As dawn barely broke, the practical assessment ground of Azure Breeze Magic Academy was already packed with people. The assessment site was a circular stone platform surrounded by a three-meter-high bluestone fence. Beyond the fence stood examinees waiting for their turn and academy tutors in charge of maintaining order. In the center of the platform stood ten test stone pillars, each over a person's height, their surfaces covered with wind-element runes—the content of the practical assessment was simple: unleash wind-element magic to hit the pillars, and qualification would be determined by the brightness of the light emitted by the pillars.
Lynn stood at the end of the examinee line, his fingertips quietly brushing the Forbidden Codex in his arms. The faint vibration from the parchment eased the tension he had been holding. After practicing in the small grove for most of the night, he could skillfully mimic wind-element energy with his ashen energy, and even release a weak "Wind Blade". Though its power was not great, it was more than enough to hit the test pillar.
"Next, Gray!" Tutor Barton's voice rang out, carrying a touch of authority.
Gray immediately stepped out of the line, a proud smile on his face. He walked to the center of the platform, raised the short staff in his hand, and struck a standard casting pose toward the test pillar. The surrounding examinees fell silent one after another, their eyes fixed on him—as an examinee with a recommendation quota from the Holy Light Council, Gray had attracted much attention since registration, and many people were eager to see his strength.
"Wind elements, obey my command, converge!" Gray uttered a low shout. Surprisingly, the fire-element crystal at the tip of his short staff lit up with a pale cyan glow—he had secretly infused wind-element energy into the staff in advance, clearly intent on performing well in the assessment.
A wind blade half a foot long shot out from the top of the staff, piercing the air with a sharp whistling sound, and hit the test pillar accurately. The wind-element runes on the pillar's surface lit up instantly, and pale cyan light spread from the bottom of the pillar all the way to the top, even flickering twice.
"Qualified! Excellent light intensity—it's clear you've made plenty of preparations in advance." Tutor Barton nodded, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. "Step down and wait for your admission notice."
Gray shot a proud glance in Lynn's direction, and even deliberately held up his short staff, as if showing off his strength. Lynn looked away coldly, but inwardly he heightened his vigilance—apart from pride, there was a faint, imperceptible viciousness in Gray's eyes just now, and he couldn't help but feel that the other party was plotting something.
The assessment proceeded in an orderly manner. Most examinees could only make the test pillars glow halfway up, barely qualifying; a small number of gifted examinees managed to make the light spread to the top of the pillars and received praise from the tutors. Soon, it was the turn of the examinee right before Lynn. Meanwhile, Gray stood by the fence, whispering to the two noble youths from earlier, and casting occasional glances in Lynn's direction.
Lynn's heart gradually tightened. He could clearly feel a faint fire-element energy quietly approaching him—it was the energy fluctuation from Gray's short staff! He immediately understood Gray's plan: the other party intended to secretly release fire-element energy to interfere with him during his assessment, preventing him from successfully unleashing wind-element magic.
"Next, Lynn!" Tutor Barton's voice rang out, interrupting Lynn's thoughts.
Lynn took a deep breath to suppress the anger in his heart and quickly walked onto the platform. As soon as he stood still, he felt the fire-element energy suddenly intensify, like a tiny needle stabbing toward his dantian—Gray had really made his move!
The surrounding examinees also noticed something unusual and began whispering among themselves: "What's going on? Why do I feel a wave of fire-element energy?"
"It seems to be coming from Gray's direction! What is he trying to do?"
"Could he be trying to interfere with Lynn's assessment? That's so despicable!"
Tutor Barton also frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping toward Gray. Gray immediately restrained his energy and put on an innocent expression: "Tutor, I didn't do anything. Maybe the fire-element energy around here is just messy."
Tutor Barton said nothing, but the doubt in his eyes deepened. He turned to Lynn on the platform and said, "You may begin."
Instead of casting magic immediately, Lynn slowly closed his eyes, pretending to adjust his state. In reality, he was circulating the ashen energy in his body. The fire-element energy was still trying to interfere with his dantian—though weak, it was enough to prevent an ordinary examinee from gathering magic energy. But for Lynn, this energy was not an interference; it was even a "help"—the greatest strength of ashen magic was devouring other types of energy!
He secretly activated the Forbidden Codex, and the ashen spark in his body lit up instantly, like a greedy little sun, devouring the fire-element energy in the blink of an eye. At the same time, he adjusted the transformed ashen energy to match the fluctuation frequency of wind-element energy, and a wisp of pale cyan airflow gradually gathered at his fingertips.
"This is the moment!" Lynn suddenly opened his eyes, raised his hand toward the test pillar, and pushed the airflow at his fingertips forward.
A weak wind blade flew out. Though not fast, it hit the test pillar accurately. The wind-element runes on the pillar's surface lit up slowly, and pale cyan light spread upward from the bottom, eventually stopping an inch below the top of the pillar—just barely qualified!
"Qualified!" Tutor Barton's voice sounded, tinged with a hint of surprise. "Although the light intensity is average, you managed to successfully release wind-element magic in an environment with chaotic energy fluctuations. It's clear your control over magic energy is truly impressive."
Lynn breathed a sigh of relief and was about to step down from the platform when Gray's voice suddenly rang out: "Tutor, wait a minute! I suspect he used cheating methods!"
Gray quickly walked to the edge of the platform, pointed at Lynn, and shouted loudly: "He clearly has fire-element affinity—how could he release wind-element magic? Moreover, when he was casting just now, I clearly felt strange energy fluctuations on him. He might have used forbidden magic items!"
The surrounding examinees immediately erupted into a commotion, turning to stare at Lynn with eyes full of doubt. Some examinees who had been misled by Gray even chimed in: "That's right! How can someone with fire-element affinity release wind-element magic? He must have cheated!"
"The academy can't admit someone who cheats—it would be so unfair to us!"
Tutor Barton's expression darkened as well. He looked at Lynn and asked in a serious tone: "Lynn, is what Gray said true? Do you have any magic items on you?"
Lynn felt both angry and amused—Gray had made up such a ridiculous excuse just to stop him from enrolling. Instead of panicking, he looked calmly at Tutor Barton: "Tutor, I didn't cheat, and I don't have any magic items with me. Although my magic affinity test showed fire-element, I am very familiar with the energy fluctuations of wind-element, which is why I can release weak wind-element magic. If you don't believe me, I can release it again for you to check."
"Very well, release it again." Tutor Barton nodded, and at the same time shot a glance in Gray's direction. "No one is allowed to interfere this time—otherwise, their assessment qualification will be revoked!"
Gray's face turned ugly instantly, but he didn't dare to make any more小动作—Tutor Barton's words carried a warning. If he dared to interfere again, not only would he fail to enroll, he might even be disciplined by the academy.
Lynn walked to the test pillar again. This time, he no longer hid his strength. He activated the ashen energy in his body, not only mimicking wind-element fluctuations but also secretly incorporating a trace of the Holy Light energy he had absorbed earlier, making the wind-element fluctuations more stable.
"Wind Blade!" Lynn shouted in a low voice. A clearer wind blade than before shot out from his fingertip and hit the test pillar accurately. This time, the light emitted by the wind-element runes on the pillar's surface was half an inch higher than before, almost reaching the top!
"Qualified!" There was obvious surprise in Tutor Barton's voice. "I didn't expect your control over magic energy to be so strong—you can even release cross-attribute magic and maintain stable control over it!"
The surrounding examinees were all stunned. Those who had echoed Gray earlier lowered their heads in shame—Lynn had proven himself with strength, and their previous doubts now seemed ridiculous. Gray stood rooted to the spot, his face flushed red, but he couldn't utter a single word of refutation. He could only clench his fists tightly, his fingernails almost digging into his flesh.
As Lynn stepped down from the platform, Tutor Barton called him back, his eyes filled with a touch of admiration: "Lynn, you got a full score in the written exam. Although the light intensity in the practical assessment isn't top-tier, your ability to release cross-attribute magic and cast stably despite interference is enough to prove your talent and potential. The academy has decided to admit you on a special basis!"
"Thank you, Tutor!" Lynn quickly thanked him, a surge of indescribable excitement welling up in his heart. From being a "magic good-for-nothing" in Fallen Dust Town to becoming a student of Azure Breeze Magic Academy, he had finally taken the first step toward changing his fate!
Tutor Barton patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "No need to thank me—this is the result of your own efforts. Report to the academy's Academic Affairs Office tomorrow morning to collect your robe and textbooks. Remember, in this academy, strength is the ultimate truth. Practice hard and don't live up to your talent."
Lynn nodded seriously and said: "I will, Tutor."
He turned around and walked toward the academy's dormitory area. The sun shone warmly on him, and the Forbidden Codex in his arms stopped vibrating, as if celebrating for him. Lynn knew that entering Azure Breeze Magic Academy was only the beginning of his adventure—Gray's revenge, the Holy Light Council's pursuit, and the secrets hidden in the Forbidden Codex were all waiting for him ahead. But he was no longer afraid or confused, for he finally had his own strength and the qualification to chase his dreams.
By the fence in the distance, Gray watched Lynn's back, his eyes filled with malice. He took out a piece of letter paper from his arms and quickly wrote a line: "Lynn has been specially admitted to Azure Breeze Academy. There are abnormal energy fluctuations on him, suspected to be related to forbidden magic. Request Mage Colin to send someone to investigate..." After finishing writing, he folded the letter paper and handed it to the lackey beside him: "Send this letter to Fallen Dust Town immediately and hand it to Mage Colin. Hurry!"
The lackey took the letter and ran off quickly. Gray stared at the direction where Lynn had disappeared, a cruel smile curving his lips: "Lynn, do you think you're safe just because you got into the academy? Wait and see—I'll let you know how terrible the consequences are for offending me and the Holy Light Council!"