As laughter echoed through the hall, the mentor of the Imperial Capital Academy, Lu Yiming, frowned deeply, his sharp gaze fixed on Ye Chenfeng. Unlike the younger students around him, Lu Yiming wasn't fooled by appearances. As an experienced mentor, he had a keen sense for magical fluctuations, and something about Ye Chenfeng's aura felt off—unsettlingly powerful.
The depth and density of Ye Chenfeng's magic power were leagues apart from that of the students around him. It was so pronounced that, had Lu Yiming not already reviewed Ye Chenfeng's file, he might have mistaken him for a new mentor sent from the Magic City.
A high-level magician? Lu Yiming thought, his shock barely concealed. Could Mingzhu Academy really have sent a high-level mage to compete against us?
His mind raced, cycling through the implications. This must be cheating—or at the very least, a blatant show of arrogance. After all, according to Mu Ningxue, Ye Chenfeng was supposed to be from the same cohort as her. What was Mingzhu Academy trying to prove?
Lu Yiming recalled a scene vividly: a student surpassing expectations, breaking through to the high-level mage tier within two years. The comparison left a bitter taste. And what about the Imperial Capital Academy? Could any of our students achieve the same in that timeframe? Surely not.
The thought gnawed at him. As the foremost university in the country, their institution boasted the finest aristocrats and the most promising young talents. Yet here was Mingzhu, flaunting their superiority. Worse, their captain hadn't even needed to lift a finger, and they'd still won.
"Hey, little brother," Lu Yiming finally asked, his voice heavy with suspicion. "Have you really broken through to the high-level tier?"
The students froze, their disbelief palpable.
"Teacher, are you joking?" Lu Zhenghe asked, his voice cracking.
"That's impossible!" Xu Dalong chimed in, shaking his head vehemently.
Among the murmurs of denial, the students of Mingzhu Academy watched with smug amusement, their expressions practically daring someone to challenge the truth.
The Imperial Capital students, however, clung to skepticism. Surely this overwhelming aura could be explained by a magical artifact or some rare celestial treasure. There was no way a mere student could wield magic at such a level. After all, the Imperial Capital was a place teeming with nobility and prodigies—where top scores were the baseline, and competition was relentless.
As disbelief lingered in the air, one person's perspective shifted: Mu Ningxue.
Initially distracted by her irritation at Ye Chenfeng's antics, she now began to sense the vast disparity in magic power between them. Yesterday, this difference hadn't been nearly so stark.
Could it be? Is he really a high-level mage?
Ye Chenfeng, meanwhile, smiled enigmatically, offering no confirmation or denial. His silence only deepened the mystery.
When the competition between the two schools finally concluded, Mingzhu Academy emerged victorious, and rumors spread like wildfire.
"What? Mingzhu's captain didn't even have to compete to win?"
"This has to be a joke!"
Yet, inquiries into the results only revealed more startling truths. Tales of Ye Chenfeng's overwhelming magical prowess—a fusion of fire and ice systems that boosted the power of starlight magic—began to circulate. Some even claimed his spells were devastating enough to maim or kill effortlessly.
Back in Shanghai, Dean Xiao and Director Zhou Zhenghua celebrated the news with disbelief and delight. Their team had achieved total victory without needing their captain to step onto the field.
"Bring out the 1972 Lafite!" Dean Xiao declared, eager to toast to Mingzhu Academy's newfound dominance.
Amid the rising fame, Ye Chenfeng found himself on a newly minted talent list, topping names like Mu Ningxue and Mo Fan.
"Old Ye, you're ranked first!" Zhao Manyan exclaimed, holding up his phone for everyone to see.
Ye Chenfeng waved dismissively. "Keep it low-key. It's just basic stuff."
However, the buzz around him refused to die down. Teachers debated his talent, some reluctantly acknowledging that such innate ability was rare, even among prodigies.
Still, one teacher, Qiu Yuhua, tried to maintain her professional composure. "Talent is just a small gift bestowed by the heavens. Without hard work, it amounts to nothing. I've seen plenty of geniuses fail to make a name for themselves."
"...But he's already a high-level mage," Teacher Gu Han interjected quietly.
Qiu Yuhua fell silent, her earlier confidence evaporating. Why do I even bother?
As the students prepared for their next phase of training—this time outside the safety of the Anjie—Teacher Li Jing delivered a chilling warning:
"There will be no protective measures this time. If you encounter danger, no one will save you."
Ye Chenfeng merely smiled, already prepared to face whatever lay ahead.