Gu Hong had always known that Ye Jin was mysterious, as if she knew many things that others didn’t.
Seeing her speak with such confidence now, he didn’t doubt her and simply nodded. “Alright, I’ll make sure the message gets delivered.”
He had some connections with Lin Xiao, who was ranked third in the academy. Lin Xiao was one of the few people who could deliver a message to Feng Liyun.
—
Headmaster’s Office
Lin Xiao leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, listening to the junior student’s message. After the student left, Lin Xiao’s phoenix-like eyes narrowed with amusement. “The 21st century? Interesting.”
Inside the office, the headmaster of Lien Academy was speaking to a figure dressed in white. The man was calmly pouring tea, his expression as cold as frost. His white robes pooled on the floor, giving him an air of elegance, yet there was an undeniable sharpness about him that made it hard to look directly at him.
Perhaps it was because of his ice-attribute magic, but the temperature around him always seemed to drop several degrees.
The headmaster had never seen him smile, not once since they’d met. He couldn’t figure out which family Feng Liyun came from. This was a terrifying figure who had appeared out of nowhere in the magical continent. Even the so-called “little enchantress” rumored to be in the academy couldn’t hold a candle to him.
What puzzled the headmaster the most was why Feng Liyun, who had held the top spot on the Magic Tower rankings for three consecutive years without being challenged, refused to graduate and instead wandered around constantly.
“Going solo,” Feng Liyun replied after taking a sip of tea, “is what I’m used to.”
The headmaster was momentarily speechless but didn’t press further. After all, having Feng Liyun at the academy was a form of deterrence in itself. He waved his hand. “You must be tired from your trip to the Abyss. Go rest. Lin Xiao is still waiting outside.”
Lin Xiao, who had been lazily chatting with some female students downstairs, immediately straightened up when he saw Feng Liyun emerge from the office.
“Boss Feng,” Lin Xiao said, standing at attention. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Feng Liyun nodded indifferently as he walked toward his residence, a gleaming knife twirling in his hand.
“It’s about Gu Hong from the Canglang Kingdom. You remember him, right? The guy I saved in the Magic Beast Forest. He said someone wants to meet you,” Lin Xiao explained, trying to recall the exact wording. “They asked if you know about the 21st century.”
“Boss Feng, what’s the 21st century?”
Lin Xiao noticed Feng Liyun’s hand, which had been toying with the knife, pause for a brief moment upon hearing “21st century.”
“Gu Hong said the person’s name is Ye… Ye something,” Lin Xiao struggled to remember. “Ah, right, Ye Jin. That’s it. She’s this year’s dark horse, standing out among the freshmen.”
For the first time, Lin Xiao saw a flicker of emotion cross Feng Liyun’s usually impassive face.
Feng Liyun’s dark eyes turned to him, his voice cold and heavy. “Did you say… her surname is Ye?”
—
Meanwhile, Gu Hong and Ye Jin had just escorted Lan Si out of the academy gates.
Ye Jin was preoccupied, her mind elsewhere.
“How do you know he’ll definitely want to see you?” Gu Hong asked, curious about how Ye Jin had come to know Feng Liyun.
Ye Jin smiled confidently. “Actually, if it weren’t for me, he might not even exist in this world.”
Her words sent a shock through Gu Hong. His eyes flickered with unspoken thoughts, but he remained silent, storing her words in his heart.
Ye Jin didn’t elaborate further. As they passed through Zone E, she suddenly remembered Shao Hua, who had been stuck at the bottom of the rankings. She paused. “Gu Hong, Cangyun City was attacked by magic beasts, and the Ye family suffered significant losses. Even though I’m no longer part of the main family, I should remind Shao Hua to go back and check on Duke Ye. I’ll prepare some potions and magic cores for her. The Ye family is struggling right now.”
In truth, she just wanted to see how far the former prodigy of the original world had fallen.
Ye Jin was the only freshman who had managed to move into Zone D.
She also remembered that Shao Hua’s ranking had remained at 500 for the past half month, with no change.
Ye Jin had expected her arrival in Zone E to cause a stir. After all, even students in the top 100 were wary of her. A freshman ranked in the 300s? Who wouldn’t be intimidated?
Especially the weaker students in Zone E.
But when she arrived near the Magic Tower in Zone E, she realized she had overestimated her impact.
The students in Zone E were all gathered around the Black Tower, their attention focused on its entrance. When they noticed Ye Jin, they merely glanced at her before turning back, completely indifferent to her presence.
Ye Jin frowned, puzzled. She approached two male students and asked casually, “What are you all watching?”
“We’re watching the 3S-level genius take on the Magic Tower,” one of the students replied, his tone filled with excitement. He didn’t seem to recognize Ye Jin at all.
“Who are you talking about?” Gu Hong was equally confused.
A 3S-level spiritual power? In the recorded history of the magical continent, there had only been a handful of individuals with 3S-level spiritual power.
In fact, many senior students speculated that Feng Liyun might be a 3S-level.
“It’s Shao Hua. She’s this year’s most anticipated freshman with 3S-level spiritual power. Haven’t you heard?” The student looked at them strangely, but then he recognized Gu Hong. “Senior Gu!”
Ye Jin didn’t mind not being recognized. She listened carefully.
The people around her were all talking about Shao Hua.
She had come to Zone E to see how Shao Hua was faring, but she hadn’t expected this. “3S-level spiritual power? Are you sure?”
She grabbed the student’s collar, her eyes wide with disbelief.
3S-level spiritual power? How could it be 3S? Wasn’t it supposed to be S?
“Of course! Today’s her first time taking on the tower in half a month,” the student stammered, frightened. “Look, even the first-year instructors are here. Everyone in the first year knows about it. Almost everyone who’s free came to watch.”
Ye Jin was completely stunned. First time taking on the tower? Causing a sensation across the entire first year?
First-year and second-year students were in different districts. Ye Jin, ranked within the top 400, was naturally in the second-year district, so she had no idea about Shao Hua’s situation. She had assumed Shao Hua’s ranking was stuck at 500 because she wasn’t strong enough. It had never occurred to her that Shao Hua hadn’t even attempted the Magic Tower yet.
As she was lost in thought, the crowd stirred. “Look! Her name’s moving!”