Many people had already gathered on the square.
Most were young men and women in the prime of their youth, and the majority were novices who had not yet stepped onto the path of cultivation.
After scanning the crowd, Yun Fei shifted her gaze away, losing interest.
The midday bell rang.
The distant, ancient sound seemed to contain a special spiritual power, silencing the discussions and whispers of the crowd.
Soon after, an array 1 meter in diameter appeared in midair.
As the array flickered, a figure gradually manifested upon it, finally taking physical form.
It was a man dressed in dark robes with a solemn and grave expression.
Judging by his appearance alone, he seemed like the type of person who handled matters with serious precision.
His deep eyes swept across the field.
Yun Fei wondered if it was just an illusion, but his gaze seemed to linger on her for a moment.
“Everyone, I am Fu Changfeng, a Deacon of the Alchemy Academy—that is, this Alchemy Peak. You may refer to me as Deacon Fu.”
Fu Changfeng nodded slightly to the crowd before continuing.
“I am not a man who enjoys flourishes, so I will get straight to the point. I shall now announce the academy’s class assignments. For your year, the academy has designated four classes: Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D. Based on the principle of fairness and justice for most, these four classes are parallel, and student distribution is entirely random. Next, please look at these Spiritual Power Screens. Those who cannot see them may check your Smart Spirit Talismans.”
With a broad wave of Deacon Fu’s hand, four large screens appeared in the north, south, east, and west directions, displaying the lists for Classes A, B, C, and D.
“Shortly, the instructors in charge of the four classes will stand under their respective screens. Find your class and assemble. After that, simply follow the arrangements of your class instructor.”
After saying this, the array beneath Fu Changfeng’s feet flickered slightly, and his figure vanished.
After he left, a voice suddenly rang in Yun Fei’s mind.
It was a transmission from Deacon Fu.
“Yun Fei, correct? You have been accepted as a personal disciple by the Peak Master, so you will not participate in the class assignments. Someone will arrive to collect you shortly. Just wait where you are.”
Hearing this, Yun Fei nodded slightly to indicate she understood and then waited in place.
While waiting, she watched the people around her rushing to find their classes, feeling a surge of satisfaction.
‘Ah… so the “principle of fairness and justice for most” works like this? Special treatment? I have to say, it feels pretty good.’
While Yun Fei was enjoying her thoughts, her spirit talisman buzzed.
‘Who would message me at this time?’
Yun Fei lit up the talisman and saw that the person messaging her was actually labeled “Peak Master of the Alchemy Peak”!
She quickly opened it to check the message.
“Your senior sister is currently tied down with matters and cannot come to fetch you. I have contacted my cousin’s student. She happens to be near the square, so I’ve asked her to bring you over. Her name is Ye Yue. She isn’t very tall—just look for the shortest girl you can find.”
After reading the message, a wry smile played on Yun Fei’s face.
‘Ah… Ye Yue? Isn’t that the person who gave me the manual before? What a coincidence…’
Yun Fei deactivated the talisman and scanned the area a few times.
Finally, a few minutes later, she spotted a hurried little girl at the entrance.
However, her current situation seemed a bit… troublesome?
Several male freshmen were surrounding her, saying something while wearing expressions of concern, as if they were dealing with a lost little sister.
Looking at Ye Yue’s sour expression, she had to be feeling quite frustrated.
Since she was supposed to be the guide, Yun Fei decided to help her out of the predicament.
As she drew closer, Yun Fei could clearly hear the boys speaking.
“Hey, little girl, where did you come from? This isn’t a place for kids. Hurry up and go home!”
“I am not a child!”
“Sigh! Kids these days always say they aren’t kids. What you say doesn’t count. Go back now!”
“I…” ‘Damn it!’
Ye Yue clenched her fists.
It was obvious she was trying her best to restrain herself from attacking.
As a bystander, Yun Fei saw it clearly, but the boys acted as if they noticed nothing.
“Ah? Senior Sister? Why are you here?”
Yun Fei spoke up at the right moment, interrupting the boys as she stepped into the group.
“Sen… Senior Sister? What did you just say?”
The boys were stunned, looking at the intervening Yun Fei with suspicion.
Then they looked back at the little girl, her clenched fists, and her fierce, un-childlike glare.
A terrifying realization dawned on them!
“Oh no! This seems like a real senior student!”
“We’re doomed. What do we do? Will she retaliate?”
“I’m out of here. I need to go find my class. See… see ya!”
The boys scattered instantly, looking like they were fleeing for their lives, fearing Ye Yue would lose her temper and beat them until they couldn’t get out of bed.
“Phew… Oh! Thank you! You are… Ah! Why is it you?”
Ye Yue’s grateful expression vanished instantly.
She seemed a bit annoyed, but it only reached the level of displeasure rather than a full-blown outburst.
Clearly, after a period of cooling down, she had realized that her previous behavior of turning and leaving had been a bit petty.
“Hee-hee. Senior Sister is looking for someone, right?”
“Eh? How did you know? But speaking of looking for someone, my Martial Aunt didn’t even give me a photo. She just gave me a name. How am I supposed to find her?”
Ye Yue looked miserable, even grabbing her own hair and messing it up in frustration.
“Senior Sister, what I said before was wrong. Look at me; maybe I can help you?”
Yun Fei pointed to herself as she spoke to Ye Yue.
“You? Oh, right! Maybe you do know her! Her name is Yun Fei! Do you know who that is?”
Yun Fei tried her best to stifle her laughter, an amusing idea flashing through her mind.
“Yun Fei… Hmm… Yun Fei… I do know her.”
Yun Fei made a show of rubbing her chin, pretending to think.
“You know her! That’s great! Where is she?”
“Hee-hee. She is far across the world, yet right before your eyes.”
Yun Fei wore a mischievous smirk as she pointed at herself.
“Huh?!” Ye Yue’s eyes widened, looking like her brain had short-circuited.
Helpless, Yun Fei had to take out her Student Token and wave it in front of the girl’s eyes before she finally snapped out of it.
***
“I really didn’t expect a wicked person like you to be the Peak Master’s personal disciple. And you were accepted right after entering the academy while you’re still a primary student? It’s truly enviable…”
Apprenticing was a right reserved for those who graduated as intermediate students.
Even then, it was difficult for a graduating intermediate student to successfully enter the tutelage of an Elder, let alone for Yun Fei to go directly under the Peak Master.
How could that not provoke jealousy?
For Ye Yue, who was an intermediate student about to enter the advanced level, this was quite the blow.
Ye Yue was currently at Shattering Void Realm level 9, only one step away from entering the Heaven Burning Realm and becoming an advanced student.
She was currently a student of Qiu Ying, the cousin of the current Peak Master.
Once she became an advanced student and passed Qiu Ying’s assessment, she would officially become her disciple.
But that was the result of more than ten years of hard work, while this person, who was much younger than her, was already the Peak Master’s disciple as a primary student!
It was infuriating!
Was the gap between hard work and talent really this large?
Ye Yue began to doubt the universally accepted law of effort.
“Ah, haha…”
Yun Fei scratched her head.
“By the way, the Peak Master messaged me saying you’re her cousin’s student? What grade alchemist are you now?”
Yun Fei asked this to gauge where her own skills as a Grade 4 Alchemist stood.
She hadn’t had a way to check before.
“Me? I’m a Grade 5 Alchemist, Shattering Void Realm level 9. I expect to break through to the Heaven Burning Realm in one week. After that, I’ll be Elder Qiu’s disciple.”
‘A Grade 5 Alchemist… I’m almost Grade 5 myself.’ Yun Fei thought. ‘The level of this academy isn’t that impressive. I’m already at the level of intermediate or even some advanced students!’
“Who is Elder Qiu?”
“Oh, she’s the Peak Master’s cousin!”
“Oh… I see.”
“Alright, we’re here! This is the Peak Master’s residence!”
“Finally. Did we just climb from the foot of the mountain to the summit? Is it really this far?”
Yun Fei looked down but could only see thick clouds; the scenery below was invisible.
“Yes. Though the environment at the summit isn’t the best, it is quiet and we won’t be disturbed. Since I’ve delivered you, I’ll go find my teacher. By the way, I’m very confident in my apprenticeship assessment. My future master and your master have a good relationship, so the disciples of both houses address each other as sisters. From now on, you’re my junior sister! If you need anything, you can find me there.”
Ye Yue pointed to a slightly lower area where a cluster of buildings stood.
“That is our Alchemy Room. I’ve been preparing for the assessment lately, so I won’t be returning to my dormitory. I’ll be staying there.”
With that, Ye Yue flew away.
‘Speaking of which… if she only becomes Elder Qiu’s disciple later, then according to the rules of the Profane Realm… shouldn’t she be calling me “Senior Sister”?’
Yun Fei remembered that in the Profane Realm, seniority was determined by the order of entry.
Therefore, she felt Ye Yue’s words were biased.
“That is only the general rule. Here, we still prefer to determine seniority by age.”
At that moment, a figure appeared beside Yun Fei along with the voice, without causing even a ripple in the air.
Subconsciously, Yun Fei immediately took a wary stance and looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared.
The woman seemed different from the experts of the Profane Realm she usually saw.
She was not dressed in the typical, ethereal white robes, but in cherry-blossom pink attire, with dark green hair reaching her waist.
“You are…”
“Oh! I forgot you haven’t met me yet! I am your future master, Hua Li. I am also the person who pulled you back from the brink of death.”
Yun Fei’s body relaxed.
She realized that since this was the Peak Master’s territory, who else could be appearing here?
“Junior Yun Fei greets Master!”
Knowing the person’s identity, Yun Fei followed protocol, bowing slightly and clasping her hands toward Hua Li.
“Oh? Is this how the apprenticeship etiquette is in your Demon Realm? It’s certainly convenient. The red tape here in the Profane Realm requires disciples to kneel and kowtow. It’s much more of a hassle.”
“However, I didn’t expect you to acknowledge me as your master so easily. I made the decision unilaterally without your consent. Based on the intelligence I have on you, you aren’t usually this submissive.”
Hua Li crossed her arms, looking at Yun Fei with great interest.