else to learn today?" he asked in a strange tone.
Zi Chen frowned slightly but then relaxed his brows. "Class is over today; we only have class tomorrow. But if you ask me, I really hope something happens so that the class would be canceled. I'm sure that old female devil would fight to come here tomorrow; if not because of you, then it will be because of her," he said, glancing at Yue Bing.
Han Jun also looked towards Yue Bing. "Why did you say that?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her.
"Tsk, ever since I've known her, today is the first day she smiled and went back to class introduction. She even patiently answered your questions in full detail. It's very evident that she has taken a liking to both of you or one of you," Zi Chen explained while grinning mischievously.
Han Jun seemed to notice something in Zi Chen's voice and gave him a weird look. "What is with that expression of yours?" He raised his brows suspiciously.