The following day, the names of the top ten students were posted on a large board—ranked from first to tenth—alongside the time each had taken to complete the breakthrough.
"Look! Bai Ken broke through in just one hour and two minutes, and that includes the time it took him to get to the academy from his house! That's incredible!" a girl said to her friend, her voice full of admiration and awe.
"Well, of course. How else could he be considered one of the most talented in the entire Demon Seal Sect? It's only natural for the heir of the clan to be this exceptional," her friend replied as she glanced over the list of names.
Others had gathered around the board as well, murmuring among themselves.
"Hey, look—fifth place is Mo Bai. They call him the Little Beast."
"Mo Bai? I've heard of him—he's one of the decent talents from a second-tier clan. But 'Little Beast'? That's a new one," another boy responded, confused.
"Hehe, of course you wouldn't know. It's not a widely known nickname—it's only really known within the Hunter's Circle," the first boy said smugly, placing his hands on his hips before leaning in to whisper.
"They call him the Little Beast because he's been hunting monsters since he was seven. For three years straight, he never returned without a kill. Not even once. His father's been keeping it quiet, though—doesn't want the story to spread. If my dad didn't run a beast materials shop, I wouldn't have known either."
"What? Seriously?! That's insane…" the other boy replied, clearly impressed.
Just then, Mo Bai entered the classroom. He spotted Mo Fan sitting near the front and made his way over to sit beside him.
"Yo, Mo Bai! Fifth place, huh? That was a surprise—I didn't expect you to rank that high, honestly!" Mo Fan said with a genuinely amused tone.
"Hey. And I didn't expect you to avoid getting thoroughly beaten up. Congratulations," Mo Bai replied with a deadpan expression, his voice tinged with sarcasm.
"Thanks—wait, what? Avoiding a beating? Shouldn't you be saying, 'Congratulations on second place,' you bastard?" Mo Fan shot back with mock outrage. Watching them banter like that, one would think they were close friends—but only Mo Bai knew what he truly thought.
Alright... Time to make use of Mo Fan a little, Mo Bai thought with a sly grin, then leaned in and whispered seriously:
"Mo Fan, I've got a great idea. A way we can boost the power of everyone in our faction. It'll earn us contribution points in the clan and benefit us directly, too. Want to hear it?"
"Huh? A way to strengthen all our faction's students? That sounds impossible. Alright, let's hear it," Mo Fan replied, puzzled at first, then intrigued as a curious glint appeared in his eyes.
"Okay, here's the plan…" Mo Bai laid out his scheme, and the moment Mo Fan heard it, a wicked gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Hehe… That's brilliant. I'm in."
At that moment, the teacher finally entered the classroom. The students fell silent and returned to their seats.
"Alright, students," the teacher began in a calm but motivational tone. "The top ten have already been decided from the first group test. If you didn't make it, work hard to catch up or surpass them. We're still at the beginning of the school year, so don't give up."
"Today will be a practical lesson, and in fact, the entire week will be focused on practical training. You'll be taught how to control and master your elemental abilities. After a week, there'll be another group test, and the top ten will be rewarded handsomely again."
"Those with elemental abilities, follow me to the training field. Those with other types of powers, wait here for your assigned instructor," he said, turning on his heel and walking out of the room. One by one, the students began standing and following him.
Most students followed him to the training grounds—a vast tiled arena several hundred meters across, spacious enough for everyone to train freely.
"Let's begin," the teacher said. "First, channel your nia into your seal to activate your ability. Once it's active, keep the flow of nia steady. The goal is to manipulate it with your will—control it well enough to make it cover your entire body. That's what a Rank One Elemental Seal Master should be able to do. Like this."
He demonstrated by activating his own seal, which lit up with a fiery red glow. A blazing orange fire then erupted and spread over his body, from head to toe.
But the fire didn't touch his skin—there was a gap of a few centimeters between the flames and his flesh, like a fiery aura. It gave off the benefits of fire without harming the user.
"Now try it yourselves," the teacher said after a few seconds, deactivating his ability.
"Whoa! That's awesome. I think I get it—I'll try now," one student muttered to himself. But when he tried, his lightning element barely wrapped around his fist, let alone his whole body.
It looks easy, but it really requires precise control of nia,* the teacher thought as he watched the children repeatedly attempt the technique, their nia depleting and replenishing as they kept trying.
The training continued for three hours. Bai Ken showed the most progress—he had already managed to cover half his body. He was followed by Mo Fan and Yi Kang, then by Mo Bai and the rest of the second-tier clan students. It was all based on mental strength, and Mo Bai's strong will gave him an edge in learning a bit faster than his peers.
When the lessons finally ended, the exhausted students began heading for the exit—only to find Mo Bai, Mo Fan, and three other members of their faction standing in front of the academy gates, blocking the way.
"Hey, move aside. I need to leave—I've got stuff to do," one student said with obvious annoyance. But he didn't dare go too far—everyone knew who Mo Fan was.
"Leave one nia stone, and you're free to go. Or you get a beating, and I take it anyway. Your choice," Mo Fan said with a wide grin, cracking his knuckles. Behind him, Mo Bai grinned deviously.
'Now no one can blame me. Mo Fan's the one leading this—I'm just a helpful bystander.'