Annual Check-in, Magic Assessment

"Tsk, your Sister Tang Yue doesn't like little brats, so you might as well give up~"

"But I like big sisters."

Tang Yue: "..."

She truly admired Qin Yuan's nerve.

Say what you will, this Little Yuan Brother of Yuer's was indeed somewhat interesting.

His words were clearly frivolous, yet hard to truly dislike—only irritating and amusing in equal measure. Perhaps... it was because of his looks.

People were visual creatures. The beautiful and handsome always left a good first impression.

"Then work hard." Tang Yue's jade-like finger lightly lifted Qin Yuan's chin, her voice seductive: "If you really manage to make Sister Tang Yue's heart flutter, then Sister Tang Yue will definitely reward you~"

Trying to tease her, was he?

Then she'd just counter-tease him right back.

Teasing a little brother, and Yuer's child-groom little brother at that, mm... how to put it, a bit thrilling.

"Heh."

Qin Yuan let out a light laugh and said no more.

Tang Yue withdrew her hand, composed herself, and said seriously: "I'll be in Bocheng for a while. If you run into trouble you can't solve, you can contact me."

Teasing was teasing, but business had to be done too.

Qin Yuer's younger brother—she had to look after him extra carefully.

"Mm."

Qin Yuan nodded with a smile.

The two chatted a while longer, and in the end Tang Yue even treated Qin Yuan to a meal before they parted ways.

After parting, Tang Yue went back to handling her own affairs, while Qin Yuan continued attending class, doing his duty as a student.

The following days passed much the same.

Cultivation, classes, occasional small gatherings with Mu Ning Xue and Ye Xin Xia, and sometimes sneaking off to chat with Tang Yue in private.

Life was quite uneventful, because Qin Yuan kept a low profile.

And so, five months passed, and the Magic Annual Assessment arrived.

Five months later.

Hot air rolled over mountain ranges, sweeping away the lingering spring vitality of the south and replacing it with summer's scorching heat.

Hot on its heels came a sudden, torrential downpour.

Bocheng's weather was fickle—one moment clear skies, the next dark clouds and raging storms.

On the Grassland Terrace.

"Ice Vine—Freeze!"

Crackle, crackle~

The lush green lawn was coated in a thick layer of icy blue, its temperature rivaling deep winter, its hardness matching rock.

"Faster than I expected."

Qin Yuan looked at his 'masterpiece' with satisfaction.

Half a month ago, his Ice Element had broken through to Elementary Level Two, faster than anticipated.

One year, Ice Element at Elementary Level Two.

His talent was already considered decent.

Next goal: break through to Intermediate Level within a year, and be able to smoothly depict the magic star chart.

"System, check-in."

Qin Yuan stirred his thoughts slightly.

[Ding, detected that master has checked in for a full year, triggering annual check-in.]

[Ding, first annual check-in successful. Congratulations, master, you have obtained a Mind Stone.]

"Mind Stone!"

Qin Yuan was slightly surprised.

In the All-Magic World, the Mind Stone could enhance a mage's Spiritual Power, making it quite rare.

In the original story, the Mind Stone Mo Fan obtained during the Treasure Hunting Competition was worth tens of billions at the starting price, and even then, it was something you couldn't easily buy even if you had the money.

Qin Yuan retrieved the Mind Stone from the System Space.

Thud!

A basketball-sized Mind Stone landed on the lawn, its body silvery-white, light flowing across its surface, looking rather mysterious.

"Holy shit, this big?"

Even with Qin Yuan's impressive composure, the sight of the Mind Stone's size still forced a curse from his lips.

A basketball-sized Mind Stone.

If this were put up for auction, wouldn't the starting bid be five or six billion?

"The longer you clock in, the richer the rewards."

"The system doesn't lie to me."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Qin Yuan's mouth as he stowed the Mind Stone back into the System Space.

With the Mind Stone's aid, his Spiritual Power would skyrocket, and in the future, breaking through to the mid-tier and awakening a Space Element wasn't out of the question.

Moreover, the level of Spiritual Power also had a certain influence on Star Control and magic release.

The stronger the Spiritual Power, the more it could enhance one's control over magical stars, shorten control time, and improve cultivation efficiency.

"Tomorrow's the Magic Annual Assessment. With my current strength, whether I participate or not doesn't really matter."

"The resources from the top class are better than nothing."

"Still, showing off once in a while can help adjust the mindset."

Qin Yuan shook his head with a chuckle and left.

The next day, early morning.

The Magic Annual Assessment had finally arrived. For some, this was nothing short of a nightmare, as they faced the real possibility of being expelled.

Every Magic High School operated on the same principle: those unsuited for learning magic were dismissed early, giving them a head start in finding their own path in life.

On the training ground.

Usually a venue for magic practice, today it was set for the assessment. Several examiners had already prepared the Star Sense Stones for testing.

They were pitch-black, watermelon-sized spherical stones.

Examiners in position, teachers in position, students in position... all staff in position.

In the crowd, Qin Yuan stood at the head of Class 8, Grade 1.

"System, clock in."

[Ding, daily clock-in successful. Congratulations, master, you have received 521 Huaxia Coins.]

Qin Yuan: 6

Huaxia Coins were the most common reward from daily clock-ins.

Qin Yuan already had no less than twenty million Huaxia Coins on him. It seemed like a lot, but in truth, it wasn't much at all—barely enough to buy a Spirit-level Magic Tool.

"Hoo."

Qin Yuan let out a light breath, steadied his mind, and fixed his gaze on the main stage ahead.

Whenever there was a major event, Principal Zhu's speech was never skipped, and today there was even the added segment of a School Board Member's address.

Mu He, with his slicked-back hair and dressed in a suit, slowly stepped forward and announced in a clear voice, "Today is also a very special day."

"We have invited the most outstanding female mage from Bocheng. She was admitted to the Imperial Capital Academy on special terms at the age of fifteen. I think many of you already know..."

After a lengthy speech, Mu Ning Xue took the stage, earning the admiration and adoring gazes of countless students.

Beautiful, talented, and backed by a powerful family—she was the perfect goddess.

On the main stage, Mu Ning Xue wore a calm expression, her serene, watery eyes sweeping across the crowd until they landed on Qin Yuan, where they rippled with a faint stir.

Qin Yuan smiled lightly, parting his lips slightly as if saying something.

Mu Ning Xue read Qin Yuan's lip movements, and her pretty face instantly turned cold. She shot him an almost imperceptible glare before retreating backstage.

She sat down beside a strikingly imposing middle-aged man.

"It's been years, and this kid has changed a lot. Not only is he an Ice Mage, but he also has an Innate Spirit Seed."

"If I hadn't done a thorough investigation, I'd really think he was a lost member of the Mu clan."

Mu Zhuoyun's voice was deep, carrying an unspoken authority.

"Dad, you investigated Qin Yuan." Mu Ning Xue frowned slightly, displeased.

Mu Zhuoyun: "..."

With his daughter almost being whisked away, how could this old father not be diligent enough to look into things?

"Sigh."

Mu Zhuoyun let out a quiet sigh inside. In the end, a daughter's coat always lets the wind in, leaving the father alone in the cold.

Still, he wasn't one to dwell on sentimentality.

Qin Yuan was handsome, exceptionally talented, and most importantly, had a very good relationship with his daughter. There was potential to work with here.