Yang Feng walked toward Sheng Li.
Sheng Li heard the footsteps and looked up. Seeing it was Yang Feng, he smiled. "You're quite punctual, exactly at 11 o'clock."
Yang Feng nodded and bowed. "Yang Feng greets Senior."
Sheng Li's smile widened in approval. "No need for that. Please, sit and relax."
He waved his hand, tucking the book away in his space ring.
Yang Feng straightened his back and sat opposite Sheng Li.
Without wasting time, Sheng Li got straight to the point. "From your school's Astral Veil report, we learned about you."
After every Astral Veil, each school submits a report on how many students resonated with Beastmaster relics, including relevant data to federation.
"In your school, only three people resonated with Celestial Relics."
Yang Feng was surprised but not overly so. After all, after the 'surprises' from Cody, he had grown more resilient to shock. Normally there won't be a single Supreme Relic resonance in a school, but now there are three.
Seeing Yang Feng's calm reaction, Sheng Li continued. "The first was Ming Chen, the second was Miss Ao, and the third is you, Student Yang."
"Ming Chen joined Nightshade Academy, while Miss Ao... well, that's a different situation."
Yang Feng nodded, surprised by Ming Chen's resonance with a Celestial Relic. He had been a notorious bully in high school. Alas universe was unfair.
Sheng Li paused, giving Yang Feng a chance to ask something.
Yang Feng blinked a few times before speaking. "Senior Sheng, I've decided to join Skyfire Beastmaster Institute. As a supreme relic resonator, what benefits can I expect?"
Sheng Li blinked, surprised by the directness of the question.
He had already investigated Yang Feng's background. The young man came from a poor family, was honest, and lacked schemes. In fact, you could say he was naïve.
As for Ao Xing, although he didn't know much, it seemed that Ao Xing and Yang Feng were close, with their families not factoring into things.
Sheng Li smiled quickly replied, "First, call me Teacher Sheng, Student Yang."
Yang Feng nodded, and Sheng Li continued, "The only benefit you'll receive is direct enrollment into the Celestial Class. As for everything else, you'll follow the same rules as everyone else: do missions, earn points, and use points in our internal database for whatever you wish to purchase."
"Celestial class only contain people with Celestial Relics."
Yang Feng reluctantly nodded with a wry smile and thought. /Yes, yes. Equivalent exchange. Who would know that better than me?/
(Cody: Heh, Heh)
Sheng Li chuckled at Yang Feng's reluctance and changed the subject. "Let's not discuss Skyfire Beastmaster Institute any further. You'll find out everything in due time."
He paused, then asked, "You haven't contracted a beast yet, right?"
Yang Feng shrugged off his previous reluctance and nodded.
Sheng Li stood and gestured. "Then let's go. I'll help you summon your first beast."
Yang Feng hesitated and then added, somewhat embarrassed, "I... I don't have any cultivation skills."
Sheng Li froze, turned toward him, his expression serious. After a long moment, he asked, "I shouldn't pry, but what is your relic?"
Yang Feng hesitated, but Sheng Li quickly reassured him. "Don't worry. Everything in the universe is balanced. So, some very powerful relics come with powerful restrictions. I just want to know your relic to find a suitable cultivation technique."
Yang Feng's mouth twitched. There may be restrictions, but I still have no idea what price I'll pay for Cody in the future.
(Cody: Don't worry, Yang boy. You won't be ready anyway.)
Yang Feng finally spoke. "My relic is the Nine Element Divine Codex."
As Yang Feng spoke, he took out Cody, disguised as a black book with a golden formation on top.
Sheng Li studied the book closely for a moment.
The golden formation had eight corners, each symbolizing an element, with the central symbol representing time.
Sheng Li took a moment to absorb the details before sitting back down.
Yang Feng quietly put the Codex away.
No one seemed to notice, as if they had become invisible.
Sheng Li's looked at Yang Feng, his gaze burning with curiosity. "It should grant you affinity with all nine elements. The main restriction must be the elemental clash, and your lack of a cultivation technique is likely a result of that."
"You'll need to find a technique to balance these elements."
Yang Feng was stunned. Sheng Li had deduced so much from just the name of his relic and its disguised form.
What startled him more was that a proper cultivation technique could manage the elemental clash. That might explain why Cody hadn't provided him with one. It felt like a deliberate withholding of information.
Yang Feng's heart skipped a beat. If the lack of a cultivation technique wasn't the true price of Cody's presence, what could it be?
A bad feeling stirred in his chest.
Is Cody using me.
Or am I going to become its puppet.
He was snapped from his thoughts when Sheng Li called his name again.
"Student Yang, what are you thinking?"
Yang Feng quickly composed himself and complimented with a smile. "Teacher Sheng, you're amazing. You figured everything out just from hearing the name of my relic and seeing it."
Sheng Li initially thought Yang Feng was flattering him, but when he saw the sincerity in his eyes, he smiled. "It's nothing. Every teacher at Skyfire Beastmaster Institute is more knowledgeable than I am."
Sheng Li couldn't resist bragging about the Institute.
Then, his expression grew serious once more. "Come with me."
Yang Feng nodded and stood quickly. They entered the lift and ascended to the fifth floor.
Unlike the first and second floors, which were large halls, the fifth floor was divided into rooms.
Yang Feng and Sheng Li arrived at one of the rooms, and Sheng Li swiped a card on the scanner next to the door.
The door slid open, and they both entered.
Inside, stones embedded in the walls provided light, and a formation was etched into the floor. The only other items in the room were a couple of chairs on the side.
Sheng Li walked to the center of the room and sat cross-legged, gesturing for Yang Feng to do the same.
Yang Feng complied without obediently.
Sheng Li spoke, his tone serious. "Although the elemental clash of nine elements will be more intense than dual or triple elements..."
Yang Feng nodded, already aware of that.
"But," Sheng Li continued, "it's not as severe as you might think."
Yang Feng furrowed his brows in confusion. This wasn't what he had expected.
Sheng Li explained, "Light and Darkness are completely opposite. They can never coexist, so it's impossible to practice both at the same time. Hence fallen angels abandon light element."
"But with nine elements, you can use one element to suppress conflicting elements and continue. There may not be a precedent for this in a single creature, but you can try. You have a long journey ahead."
He paused to let Yang Feng absorb the information.
Finally, he added, "As for a cultivation technique..."