The train back to Bo City rattled through long stretches of countryside, snow melting slowly on the windows. Xu Mang leaned back in his seat with the Frost Star Wolf curled comfortably on his lap, its white fur glimmering faintly in the dim cabin light.
Every so often, a faint frost spread from the wolf's body and froze the edge of the window. Xu Mang gently tapped its head.
"Careful. We're inside public transportation."
The wolf blinked, then shrank its aura obediently. It had grown intelligent overnight.
Emperor lineage was no joke.
Xu Mang spent most of the journey meditating with his eyes half-open. The Black Totem Pendant warmed occasionally, as if processing the Ruler Soul Essence still stored within. Even now, the digestion wasn't complete.
The power being refined was… vast.
It made Xu Mang feel like he was sitting on a volcano with a cork shoved into it.
"Just finish it already," he murmured.
The pendant pulsed once.
As if telling him to be patient.
Bo City High looked the same as always.
Crowded hallways.
Teachers barking instructions.
Students complaining about morning drills.
Xu Mang walked through the front gates with a quiet expression.
A few students gasped.
"He's back?"
"That lightning kid who skipped half the semester?"
"I heard he went to Magic City to take nightclub photos."
"No, no, someone said he joined a black market gang."
Xu Mang sighed. "Human rumors are truly creative."
The Frost Star Wolf perched on his shoulder let out a tiny "Awoo," which sent a thin wave of frost over the bulletin board the gossiping students were standing next to.
They jumped away shrieking.
Xu Mang kept walking.
Xue Musheng paused when he reached Xu Mang's name.
"…Xu Mang."
"Present," Xu Mang replied.
Xue Musheng stared for a moment, then continued calling names.
He said nothing, but Xu Mang noticed the relief in the man's eyes. Teachers acted indifferent, but many genuinely cared.
After attendance, the Principal entered the classroom wearing his sternest expression. He walked straight to the back row where Xu Mang sat.
"You were gone too long," the Principal said. "This cannot happen again."
Xu Mang nodded politely. "It won't."
"You have lightning. Lightning requires discipline. Even if your talent is good, without practice you will fall behind."
"Yes, sir."
The Principal opened his mouth to say more, but the Frost Star Wolf peeked out from Xu Mang's hood, its crystal crown shimmering.
The Principal froze.
"What… is that."
"Pet," Xu Mang said calmly.
"…School policy forbids pets."
"It doesn't bite."
The wolf bared its sharp little fangs at the Principal.
"Remove it from sight," the Principal said quickly, stepping back.
Xu Mang tucked the wolf deeper into his coat.
"Understood."
During lunch, Xu Mang walked around the training fields with his hands in his pockets. He kept a careful eye on three specific people.
Mo Fan.
Trying to align four lightning stars at once, failing, and cursing loudly under his breath.
Zhang Xiaohou.
Running drills with intense focus, his wind circulation improving noticeably.
Mu Bai.
Standing proudly in the center of a group, demonstrating Ice Star Orbit formation with smug precision.
Xu Mang examined each one carefully.
"Mo Fan will progress fastest with external pressure and real combat experience," he murmured. "I need to get him a spirit seed… something fire or lightning aligned."
He paused, observing Zhang Xiaohou.
"Houzi needs technique. His movements are good, but his mana control is sloppy. A disciplined training method should fix that."
Finally, he looked at Mu Bai from afar.
"Mu Bai needs humility. Arrogance is slowing his growth. If he gets pressured by real danger—controlled danger—he'll accelerate."
The Frost Star Wolf poked its head out, sniffing the cold winter air.
Xu Mang patted its head.
"We'll raise them properly. They're part of our path."
The wolf wagged its fluffy tail softly.
That evening, Xu Mang skipped dinner and walked to the mountain area behind the school grounds. The forest was quiet. Snow muffled footsteps. Moonlight shone through the branches like silver threads.
He sat beneath an old tree and activated the Summoning Stardust inside him. It pulsed like a second heartbeat. The pendant strengthened the rhythm, smoothing the star paths.
The Frost Star Wolf sat beside him, its tails curled neatly around its paws.
A thin ring of silver light appeared under Xu Mang's palm.
A Summoning Gate.
Just a sliver of it.
A soft breeze from the Summoning Plane flowed out—cold, sharp, carrying faint traces of violet lightning.
Xu Mang inhaled.
"So you are still watching," he murmured.
He closed the gate gently. He wasn't ready to step through again. Not until the pendant finished evolving.
Instead, he shifted to lightning cultivation.
Seven stars aligned.
Six clicked into place.
The seventh trembled.
The Frost Star Wolf barked encouragingly.
Xu Mang chuckled.
"Thanks. But don't freeze the tree."
The wolf froze the tree.
"…I said not to."
The wolf lowered its head apologetically.
Xu Mang leaned back and exhaled.
"Tomorrow we start improving everyone. Especially Mo Fan. His future affects mine."
Lightning danced on his fingertips.
Snow shimmered on his wolf's fur.
The night held its breath.
Xu Mang closed his eyes.
The next stage of Bo City's fate had already begun.
And he was ready.