In the world of the arcane, there was no 'should' or 'should not,' only strength and weakness, victory and defeat. The victor could shatter rules or bask in their favor. The loser's name would fade into obscurity.
Would the students look at him now? They would. A defeated hound had no place, but he served as a stark warning.
Even for Oaks, who had achieved her goal, she was not one for theatrical gloating. As she moved to step down from the table, her brow furrowed. Her hand shot up, a vortex of wind coalescing in her palm to form a barrier.
BOOM!
A twisted, frigid current of darkness—like a wilting black Calla lily in fast motion—bloomed and decayed. It ignored physical defense, piercing the bodies of the three opponents Wei Mingtang had challenged, draining their vitality. The siphoned energy, darker and more profound than any elemental force, swelled monstrously, unfolding into a terrifying canopy of deathly blossoms above the assembly hall.
Within that darkness, a slender figure raised her hand. Her Principle Weapon, now fully Awakened, materialized. If a half-trained newcomer like Yao could manifest a weapon in under four months, what was to stop a genius like Wei Mingtang from achieving Awakening in half a month?
They hadn't seen her weapon before. Now they did.
A Konghou. A vertical angular harp.
A sonic attack path? No, it was far more sinister.
As Yao's wind vortex spun, it drew back only elemental and organic energy. The eerie, soul-chilling black essence within the dark currents remained untouched.
Soul force.
Her expression shifted. A mental command shot to Yu Qin even as her body blurred. She vaulted over a row of seats with a hand on a table, landing behind Lang Hao. Her palm clamped over the other woman's ears.
Lang Hao reacted, her hand snapping up to grasp Yao's wrist instinctively, a reflexive resistance. But she hesitated for a fatal half-second. In that sliver of time, Yao's crystalline tortoise-shell armor shimmered and contracted, flowing over Lang Hao's form. The dual spatial mirrors snapped into place around her.
HUMmmmmm—!
A sonic tremor, carrying the weight of oblivion, rolled out.
On stage, Zhao the Second, Ye Suran, and other powerful teachers moved to shield the students, but the Vice-Dean raised a hand, stopping them.
The black flowers above withered in time with the harp's dirge. Wilting meant death. Seven strands of Death Principle interwove, forming a Necrotic Field.
Her weapon was the Harp. The field was the stage. And the Awakening had arrived.
From the harp's strings, a massive, distorted wraith erupted—simian in shape, but seething with the agonized energies of countless other souls. Yao recognized them. The prisoners from the exam dungeon. The true master of that harvest had perhaps not been Oaks, but this quiet girl who had silently reaped a field of criminal souls, including that terrifying ape-monster.
The wraith-ape roared, drawing power from the Necrotic Field.
Necrotic Dirge.
Final Requiem.
Sonic assault fused with soul-rending force.
One strike.
The three opponents were on the verge of annihilation. True death.
After the ghostly resonance faded, the physical hall stood untouched. But a sea of students was pale, trembling, blood trickling from ears. They were shrouded in primal fear. Only the fifteen S-Class and seven or eight top A-Class students remained unscathed. The rest were severely shaken.
Including Yao. Her face was slightly pale as she watched Wei Mingtang land softly. Behind her, the three challengers lay crumpled, unconscious, as good as dead. They wouldhave died, had the Vice-Dean not intervened at the last microsecond.
Instant obliteration.
It wasn't about raw power—her level and energy reserves were only slightly better than Yao's, lacking the terrifying sustainability. It was the qualityof her power. Sonic and soul attacks. How did one defend? How did one resist?
If Yao's triple-layered damage-mitigation system made her nigh-invincible to all but the elite, Wei Mingtang's path made even the elites wary.
Yao felt the prickling challenge. The heavens feed each a different meal.Wei Mingtang's gift was a rare, devastating cuisine. How to counter it? It was like Oaks benefiting from the Xie family's ancestral Demon Orchid eyes—a legacy others could only covet. The world was vast, and geniuses were legion.
Yao contemplated Wei Mingtang's closing Death Principles for a moment, then withdrew her gaze and her hand from Lang Hao's ears.
Many had noticed. Their eyes held a new complexity as they glanced between Yao's pallor and Lang Hao's flawless composure. One had to admit, however grudgingly, that the scoundrel's protection had been swift, precise, and self-sacrificing. What man, when danger loomed, would so instantly prioritize his wife's safety over his own? He had the power, and he did not hoard it.
Lang Hao lowered her own hand, her fingers leaving the clean line of Yao's wrist. She glanced at Yao, who wore a pensive look, utterly unconcerned with the credit for her act. No expectation of gratitude.
She lowered her lashes, thinking. An excellent contractual partner. Service exceeding expectations. But that rushed return to shield me… it wasn't for me.She could sense Yao's professional detachment, devoid of any romantic charge. Yao was smart enough to know the attack, while damaging, wouldn't cripple a top-tier student like her. A few days of healing would suffice. Unless…The unspoken condition hung in the air: unless she was pregnant. Soul damage could harm the fetus. So the desperate protection was for the child.
Lang Hao was perplexed. A person of such ruthless methods, yet with a soft spot for the unborn. A contradiction.
The scene was quickly brought under control by the faculty. Zhao the Second and others wanted to censure Yao, but the duel was legal, consented to. Cunning was fair game at Dongguan. Several teachers found the maneuver brilliant—daring and successful. The Vice-Dean, unflappable, toyed with the microphone.
"Bold. But excessive. I refer to you, Wei Mingtang. Did you intend to execute your three classmates?"
The students near Wei Mingtang had edged away. Those who walked the Death Path were known to be merciless. To be this ferocious as a freshman was terrifying.
Que Baimo bowed his head in contemplation. What wretched luck, to share a year with two freaks like Wei Mingtang and Oaks.
Wei Mingtang stood in the cleared space, glancing at the stretchered bodies. Her gaze swept over the severely injured Zhang Linjian and his crew. "Those three pursued me. After being rejected, they spread rumors. Said I was aloof, that without backing, my cultivation was merely a prelude to bearing children for some great family. They investigated my orphanage."
A ripple of disgust passed through the crowd. Oaks' offense was verbal, likely strategic taunting. But Wei Mingtang's accusation hit four vile notes: scorn after rejection, reducing a woman's worth to reproduction, class prejudice, and targeting her home—the orphanage. For a foundling, it was a series of unforgivable violations.
The Vice-Dean's eyes narrowed. "Is that all?" He saw a realist, like Oaks. Such a public, extreme reaction suggested a deeper, pragmatic motive beneath the outrage.
Wei Mingtang's next words were ice. "I intend to enter S-Class this term. For that, I need a teacher of sufficient caliber."
Direct. Cold. Unapologetic. And who could say she was unworthy?
The Vice-Dean smiled slightly, lifting his communicator. "The Dean heard. Wait for her after dismissal."
Amid the buzzing crowd, he turned to Yao. "And you? Stand up."
Yao, who had just sat down, sighed and rose. She couldn't reveal her true motive—to establish deterrence. Glancing at Wei Mingtang, she considered copying the answer.
The Vice-Dean raised a hand. "Don't tell me you also seek a master. You already have a formidable one. Plagiarism is cheating, punishable by a greater penalty. Think carefully."
Yao's gaze drifted to Lang Hao.
Lang Hao: "?"
What are you planning?
She watched as 'Xie' adopted a look of tormented remorse. "Although we are betrothed, my fiancée still finds me crude and lacking in masculine virtue. Wounded and irrational, I challenged a few at random. I assumed they'd refuse! Who knew they'd accept? And that they'd be so… fragile. And that Wei Mingtang would steal the spotlight!"
Zhang Linjian & Co.: !!
Xie, you treacherous hound!
"Dean, you have a wife. Surely I cannot be the only fool in the world who errs for love?"
The Vice-Dean: "?"
Lang Hao: "…"
You are undoubtedly the most shameless fiancé in existence.
The Vice-Dean, perhaps recalling his own domestic reality, coughed. "A… mitigating circumstance. You and Wei Mingtang will clean the Beast Pens for a week. Consider the matter closed."
For S-Class, the pressure was now palpable. Two monsters were storming the gates. Wei Mingtang was a late bloomer on a rare, overpowering path. But Oaks had clearly made a staggering leap in half a month. How?
"Likely related to the alchemical item she produced in the tower," Yero mused. "There are items—Minor, Medium, Major Epiphanic Tomes—that grant instant insight into Principles. Given the point value, she likely made a Minor Tome."
The theory was 70% plausible. Otherwise, they had to accept that her comprehension dwarfed theirs.
As the crowd dispersed, Yao collected her winnings—a fortune that made many nauseous. To add insult, she wore a troubled, lovesick expression, and handed the entire sum to Lang Hao.
Lang Hao: "?"
Yao: "Spend it. Does this count as masculine virtue?"
Enough already.
Lang Hao forced her icy elegance to melt into softness. "Not enough. Perhaps you could uproot a willow tree to show me your Herculean strength?"
Yao: "…"
To onlookers, it seemed like couple's banter, further cementing their image.
As they left, Yao's eyes followed Wei Mingtang. Something about her Principles and Awakening felt familiar, yet she had little experience with Necromancy. It was too rare.
Sensing the gaze, Wei Mingtang turned. Their eyes met. Yao saw assessment in those dark pools—a dissection of her methods, a probing of her foundations. A unsettling sense of being partially seen, even as Wei Ming棠 seemed distracted. Perhaps it was because the otherwise complex and morally ambiguous 'Profligate Xie' possessed eyes of surprising clarity.
Wei Mingtang started down the steps, then paused. She looked back at Yao, who was navigating the crowd's edge. "Oaks."
Yao: "?"
Wei Mingtang: "Don't look at me like that. Unless you think pummeling me will prove your masculinity." Her glance flicked to Lang Hao beside Yao.
Lang Hao: "…"
So I'm the scapegoat? Who is the tool here?
Wei Mingtang was already gone. A warning, disguised as a jest.
The assembly's events swept through the four academies. The pressure on elite scions like Li Cang was immense. The great families operated subtly; Zhang Linjian's losses would be compensated. The gambit had bought peace, for a time.
Back at the cottage, Lang Hao asked, "Do you think they believed it?"
"Even if they did, their custom is to test the child's blood at birth. We've bought only a few months. You must stay on campus. Avoid Zhan Xuandong. He may probe through duels."
Lang Hao knew this. "I rarely left Western Jin. But in eight months, there is a Clan Rite. A decennial ceremony. I cannot miss it. It holds an inheritance important for the child." She sipped the milk Yao handed her. "You needn't come. Your time is more valuable than ours."
She suspected Yao's alchemical creation was not what others guessed. The public duel was a smokescreen for the real prize.
Yao smiled. "If you pay more, and I'm free, I might."
Lang Hao: "…"
The following week passed quietly. Yao and Wei Mingtang served their punishment tending to fearsome arcane beasts, but both were preoccupied—one with a new Dean as mentor, the other with dual pursuits.
Ye Suran, witnessing Yao's potential, radically intensified her training. The simulation dungeons now swarmed with elite bosses that nearly cremated Yao in minutes. The resource expenditure was massive, but the academy quietly increased her permissions.
"Your clearance is now top-three in A-Class. Digest it, or face envy and retaliation." Ye Suran slurped a crawdad, her smile oily and ominous. "My mentor was the old Dean. He wished me to walk a certain path, but I lacked your stamina. You, however, might."
"By the way," she asked, curious, "Your Aunt Zhou… hasn't she taught you anything?"
Yao: "What if I said we have no formal master-disciple bond?"
Ye Suran was shocked. "Then you're wasting an opportunity! You should aim for the Dean or Vice-Dean!"
Yao: "Teacher, my sights aren't that high. You suffice."
Ye Suran grimaced. "I don't want you! I can't beat her."
"You've fought?"
"No. But I've seen her obliterate someone I could never defeat."
The topic was dropped. Two people wary of Zhou Miao had little to discuss.
"You said the old Dean had a path for you?"
Ye Suran grew pensive. She dipped a finger in garlic butter and scrawled on the wood: Infinite Control Current.
Yao was stunned, then blurted, "Teacher, do I have to clean this up too?"
Ye Suran froze: "…"
In the Sage's Clinic study, Yao input her newly comprehended Principles into the seal on the second bookshelf. Gears turned; the lock clicked open. A recorded message from Liu Wushi played.
"Half a month. Satisfactory. Considering your career path now?"
"Taboo Master," Yao stated.
Liu Wushi sounded surprised. "A Taboo Master? One of the five Monarch Professions, but not suited to humans. It requires specific bloodline genes. The few human success stories were freaks of comprehension, Awakening as children. You… aren't there yet."
The bluntness was typical.
Yao pressed. "Which races are suited?"
"Abyssal Undead among the Necromantic races. Luminous Sprites of the Arolana Rainforest. Gui-Chi of the Beast clans. Qimei insects. And the Mechanus' Auvyn… For them, it's innate. For humans, it's a hundred-mile march."
Yao knew this, of course. But 'Yao' shouldn't. "All peak races. The gap is vast. But I'm interested. I'll try. If I fail, the Light-Sovereign Master is my second choice."
The Light-Sovereign Master was a top-tier human profession, well within her reach, especially with her Nullification abilities. Liu Wushi likely saw through her ploy.
"Ambition is good. The Light-Sovereign Master is an excellent Principle-based path, fitting for you. Conveniently, that is my profession." His tone turned dry. "I've left instructions and activated the corresponding facilities in the study. Use them."
Yao opened the missive. Three cultivation paths were detailed. Liu Wushi's insight was superior to Ye Suran's. He had discerned her Nullification talent—her true trump card, akin to Wei Mingtang's soul attacks. The Light-Sovereign Master was his own path. He probably thought this little schemer had seen through him long ago, mentioning the Taboo Master just to fish for his own legacy.
As if he needed enticing. Did she think he took her as a disciple for her looks?
"Yao." His voice was cool through the recorder.
"Teacher?"
"Do not be insecure. I am satisfied with you thus far. There's no need for such transparent tactics to gain my attention. Also, I've arranged VIP memberships with several couture houses. Select your wardrobe. The Clinic will cover the expenses."
"???"
The recording ended.
Yao was momentarily speechless, then understood. Beneath the exquisite taste lay a vein of childish vanity. No wonder Head Nurse Bear and the Vice-Dean found their master trying.
A wry smile touched her lips. But as she surveyed the opened facilities and the detailed guidance, a wave of gratitude washed over her. The feeling of having a powerful backer is truly sublime.
A little vanity was a small price to pay.