Pei Shaoqi's eyes flashed for a moment. He chuckled lightly. "It's nothing. I just saw someone I know."
"Someone you know?" His companion was slightly taken aback. He glanced at Pei Ze's retreating back and asked curiously, "Someone from your Pei Family?"
Pei Shaoqi's tone was unreadable as he said, "He was, but not anymore."
His companions looked at each other, not understanding what he meant.
Pei Shaoqi said flatly, "His name is Pei Ze. He's a bloodless."
As soon as he said this, looks of dawning realization spread across everyone's faces, and their gazes toward Pei Ze became tinged with contempt.
The bloodless were the shame of the Bloodline Clans. Such people were often marginalized figures in their families, and it was hardly surprising if they were cast out.
"Pei Ze... that name sounds a little familiar," one of the apprentices suddenly said.
All at once, he slapped his forehead and turned to the companion beside him.
"I remember now! Qishan, isn't Pei Ze in your Class Three? I remember hearing that his theoretical knowledge is very solid. A lot of teachers have praised him."
The student named Qishan curled his lip. "He's just a bit better at his studies, that's all. His aptitude is nothing to speak of. Even though we're in the same class, I don't know him at all!"
As he said this, Qishan discreetly glanced at Pei Shaoqi.
He definitely didn't want Pei Shaoqi to misunderstand and think he was familiar with Pei Ze.
Pei Shaoqi smiled faintly, then looked away and continued walking forward.
"Let's go. He's just an insect, not worth our time."
The group chuckled and quickly followed.
...
Pei Ze was unaware that people were discussing him behind his back. After obtaining the Magic models for Touch of Fatigue and Acid Splash, he threw himself back into improving his strength with his usual single-minded focus.
Time moved into mid-October.
With the accelerated analysis of the Eye of Omniscience, Pei Ze successfully completed his modifications to Plant Spirit Light and Mage's Hand.
During this time, Pei Ze consulted various books and found a type of plant seed that could be used in conjunction with Plant Spirit Light—the Strangler Vine!
The name alone was enough to suggest how vicious this plant was.
The Strangler Vine was accustomed to disguising itself as a common vine, lurking in the undergrowth or coiling around trees. When prey passed by, it would suddenly ambush them, using its tough vines to bind them tightly and strangle them to death. It would then absorb the essence of the prey's flesh and blood through the thorns on its vines, completing the entire process from hunt to meal.
The benefit of using the Strangler Vine was that Pei Ze only needed to catalyze its growth in the right location and slightly control its direction to wrap around a target. The rest could be left to the Strangler Vine itself.
Given the Strangler Vine's craving for flesh and blood, once it ensnared a target, it would never let go easily.
In short, when paired with the Strangler Vine, Plant Spirit Light was instantly elevated to a highly practical combat spell.
If used well at a critical moment, it could be enough to decide the outcome of a battle.
On the other hand, the improvements to Mage's Hand were also pleasantly surprising.
The original Mage's Hand could extend to about ten meters at most, and when the palm expanded to its maximum size, its width was no more than half a meter.
But the modified Mage's Hand's maximum range had surged to about twenty meters, a full two times the original.
The palm's maximum size could now expand to a size large enough to completely grasp an adult man.
Getting slapped hard by such a giant palm would be anything but pleasant!
If the pre-modification Mage's Hand was only equivalent to half an attack spell, then the post-modification version could be used as a proper offensive spell.
'Mage's Hand and Acid Splash. Now I have two offensive Magic spells!'
A delighted smile appeared on Pei Ze's face.
Besides modifying his spells, he had also successfully mastered two new spells during this time: Touch of Fatigue and Acid Splash.
In fact, with his current Spiritual Power, he could basically analyze a Zero-Circle Magic spell in just one or two days with a single acceleration.
This speed was enough to leave any ordinary Wizard Apprentice dumbfounded!
If it weren't for the need to modify his spells and his financial constraints, he would have already analyzed and mastered all the Zero-Circle Magic spells.
"Omniscience, check my current status."
[Spirit 16.05]
[Physique 5.64]
[Task 1: Modify Acid Splash Spell model. Estimated time: 38 days, 2 hours, 33 minutes.]
[Task 2: Modify Touch of Fatigue spell model. Estimated time: 34 days, 4 hours, 56 minutes.]
[Task 3: Analyze Will Rune No. 7. Estimated time remaining: 13 days, 3 hours, 23 minutes.]
Pei Ze nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the data displayed by the Eye of Omniscience.
There was still a month and a half until the first-year trials.
At this rate, he had no doubt he would advance to a Second-level Wizard Apprentice before the trials began.
With four or five modified spells on top of that, he was confident he could handle whatever the trials threw at him.
'At full acceleration, modifying both spells will take about 10 days. I also need to modify the Dizziness Technique, so I don't need to buy any new Magic models for now.'
Pei Ze began to think about his plans for the near future.
Lately, Guan Ling and the others had been seeking him out for instruction less and less, and his income from that had dropped sharply.
He was now relying entirely on the income from tending the medicinal garden, and he only had a little over 50 contribution points left.
It might seem like a lot, but if he were to actually spend it on cultivation resources, it could be gone in an instant.
Under normal circumstances, the list of things a Wizard Apprentice needed to spend money on was endless.
For instance, purchasing Magic models, renting a Magic Laboratory, buying Spirit Storage Grass, paying for private tutoring from teachers...
It was only thanks to his Eye of Omniscience, which allowed him to save on many expenses, that he had been able to progress so quickly.
For any other Wizard Apprentice from a similar financial background, most of their time was spent earning contribution points. Mastering even one Zero-Circle Magic spell in a month would be considered good.
But even so, there were many resources Pei Ze couldn't afford.
For example, a single bottle of Spiritual Spring Potion, which could increase a First-level Wizard Apprentice's Spiritual Power by 1 point, cost a staggering 200 contribution points!
He would have to work in the medicinal garden for 28 days to afford it, during which he couldn't spend even a single contribution point.
Therefore, for a Wizard Apprentice, no amount of contribution points was ever enough.
Pei Ze was even starting to wonder if he should find another mission to take on.
...
「The next morning.」
Pei Ze finished breakfast at home and left for the academy.
The streets were as bustling and noisy as ever.
The shouts of vendors hawking their wares were incessant.
As Pei Ze carefully sidestepped a puddle of black water on the ground, he suddenly heard someone calling out, selling newspapers.
"Just-printed Chenxi Morning Post! Two Copper Coins a copy!"
"I'll take one."
Pei Ze waved to a nearby newsboy, who immediately scurried over, pulled a newspaper from his bag, and respectfully handed it to him.
"Here you are, sir. Your paper. That'll be one Copper Coin."
The newsboy glanced at the Wizard Apprentice Badge on Pei Ze's chest, his eyes filled with a mixture of awe and envy.
"Here."
Pei Ze took out a Copper Coin, handed it to the boy, and took the newspaper.
"Thank you, sir." The newsboy ran off, overjoyed.
RUSTLE.
Pei Ze unfolded the newspaper. A line of bold, enlarged, black text on the front page instantly caught his eye.
'Planar Rift Appears! Is Chenxi City About to Welcome a New Private Plane?'