Earth Sacred Spring Selection, Mo Fan Victorious

Tianlan Magic High School.

Today, the Elite Class was staging a magic sparring match for the "Earth Sacred Spring Qualification Battle." The victor would represent the school and compete with the children of noble families for the Earth Sacred Spring spot.

Originally, Principal Zhu hadn't planned to hold a selection at all, intending to give the opportunity directly to Qin Yuan.

But when he and Deng Kai from the Hunter Alliance found Qin Yuan, they were shocked to discover that his strength had already entered another level entirely.

Thus, the Earth Sacred Spring was no longer suitable for Qin Yuan. Rather than let it go to waste, why not offer it to someone who needed it more?

"Whoa, when did Xu Zhaoting break through to Elementary Level Three too?!"

"Damn, this guy was hiding it deep!"

"Now this is worth watching—Fire Element versus Lightning Element, both at Elementary Level Three. Who'll come out on top?"

"Heh heh, no matter if Mo Fan wins or Xu Zhaoting wins, there's still one person looming over them both."

"..."

Because of Qin Yuan's appearance, Mo Fan's Little Loach had undergone its transformation early, so in three years he had successfully cultivated both his elements to Elementary Level Three.

As for Xu Zhaoting, his talent was already decent, and with the extra "Stardust Magic Artifact allocation time" that originally belonged to Qin Yuan, he too had broken through to Elementary Level Three just a few days ago.

The two passed through layer after layer of selection and arrived at the final showdown.

Below the stage.

"Dammit, if I had Lightning or Fire too, I wouldn't have been eliminated so early!" Mu Bai clenched his fists, filled with resentment.

Qin Yuan had given up his own "Stardust Magic Artifact allocation time," and Mu Bai had benefited from it as well, so his cultivation had also reached Elementary Level Three.

But when it came to offense, the Ice Element was ultimately no match for Lightning or Fire.

He had regretfully stopped at the top three.

In the spectator stands.

"There are quite a few promising seedlings this year." Deng Kai of the Hunter Alliance wore a smile.

"Yeah, and we have Qin Yuan to thank for that." Principal Zhu was also beaming, speaking with genuine admiration. "Reaching Intermediate Level in three years—Qin Yuan is a true genius!"

"Not just a genius, but a man with vision too."

"He knew the Earth Sacred Spring would add one more Intermediate Level mage to Bocheng, so he deliberately gave up this spot."

Deng Kai said.

The Earth Sacred Spring spot could also be used on an Intermediate Level mage, but in that case, the beneficiary would be the "individual," not the "collective."

Qin Yuan's spirit of sacrificing the self for the greater good was worthy of praise.

"For Tianlan to have a student like Qin Yuan is truly a great fortune."

The smile never left Principal Zhu's face.

The two chatted cheerfully.

Then, Deng Kai suddenly noticed the battle situation on the training ground and said in surprise, "Oh, this student Mo Fan has a lot of experience. Looks like he's going to win."

"Yeah, his experience is indeed seasoned. He doesn't come off as a novice mage."

Principal Zhu agreed.

Compared to Mo Fan, Xu Zhaoting's fighting style was a bit stiff and awkward, and sometimes when faced with unexpected situations, he struggled to react in time.

This was a classic case of insufficient practical combat experience.

"Fire Seed—Scorch!"

In the end, Mo Fan seized the right moment and secured victory with a Level One Fire Seed.

Xu Zhaoting lost. He was a little disappointed.

But he wasn't the fragile type either. He quickly regained his confidence and pulled himself together.

Through this battle, he had discovered his own shortcomings.

Finding those shortcomings was a good thing, because now he had a direction to slowly fill them in.

"Let us congratulate student Mo Fan on his victory! He will represent our school at the Mu Family Manor to compete with the noble family disciple Yu Ang for the Earth Sacred Spring qualification!"

Principal Zhu stood up and announced.

The Elite Class, who had been watching from below, burst into applause, and thunderous clapping echoed across the training ground.

All along, because of Qin Yuan's dazzling halo, they had completely forgotten about the other geniuses in the class.

This magic sparring selection made the students realize that the class didn't just have one Qin Yuan—there were also geniuses like Mo Fan, Mu Bai, and Xu Zhaoting.

In the teaching building not far from the training ground.

It was empty here. Most teachers and students had gone to the training ground to watch the magic sparring, leaving only a handful of people behind.

On the seventh-floor corridor.

"Tianlan's number one genius won't go down to show his face, but instead hides up here peeping?" Tang Yue's mature voice, carrying a hint of charm, came through.

She still wore the simple black uniform, white inner shirt beneath it barely containing her proud figure, a skirt hugging her hips, tight black leggings perfectly accentuating her straight legs.

Even the simplest attire, paired with Sister Tang Yue's stunning oval face and captivating, enchanting aura, carried a unique charm.

"Sister Tang Yue, you've got some nerve calling me out—aren't you still down here yourself?"

Qin Yuan leaned against the railing, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I'm a teacher. I have privileges."

"And I'm the First Day, so I have even more privileges."

"Heh, can't argue with you."

Tang Yue rolled her eyes in a pretty way, then leaned against the railing too, quietly watching the training ground in the distance.

She wasn't about to tell Qin Yuan that she'd left the training ground because she couldn't find him.

After nearly two years of getting along, she'd grown used to his presence. Sometimes, when she didn't see him, she'd feel a vague sense of disappointment.

That feeling—it was really not good.

Tang Yue knew all too well that she couldn't let this emotion develop, because Qin Yuan was Qin Yuer's... Little brother.

But every time she saw Qin Yuan, she cast those thoughts aside and couldn't help but seek him out.

"Ah, what a stinky little brother," Tang Yue sighed inwardly.

She really didn't want to admit it, but the truth was, she had actually grown fond of Qin Yuan.

"Sister Tang Yue, something on your mind?"

Qin Yuan's voice suddenly drifted over.

Tang Yue snapped back to reality, meeting Qin Yuan's deep, dark eyes.

She was startled.

"Little... Little Yuan, why are you so close!" Tang Yue's cheeks flushed as she instinctively stepped back.

"Me, close?"

Qin Yuan pointed at himself in confusion, looking exasperated. "Sister Tang Yue, maybe you should check the security footage—see who actually moved closer just now."

He'd been spacing out just fine when Tang Yue suddenly leaned in.

He thought she had something to say, but he had to call her several times just to snap her out of it.

"I moved closer?"

Tang Yue's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.

She remembered she'd just been thinking about how, every time she saw Qin Yuan, she couldn't help wanting to get closer...

Could her body have acted on its own?

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

"Tang Yue, Tang Yue, how embarrassing can you get," she scolded herself inwardly.

"Sister Tang Yue, you wouldn't be..."

Qin Yuan propped his chin between his thumb and forefinger, his smile growing more and more mischievous.

"Pfft, pfft!" Tang Yue's face burned red as she snapped, cutting him off. "Qin Yuan, keep those dirty thoughts to yourself—your sister is not that kind of person!"

"I have things to do, I'm leaving now!"

With that, Tang Yue fled the scene, desperate to escape before Qin Yuan could tease her again.

"Heh."

Qin Yuan let out a soft laugh, watching Tang Yue's hurried retreat, and murmured to himself, "Whether you're that kind of person or not doesn't matter—I am."

His emotional intelligence wasn't exactly high, but it wasn't nonexistent either.

Tang Yue's behavior just now was no different from those shy schoolgirls in their youth.