In just one week, Zhou Haoyu's name had already spread throughout the entire Imperial Capital.
While it was true that the city had no shortage of naturally gifted mages, a naturally dual-element mage like Zhou Haoyu was exceedingly rare.
Far from feeling pleased about his sudden fame, Zhou Haoyu was actually somewhat troubled.
"The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be blown down by the wind."
The Zhou Family wasn't like the Mu or Zhao Families, who were established aristocratic clans. They weren't even on the level of the Dongfang or Mu Families at most, they could be considered a second-tier family.
Of course, being able to establish themselves in the tangled web of power that was the Imperial Capital meant the Zhou Family did possess some strength. There were a few Super Mages in the clan, and Zhou Hong himself was a ranked powerhouse on the Mystic Rankings!
Even so, Zhou Haoyu wasn't overly worried. Dual elements came with both advantages and disadvantages only by maturing and growing could his talent truly shine.
So at least for now, he wouldn't attract the malicious attention of other powers.
Since he hadn't found a new treasure chest, Zhou Haoyu had spent these past few days fully focused on meditation.
With the help of a Spirit-level Stardust Magic Tool, Zhou Haoyu could meditate for about seven hours a day, all of which he devoted to his Space Element.
It wasn't that Zhou Haoyu believed the Space Element was inherently superior to Lightning. He simply thought that the Space Element might be more synergistic with his Spiritual Power.
Besides meditation, Zhou Haoyu had also started trying to control stars.
Normally, a newly awakened mage would need to meditate for two full months before attempting to control stars.
But after obtaining the origin of Spiritual Power, Zhou Haoyu's mental energy had skyrocketed. He wasn't sure what level he had reached, but it was definitely at least a sub-tier breakthrough.
Because of this, Zhou Haoyu dared to begin controlling stars earlier and it went surprisingly well. In just one week, he had already controlled one star.
At this rate, he would be able to cast Basic-level Space Magic in less than two months!
In the original story, Mu Ningxue needed eight months after awakening before she could cast magic. Mo Fan took five months. Zhou Haoyu? Only two!
Absolutely godlike!
But this was just the stardust control phase. Having two elements early on would undoubtedly slow his progress. As such, Zhou Haoyu decided to focus primarily on cultivating the Space Element first.
Once he advanced Space Magic to the Intermediate Tier, he'd shift his attention to Lightning.
Ever since awakening, Zhou Haoyu had plunged himself into the ocean of magic.
Initially, he could only train for seven hours a day. But after receiving a Soul-level Stardust Magic Tool from his grandfather, he could now cultivate for nearly ten hours daily.
Practically all his time outside of eating and sleeping was spent training.
The cultivation process was undoubtedly dull and monotonous, but the rapid progress in his strength provided instant feedback, fueling his enthusiasm.
Besides the Soul-level Stardust Magic Tool, Zhou Haoyu also received a pendant-type defensive magic item, capable of casting a High Tier: Heaven's Water Curtain, strong enough to block most High-level Magic attacks.
It was known that defensive magic items were worth far more than ordinary magic tools. A tool capable of casting Water Defence was already extremely expensive, while one that could unleash a High Level Heaven's Water Curtain would easily be worth several billion yuan!
This was most likely one of his grandfather's most treasured possessions proof of how much hope he had placed in Zhou Haoyu!
In the blink of an eye, two months had passed. It was now time for Magic High School to begin.
"Xiaoyu, I'm thinking of having you enroll directly into the Imperial Capital Institute. What do you think?"
After much consideration, Zhou Hong brought up the idea to Zhou Haoyu.
"The Imperial Capital Institute? But I can't even cast magic yet." Zhou Haoyu frowned.
Revealing that he had learned to cast spells in two months was far too shocking it was better not to let his father know for now.
"Don't worry. The Imperial Capital Institute has special admissions for naturally gifted talents like you. And you'll only be in the Youth Division, so there's no pressure from competition. Compared to Magic High School, you'll have far more time to train there."
Zhou Hong explained with a cheerful smile.
"I see."
Zhou Haoyu stroked his chin thoughtfully. Mu Ningxue had also enrolled early in the Imperial Capital Institute. Maybe he'd even run into her there.
"Alright, let's go with the Imperial Capital Institute." Zhou Haoyu nodded after some thought.
If he attended Magic High School, there'd definitely be time-wasting classes to deal with.
The Imperial Capital Institute offered far more freedom. If he wanted to learn something, he could go straight to the library. If he had any questions, he could ask the instructors, or even go home to ask his dad.
As for the experience assessments at Magic High School, Zhou Haoyu didn't even take them seriously.
Sending a bunch of Basic-level Mages out for "training" was, in his eyes, completely idiotic.
If it were just a symbolic test to toughen students up a bit, that would be fine. But actually letting students confront monsters? That was sheer stupidity.
No strength, no coordination if they really encountered monsters, they'd just end up as fodder.
Under Zhou Hong's arrangement, Zhou Haoyu was admitted into the Imperial Capital Institute without needing to take any entrance exam.
The Imperial Capital Institute was ranked number one in all of China. Other institutes might compete for second place, but none could challenge its hold on the top spot.
At least for now, that was certain!
Zhou Haoyu had considered going to Pearl Institute, mainly because Dean Xiao, a Forbidden Curse Mage, taught there.
As for the Three-Step Tower, Zhou Haoyu wasn't particularly concerned. The Imperial Capital Institute was bound to have similar cultivation sanctuaries otherwise, it wouldn't be the best institute in China.
The most important reason for choosing the Imperial Capital Institute, however, was that the Zhou Family's foundation was in the Imperial Capital. If he made a name for himself there, it would bring enormous benefits to his clan.
Since he was enjoying the resources provided by his family, Zhou Haoyu naturally had to think about the family's future as well.
After enrolling in the Imperial Capital Institute, Zhou Haoyu's daily life became a strict triangle of activities: eating, sleeping, and studying in the library. All the remaining time was devoted to cultivation.
At first, Zhou Haoyu tried searching for new treasure chests, but to his dismay, none of the people he encountered had any above their heads.
As a result, Zhou Haoyu decided to temporarily put that aside and focused his efforts on researching Spiritual Power.
The most basic effect of Spiritual Power was a tremendous boost in spiritual energy, and the power of the Space Element was directly tied to one's spiritual energy. A small breakthrough in spiritual energy was equivalent to having a Spirit Seed.
Moreover, Spiritual Power vastly enhanced Zhou Haoyu's Telekinesis. Manipulating objects under 500 kilograms was as smooth and effortless as moving his own arms and fingers something even Zhou Hong would find difficult.
Zhou Hong was also a Space Element Mage. Though he hadn't reached the Super Level, he was still at the peak of the High Tier.
Zhou Hong could easily lift objects over several thousand kilograms, but using Telekinesis in actual combat was extremely difficult.
That's because fighting with Telekinesis required meticulous control. One small mistake could backfire or even injure one's own teammates.
Thus, even though Zhou Haoyu had only learned a Level One Basic Spell, most other Basic Mages were no match for him.
One year later.
Zhou Haoyu was reading in the library when he suddenly caught sight of a silver figure stunningly beautiful, skin like frost and jade, a proud and graceful figure...
None of that mattered.
What mattered was: there was a glittering treasure chest floating above her head.
[Unlock Condition: Engagement!]