Entrance Examination

There was more to cover about Summoning Element than days and nights of conversation could exhaust.

Mo Fan noticed something peculiar: Teacher Tang Yue was gradually leading him deeper into a shadowy grove. As the crowd around them thinned away and the light dimmed, his eyes drifted toward Tang Yue's silhouette — her striking curves all the more conspicuous in the gathering dusk...

*Could it be that the taxi wasn't enough for her, and she finds dark forests more to her taste?*

"Good — no one around. This'll do." Tang Yue glanced in a full circle around them.

Mo Fan's eyes went wide.

*No way. She's actually going for it.*

*I'm not even ready — though I have to say, I love a woman who gets straight to the point!*

"What are you staring at? I said I want you to practice Dimensional Summoning here." Tang Yue shot him an irritated glare.

"Oh — right, of course..." Mo Fan laughed awkwardly.

So that was why. She was worried about frightening bystanders.

Summoned Beasts were, put plainly, Demon-Beasts that could be brought under human control. Most ordinary people would lose their minds at the sight of a Demon-Beast.

Tang Yue had no intention of letting magic simply carry him through his first Dimensional Summoning — she had only come somewhere isolated in case he lost control of whatever came through.

He had been given one week, and Mo Fan spent every day of it seeking Tang Yue's guidance.

As luck would have it, she had a fairly free schedule during that period. She had Mo Fan trail along as she finally got around to exploring Hangzhou — imparting essential magic theory and combat knowledge all the while, and making practical use of her personal companion for shopping trips, scenic walks, and tracking down good food.

Mo Fan found himself silently grateful that he had ended up in a Shanghai suburb so close to Hangzhou. Otherwise, he might never have had an opportunity like this — to walk so freely at Tang Yue's side.

Over that week, Tang Yue didn't limit herself to sharing what she knew about Summoning Element. She also passed on her hard-won expertise in Fire Element and Shadow Element.

Only after this did Mo Fan truly understand what it meant to receive direct personal mentorship. Back in practical classes at school, Tang Yue had always been generous and thorough in her teaching — but school was school. There were things you simply couldn't tell students still living inside an ivory tower.

"I'm off now — Teacher Tang Yue, I'm going to miss you terribly." Mo Fan waved with exaggerated drama, his face a picture of reluctance.

"Take care of yourself at the academy," Tang Yue said.

"Take care? What do you mean?"

"University is nothing like magic high school. The competition is brutal. People constantly use family connections and the power behind them to seize resources — it happens all the time. The academy itself is a microcosm of the larger struggle between nations and major factions, and the administration turns a blind eye to most of it..." Tang Yue spoke with quiet gravity.

In her view, Mo Fan was perceptive and savvy enough to look after himself. But she could see the fire in him — that raw, unguarded spirit that could easily get him burned amid the academy's endless undercurrents of scheming.

Simply put: Mo Fan came from an ordinary family. Unlike so many young Mages, he had no clan at his back, no financial safety net, no powerful foundation.

A Mage's path devoured money and resources. For someone who had to rely entirely on his own efforts, carving out a place at the academy would be genuinely difficult.

And reaching Intermediate Level wasn't cause for swagger there. Pearl Academy was a top-ranked school on the national stage, and it was absolutely crawling with extraordinary talents.

Mo Fan understood she was looking out for him. He gave a sincere nod. "Don't worry, Teacher Tang Yue. I'll keep myself in check."

Tang Yue watched him — so attentive, so obediently receptive — and let out a quiet laugh. "That doesn't mean you have to swallow every insult, either. If someone crosses a line, come find me. I'll sort it out for you."

A warmth rose in Mo Fan's chest.

He nodded on the surface. Inwardly, his thoughts ran differently.

*Going to university and running back to my beloved teacher every time someone steps on me? I might as well be a little kid.*

He wanted to become a man who could stand on his own. How could he grow by sheltering under someone else's wings?

Besides, Mo Fan was clear-eyed about one thing: he and Tang Yue shared no real bond — no blood, no formal obligation. The fact that she had given him a week of completely unreserved instruction was already something he was deeply grateful for.

The rest was on him.

At Pearl Academy, a slightly heavyset young man stepped out of a black Mercedes.

He swept his gaze around the campus, disdain leaking into his expression. "What a hassle. They actually need another whole week to make up their minds."

"Young Master Song," said the driver, stepping out after him with an easy smile, "this is Pearl Academy — Shanghai's finest. Exceptional talent is hardly scarce here. And the student you're competing against is a Summoning Element practitioner. That kind of gift is exceedingly rare."

"Old Li, what exactly is so impressive about Summoning Element?" Luo Song said with a dismissive curl of his lip.

"Compared to you? Nothing at all," said Old Li, the family butler, his eyes full of fond indulgence.

"Let's go, let's go. I want to see just what this guy's made of — thinking he can go up against me." Luo Song strode off toward the designated Trial Arena.

Old Li hurried to keep pace. "Young Master Song — if they don't admit you, we can always go to the Imperial Capital. That's where your roots are, after all."

"No. I'm not going anywhere. I want those people who laughed at me to see it with their own eyes: I can outstrip every one of them without my father's help." There was not a trace of concealment in the arrogance on Luo Song's face.

"That's really not necessary — you're already the most outstanding among them. That's precisely why they've always given you the finest resources."

"Old Li, stop. The point is, I've set my sights on this Shanghai Pearl Academy. And honestly, coming here to put these self-important people in their place is its own kind of fun — especially that fool who thinks having Summoning Element makes him a worthy rival."

"All right, all right — just try not to stir up any real trouble," said the butler, letting the matter drop.

They found the Trial Arena designated for the examination. When Luo Song stepped inside, five examiners were already seated and waiting.

Beyond the five examiners, standing at the center of the arena — its floor spread with white gravel — was a young man in a wretchedly cheap black shirt.

Most of the time, a person's clothing told you everything about their circumstances. After all, genuine taste was something that required serious expenditure to truly develop.

And so Luo Song arrived at an instant verdict on the young man preparing for his examination.

*A total nobody.*