When Song Jie heard Zhang Xiaohou say he wanted to join the army, he wasn't surprised at all.
"I support you," Song Jie said, patting Zhang Xiaohou firmly on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Brother Jie!" Zhang Xiaohou grinned, eyes shining with determination.
Bo City had entered its final stage of recovery. Soon, the survivors would be relocated to new areas.
As the military organized the relocation, Song Jie found himself wondering where he should go next.
Later, Zhang Xiaohou led him to their temporary tent.
"Brother Fan, Brother Jie's back!" he called out.
Inside, they found Mo Jiaxing, Mo Fan's father, sitting beside Ye Xinxia and Mo Fan himself.
All three turned at once. Mo Fan quickly got up and poured a cup of water for Song Jie.
Song Jie's gaze swept across the group before landing on Ye Xinxia.
Two years had passed since he'd last seen her. She'd grown taller, her features more refined—her beauty had matured into a serene, gentle grace.
When Ye Xinxia saw Song Jie, she smiled softly and nodded.
Song Jie returned the gesture.
"You must be Mo Fan's classmate, right?" Mo Jiaxing said warmly as he hurried over. "Mo Fan told me it was thanks to you that he managed to escape the city."
Song Jie smiled modestly. "We helped each other. We were lucky to make it out together."
He knew Mo Fan wouldn't expose his secret, so he didn't worry.
"Brother Jie, have some water," Mo Fan said, handing over the cup. His tone carried both respect and gratitude.
"Thanks." Song Jie took it, then sat down with the others.
Together, they discussed their plans for the future—where they would go, what they would do next.
Bo City's reconstruction officially began soon after.
The military magicians started their withdrawal, helping to relocate the surviving residents to safer regions.
During that time, Zhan Kong and Tang Yue came to find Song Jie.
"Song Jie," Tang Yue said with a faint smile, "how about coming to my City? It's not a bad place. Once you graduate, you could even join the Trial Council directly."
Zhan Kong added, "I heard from Zhang Xiaohou that he plans to join the army. You two are close—it'd be better if you came with him. That way, we can look out for each other."
The two clearly didn't want to let him slip away.
Song Jie thought for a moment before answering, "I've decided. I'm going to the Magic City."
"The Magic City?" Tang Yue raised an eyebrow. "You mean… Mingzhu Academy?"
The Bo City Calamity had interrupted this year's college entrance examinations. Many students had lost their chance to enroll and would need to retake the exams the following year.
"Yes." Song Jie nodded. Of course, his real reason wasn't "just to pick up girls."
"With your talent," Tang Yue said thoughtfully, "The Imperial Capital Academy would also be a fine choice."
Song Jie shook his head with a grin. "Forget it. Too many prodigies in the Imperial Capital. I'd rather go to Mingzhu Academy and lead the pack there."
Zhan Kong and Tang Yue exchanged glances. His confidence amused them—but they also knew it wasn't misplaced.
Tang Yue nodded approvingly. "That's true. With your strength and talent, you'd earn far more cultivation resources at Mingzhu than in the Imperial Capital. It's a wise choice."
"Where's Mo Fan?" Zhan Kong asked.
"He's planning to go to Shanghai too. We're both aiming for Mingzhu Academy."
"That's a shame," Tang Yue sighed. "I've got a house in Song City. I was going to let you stay there—it's right across from mine, so I could take care of you."
Song Jie smirked. "Teacher Tang Yue, is it too late for me to change my mind?"
"You brat!" Zhan Kong growled, giving him a playful smack on the head.
A moment later, the two adults were summoned for official duties and left together.
Outside, Zhan Kong glanced at Tang Yue. "Do you think it was him?"
Tang Yue paused, not answering immediately.
"Back when I asked Song Jie and Mo Fan to help Xu Dahuang's team destroy the demon entrance," she said slowly, "Xu Dahuang later reported that someone helped them—someone who wiped out the entrance with ease."
Zhan Kong's expression sharpened. "Was it light magic?"
"Yes," Tang Yue nodded, "but not the same type of light magic you described. It was different."
Zhan Kong frowned, his thoughts deep.
"So… do you think it's Song Jie?" Tang Yue asked quietly.
"I don't know." Zhan Kong shook his head. "It's hard to believe a student fresh out of high school could have that kind of power."
Still, one thing was clear—the mysterious mage wasn't their enemy. And that was enough.
"Let's keep an eye on him," Tang Yue said, walking toward the military camp.
Zhan Kong nodded and followed.
After Bo City's survivors were assigned relocation groups, countless families began migrating to new cities.
The city had endured too much devastation—recovery would take years. Many residents had no homes left and no choice but to start anew elsewhere.
Song Jie, however, didn't claim any of the housing offered to survivors.
With his current savings, renting a place in Shanghai was no problem. He decided to leave the government-assigned homes for those in greater need.
Without waiting for Mo Fan and the others, he set out alone for the Magic City.
Aboard the high-speed train, the scenery outside the window changed rapidly—mountains, plains, and sprawling cities flashing by. Each stop brought him closer to his next chapter.
After several hours, he finally arrived.
"We're finally here," he murmured with a quiet smile, stepping out of the station.
In the original story, Mo Fan had missed the college entrance exams and trained on his own for a year. But self-study could never compare to the resources of a real academy.
If Song Jie wanted to grow stronger quickly, he had only one choice—to take Mingzhu Academy's special recruitment examination.
That was why he'd rushed here as soon as possible.
"First things first—find a place to stay."
He hailed a taxi and headed toward the area near Mingzhu Academy.
The landlord was kind and straightforward. After discussing rent and signing the contract, Song Jie paid the deposit without hesitation.
That night, he had a decent meal, rested well, and woke up early the next morning.
Standing before the grand gates of Mingzhu Academy, Song Jie couldn't help but be impressed.
"So this is Mingzhu Academy…" he whispered. Compared to the gate of Tianlan Magic High School, this one radiated prestige and power.
"Alright—time to get started."
The entrance exams were nearly over. If he wanted in, he needed to act fast.
Mingzhu Academy might not be the number one academy in China, but it still ranked among the top five—and every student here was among the nation's most gifted.
Following the campus map, Song Jie finally found the Academic Affairs Office.
There were already quite a few people waiting outside—most looked about his age.
"It seems everyone's here for the special recruitment," he thought.
According to the official website, the special recruitment exams would close in two days, so today's line was packed.
After waiting patiently for ten minutes, it was finally his turn.
A woman in a crisp professional outfit sat at the front desk. She looked up at him.
"Fill out this form first," she said, handing him a clipboard. "Then bring it back to me."
Song Jie nodded and took the form, ready to begin the next step of his new journey.