Over the past half month, Ye Jin, relying on her memories from the book, had managed to find a rare treasure that could enhance her physical constitution. This allowed her ranking to jump from 399th to 385th, causing quite a stir in the school once again. Many factions extended invitations to her.
“Ye Jin, thank you. Without you, the losses for Cangyun City would have been devastating,” Lan Si said softly, looking at her.
Cangyun City only had a handful of fifth-level mages. During the recent beast tide in the Magic Beast Forest, a sixth-level magic beast had appeared. If it weren’t for Ye Jin reaching out to the Canglang Kingdom and arranging for two sixth-level mages to come and resolve the situation, Cangyun City would have suffered unimaginable losses.
That’s why Lan Si had come all the way from the nearby Barler Academy to thank Ye Jin personally. It was also a strong request from the city lord of Cangyun.
“It was just a small favor. Even though I’m no longer a part of Cangyun City, I won’t stand by and do nothing when help is needed,” Ye Jin replied casually, though her expression softened as she looked at Lan Si. “Lan Si, give the engagement jade pendant back to Shao Hua. Seeing you like this, I can’t rest easy.”
Hearing this, Lan Si frowned.
It had been months since he last heard Shao Hua’s name.
During these months, news from Lien Academy had spread to various factions, mostly about Ye Jin, the dark horse. In contrast, Shao Hua had faded into obscurity.
In truth, this year’s batch of freshmen was quite talented, but they were all overshadowed by Ye Jin’s brilliance.
“I’ll think about it,” Lan Si said, not immediately agreeing but not refusing either.
He lowered his head, a bitter smile on his face. After encountering someone as extraordinary as Ye Jin, everyone else seemed utterly ordinary in comparison.
The two walked toward the exit, where they ran into Gu Hong and a group of others. Ye Jin, with her knowledge from the book, quickly recognized the girl in a red dress standing by the gate, accompanied by a snow-white wind wolf.
It was Ai Lin, ranked second in Lien Academy!
Seeing her, Ye Jin’s eyes gleamed with determination. Within four years, she was sure she could surpass Ai Lin!
In the book, Ai Lin had been ranked first, but for some reason, a mysterious figure named Feng Liyun had appeared out of nowhere. Ye Jin didn’t recall any mention of this person in the original story. She assumed it was due to the butterfly effect caused by her presence.
“What’s going on?” Ye Jin asked Gu Hong in a low voice, noticing that the usually reclusive geniuses of the school had all come out.
Gu Hong’s expression turned serious. He leaned in and whispered, “Feng Liyun is returning today.”
“Feng Liyun?” This was the first time Ye Jin had heard this name from Gu Hong.
Since arriving at the academy, Ye Jin had tried to gather information about this person, but everyone she asked would pale and refuse to say more, including Gu Hong.
“I didn’t mention him before because he wasn’t at the academy. But now that he’s back, I need to warn you,” Gu Hong said gravely. “He lives in the central area of Zone A, in the same building as the dean. He hates it when people touch his things or enter his territory. If you need to see the dean, make sure to avoid his room.”
“That arrogant?” Lan Si exclaimed, genuinely surprised. He had never heard of Feng Liyun before.
Gu Hong shook his head. “It’s not arrogance at all. You know how unstable the Magic Beast Forest has been, right?”
“Of course,” Ye Jin replied. No one knew this better than her.
“Three years ago, a massive wave of magic beasts, mostly first and second-tier, surged out of the forest. Countless ordinary towns around the Oen Empire were devastated. In the end, it was one person who went to the heart of the Magic Beast Forest and negotiated with the Saint-tier White Tiger King to stop the beast tide. That person was Feng Liyun. Three years ago, he was only seventeen years old—a sixth-level dual-element mage with lightning and fire attributes,” Gu Hong explained, exhaling deeply.
Both Lan Si and Ye Jin were stunned.
A seventeen-year-old sixth-level mage? The highest-level mage in their country was only sixth-level, and those individuals were all elderly men in their seventies or eighties.
Feng Liyun was only seventeen, and three years ago, he was already a sixth-level mage. Who knew what level he had reached now?
Most importantly, as a dual-element sixth-level mage, he had been able to negotiate with the White Tiger King, which meant he had the strength to rival a Saint-tier magic beast at that time.
Even the usually proud Ye Jin was filled with awe. When true geniuses emerged, ordinary people like them were left in the dust.
At seventeen, she was only a first-level mage, capable of fighting second-level mages, while he was already on par with Saint-tier mages.
“Every faction wants to recruit him, but he remains independent, traveling between continents and not joining any organization,” Gu Hong said, sounding puzzled. “He’s always searching for priests and alchemists. Wherever a famous priest or alchemist appears, he’s sure to follow.”
Ye Jin knew that priests and alchemists were equivalent to modern-day doctors.
“He’s quite peculiar. Someone who’s been to his residence said his bedroom doesn’t have any magic cores, just a bunch of tools. Lin Xiao mentioned they’re called… surgical knives,” Gu Hong glanced at the dispersing crowd. “Let’s go. It seems he didn’t use the main gate again. We won’t get to see him.”
But Ye Jin didn’t move. Her face lit up with excitement.
Now she was certain—this person wasn’t a native of this world. He must be from the same place as her. What could be more thrilling than meeting a fellow traveler from her homeland?
And this fellow traveler was far more successful than her. At seventeen, he could negotiate with Saint-tier magic beasts. What did that mean?
“Can you arrange a meeting with him? I have something very important to discuss,” Ye Jin said, her voice trembling with excitement as she looked at Gu Hong.
Gu Hong was taken aback but shook his head. His golden eyes narrowed slightly. “He’s reclusive and eccentric. It’s best not to provoke him.”
“This isn’t provocation, Gu Hong. Just deliver a message for me. Ask him if he knows about the 21st century,” Ye Jin grabbed Gu Hong’s arm, her eyes shining brightly. “I swear, he’ll definitely want to see me!”