“Phew — finally back! Feels like it’s been forever!”
The moment she stepped through the door, Yun Fei dove onto her bed, hugging the sheets and rolling from side to side.
Mu Lingxi watched this scene and couldn’t help but shake her head.
“Yun Fei, you have to report to the Academy tomorrow. I forgot to tell you, but while you were unconscious, you were fast-tracked into the Alchemy Academy. It’s located at Dan Peak.”
Yun Fei, who had been rolling happily on the bed, froze at those words and immediately sat up.
“What? The Alchemy Academy? I expected to be fast-tracked, but why did they put me there? With my identity and ability, shouldn’t I be in a branch of the Martial Arts Academy?”
A bitter expression clouded Yun Fei’s face.
Although she believed her talent for alchemy wasn’t bad, her heart wasn’t in it!
‘I’m a person who is supposed to inherit the title of the Demon Realm Sovereign. How can I spend so much time stuck on the path of alchemy?’
One had to understand that the basic curriculum at Dawn Academy lasted four years for Junior Students.
From the fifth year onward, after passing the promotion trials, one became an Intermediate Student.
There was no specific time limit for being an Intermediate Student; the requirement for graduation was reaching the Heaven Burning Realm.
Only then could one become a Senior Student.
The graduation conditions for Senior Students were even more demanding.
It no longer required a certain cultivation realm but rather Battle Merit.
Ultimately, the original intention of Dawn Academy was to train forces to combat the Void.
One could graduate only after earning a Third-class Battle Merit during the struggle against the Void.
But was earning Battle Merit such a simple task?
In all the years since the Academy’s founding, fewer than 10,000 people had successfully graduated.
Most of the instructors currently teaching in the various branches were actually Senior Students still enrolled in the school.
Yun Fei naturally believed she could graduate successfully, but it would surely take at least seven or eight years.
Spending all those years studying alchemy in depth…?
‘Sigh… what a waste of talent!’ Yun Fei sighed silently.
“By the way, where are you assigned?”
“Me? I’m in the Sword Dao Academy, of course.”
Mu Lingxi tilted her head and spoke with a calm expression, leaving Yun Fei in a stunned silence.
‘Why is it that even though we were both fast-tracked, you get what you want? I won’t accept this!’
“Hey! Who said I was fast-tracked? I chose it myself!”
“Curse it! I want to choose for myself too!”
“You can’t~ You were personally scouted by the Peak Master of Dan Peak. There’s no escaping it now~”
A clear, mischievous smirk flashed across Mu Lingxi’s face.
After saying that, she ignored whatever expression Yun Fei was making, closed the door, and left.
“Get some rest!”
Yun Fei stared blankly at the closed door, the regret on her face completely undisguised.
‘Fine, if it’s the Alchemy Academy, then so be it. Who says I have to be a good student?’
Yun Fei calmed her mind and decided on a compromise.
She could learn alchemy, but she couldn’t let her combat training fall behind.
‘Alchemy Academy, right? Just you wait! Your personal King of Hell is coming!’
***
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.
The clear moonlight poured through the two gauze windows, one in the front and one in the back of the room, highlighting Yun Fei’s slightly pale face.
“Hiss — so cold, so cold, so cold~”
Yun Fei sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate, but she hadn’t expected that as soon as she entered a meditative state, a portion of the Demonic Power circulating in her body would be sucked away by the Eroding Ice Incantation.
Fortunately, it didn’t take much, just a tiny bit during each cycle, so Yun Fei didn’t notice it at first.
But as it absorbed her power, it actually emitted a freezing chill!
How was she supposed to endure that?
How could she possibly cultivate in peace!
Yun Fei even took out the Fire Protection Badge, but the chill was wafting out from her own body, so it was completely useless!
‘Forget it, I’ll just treat it as a way to temper myself. This bit of cold isn’t enough to stop me!’
Yun Fei grit her teeth and sent a pulse of Demonic Power outward, dispersing some of the frost to prevent her body from subconsciously shivering while she practiced.
The rest of the night passed in silence.
When the morning sun shone through the window lattices, Yun Fei slowly exhaled a breath of frost.
Her purple pupils suddenly snapped open, and a streak of purple fire shot from her eyes, shattering a vase in the corner.
‘Ha! I’ve broken through to Level 2! This feels great!’
Yun Fei hadn’t expected to break through a minor level under such frigid, opposing-attribute pressure.
It was a truly pleasant surprise!
*Beep beep! Beep beep!*
At that moment, a rapid sound rang out; it was the voice of the Smart Spirit Talisman.
Yun Fei took it out and saw that it was actually a to-do reminder!
**[This is a to-do reminder issued by the Dawn Academy teaching system! Today at noon, student Yun Fei, please report to the Dan Peak Grand Plaza for the class placement ceremony.]**
*Beep beep!*
Just as Yun Fei finished browsing the message, two more friend requests popped up.
Yun Fei looked closely; one was from Mu Lingxi, and the other came from an unfamiliar name, but the note attached read “Dan Peak Master.”
It was likely the person who had taken an interest in her alchemy talent.
Yun Fei had spent some time learning how to operate the device earlier, but she hadn’t really tried it out yet.
So, she opened Mu Lingxi’s chat interface and clicked “Start Chat.”
**Yun:** Hey! Mu Lingxi, how did you add me? I remember that freshmen in the main group are anonymous and only have student numbers. I don’t recall telling you mine.
**Mu:** Ah… you mean that… The Vice Principal told me. She asked me to add your contact info so we can communicate remotely even when we aren’t together.
**Yun:** Remote communication? That’s completely unnecessary! There’s no need for remote communication between us. We live right next door to each other.
**Mu:** Who knows? (Shrug)
**Mu:** Don’t forget to look at the map on your Spirit Talisman. Don’t get lost; the Academy is quite large!
**Yun:** I know! Why are you so naggy?
**Mu:** Hmph… who wants to look after you? If the Vice Principal hadn’t ordered it, I’d hope you’d get lost and wander around the Academy blindly!
Yun Fei exited the chat with Mu Lingxi.
Her lips curled slightly as she glanced at Mu Lingxi’s latest message, swiping it away without looking further.
‘Noon… it’s still early.’
Yun Fei looked up at the rising sun in the east, then pulled a dust-covered sword from her Portable Space.
‘Sigh… my precious spear died in the line of duty. A sword and a spear should be used in a similar way, right? Sword Flight… this is a good time to try it out.’
After casting a Cleaning Spell on the sword, Yun Fei gripped it and flipped herself up onto the roof.
Yun Fei controlled her Demonic Power to flow steadily into the sword, lifting it into the air.
Seeing that everything was going smoothly, her eyes lit up, and she jumped onto the blade.
The sword sank slightly due to gravity, but under Yun Fei’s precise control, it gradually stabilized.
Fortunately, the expected loss of balance didn’t happen.
From the look of it, her foundation was quite solid!
In her excitement, Yun Fei controlled the sword to move forward, backward, and turn.
These movements seemed very simple, and it didn’t take long for her to master them completely.
“Heehee~ This isn’t so hard~ Well then, let’s try something more difficult… an upward dash and a downward dive?”
The images quickly formed in Yun Fei’s mind.
Brimming with confidence, she felt it was worth a shot!
Thus, Yun Fei forcibly suppressed the excitement in her heart, took a deep breath, and prepared for the challenge.
Before long, she seemed ready.
Her gaze suddenly turned sharp, and her Demonic Power output surged instantly, gathering at the hilt of the sword.
She leaned her body slightly back and tilted the tip of the sword upward.
“GO, GO, GO!”
The accumulated Demonic Power erupted like it had been freed from its shackles, giving the sword a powerful diagonal upward thrust.
Yun Fei felt her body constantly rising as the sound of whistling wind rushed past her ears.
‘This feeling… is so thrilling!’
A satisfied smile spread across Yun Fei’s face, and she failed to notice a black shadow rushing toward her from the side.
By the time Yun Fei noticed it, she couldn’t stop!
‘Oh, no!’
‘I’m going to crash!’
*BANG!*
As expected, Yun Fei collided head-on with the high-speed flyer.
The impact from the high speed caused her to lose control of her outward-projected Demonic Power instantly, and she began to plummet toward the ground.
Yun Fei’s eyes widened as she watched the ground rapidly expand before her.
She quickly channeled all her Demonic Power into a protective barrier, hoping she wouldn’t hit the ground too hard.
She had finally recovered from her injuries; she didn’t want to be broken all over again by a fall!
However, just as she was praying that the landing wouldn’t be too painful, she felt herself being caught.
Her descent stopped.
After a moment, she realized she was being held in someone’s arms.
But why was this scent so familiar?
It was a faint fragrance of jasmine…
Yun Fei turned her head slightly and saw Mu Lingxi’s large, smiling face.
“Mu… Mu Lingxi! What are you doing here?”
“Eh? Has the Young Lord gone senile? I live right next door to you; why wouldn’t I be here?”
Mu Lingxi sat on her own sword, with Yun Fei sprawled across her lap.
Yun Fei felt Mu Lingxi’s thighs pressing against her abdomen and felt a strange, ticklish sensation.
After realizing what kind of thoughts were flashing through her mind, her pretty face couldn’t help but flush red.
“Hey! Mu Lingxi, put me down!”
“Eh? What are you saying? I was sitting on my sword resting perfectly fine, and you were the one who insisted on diving into my arms.”
Mu Lingxi tilted her head, feigning confusion.
“Tch… if you won’t let me down, I’ll go down myself!”
Yun Fei’s face darkened as she looked at the ground, judging that jumping from this height wouldn’t be a big problem.
However, Mu Lingxi suddenly wrapped her arms around Yun Fei’s waist, preventing her from jumping.
Simultaneously, she increased the sword’s altitude, only stopping when they reached the height where the accident had occurred.
Yun Fei’s expression changed, and she said tremulously, “Mu… Mu Lingxi, what do you want? Don’t be ungrateful! Don’t think that just because you stayed by me while I was unconscious, I’ll be moved to tears! Once we get down, I’ll show you!”
Yun Fei used a trembling voice to deliver a threat that lacked any intimidation, causing Mu Lingxi to chuckle softly.
The sound wasn’t loud, but to Yun Fei, it was extremely insulting!
“What for? Didn’t you want to go down yourself? I was kind enough to bring you back to your original height to try again. Are you still unhappy?”