Ice Element, Ice Vine!

Xu Zhaoting looked at his results, satisfaction settling plainly across his face.

He turned — and there, where he had been waiting for the examiners' verdict, his eyes fell on a pair of eyes as bright and clear as snow.

Mu Ningxue.

His face broke into barely contained delight. He hadn't expected that his performance had drawn her attention.

*She must be amazed,* he thought. *After all, the Lightning Element is in a class of its own.*

"Ningxue, what do you think?" Mu He, the School Board Director, asked with a warm smile.

"Ordinary," Mu Ningxue said — and without sparing another glance, she continued walking.

The principal and several other school administrators went visibly stiff.

*Surely not.* Lightning Element that powerful, and she called it ordinary? Just how high were this girl's standards?

"Ha — it really is quite impressive," Mu Zhuoyun said with an easy laugh, offering the principal and Mu He a graceful way out. "Ningxue studies at Imperial Capital Magic Academy, where magical talent from across the entire country is gathered. Performing a basic-tier Lightning Seal Release is just their standard requirement there. She's simply measuring by the academy's benchmarks — it's all she knows."

"So you're saying Xu Zhaoting still has a real shot at Imperial Capital Magic Academy?" the principal said smoothly, taking the offered step.

The others quickly chimed in, basking in the shared flattery.

"Barring any surprises, Xu Zhaoting should top the school rankings," said Chen Guangliang, the Director of Academic Affairs.

"That remains to be seen. From what I know, Mu Bai from Class Eight is a genuine contender," the vice principal offered.

At that, a smile spread across Mu He's face. He turned at once to Mu Zhuoyun and Mu Ningxue. "Brother, Mu Bai is one of the Mu Clan's own — always been an outstanding student. By my reckoning, it should be his turn soon. Shall we go and watch?"

"Mu Bai? Which branch?"

"He's Mu Yang's son. Mu Yang passed away, you'll recall, and I came across the two of them — mother and son — being mistreated elsewhere, so I had them brought to live on the estate. Mu Bai is a sensible, determined boy. No worse than the other children in the clan..." Mu He added carefully, "Of course, he's nowhere near Ningxue's level. But he's a promising seedling well worth nurturing."

The estate's true authority rested entirely with Mu Zhuoyun. Mu He might pass for a man of standing, but he was at best third or fourth in the pecking order — nowhere close.

"Ah, I have some recollection of him," Mu Zhuoyun said. "Let's go take a look, then. Gentlemen?"

The board director with center-parted, yellowing hair spoke up: "If he's from the Mu Clan, then by all means — we're quite interested."

The group began to move, drifting slowly toward Class Eight's examination area.

They carried a formidable presence. School administrators might be vague, distant figures to most students — but a peer genius like Mu Ningxue was something else entirely: electrifying.

On the field, the boys were already fired up the moment any girl stopped to watch. With Mu Ningxue there — the school's undisputed dream girl — they were absolutely vibrating.

"Oh god, the administration is heading this way."

"They actually came. My hands are shaking."

"Perfect timing — this is my moment to shine."

"Shine at *what?* Your assessment is done. You scored a C, you absolute disaster."

Class Eight's composure shattered all at once.

Everyone's fate hinged on this annual assessment — and now the very people whose single approving glance could change a student's entire life were walking toward them. The atmosphere tightened to a breaking point.

Mu He walked at the head of the group. The bald-headed examiner immediately looked up, his gaze meeting Mu He's.

One silent signal was all it took. The examiner understood immediately — he pretended to notice nothing and called out in a perfectly flat tone: "Next. Mu Bai!"

Mu Bai's gaze was still fixed on Mu Ningxue. Even though they lived under the same roof, the estate was vast enough that he had rarely had the chance to stand this close to her.

"Mu Bai — your turn." Mu He cleared his throat.

Mu Bai snapped back to the present.

*Can't help it. I've been in love with her for too many years. Maybe we'll never be together — but there is no way I'd ever let trash like Mo Fan take her away. I'm her guardian. That's what I am.*

*This is my moment. Time to prove every year of work.*

Mu Bai gave a quiet nod and walked toward the examination area.

He had waited for this day for a very long time. He drew a slow, steadying breath.

The clan's recognition. Mu Ningxue's gaze. He had dreamed of both for years — and today, he would have them.

He placed his hand on the Star Sensing Stone, forcing down the excitement surging inside him, focused only on performing at his absolute best.

Mu Bai had drilled himself relentlessly for exactly this kind of moment. Despite his heart hammering harder than anyone else's on that field, sheer muscle memory carried him through — he entered Meditation without a single falter.

White ice-light burst from the Star Sensing Stone and spread instantly outward, dense and blazing, blanketing every surface around it.

The radiance was so fierce it seemed to spill beyond the stone entirely, its pale glow casting across Mu Bai's face.

Students and teachers alike were transfixed.

Light *overflowing* the stone — not one of them had ever witnessed that in any assessment, not once. Even Zhou Min, who had scored A++, paled beside this.

"S!"

"S!"

"S!"

All three examiners announced their scores simultaneously. Every single one: S.

"Wasn't Xu Zhaoting's score two S's and one A?"

"Then Mu Bai has surpassed Xu Zhaoting in Stardust!" Mu He said immediately.

Xue Musheng stared, momentarily struck dumb. Had Mu Bai been holding back this whole time?

A noble clan's son through and through. Xue Musheng had privately figured Mu Bai might manage one S at best — he never anticipated three.

Three S's. A final overall grade of S. No question about it.

The school's undisputed number one.

"Holy — Mu Bai is *insane*. Three S's? He just blew right past Class Seven's Xu Zhaoting. Rightful number one, no contest."

"Unbelievable... just unbelievable..."

"Mu Bai, you absolute legend!!"

Several girls had already gone completely starry-eyed. Good-looking and now the top scorer — he was every girl's idea of Prince Charming.

"Brother, what do you think?" Mu He smiled and turned to Mu Zhuoyun beside him.

"Not bad," Mu Zhuoyun said. Two words.

Mu Ningxue said nothing.

Seeing that she remained unmoved, Mu Bai understood: three S's truly amounted to nothing in front of a talent like hers. The Release portion — that was where he would truly show himself.

He turned and stepped into the examination ring.

"Mu Bai's going for Release!"

"Obviously — he's definitely mastered Control over all seven Star Motes by now."

"I can't wait to see an Ice Element skill."

Amid the noise, Mu Bai fixed his gaze on the humanoid wooden dummy, eyes steady and resolute.

Stardust testing was just the baseline. Anyone with real knowledge understood that Release was the true measure.

*I will make the clan patriarch and Mu Ningxue see me in a completely different light.*

He closed his eyes and settled into the casting stance.

With practiced ease, Mu Bai linked all seven Ice Element Star Motes into a single, unbroken Star Trail.