"Holy crap!" Mo Fan couldn't help blurting out when he saw the scene before him.
He had been confident of taking first place in the assessment—until Song Jie appeared!
Not only that, Mu Bai's face had turned pale. It was already humiliating enough that Mo Fan outperformed him, but now another person had surpassed them both!
At this moment, everyone's attention was focused entirely on Song Jie, their eyes filled with envy and disbelief.
"Why haven't the teachers given their scores yet?" someone muttered, confused.
"Looks like they don't even know how to grade him," another student said with a laugh.
The three assessment teachers exchanged uncertain glances. An S was already the highest possible rating, yet Song Jie's performance clearly exceeded that level!
They had been grading at Tianlan Magic High School for years, but none of them had ever encountered a situation like this.
"How about we give him an S+?" one of the teachers suggested.
"That seems fair. His results are obviously the best among all the students here."
A moment later, all three teachers raised their signs together—S+!
"Holy crap, three S+ ratings!! Brother Jie, you're amazing!" Zhang Xiaohou exclaimed excitedly.
"Brother Fan, looks like your first place just got stolen," he teased.
Mo Fan's expression didn't change, but inside, a thousand grass-mud horses were galloping wildly through his mind.
Still, he clung to a sliver of hope—there was still the Magic Release assessment left!
"There's still a chance…" he thought, unwilling to give up. The reward for first place was much better than for second—it meant thirty full days of cultivation time using the Star Dust Magic Tool!
That cultivation tool allowed one to train far longer and accumulate more energy, which would eventually create an enormous gap in power. For young mages, it was a priceless resource.
Meanwhile, Mu Bai gritted his teeth in frustration. He had been in second place and would have received twenty days with the Star Dust Magic Tool. But with Song Jie's sudden rise, he dropped to third—only fifteen days!
A full five days less!
"Student Song Jie, would you like to test your Magic Release?" the bald teacher asked.
"Yes," Song Jie replied calmly.
Everyone held their breath in anticipation.
This was the only S+ rating in the entire venue—they all wanted to see how his magic release would perform!
Song Jie walked to the testing area, where several targets were lined up.
"Student Song Jie, you may begin when ready," the teacher announced.
Song Jie nodded. His gaze locked onto a target.
"Shine!"
With a soft command, golden light flared from his body, bursting outward in a brilliant flash.
Perfect Release!
The light magic shot forward and struck the target dead center.
Gasps filled the air—no one expected his release to also reach the perfect level!
"It's over…" Mo Fan muttered in despair.
The first-place reward was slipping from his hands.
"Song Jie's final score for Magic Release: S!" the teacher declared.
The entire venue erupted into an uproar!
Song Jie instantly became the center of attention—the undisputed champion of the assessment!
Even Mu Zhuoyun, who had previously tried to recruit Mo Fan, now set his sights on Song Jie. He didn't approach personally this time; instead, he glanced toward Mu He.
Mu He immediately understood. He stepped forward with a pleasant smile.
"Tianlan Magic High School truly hides many talents. I didn't expect such an outstanding student," he said warmly.
"Yes, I also didn't expect Class Eight to produce two top students!" Principal Zhu replied, beaming with pride.
"Student Song Jie, my name is Mu He," Mu He introduced himself politely.
Song Jie nodded slightly, offering a calm "Hello."
"Our Mu Family values geniuses like you the most. If you're willing to join us, we will nurture you into a high-level mage," Mu He said confidently.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. In Bo City, even intermediate mages were regarded as top-tier figures—and now the Mu Family was promising to make him a high-level mage!
But Song Jie didn't seem particularly impressed.
He glanced at Principal Zhu, who quickly stepped in.
"Student Song Jie," the principal said with a kind smile, "joining a family is indeed one path, but it's not the only one. The decision is yours to make."
Song Jie thought for a moment, then replied politely, "I haven't decided yet. Thank you for your offer."
Mu He's smile didn't waver. "No problem. Take your time to consider."
From the side, Mu Zhuoyun turned to Mu Ningxue. "Ningxue, what do you think of this Song Jie?"
"He's alright," Mu Ningxue replied coolly.
To her, Song Jie was decent—but compared to the geniuses of the Imperial Capital Academy, he was still far behind.
"Alright, then in a few days, I'll invite him over for dinner," Mu Zhuoyun said.
Mo Fan had rejected him earlier and even publicly challenged the Mu Family. Now another student had refused them—it made his temper boil!
He refused to believe he couldn't handle a mere student.
The assessment concluded, and students gradually dispersed.
When the final results were posted, Song Jie's name stood proudly at the top of the leaderboard!
Because of this, the classes were restructured according to ranking, and Song Jie, Mo Fan, and Mu Bai all entered the Elite Class.
Song Jie didn't care much for such honors. After all, he was already a pseudo–high-level mage. Still, he knew not to rush—solid foundations were important.
A few days later, after persistent invitations, Song Jie finally agreed to visit the Mu Family.
And of course, it wasn't because he valued beauty—it was simply because their repeated invitations were becoming too bothersome to refuse.
That evening, a luxurious Mu Family car arrived to escort him.
Half an hour later, as the sleek black sedan rolled up to the Mu estate, Song Jie finally realized what true wealth looked like.
The towering villas, marble courtyards, and immaculately tended gardens all exuded luxury.
"It's good to be rich," Song Jie muttered with a sigh.
"Student Song Jie, please follow me," a butler said politely.
Song Jie nodded and followed him inside.
Soon, they entered a lavish hall, where Mu Zhuoyun sat by a glass dining table, reading the newspaper.
Seeing Song Jie approach, he smiled warmly.
"Ah, Xiao Jie, you're here! Come, have a seat."