Everyone was stunned by the dazzling golden light radiating from the Star Sense Stone.
The difference between Bai Liang's and Song Jie's results was simply too great.
"Damn, how did this guy cultivate like that?!" someone exclaimed.
Among their peers, Bai Liang's strength was already considered exceptional, but compared to Song Jie, it was nothing.
"Good!"
Dean Xiao couldn't help but praise when he saw the brilliance of the golden light.
The other professors exchanged delighted glances. If someone with such talent became a student of Mingzhu Academy, he would definitely stand out among the rest.
"The report says you can't cast intermediate-level magic yet?" Dean Xiao asked.
Song Jie withdrew his hand from the Star Sense Stone and nodded.
Upon hearing this, Bai Liang, who sat not far away, quietly let out a sigh of relief.
"Brother Bai, even though this guy's stardust is stronger than yours, he can't release intermediate magic yet. You're still better!" a lackey said flatteringly.
Bai Liang nodded, regaining some of his confidence.
Dean Xiao looked puzzled. With such strong star energy, it was strange that Song Jie couldn't yet release intermediate-level magic—but he didn't press further.
"Alright, go back and prepare for the second assessment," Dean Xiao instructed.
Song Jie nodded and returned to his seat.
Now, those who had looked down on him earlier were watching him with new eyes.
An examiner walked over and explained, "The fact that you're still here means you passed the first assessment. The next one is the practical test."
"In this round, you can choose a teacher as your opponent or spar with another student. The professors will evaluate your performance. Pass this, and you'll officially become a student of Mingzhu Academy."
Everyone listened intently, realizing what came next.
"What? We actually have to fight?" one boy gasped—he had zero combat experience.
Some looked nervous, while others' eyes gleamed with excitement. Those confident in their abilities were eager to display their power and chose to duel their peers.
There were eight candidates left: four intermediate mages and four beginner mages.
Beginner mages couldn't possibly face intermediates, so they quickly paired off with opponents of similar levels.
Song Jie, however, remained seated, unbothered.
He had already decided—this was the perfect chance to show his true strength.
Bai Liang, sitting in front, noticed that everyone else had already chosen opponents. Only he and Song Jie remained.
Since he could already cast intermediate-level magic, he had little interest in the weaker candidates.
But Song Jie was different—he had stolen first place from him in the previous test.
Bai Liang turned around, smiling faintly. "You're Song Jie, right? We're the only ones left without opponents. How about we fight?"
"What element do you cultivate?" Song Jie asked.
"Thunder."
"Can you cast intermediate-level magic?"
"I can," Bai Liang admitted. "But I'm not very skilled yet—I often fail halfway." He said this to make Song Jie more willing to accept the match.
Song Jie paused to think.
Seeing that, Bai Liang's lackey grinned mischievously. "If you agree to fight Brother Liang and somehow manage to beat him, this magic artifact is yours."
He pulled out a small, palm-sized Magic Shoe, glowing faintly with enchantment.
It wasn't his—it belonged to his older brother. But to flatter Bai Liang, he didn't hesitate to use it as a wager.
He wasn't worried at all. He knew Bai Liang's capabilities, and more importantly, he knew that Song Jie couldn't even use intermediate magic!
After all, lightning was one of the strongest and most destructive elements, while light magic—especially in its early stages—was considered weak and purely supportive.
Although part of him thought Song Jie was being bullied, it wasn't his problem.
Song Jie studied the glowing shoe. Judging by its aura, it was definitely a high-quality magic item.
"I'll accept," Song Jie said calmly, "but we'll need a witness."
The boy frowned, not understanding.
Song Jie turned toward the examiner. "Teacher, you heard our bet, right? Please hold on to the Magic Shoe. Whoever wins gets it."
"Ah?" The examiner blinked in confusion, then nodded after a moment.
Song Jie smiled. He didn't want the other party to back out after losing.
The boy chuckled dismissively. "Fine, let's do it your way."
He handed the Magic Shoe to the examiner and turned to Bai Liang. "Brother Liang, I'm counting on you to win it back for me."
Bai Liang nodded but couldn't shake a strange unease.
Dean Xiao noticed the commotion and raised an eyebrow. "What's going on there?"
The examiner quickly explained.
A professor frowned. "Bai Liang is a Thunder Mage, and Song Jie is a Light Mage. That's hardly a fair matchup."
Everyone agreed that Song Jie had no chance.
Light versus Thunder?
Impossible.
But Dean Xiao, reviewing Song Jie's file, noticed something that made his eyes gleam.
Light Element – Mutation Type.
"Perhaps this boy will surprise us," Dean Xiao said with a knowing smile.
The professor from the Thunder Department scoffed. "Dean, you can't be serious. Light can't overpower Thunder."
"Let's just watch," Dean Xiao replied mildly.
No one said anything more.
The matches began, one pair after another. The arena was filled with bursts of fire, lightning, and earthen walls.
The earlier duels were decent, but nothing special.
Song Jie watched for a while, then closed his eyes to conserve energy.
Bai Liang glanced back at him and frowned. The calmer Song Jie appeared, the more uneasy he felt.
"Brother Liang," his lackey whispered, "I can't wait to see you crush him."
Bai Liang didn't reply.
He couldn't help but feel that this battle… wouldn't be as easy as he thought.