Chapter 127: Spacetime Displacement

Yun Lan smiled slightly.

"I concede this round. However, in a real battle, while you can displace your opponent, it is meaningless if you cannot actually strike them. I want to see what you can do next. If you can land a hit on me, you win."

"Hmph, piece of cake."

Hei Yu focused his gaze, his heart filled with joy that his "Space-Time Displacement" had worked. At last, beyond his dark powers, he had gained a spell he could use openly.

Just as he was about to unleash more techniques, he recalled the warning at the beginning of *The Forbidden Art of Dark Spells*: "Use the spells in this book with caution, for they carry the risk of irreversible consequences."

With that in mind, he decided to save destructive spells like "Space-Time Compression" and "Space-Time Explosion" for another time; he couldn't use Teacher Yun Lan as his guinea pig.

A sudden inspiration flashed through his mind.

"Teacher Yun Lan, you had better be careful!"

"Bring it on."

Although he didn't know what Hei Yu was planning, Yun Lan felt that as long as he remained composed, his strength as a Saint Magus and years of combat experience would ensure he couldn't possibly lose.

He even thought to himself, "I'll see how his technique plays out and ease up a little. As long as the boy is diligent, I'll let him win."

Hei Yu swung his arm in a wide arc, then did something completely unexpected: he tossed his staff into the air while remaining perfectly still himself.

The students looked on, confused, unable to fathom his intent. But a triumphant smile curled on Hei Yu's lips as he thought: "Teacher Yun Lan, I bet you didn't see this coming."

The trident staff flew toward Yun Lan like an arrow. Yun Lan frowned slightly, waving his sleeve to send a barrier of wind forward, attempting to deflect the staff.

Just as the staff was about to strike the barrier, something completely beyond everyone's expectations occurred. With a subtle manipulation from Hei Yu, the staff ignored the barrier entirely, passing straight through it as if it weren't there, and struck Yun Lan squarely in the back.

"What? It passed right through the barrier—how did he do that?"

The crowd was stunned, followed by an immediate outburst of gasps and whispers.

Even Yi Xin was baffled by this incomprehensible spell. However, it reminded him of that night at the top of the tower when he chanced upon Yi Feng, who had used a spell that could alter the trajectory of flames. He couldn't help but furrow his brow.

"Cough, cough..."

Staggering from the impact to his chest, Yun Lan clutched his torso and coughed, slowly descending to the ground. The trident staff, caught by the wind, circled back into Hei Yu's hand.

"Oh my, it seems I really have lost. I never imagined, student Hei Yu..."

Suddenly, Yun Lan let out another violent cough, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

The faces of everyone around turned pale with fright. "Ah! Teacher Yun Lan, are you alright?"

Ling Meng immediately rushed over to support him, a warm glow forming in her palms to heal his wounds.

Hei Yu was also shocked. "No way, my staff didn't hit him with that much force. Is Teacher Yun Lan really that fragile?..."

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

Teacher Yun Lan smiled awkwardly, his breathing gradually stabilizing under the healing light. "This is just an old injury I've been nursing for years. Don't worry about it."

Yi Xin stepped forward, his tone filled with reproach. "Dean, if your health is poor, why didn't you tell us? We were using our full strength against you just now!"

Teacher Yun Lan said sheepishly, "I've been hiding this injury from the outside world because I couldn't bear to leave my work at the academy, so I never took the time to rest. Even though I'm practically a broken man now, I hope you won't hold it against me..."

The others felt a pang of heartache upon hearing this. Yi Xin, who had intended to scold him further, found himself unable to do so, his tone softening.

"Don't say such dispiriting things in front of the students... at least try to maintain a facade of reliability!"

Yun Lan chuckled. "Yes... that was my intention as well, I just didn't expect to be found out so quickly."

His complexion recovered quickly. He waved his hand, signaling for Ling Meng to return to her place, and said, "Everyone, don't worry about me. Let's summarize today's trial..."

The students stood in formation, except for Bai Shengye, who was nowhere to be seen. He had wandered off to the edge of the woods to sell medicine again.

As the sun began to set, students from other classes returning from their own training grounds passed by and gathered around Bai Shengye, asking in hushed tones:

"Do you still have that Soul Essence Potion from last time?"

"I'll take five!"

"I'll take ten!"

"Don't rush! If you're going to buy, buy the full set—this one for the morning, this for noon and night, and this one for your bath..."

"Can you give me a discount?"

"This is the best medicine available! You think it's expensive? Go buy the cheap swill from the general store then!" Bai Shengye glared, and the customer hurriedly handed over the money.

"Who else wants medicine? Get in line, get in line!"

Bai Shengye handed out bottles from his pack while counting stacks of cash.

Back on Yun Lan's side, he looked at Yi Xin with appreciation and said, "In today's trial, Yi Xin performed the most prominently. However... fire mages tend to over-rely on brute force and lack agility. The battlefield is often complex; never rely solely on raw strength."

"I will remember that," Yi Xin said sincerely. "Thank you for the guidance, Teacher."

Of all the students, Yun Lan undoubtedly recognized Yi Xin's potential the most, yet he feared that too much praise would make the already high-profile youth arrogant.

"Ling Meng."

"Yes!"

"In battle, pay more attention to protecting yourself; do not charge forward blindly. Your aptitude is excellent, and your early-game offensive power is second to none, but compared to the same level of offensive mages, your late-game damage potential is far lower. You are the backbone of the entire team; always remember to coordinate with your teammates."

"Understood!"

"Shen Zai Guo... your talent is already outstanding among your peers, but your flaw is that you are too reckless."

Yun Lan shook his head, paused, and continued, "While this might be considered a virtue in many, you must be careful not to use 'Blood Sacrifice' at the very start of a battle. Otherwise, you'll exhaust yourself before you even defeat the enemy. Technique and maneuvering are just as important. Do not be impatient; as long as you build your foundation step by step, your combat power will surely rise."

"Thank you for the advice, Teacher..." Shen Zai Guo blushed and bowed.

His words struck a chord within her. She had indeed been worried that because she was younger and physically weaker, she would appear inferior to the others, so she always fought with everything she had to earn her place in the team. She hadn't realized that Yun Lan had seen through this all along.

Yun Lan cleared his throat and called out into the distance:

"Bai Shengye!"

"The master is here... ah, present!"

Bai Shengye snapped to attention, packed away his bottles and money, and returned to the ranks.