"Everyone, quiet down for a moment."
Old Xue was beaming with energy as he raised both hands and pressed them downward, his whole demeanor brimming with confidence.
"You are all the most outstanding students from your respective classes. On this point, I have great confidence in you."
"However, there is one thing I must make clear. Ordinary classes are not without the possibility of catching up."
"Over the coming year, there will be one assessment every quarter. At each assessment, the bottom ten students will be demoted and transferred into the ordinary classes."
"At the same time, the top ten students from the ordinary classes will be promoted directly into the Advanced Class. So the competitive pressure you face is still considerable…"
"The school is currently preparing Stardust Magical Tools for the Advanced Class. They will be distributed in about one month."
"The duration of usage will decrease step by step according to ranking. I hope none of you slack off—everyone has a chance."
"Alright, one last point."
"That is, this academic year our key focus will be on magic release, in other words, practical classes."
"Our practical class instructor will be Teacher Tang Yue, who previously taught Class Seven. Many of you should already be familiar with her."
"I won't go into lengthy introductions here. In class, there will be instruction on star path connection, star movement, as well as demon-related coursework, among other topics."
"I hope everyone plans their year properly. You are now members of the Advanced Class. If you still lack self-discipline and planning, then at the next assessment, you may no longer be sitting here and will instead be eliminated by ordinary class students."
Old Xue listed the key learning priorities for the academic year in one long stretch. These were, without exception, all the things students at this stage truly needed.
In the first academic year, such content was rarely emphasized. Back then, everyone was still far from being able to release magic, and practical classes served only as a warm-up.
By the second year, things were completely different. Practical classes became the core focus—accumulating magical energy, controlling stars, and releasing spells with proficiency.
As for theory, it mostly served to fill spare time. Of course, for those who wanted deeper knowledge, the library was always open.
In the classroom, such depth was rarely discussed. Students' levels varied too widely, so only basic and commonly used content was taught.
This was fundamentally different from his previous life's cultural education system. Mages belonged to a combat-based profession. Practice was the core. Resisting demons was the core.
Those who pursued research were a different matter altogether. Without reaching the Advanced Tier, it was extremely difficult to study high-level subjects such as formations, magical tools, potions, elemental refinement, or material synthesis.
Without sufficient strength, one could only engage in theory—and even that often led to cognitive barriers. Without actual cultivation experience, understanding underlying principles was exceedingly difficult.
The morning passed quickly.
After a short two-hour break, the first practical class of the new semester began in the afternoon.
Wang Teng did not choose to skip it. Instead, he arrived early at the practice field, where numerous targets had already been set up.
"I thought you liked showing up right on time. Why are you here so early today?" Tang Yue asked.
She was wearing a floral dress that day. With summer arriving, women naturally preferred lighter clothing.
"Just here to help my girlfriend make an impression~"
Pa—
"Don't say nonsense at school~"
Tang Yue gave him a light smack and cautiously glanced around. When she saw no one paying attention, she finally relaxed.
Seeing Wang Teng grinning happily, she rolled her eyes at him before walking to the center of the field and instructing the male students to set up the targets.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
"Ahh, Fan-ge… looks like Goddess Tang Yue is already out of our reach."
Zhang Xiaohou clicked his tongue regretfully while holding a target and working alongside Mo Fan.
Seeing how close Wang Teng was with Goddess Tang Yue made him feel incredibly sour—it was like discovering that the goddess from his dreams already had a boyfriend.
"That guy really is outrageous…" Mo Fan muttered, lifting his head to glance in their direction.
Tang Yue had just left Wang Teng's side. Truthfully, their attention often drifted unconsciously toward both of them.
One-thought star path construction.
Someone actually managed to reach that level within a single year. It was completely unbelievable.
Mo Fan had even asked Mu Ningxue about it. She said that even in the Imperial Capital, people like that were considered absurdly rare.
"You're doing fine—you've got the Little Princess and Xin Xia. Your life is already complete," Zhang Xiaohou sighed.
"I'm the pitiful one… my goddess is slipping away…"
Zhang Xiaohou wasn't jealous of Mo Fan. After all, he was still his big brother.
"Monkey, honestly, with your current talent, how hard do you think it would be for you to find a girlfriend?" Mo Fan said, patting his shoulder.
"Someone like Wang Teng is definitely aiming high. Since he seems pretty close to Goddess Tang Yue, he won't be competing with you guys."
"There are plenty of girls in our class…"
"Fan-ge, when you put it like that, you're right! That actually makes sense!"
Zhang Xiaohou immediately perked up after hearing Mo Fan's analysis.
Before long, the field was fully prepared. The students gathered around Tang Yue, listening attentively as she explained magic release.
Wang Teng stood off to the side, watching Tang Yue's confident, radiant demeanor. A quiet sense of satisfaction rose within him.
"Alright, that concludes the explanation. Next, I'll demonstrate how to properly release Fire Element Initial Tier magic—Fire Burst: Burning."
"Fire Burst!"
"Burning!"
Tang Yue's expression sharpened, her gaze focused. As she chanted, starlight flashed along her star path, Fire Element magical energy surged outward, radiating scorching heat.
The star path connected in an instant. A fist-sized flame appeared in her hand and, with a flick of her arm, transformed into a blazing streak of fire that shot straight toward the target.
In the next moment, violent flames erupted, engulfing the entire target. The intense heat forced the surrounding students to retreat repeatedly.
"That's so cool!"
"Teacher Tang Yue is beautiful, and her magic release is this good—she's the perfect goddess!"
"I hereby declare Teacher Tang Yue my goddess from now on!"
"Hey, what are you shouting for? You don't even have the Fire Element! She's my goddess!"
…
Hearing their excited shouts, Tang Yue felt her mood lift considerably. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced toward Wang Teng, and their gazes met for an instant before quietly separating.
For a group of students still striving to release magic, witnessing such a clean and elegant Fire Burst was enough to inspire envy—and even secret admiration.
This wasn't some elderly instructor. This was a genuine goddess-like teacher. Who wouldn't be moved?
"Alright. Next, you're free to practice magic on your own. If you have questions, come ask me."
Tang Yue stepped back a short distance. Among the class, there were still very few students who could release magic consistently.
Most managed to connect a star path only intermittently, getting stuck halfway, or failing outright in star movement.
The ones drawing the most attention were Mo Fan, Xu Zhaoting, Mu Bai, Zhou Min, and Zhang Xiaohou—the five who could successfully release magic.
Wang Teng wandered around the field, quietly gathering the mental strength spilling out from their magic release. He would linger in one place for a while, then move on, leaving those watching him utterly confused.