“It’s such a shame! You were so close to passing the review, and it’s all because of that guy!” Lina said, huffing with indignation. “Brother Ye is already so amazing, yet they’re still making him take all those tests. Isn’t that completely redundant?”
Zhang Ye couldn't help laughing out loud.
The girl had been fuming ever since they stepped out. As the person involved, he wasn't even as angry as she was.
“It’s fine. Those assessments won’t pose any difficulty for me anyway,” Zhang Ye said with a chuckle.
Hearing Zhang Ye say that, Lina could only nod, though she remained indignant.
Nan leaned in close to Zhang Ye and whispered, “The assessments aren’t the problem, but you need to be careful of that guy...”
Others might not have noticed, but the observant Nan saw right through it.
Warmth welled in Zhang Ye’s heart at Nan’s warning. Smiling, he threw an arm over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”
Nan’s face flushed red. He slapped Zhang Ye’s hand away and turned to head toward the dorms, his faint voice drifting back: “Who’s worried about you...”
Zhang Ye chuckled to himself. You really are the biggest tsundere.
He wasn't actually too worried about Urmit. Even if the man tried to trip him up during the assessments, it would still have to stay within the boundaries of the tests. Given Zhang Ye’s current level, he was confident he could handle whatever tests came his way.
As for Urmit making a direct attempt on his life?
Zhang Ye was certain Urmit didn't have the nerve.
From today’s events, Urmit was clearly a cautious, calculating individual. Someone like that wouldn't commit such a risky, foolish act.
Still, today’s incident did put Zhang Ye on guard.
Although Gajeel's death appeared unrelated to him in the eyes of the outside world—after all, the hard evidence proved it was done by Demon Realm creatures—some people didn't care about evidence, much less logic.
If they wanted to target you, a mere inclination was reason enough.
Therefore... the Black Dragon Empire Royal Family was now on Zhang Ye’s hit list.
Once he grew strong enough in the future, he would eliminate them if given the chance!
The following days were straightforward: attending classes daily, burying himself in the library, and conducting research at the institute.
As for the assessments, Zhang Ye was in no hurry.
He had already passed the series of assessments for Light and Lightning Magic, earning mentorship qualifications for those fields. Passing the remaining assessments was merely a matter of time.
However, Urmit made no move during this period. Zhang Ye guessed that the man was likely preparing a "surprise" for him in the upcoming tests.
Because of this, Zhang Ye decided to delay taking the assessments and leave him dangling for a while.
Besides, if Lina and the others had questions, he could guide them anytime. No one was foolish enough to claim Zhang Ye lacked the qualifications to mentor them.
In fact, plenty of people were clamoring for his guidance, eager to curry favor with him.
Obtaining official qualifications was ultimately just to establish Zhang Ye as a "precedent" to be remembered by posterity.
Zhang Ye cared little for such fame. He took things easy, moving at his own comfortable pace.
While he wasn't in a hurry, Urmit was growing impatient.
Damn it all, he had originally assumed Zhang Ye would take the assessments within five days. Who would have thought half a month had passed without a peep from Zhang Ye? Yet Urmit was powerless, as there was no time limit for taking assessments across different fields.
Left hanging like this, Urmit's resentment toward Zhang Ye grew stronger by the day.
Just like that, twenty days passed.
Everyone’s cultivation saw significant progress.
Renomon and Samanra advanced from Tier Nine mid stage to Tier Nine late stage.
Nan was just a single step away from Tier Ten early stage.
Xi Ya made the greatest leap, jumping two minor stages to reach Tier Seven peak, putting her in the same rank as Lina.
The other students also made varying degrees of progress.
As for Zhang Ye, he advanced from Tier Nine Newly Advanced to Tier Nine early stage.
Watching her former companions make rapid strides one after another, Lina felt an indescribable mix of emotions.
She felt as though everyone was moving forward while she remained stagnant in place.
Although she had grown stronger thanks to the Shining Twins and Zhang Ye’s training, it didn't change the fact that she was still at Tier Seven peak.
Even Xi Ya, who had originally been only Tier Five, had caught up to her...
Yet Lina didn't show any of it on her face. She knew how hard Zhang Ye was working—spending endless hours in the library soaking up knowledge and searching through ancient texts, all to find a way to resolve her constitutional issue.
She was already deeply moved and didn't want to burden Zhang Ye any further.
She had made up her mind: no matter the outcome, she would face it with a smile, just like Zhang Ye.
The time came for the second Monthly Test. Everyone was fully prepared, eager to test the fruits of their month-long training.
Arriving at the familiar arena, the Monthly Test began.
In the first match, Zhang Ye’s opponent was Katelansi, the ice-cold beauty whose life he had saved.
Ever since returning from the secret realm, Katelansi's attitude toward Zhang Ye seemed to have softened considerably. She no longer turned away with a cold face whenever she saw him.
Looking across at Zhang Ye, who wore his signature warm, gentle smile, Katelansi extended her hand, and an ice-blue staff materialized in her palm.
“I hope you’ll defeat me fair and square, instead of tossing me out of the arena,” her cool voice drifted over. Clearly, she still held a grudge over Zhang Ye throwing her out of bounds previously.
Zhang Ye didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He nodded. “Alright.”
With the referee’s order, the match officially began!
The surface of the dueling platform was instantly shrouded in frost.
And it wasn't frost from just one person!
Blue hair fluttered around Katelansi as frost swirled about her frame, making her resemble an ice princess.
Across from her, Zhang Ye didn't unleash his formidable flames. Instead, he radiated an equally terrifying chill. Snow fell gently around him, his dark hair fluttering, and his body emitted a faint ice-blue glow that rendered his fair complexion as pure and beautiful as snow itself.
Like a prince of frost.
A flash of astonishment passed through Katelansi's eyes as she watched Zhang Ye unleash ice and snow, though it was quickly supplanted by fighting spirit.
She had long known that Zhang Ye was proficient in all magic attributes, so her surprise was fleeting.
She wanted to see whose ice and snow was superior—hers or Zhang Ye’s!
In the next moment, she tapped her staff, sending countless ice spikes spiraling toward Zhang Ye.
Not to be outdone, Zhang Ye spread his arms. An ice whirlwind studded with innumerable ice blades condensed into form and surged toward Katelansi’s ice spikes.
Upon impact, fierce winds roared and frost exploded in all directions.
In this clash between two spells, Zhang Ye proved superior in skill.
The ice whirlwind shredded the ice spikes and continued pressing forward toward Katelansi.
Katelansi parted her lips, chanting a subtle, mystical spell. Instantly, an ice-blue magic circle unfolded in front of her. A massive frost dragon head emerged from the circle and opened its maw toward the whirlwind, bringing out her true strength right from the start!
Tier Ten magic—【Ice Dragon Breath】!
That’s right—Katelansi’s cultivation was at Tier Nine late stage, yet she could already cast Tier Ten magic across ranks!
Such was the power of a genius!
Then, the dragon breathed. An extreme wave of frigid air rushed out like a blue beam several meters wide, instantly piercing through the ice whirlwind.
The whirlwind crumbled, while the dragon breath sped toward Zhang Ye with undiminished momentum, crystallizing frost along its path in a terrifying display!
Facing the formidable Ice Dragon Breath, the corners of Zhang Ye’s mouth curled upward.
【Copy】!
【Ice Dragon Breath】!
In the next second, an identical frost dragon head appeared. A beam of ice-blue freezing light spurted out, clashing head-on with Katelansi's Ice Dragon Breath. In an instant, the entire platform was encased in ice, and the ambient temperature plummeted below freezing as snow danced in the air.
“Roar!” Two overlapping, high-pitched dragon roars resounded. Dazzling white light burst from the center of the arena, forcing everyone to squint instinctively.
By the time the white light faded, the clash of dragon breaths was over. A deep-blue ice wall, easily a hundred meters high, stood in the center of the arena.
Zhang Ye and Katelansi stood facing each other across the ice wall, neither taking further action.
Yet as to who was stronger and who was weaker, the outcome was instantly clear!
Indeed, Zhang Ye had won. To unleash Tier Ten magic, Katelansi had nearly drained all her mana, leaving her pale and teetering on her feet. In contrast, Zhang Ye’s breathing remained steady, and the mana fluctuations emanating from him showed that not only did he have energy to spare, but he was already back at his peak!
Furthermore, the ice wall stood a mere dozen-plus meters from Katelansi, while it was over a hundred meters away from Zhang Ye.
And that was only because Zhang Ye had voluntarily called off the spell’s full effect; otherwise, Katelansi would have been blown straight out of the arena.
However, Katelansi clearly had no intention of giving up just yet.
She applied a buff to herself, pushed off the ground, and took to the air, pointing her staff at Zhang Ye.
【Ice Flower Burst】!
Blooms of ice flowers burst into blossom right where Zhang Ye stood, their petals shattering into countless icy shards that blasted outward in every direction along with waves of chill.
Yet Zhang Ye was prepared. Blinking directly in front of Katelansi, he opened his arms, releasing an ice-blue halo that expanded outward with him at the center.
【Ice Repulsion Halo】!
As chill overflowed, Katelansi exerted all her effort to defend against it.
While she blocked the cold, she couldn't withstand the powerful force of the shockwave, sending her flying off the platform.
Just as she thought she was about to fall out of bounds, a big hand reached out and caught her.
Zhang Ye held her, gently landing on the edge of the dueling platform.
“Satisfied with this outcome?” Zhang Ye looked at Katelansi with a gentle smile.
Gazing at the smile on Zhang Ye’s face and feeling the warmth of his hand, a soft blush brushed across Katelansi’s fair cheeks.
Zhang Ye released her hand. She gave a faint hmph. “I was outmatched. I concede.”
With that, she leaped down from the platform. Yet her posture held a light, cheerful bounce; clearly, she was very pleased with this result.
Zhang Ye had defeated her in a direct, decisive head-on match—a complete victory—while also saving her from falling off the stage, preserving her dignity.
The referee’s voice rang out.
“Zhang Ye wins!”
...
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