After the others finished their magic duels, it was finally Song Jie and Bai Liang's turn.
"Song Jie, Bai Liang!"
When the examiner called their names, Song Jie stood up first and walked toward the dueling area.
Seeing how confident Song Jie looked, Bai Liang felt his unease grow stronger.
He's a Light Element mage. What does he have to be so confident about? Bai Liang thought.
Still, he had been the one to suggest this duel, so he could only face it.
As the two stood opposite each other, everyone present turned to look.
That guy actually thinks he can win my Shoe Magic Tool. What's he thinking? Bai Liang's lackey laughed to himself.
The examiner standing beside the dueling area looked at them and asked, "Are you ready?"
Song Jie nodded, and Bai Liang did the same.
"By the way, I forgot to tell you something. I have more than one magic element." Bai Liang looked at Song Jie.
Song Jie's expressionless face was really getting on his nerves.
That was why he'd told Song Jie he had more than one element: he wanted to see how his opponent would react.
But Song Jie merely answered with an "Mm," looking completely unconcerned.
Bai Liang nearly ground his back teeth to dust. He was one of the best among his peers, yet someone was looking down on him like this!
Let's see how you plan to fight me with nothing but a Light Element! Bai Liang thought, gritting his teeth.
Song Jie turned to the examiner beside him. "Sir, you'll need to react quickly later. Someone might get hurt."
"Haha, this guy knows what's coming. He knows he's going to get hurt," Liu Xiaotian, Bai Liang's lackey, laughed.
The examiner paused for a moment, but said nothing. Protecting them was his job; he certainly wouldn't let his attention wander.
"Begin!" the examiner called.
Song Jie moved first!
Radiance!
Great Burst!!
A golden orb tore free from Song Jie's palm and shot through the air toward Bai Liang.
Bai Liang was still taken aback when the orb exploded in an instant, sending him flying.
Everyone stared at the scene, mouths hanging open, stunned into silence.
"Was that Light Magic?" someone asked without thinking.
Wasn't Light Magic supposed to be pretty useless at the early stages? Why was this guy's Light Magic so powerful?
The professors watching from their seats looked utterly shocked. None of them had expected this outcome.
Dean Xiao nodded slightly. He finally understood why Song Jie had agreed to the bet.
By then, Bai Liang's clothes had been blown to shreds, and his arm was slightly burned.
Fortunately, his Armor Magic Tool had protected his body; otherwise, his injuries would have been much worse.
Bai Liang finally understood what his opponent had been hiding.
His opponent's Light Magic was offensive—and powerful, too!
"Bai Liang used a magic tool in the duel. Isn't that a little unfair?" one professor suddenly said.
"What's unfair about it? Equipment is part of one's strength," the Lightning Element Dean replied.
The others didn't argue. They looked toward Dean Xiao, and when he said nothing, they let the matter drop.
"I admit you're strong, but that's all there is to it!" Bai Liang didn't want to drag the fight out, so he planned to end it.
Forty-nine stars appeared in Bai Liang's mind. They began linking into a Star Track, slowly sketching out a Star Map!
"Radiance!"
"Laser!"
But by then, Song Jie had already completed his magic and unleashed it at Bai Liang.
A golden laser shot from his palm with tremendous force, cutting through everything in its path, fast as lightning!
"It's only Beginner Magic. It can't hurt me!" He had been careless before, which was why Song Jie had managed to knock him flying.
This time, he wouldn't dodge. He'd take the attack head-on, finish his Intermediate Level Magic, and then take Song Jie down!
But Intermediate Level Magic took longer to complete than Beginner Magic.
If someone was very proficient with Beginner Magic, they could sometimes finish casting it in about a second.
So the time it took depended on the caster's proficiency: the more skilled they were, the faster they could cast.
That meant Song Jie's Beginner Magic would certainly be faster than Bai Liang's!
Golden Laser!
It flashed past!
Bai Liang, who had been so confident moments earlier, was struck by Song Jie's laser and sent flying again, crashing heavily outside the dueling area.
Everyone present seemed to freeze. Not a soul moved; even their breathing appeared to stop.
Had Bai Liang really lost just like that?
They couldn't believe it. Even harder to believe was the strength Song Jie had just shown.
That was absurd!
Could Light Magic really be used like that?
"Sir, this isn't my fault. I warned you just now," Song Jie said, immediately shifting the blame.
He knew Bai Liang wasn't seriously hurt, but it was best to avoid trouble if he could.
"..." The examiner fell silent.
The professors seated in a row said nothing, as if they'd just discovered a whole new world.
They seemed to realize something and hurriedly checked Song Jie's records. At last, they saw the four characters written under his talent.
—Mutated Light Element!
"Our Light Element Academy has struck gold!" the Light Element Academy's dean exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
He hadn't thought much of Song Jie earlier, not for any reason other than that the boy seemed too arrogant.
A Light Element mage taking on a Lightning Element mage?
Impossible!
But now Song Jie had made them all eat their words, and it stung.
At that moment, Liu Xiaotian, seated among the audience, was starting to panic. He had just bet his brother's Shoe Magic Tool!
And now Bai Liang had lost the duel. The ultimate winner was Song Jie!
"How could this happen..." Liu Xiaotian was devastated. He hadn't thought Bai Liang would lose!
Dean Xiao nodded in satisfaction. He thought Song Jie had performed very well among his peers.
He hadn't been arrogant, his moves had been clean and decisive, and even after winning, he remained as calm as still water.
Such composure was rare for someone his age.
"Everyone, you can give them their scores now," Dean Xiao said, looking toward the professors on either side, who were still stunned.
"Scores! Scores!" The professors nodded and began grading Song Jie and Bai Liang.
In the end, Song Jie's score surpassed Bai Liang's by a wide margin, and their overall scores were the same story!
Bai Liang wasn't badly hurt, but seeing the scores left him deeply annoyed.
Song Jie had beaten him so badly that he hadn't even made second place. He'd ended up in third!
What galled him most was that he'd thought he could crush Song Jie in the magic duel, only to lose without casting a single spell!
Quite a few young heirs from Magic City families were sitting there. He'd lost all face in front of them.
"Go take your seats for now. We'll let you know later who's been admitted," the examiner said to Song Jie and Bai Liang.
They both nodded and returned to the audience.
By then, Song Jie had gone from being a complete nobody to the center of attention!
When Song Jie returned, Liu Xiaotian gritted his teeth, then turned and forced a smile. "Song Jie, just pretend I farted when I made that bet. Could you give my Shoe Magic Tool back to me..."
"Sure. Pay me however much this Shoe Magic Tool is worth, and you can redeem it," Song Jie replied bluntly.
Before you continue