"That's a shame, but even just one piece would be worth it."
Jiang Yu recalled how his own awakening had been arranged. The children chosen to awaken a specific element were sent to the Awakening Magic Hall at the age of ten.
Fortunately, Jiang Yu had been lucky enough to awaken the element he wanted.
He consciously entered his spiritual world.
At that moment, eight stars appeared in his spiritual world.
One was a dark star, belonging to the Shadow Element, and another was a transparent but dazzling star, belonging to the Light Element.
At the same time, Jiang Yu also awakened the Shadow Element and the Light Element.
"Fire Element for offense, Ice Element for control, Shadow Element for escape, Light Element for support. That means my four-element setup is starting to take shape."
Jiang Yu looked at the magic element in his spiritual world and muttered to himself.
He had no idea that, at that very moment, Zhang Xiaolong had also returned to his residence in the Mu family's mountain manor and pushed open the door.
At that moment, Ying Yue was quietly guarding the window. The waterlight in her eyes was like the clear ripples of a spring day.
Jiang Yu took a small box from his hand and gave it to Ying Yue.
"Ying Yue, this is a gift for you."
Inside were her favorite osmanthus cakes and some pretty clothes.
"Th-then... thank you."
Ying Yue looked at the gold-embossed brand on the box. It was obviously expensive, and she felt a little reluctant to accept it.
She didn't want Jiang Yu to spend too much on her. He still had to cultivate...
Jiang Yu naturally saw Ying Yue's hesitation and said,
"That's nothing. You helped me get into the top ten in the national rankings!"
Jiang Yu had awakened his magic elements thanks to the resources she'd provided.
And even more people now knew about him.
A high school sophomore who'd killed eight demons in a single mission! And in Bo City, no less!
Of course, that wasn't the whole story.
For instance, the Mu family's mountain manor was only half a day away, and one of the Mu family's younger sons was living there.
One of them had a flower garden and a pond that were comparable to those in the Mu family's manor.
"Jiang Yu, don't underestimate yourself!"
Looking at the people under his command, dressed head to toe in Black Vatican uniforms, Zhang Xiaolong spoke sternly.
Then he beckoned.
A young man with a calculating look in his eyes walked over.
"Yu Ang, how did your year go? You and Jiang Yu were both in the national rankings, right?"
Yu Ang knelt on the ground, lowering his head as he answered,
"Lord Zhang, I'm nothing compared to him."
If outsiders had seen this scene, they would have been astonished.
After all, Yu Ang was the son of the head of the Mu family, yet he was so humble in front of Zhang Xiaolong.
This was all because Zhang Xiaolong was a member of the Gray-Clad Church.
And the person standing before him was only a low-ranking member. What a joke!
At that moment, Yu Ang suddenly took out his thoughts on Jiang Yu.
"That's right."
"The church will give you even more resources."
Before Yu Ang could express his gratitude, Zhang Xiaolong walked up to him.
"This year, you'll have to find a way to get close to Jiang Yu. You must get rid of him before the year is out!"
"I would never dare disobey your orders, Lord Zhang."
Yu Ang replied in a serious tone.
"The Black Vatican's loyalty is absolute! We are loyal to Lord Zhang!"
"..."
The first half of the vacation was spent on Jiang Yu's cultivation and missions.
During that time, Jiang Yu completed three missions. With his Ice Element, no demons in those missions could escape.
Unfortunately, the three missions weren't as easy as the first one.
During the third mission, he came across a hundred-year-old demon.
"I have to admit, I still find demons terrifying."
Xu Dahu looked at the demon corpse in front of him and sighed.
The other members of the team felt the same.
Ever since Jiang Yu joined the team, whenever they encountered demons, they'd just freeze them. Then he'd only need to provide a little support during the attack.
"Heh, Captain, this year's mission is to investigate the area around the Mountain Horse Station. They say there's a demon wolf pack living there!"
Xu Dahu's eyes suddenly brightened as he recalled the matter.
The investigation was an annual joint operation between the military and the local Magic Association. They would head to the area outside the Peak Mountain Horse Station to investigate whether any unusual activity was taking place in the demons' lair.
"Have they sent word about this year's operation?"
Xu Dahu thought for a moment before asking.
"Captain, you're making things hard for me this year."
Fatty Stone patted his beer belly and smiled.
"Be careful out there. Run if you have to, and..."
Xu Dahu began to give his instructions.
But Jiang Yu just listened quietly.
He had no desire to take part in this mission.
Beside them, Li Wenjun seemed to realize something and quickly reminded them,
"Right, I heard this year's mission is to investigate the mountain range near the Winged Wolf Ridge. They say there's a pack of winged wolves living there!"
At the mention of the winged wolves, Xu Dahu shuddered all over, as if he'd been terrified out of his wits.
He could never forget the sight from when he'd been on a mission outside the city as a child.
That demon had been far beyond anything he could have imagined. It had even made him swear he'd never go near one again.
Fatty Stone chuckled and said,
"Don't worry. There are barriers around the ridge, and the military's mages won't let it get out of hand."
Just then, Jiang Yu arrived in front of Fatty Stone.
"This is a map I found by chance. It might be useful to you."
He handed over the map of the Winged Wolf Ridge that he'd obtained from Xu Bing.
Then he turned and headed back toward the school.
He jogged to the school and slipped into class just as the bell rang.
Before class, many people greeted him warmly. Most of the girls had their eyes on him.
After all, a handsome young man who was both powerful and mysterious was bound to attract attention.
Jiang Yu sat down beside Mo Fan and Zhang Xiaolong.
Mo Fan was chatting with the class rep, the plump Wang San.
"Fan-ge, I'm about to reach the second tier!"
Zhang Xiaolong said smugly.
"I'm not far behind."
Mo Fan replied, not particularly impressed.
His Fire Element was already close to reaching the third tier! Everyone knew he was powerful!
At that moment, Mo Fan glanced at Jiang Yu and quietly put away the jealousy in his heart.
After all, Jiang Yu was already on the verge of reaching the third tier!
Jiang Yu just listened, without expressing any opinion.
Whether it was the first or second tier, he'd already gotten used to it.
But he had something on his mind.
For example, his Ice Element had broken through to the second tier two months ago, but there was still a long way to go before he could cast magic at the third tier.
The captain's forty-nine stars were no small feat.
But his speed had already surpassed what ordinary people could imagine. Most people needed a year just to reach the level where they could cast magic.
Just as he was thinking about this,
the beautiful instructor, Tang Yue, walked into the classroom.
Her wine-red hair fell over her shoulders, and the green dress she wore suited her perfectly.
The long dress covered her legs all the way to the thighs, looking modest and conservative, yet it still showed off her alluring figure.
The familiar scent of a mature woman followed her as she walked in, stirring something in everyone's hearts.
But no one dared to let their thoughts show. After all, Teacher Tang was right there.
"I've finished the assignment I set for you during the vacation."
Teacher Tang spoke coolly, her voice carrying the authority of an instructor.
Her gaze swept across the room, then stopped when it fell on Jiang Yu. A trace of surprise flashed through her eyes, followed by something even more difficult to conceal.
Could Jiang Yu's magic energy have surged? Had he broken through to the second tier?!
But Jiang Yu had only just reached the seventeenth star, hadn't he? How could that be?
Still, Jiang Yu only glanced at her; he didn't make any comment.
Before you continue