"There's no need to be so polite between us. By the way, have you signed up for Mingzhu Academy's special recruitment exam?" Tang Yue asked over the phone.
"I have," Song Jie replied.
"With your talent and cultivation, you should have no problem passing it," Tang Yue said confidently.
"Then I'll take that as Teacher Tang Yue's blessing." Song Jie smiled.
"I'll be back in Songcheng soon. When you have time, come visit me," Tang Yue offered warmly.
After a few more words of small talk, Tang Yue hung up to return to her duties.
Song Jie, meanwhile, returned home and began focusing on his newly awakened Summoning Element.
"Let's start by controlling the seven stars of the Summoning System," he muttered, eyes bright with determination.
Although he now possessed the Summoning Element, he couldn't use it yet. Without control over the seven primary stars, he couldn't cast any Dimensional Summoning magic at all.
Once he could release Summoning Magic, he'd finally be able to call forth a creature from the Dimensional Plane—his very own summoned beast!
Just the thought filled him with excitement, and he immediately sat down to train.
Having already mastered the Light Element, Song Jie was deeply familiar with the intricacies of controlling primary stars. This time, it would surely take him less effort to achieve even greater results.
Days passed in quiet, disciplined cultivation.
Then, one morning, his communicator buzzed—a message from Mingzhu Academy.
"Report for the assessment the day after tomorrow."
Song Jie smiled. "Looks like I passed the review."
Cultivation was monotonous, but he knew that those who couldn't endure the boredom would never become strong.
The morning of the special recruitment exam arrived.
After breakfast, Song Jie headed straight for Mingzhu Academy.
He was already familiar with the layout, and soon arrived at the academy's Magic Testing Arena. Rows of students about his age sat waiting for the examination to begin.
Taking a quick glance around, Song Jie counted roughly a dozen candidates. Finding an empty seat, he sat quietly among them.
At the front sat a panel of teachers—the examiners for today's assessment.
"This year's special recruits are quite impressive. There are even a few Intermediate Mages among them," one teacher remarked with a smile.
The others nodded. They all knew that anyone who hadn't reached the Intermediate level would find it extremely difficult to pass.
Those without that qualification were, frankly, here to make up the numbers.
Special recruitment had notoriously high standards. Candidates needed to excel in a specific field or show extraordinary potential.
The available spots were few—often over a dozen candidates competing for just two seats.
If no one reached the benchmark, Mingzhu Academy would rather leave the positions empty than lower their standards.
In other words, getting in through special recruitment was far harder than passing the regular entrance exam.
"Are they all here?" asked Dean Xiao, who was overseeing the assessment.
"Yes, everyone's present," a male teacher replied, having just finished roll call.
"Then let's begin the first round," Dean Xiao said calmly.
The examiner nodded and began reading names, calling students forward one by one.
The first test involved two parts: questions on magical theory and an evaluation of cultivation level.
One student after another stepped up for questioning and star-sense testing. Song Jie observed quietly, noting the process.
"Well, you're close to breaking through to the Intermediate level, aren't you?" one examiner asked a candidate.
"Yes," the student nodded nervously.
A smile crossed the examiner's face. "Good. Congratulations, you've passed the first test."
As that student left, Dean Xiao gave a slight nod of approval. The line continued to move quickly—soon, more than half the candidates had finished.
Song Jie's name was among the last called. By the time it was his turn, only eight people remained.
"Mr. Liang, you've got this in the bag. You'll definitely rank first in the first round," said a fashionable-looking student nearby.
The young man he addressed—Bai Liang—smirked confidently. He came from the Bai Family, one of the Four Major Families of the Magic City.
"It's nothing special," Bai Liang replied, though his expression said otherwise. The flattery clearly pleased him.
The other candidates quickly echoed the sentiment, hoping to curry favor with the heir of such a prestigious clan.
Sitting quietly beside them was Song Jie, dressed plainly—his calm demeanor a stark contrast to their arrogance.
When his name was finally called, he stood and walked steadily toward the exam area.
"Song Jie, Intermediate Mage, from Bo City…" Dean Xiao read aloud from the file, glancing at him.
"From Bo City?" one professor asked suddenly. "Is that the same Bo City that was attacked by demons?"
The Bo City tragedy had shocked the nation. Fortunately, the casualties had been minimal thanks to the efforts of its defenders.
"Yes," Song Jie said evenly.
"Were you there when it happened?" another professor asked curiously.
"This is an assessment," Dean Xiao interrupted coolly. "Let's stick to relevant questions."
They nodded, and the questioning resumed—some basic magical theory, followed by the cultivation test.
"When did you reach the Intermediate level?" Dean Xiao asked.
"Not long ago," Song Jie replied vaguely.
A professor chuckled softly. "Then he's just average. Hardly impressive for an Intermediate."
To them, Bo City was a small, backwater place. They didn't expect someone from there to match students from wealthy families.
"Begin the test," Dean Xiao instructed.
Song Jie placed his hand on the Star Sense Stone, which glowed faintly under his touch. This wasn't the same device used at Tianlan Magic High School—it was calibrated for Intermediate-level magicians.
The other students leaned forward, smirking, eager to see him fail.
Dean Xiao and the professors watched silently.
Then—
A brilliant golden light suddenly burst forth from the Star Sense Stone!
The light was dazzling—pure, radiant gold—and it spread across the entire platform.
"There's… there's so much golden light!" one professor exclaimed in disbelief.
Another who had just mocked Song Jie now frowned deeply, eyes narrowing.
The glow grew brighter and brighter until it forced several teachers to shield their eyes.
"This intensity… it's almost at the second-tier Intermediate level, isn't it?" a professor muttered in awe.
No one answered—but their silence said everything.
The arrogant smirks around the room had vanished, replaced by stunned expressions.
Even Dean Xiao's eyes flickered with rare surprise as he stared at the young man from Bo City, his hand still resting calmly on the shining Star Sense Stone.