Annual Examination

Zhou Fan trudged home, exhaustion weighing heavily on him. The use of Shadow Veil throughout the night had drained his mana significantly, leaving him feeling weak and drained. He barely managed to lock the door behind him while throwing the briefcase at a corner in is room before collapsing onto his bed, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep almost instantly.

When he finally awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. Zhou Fan rubbed his eyes and stretched, feeling slightly more refreshed. As he sat up, a semi-transparent screen appeared before him, displaying new information:

『Mana has increased by 150』

『Fire Mana Cluster has grown significantly by absorbing mana of the same type』

Zhou Fan couldn't help but smile at the notification. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat in a meditative position, focusing on his inner energy. As he closed his eyes, he could sense the strength of his Fire Mana Cluster. The stars within it glowed brightly, their energy more potent than before.

"With this kind of growth, I could probably cast Level 2 magic with a bit more training," he mused, feeling a surge of excitement. "Maybe in a month or two."

The thought of his increased power fueled his determination. But it wasn't enough. He needed more. His abilities were growing, but he craved even greater strength. The memory of the battle in the alley came to mind, and a dark desire welled up within him.

"I really want to devour more mages," he muttered to himself, a cold smile spreading across his face. "The more I absorb, the stronger I'll become. I can't stop now."

Zhou Fan sat in his meditative position, the room around him silent and still. As he focused on his breathing, fragments of a story he had read in his previous life began to surface in his mind. Bits and pieces of the Black Vatican's plans started to come together.

"Black Vatican... they were involved in something big," he murmured, trying to piece it together. "I remember reading about a Spiritual Spring guarded by the government. It was said to have immense power and was connected to a network of tunnels."

He recalled the descriptions of the tunnels—dark, labyrinthine passages that ran beneath the city, linking critical locations. The Spiritual Spring was a vital resource, heavily guarded, yet somehow, the Black Vatican had plans to exploit it.

"Those tunnels..." Zhou Fan's eyes widened as he remembered the mention of secret paths and hidden entrances scattered throughout the city. The abandoned building where he had encountered the fire mage might be one such entrance.

Just as he was piecing together more details, a sharp pain shot through his head. He winced, the intensity of the headache forcing him to crouch down, clutching his temples. It wasn't as severe as the last time, but it was still enough to bring him to his knees.

"Ah... damn it," he groaned, trying to breathe through the pain. "Why does this keep happening?"

He struggled to focus, the headache making it difficult to think clearly. The more he tried to remember, the sharper the pain became. It was as if some force was actively preventing him from accessing these memories.

After a few moments, the pain subsided enough for him to sit back up. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, frustration evident in his expression.

"They don't want me to know," he muttered, anger boiling within him. "But I'll find out. I'll uncover their plans, and I'll use that knowledge to grow even stronger."

Determined, Zhou Fan pushed through the lingering pain. He knew he had to be careful, but the allure of the power and the secrets hidden in those tunnels was too great to ignore. He needed to uncover the Black Vatican's plans and exploit any advantage he could find.

Months passed swiftly, filled with rigorous training and preparation. Zhou Fan's progress was significant, but the impending Annual Examination loomed large in his mind. This examination would determine the students' cultivation state after a year and redistribute them into classes, potentially offering significant advantages for those who excelled.

"Hey, Zhou Fan, it's time for the Annual Examination," Chen Li called out, nudging him awake. "We should get going, or we'll be late."

Zhou Fan groggily opened his eyes and sat up. "Right, let's not waste any time," he replied, quickly getting dressed. They made a run for the school grounds, laughing and joking along the way.

As they arrived, they spotted Liu Mei waiting for them, tapping her foot impatiently. "Finally! You two are always cutting it close," she nagged, a mix of concern and frustration in her voice.

"We're here now, aren't we?" Zhou Fan replied with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

The examination grounds were set up differently than usual. Instead of the typical arrangement for practical classes, there was a half-arc of examiners' tables and a floating Star Appraisal Stone, a black cobblestone the size of a watermelon, placed prominently on a stone pillar.

"The examination isn't just writing on a paper in the classroom," Zhou Fan muttered to his friends. "Although we do have examinations on Magic Theory, the points acquired from it aren't much. The most important thing is the annual practical examination."

"Yeah, it's all about assessing our cultivation state after a year and redistributing us into classes," Chen Li added.

"Remember, the radiance intensity from the stardust represents the power of the magic capabilities within the stardust," the homeroom teacher, Xue Musheng, explained passionately. "Students of the eighth class, the time for you to showcase the efforts of this year has come; release the lights of your stardust!"

A weak girl with tears in her eyes caught Zhou Fan's attention. "Mr. Xue, I'm sorry; I may be expelled from the school," she said, her voice trembling.

"How could that be? You've always done your best. Don't be so pessimistic," Xue Musheng reassured her.

"But I'm stupid. Even if I were to do my best in cultivating every day, my stardust still seems so weak," the girl, He Yu, lamented.

"Hey, don't be afraid; even if you don't meet the requirement, there's still me. As long as there's a Mage in the family then we'll be fine," the dorm head, Lu Jianhua, said, trying to comfort her.

"Stop talking crap; you don't even know if you'll get kicked out yourself!" another student teased.

"Are you joking? Wait till this daddy places my hands on it; the radiance will blind your titanium alloyed dog eyes!" Lu Jianhua retorted with pride and arrogance.

Soon enough, three examiners from the school arrived at the grounds. They were disciplinary teachers, and the students were usually quite scared of them.

"Alright, silence! The annual examination will be observed by a few school supervisors this time; we hope you will display the essence of a Mage today!" Xue Musheng reminded the students.

The 1,500 students of Tian Lan Magic High stood in arranged blocks, creating a magnificent sight on the training grounds. Before the assessment began, the principal gave a speech, followed by the school supervisors expressing their hopes for the students.

Zhou Fan, among the crowd, couldn't help but give a cold smile. He remembered bits and pieces about the Black Vatican from the novel, including their sinister plans and the Spiritual Spring guarded by the government.

"Those tunnels beneath the city... they're connected to the Spiritual Spring," he thought, recalling the novel's details. Just as he started to piece together more about the tunnels, a sharp pain shot through his head. He winced, crouching down slightly.

"Damn it," he groaned, trying to focus through the pain. "Why does this keep happening?"

He took a deep breath, pushing through the headache. "I'll uncover their plans," he muttered. "And I'll use that knowledge to grow even stronger."

With renewed determination, Zhou Fan stood up straight, ready to face the examination.

Mu He, one of the supervisors, stepped onto the platform, passionately painting a beautiful picture of a Magician's future. Zhou Fan, among the crowd, couldn't help but give a cold smile. He recognized Mu He's speech for what it was—filled with lofty expectations meant to inspire the young students. However, Zhou Fan was very clear on Mu He's true nature and integrity.

"Today is an extremely special day," Mu He announced. "That is because we have invited the most distinguished female Magician of Bo City. When she was 15 years old, the Empire Magic Institute made an exception and recruited her. I'm sure many of you have already heard of her legacy… That's right; she is Mu Ningxue! Please, let us all warmly welcome her, who should be the same age as you but is a Magic Genius who has already been promoted to university!"

The announcement caused an uproar among the students.

"Heavens, it's Mu Ningxue! I heard when she awakened the Ice Element, the power from it directly caused the grounds to freeze into ice blocks."

"Those are just rumors; I have the most accurate info. I heard she only needed eight months to learn the primary skill of the Ice element, Ice Scatter."

"Eight… eight months?! Heavens, I've already been in school for a year, and I have only been able to control five stars! How can the differences between people be so big?!"

"These aren't even the important points, alright… the most important point is, she's also a beauty! She's good looking and talented; she's the pride of Bo City!"

In just a moment, the students began to discuss this excitedly. From everyone's reaction, one could tell they were not unfamiliar with Mu Ningxue. They never imagined that on the day of the annual examination, they would meet the legendary Magic Genius!

"Brother Fan, brother Fan, it's Little Princess; it really is her! She actually came to our school." Zhang Xiaohou was so excited he began to pull the sleeves of Mo Fan next to him.

Mo Fan raised his head and gazed toward the platform. He truly saw a beautiful figure quietly standing there like a proud lotus in the snow. The snow-white, skin-tight dress caused her impressive body disposition to appear increasingly more detailed.

What really attracted the people's attention wasn't the girl's fascinating body that emitted a sexual charm, but the stunning and long, peerless silver hair. Although the weather was warm and dry, the girl standing proudly on the platform was like a Snow Fairy who wandered through the snow mountain before stepping into the secular world. She was undoubtedly beautiful!

"Brother Fan, you should've eloped with Little Princess back then…" Zhang Xiaohou looked at the manifestly superior Mu Ningxue as he exclaimed this.

"Did you hit the toilet door so hard you became stupid?"

"Eh, I said that without thinking it through."

Zhou Fan overheard the conversation between Mo Fan and Zhang Xiaohou, his mind briefly wandering. He could almost cast Level 2 magic already, so he wasn't too worried about the examination. He remembered from the novel that the Mu Ningxue chick had a weapon inside her body, just like Mo Fan's locket.

He smirked to himself. "Interesting," he thought. "If she has such a weapon, it could be incredibly useful... or incredibly dangerous." His thoughts returned to the examination, but he felt a bit more confident now, knowing he was close to unlocking his next level of power.

As the principal finished his speech, the examiners began calling students up one by one to assess their progress. The examination grounds were arranged differently than usual, with the Star Appraisal Stone prominently placed for all to see.

"The examination isn't just writing on a paper in the classroom," Zhou Fan thought to himself. "The most important thing is the annual practical examination."

The examiners, a group of stern disciplinary teachers, began their assessments, and the students stepped forward one by one to place their hands on the Star Appraisal Stone. The radiance emitted from the stone would determine their progress and future opportunities.

"Alright, stop being so loud. The examination begins now. If there is any more noise coming from any of you, then you'll lose your qualifications to take it!" one of the examiners announced, silencing the crowd.

Mu Bai took the opportunity to lean in close to Mo Fan. "Just thinking about the expression on Lady Mu Ningxue's face at seeing you being expelled in front of all the students and teachers, I reckon she would definitely regret wanting to run away with you in the past selfishly," he whispered sinisterly.

"Your mouth smells like crap. I can't handle this stink; don't get close to me," Mo Fan replied, using his hand to block him.

The corner of Mu Bai's mouth twitched. He then turned his gaze to Zhou Fan, standing nearby. "And you, Zhou Fan. Don't think you're any different. When you're expelled in front of everyone, especially with all that boasting, it'll be a pleasure to see your face when you're humiliated."

Zhou Fan raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips. "Mu Bai, your obsession with seeing others fail is getting pathetic. You're like a stray dog barking for attention. Keep it up, and you might actually entertain someone."

Mu Bai's face flushed with anger, but before he could retort, Chen Li stepped in, grabbing Zhou Fan's arm. "Calm down, Zhou Fan. It's not worth it."

Zhou Fan, not done yet, shrugged off Chen Li's grip. "You know, Mu Bai, I remember when Mo Fan held you down and beat you up in front of Mu Ningxue. You've never been able to raise your head since then. And if I recall correctly, I also gave you a good thrashing once. You really should learn when to keep your mouth shut. Your pettiness is only making you look worse."

Mu Bai's face turned a deeper shade of red, his fists clenching. "I'll let both of you be arrogant for a while more. Today, you'll both suffer. Being expelled in front of the entire school and Mu Ningxue… In this society where Magic is the ultimate authority, it's reason enough for both of you to be ridiculed and looked down upon."

Unqualified students being expelled during the annual examination was a very common matter. Normally, the school wouldn't announce expulsions publicly, but there was an exception for students whose stardust hadn't shown any progress at all.

"During the start of this school semester, the entire class conducted a rough examination," Mu Bai continued, his voice dripping with malice. "At that time, Mo Fan's cultivation was practically at zero. And Zhou Fan, even though you had more stars under control but with how much you had lazed around from that time and becoming arrogant you wont be much better". Xue Musheng almost made a public slandering of both of you in a fit of fury. Now, the school semester has ended, and the most important annual examination is here. If things go according to plan, both of you are likely to approach the line of public expulsion."

Naturally, to prevent a miscalculation, Mu Bai and his uncle, Mu He, had also prepared a big present for Mo Fan and Zhou Fan.

The most fortunate thing was that Mu Ningxue and Mu Zhuoyun would also be present to view this scene!

Mu Bai felt much happier just thinking about it.

Today was the day to show himself off, and from that day on, soar through the sky with high status. It was also the day for that cheap Mo Fan to be humiliated. How great, how great!

Zhou Fan, maintaining his calm exterior, couldn't help but smirk. "Keep dreaming, Mu Bai. I've made more progress than you can imagine. We'll see who's laughing at the end of this."

Chen Li tightened his grip on Zhou Fan's arm. "Let's focus on the exam. Don't let him get to you."

With a final glare at Mu Bai, Zhou Fan nodded. "You're right. I've got better things to do than waste time on a coward like him."

Liu Mei, who had been silently watching the exchange, finally spoke up. "Zhou Fan, Chen Li, let's not waste our energy on people like him. We've worked hard, and we deserve to show our progress."

Zhou Fan nodded, appreciating Liu Mei's calming presence. "You're right, Liu Mei. Let's focus on what's important."