As the annual assessment drew closer, Mo Fan approached the Star Sense Stone. Ye Chenfeng watched intently, his eyes narrowing. Here we go! he thought. When the stone stabilized on a B-grade reading, Mu Zhuoyun commented dismissively, "Well, as expected."
Ye Chenfeng sighed in relief. Thank goodness Mo Fan really is the Mo Fan from the original timeline. If he hadn't traveled here, things could get messy. Though Mo Fan was known to avoid anything unprofitable, the universe still seemed to need him. Watching the light fade, Ye Chenfeng's thoughts drifted: I wouldn't be able to take on all this by myself, after all.
As the examiners moved on, a sudden, mature voice interrupted them. Tang Yue's seductive tone caught everyone's attention. Ye Chenfeng's eyebrows arched slightly. Tang Yue, huh?
Tang Yue pointed out a problem with the Star Sense Stone, and the examiners quickly discovered a dark, foreign object lodged within it. Though surprised, Mu He hastily attempted to brush off the issue. The retest produced an "S" rating. Good, Mo Fan's destiny is still intact, thought Ye Chenfeng, reassured that his arrival hadn't altered Mo Fan's role in events.
Mu Zhuoyun, stroking his beard, called Mo Fan over. "We recently acquired some rare fire-type resources, but we're an ice-element family. Since you have some talent in fire, we thought we'd gift them to you."
Mo Fan's expression hardened, and Ye Chenfeng found himself smirking. Ah, the audacity of the Mu family. They suppressed his family only to now feign generosity.
"Are you crazy?" Mo Fan replied.
"What did you say?" Mu Zhuoyun demanded, taken aback.
Mo Fan stood firm. "You think I'd forget how you treated my family three years ago?"
Ye Chenfeng watched as Mo Fan defiantly rebuffed Mu Zhuoyun. That's the spirit! he thought. Though it had seemed amusing in the novels, seeing it live gave him an odd satisfaction.
As they exited the school, Mu Ningxue approached Ye Chenfeng, her expression soft but cautious. Ah, Ningxue. Still so graceful. Ye Chenfeng exaggerated a friendly smile, greeting her with a playful tone, "Oh, Ningxue, long time no see!" She looked at him briefly, nodded, and continued on, clearly unaffected by his antics. She knew he wouldn't act frivolously.
Later, as Xinxia's school was ending, Ye Chenfeng waited in an alley nearby. He spotted her and leapt out to cover her eyes, laughing, "Guess who?"
"Brother Chenfeng!" she gasped in delight.
Ye Chenfeng grinned, "So, what kind of magic did you and Mo Fan awaken?"
Smiling, Xinxia replied, "I awakened the healing element, and Mo Fan has lightning."
Ye Chenfeng gave a knowing smile. "Are you sure? I thought he might have awakened fire…"
Xinxia looked confused, but at that moment, Mo Fan himself appeared, chuckling. Realizing the conversation's topic, Mo Fan shrugged and grinned. "Alright, alright, I won't keep it hidden. I'm a dual-element genius!"
Xinxia blinked in surprise. "Brother Mo Fan's talent is like Brother Chenfeng's."
Mo Fan was taken aback. "Wait… You're a dual-element too?"
Ye Chenfeng shook his head. "Not quite. I have a combined element—both fire and ice, sharing one stardust."
Mo Fan gaped in awe, realizing Ye Chenfeng's unique talent. "Damn, I almost feel like calling you my big brother!"
Ye Chenfeng chuckled modestly, gesturing him to keep it low-key. But before they left, Ye Chenfeng leaned closer, his tone confident, "Mo Fan, the duel with Yu Ang is inevitable."
Mo Fan grinned, punching the air, "Absolutely! You'll be there to back me up, right?"
Ye Chenfeng laughed. "Count on it. But don't worry about yourself. You have no idea what kind of mess is coming my way."