Chapter 123: The Selection Results

Ling Xiaolei was also filled with astonishment. Deep down, she had always envied the Light Elf race. Compared to herself, she had lived since childhood in dark, secluded swamps, treading cautiously, hiding in constant fear, and suffering from exile and discrimination.

She had heard that the Light Elf race were a people who lived in dense forests; they tamed spirit beasts, made plants bloom, and resided in tranquil treehouses. They were kind-hearted, beautiful, and noble, respected wherever they went.

For a moment, she was stunned, her mind blank. "So this is how beautiful the magic of the Light Elves is..."

"Holy Light Binding!"

In that split second of distraction, a circle of light suddenly appeared beneath her feet, pinning her firmly to the spot.

"Oh no, a control-type spell from the Light Elves," she realized, finally snapping out of her trance.

Shen Zaiguo’s heart tightened as well. "Be careful!"

After landing gracefully, Ling Meng scattered flickers of golden light from her wand. A recurve bow formed of golden radiance appeared in her hand. With a tall, lithe posture and agile steps, she moved continuously, firing golden light arrows at Ling Xiaolei from every angle.

"Arrows of Light!"

Ling Xiaolei could only rely on her "Dark Barrier" to defend passively, while simultaneously lashing out with binding chains to disrupt Ling Meng's assault.

Yet, her thoughts remained adrift, weighed down by pessimism:

"They have both binding magic and healing magic, and it’s all such magnificent Holy Light magic. Unlike Dark Elves—aside from binding, we don't even have any powerful offensive techniques... Even if I bind the enemy, I cannot deliver a lethal blow. Sigh, in the end, I am merely a support character..."

"Fight back! Ling Xiaolei, what are you doing? Fight back!"

Heiyu couldn't help but shout.

Hearing Heiyu’s voice, Ling Xiaolei finally regained her focus.

"Right, fight back."

Swiftly, she gathered her binding chains and launched them all at once toward Ling Meng.

"Shield of Light!"

Ling Meng did not even dodge. Her momentum was at its peak; as she charged directly toward Ling Xiaolei, she formed a circular, transparent shield before her. As the dark-attribute chains touched the light-attribute shield, they shriveled and dissipated one by one.

"Counterattack ineffective... What should I do..."

Countless thoughts flashed through Ling Xiaolei's mind. She even considered using the Book of Summoning, but... that was a bottom line she felt she could not expose in front of others, just like Heiyu’s dark power.

Just as she hesitated, Ling Meng arrived before her like a nimble bolt of lightning. She drew her bow, halted her momentum, and aimed the golden-glowing arrow directly at her face.

"You've lost."

She said it without mercy.

Ling Xiaolei’s heart sank like a stone in the ocean. She silently lowered her head, prepared to stop fighting. In this duel, what had truly eroded her fighting spirit was the sense of inferiority she had kept buried deep within her heart.

Teacher Yun Lan announced: "The duel ends here. Ling Meng wins!"

Cheers erupted among the students. Evidently, Ling Meng had more supporters; she possessed immense popularity at the school.

Shen Zaiguo, however, looked completely dejected, clutching the rabbit to her chest as if she were the one who had lost the duel.

Ling Meng retracted the binding beneath Ling Xiaolei’s feet and lowered her bow. The shield around her dissipated into firefly-like specks of light that swirled around her. Her graceful gait and flowing golden hair made her look like a dream.

Yun Lan walked over to the still-dazed Ling Xiaolei and patted her shoulder comfortingly: "You have good aptitude. Don't be discouraged; as long as you work hard to improve your cultivation level, there is still hope for you to enter S-Class."

She then addressed the selected students: "The five of you have been admitted to S-Class. From now on, you will attend classes in the S-Class classroom, where I will personally instruct you. Report to the classroom first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Yes, Teacher!" the group replied loudly, though Heiyu felt a tinge of regret.

"The rest of the students, continue with the selection tests under Teacher Shi."

After Yun Lan and the other two students left, Shi Fangcheng walked over to Heiyu and the others with a grin. "As expected of the students taught by Old Shi! Our class has three people who made it into the first batch of S-Class!"

"It is thanks to Teacher Shi’s guidance," Yi Xin bowed respectfully.

"Teacher, after we enter S-Class, does that mean we can no longer attend your practical training classes?" Shen Zaiguo asked with a frown.

"What, are you reluctant to leave? Dean Yun Lan herself will be teaching you from now on—you should be secretly happy to have such a blessing!"

Having spent the past year together, they had long since formed a deep bond with Teacher Shi. Though he was straightforward and stern in personality, he took great care of his students.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Teacher Shi waved his hand. "Alright, put away those pitiful looks. Is it really that bad? It’s not like you won’t see me again! We’re all in the same academy; there will be plenty of chances to meet!"

Hearing this, everyone felt relieved, though a sense of bitterness lingered in their hearts.

Ling Xiaolei remained immersed in her disappointment. Heiyu thought of her and was about to offer comfort when she turned her face away and snapped, "What are you looking at? Now you’re finally in the same class as your dream girl, so why are you still looking at me?"

She strode past him, adding, "Don't come looking for me for training anymore. You have a new support now; perhaps you two will be training together from now on."

Shen Zaiguo reached out reluctantly and said, "Sister Xiaolei, the three of us still need to train together..."

"Help me persuade her. This girl, I don't know what’s gotten into her," Heiyu said.

Shen Zaiguo ran after her. As Ling Xiaolei walked far away, she thought to herself:

"Sigh, it’s all because I’ve been sharing the essence I gained from training with my two familiars during this time. The Dark Raven is still in its infancy and requires a massive amount of essence to grow, which has caused my own magic power to stagnate. If this continues, it’s hard to say if I’ll even reach the late stage of my cultivation before the Magic Tournament..."

"Everyone else, follow me to continue with the selection tests." Teacher Shi held the magic orb and continued to test the remaining students.

The students lined up to demonstrate the results of their hard work over this period. One by one, they touched the magic orb, which emitted a faint glow to indicate their magic level.

Teacher Shi announced their levels one by one. The students who finished the test walked back, encouraging one another and exchanging insights from their recent practice.

At noon, Bai Shengye went to Dean Yun Lan’s office, bringing Heiyu along, saying he had something to discuss with her.

Pushing open the door, they found Yun Lan sitting behind her desk. Seeing them arrive, she was in a great mood and immediately greeted them, gesturing for them to sit:

"Student Heiyu, Student Bai Shengye, I heard your trip to the Southern Forest went very smoothly, and you gained quite a lot, didn't you?"

Bai Shengye bowed politely and reported the situation: "Indeed, Teacher Yun Lan. Everyone knew we were mages from the Holy City and were very grateful. This has certainly boosted the reputation of the Holy City Magic Academy."