The apartment was finally furnished.
Before the Freshman Orientation Ceremony, there was nothing particularly important going on at the school.
This period was mainly meant to let the new students familiarize themselves with the campus and learn about their respective colleges' curriculum.
Take the Summoning System college, for example. Aside from certain key courses that had to be taught in classrooms, the college left students with plenty of free time to independently cultivate their summoned beasts.
The Undead element, which was quite similar to the Summoning System, followed the same teaching model.
However, as the Undead element's sole heir, Jiang Yuan naturally received some special attention.
"Ding-dong~"
A crisp doorbell rang.
Jiang Yuan opened the door, and Qin Yun swept inside like a gust of wind. He sprawled onto the sofa without a care, utterly lacking the composure expected of an institute instructor.
"Teacher Qin." Jiang Yuan was somewhat puzzled, unable to understand why Qin Yun had come looking for him at this hour.
"I've got some tremendous news. Do you want to hear it?" Qin Yun wore a mysterious smile, deliberately keeping him in suspense.
Good news?
Jiang Yuan was even more confused and blurted out, "What good news? Don't tell me the new poverty-relief funding our Undead element applied for has come through?"
"Poverty relief? What poverty are we relieving?" Qin Yun was stunned at first, then caught on. "Is our Undead element poor?"
"Among all the colleges at Pearl Institute, which one spends more resources on its students than our Undead element? Don't you dare think like that again, understand?"
Qin Yun glared, and in his effort to defend the Undead element's dignity, his words sounded rather self-deceiving.
Still, he did not dwell on the matter and quickly continued, "Since you joined our Undead element, I, as your instructor, prepared an enrollment gift package for you."
"I paid for this out of my own pocket just for you. When the Freshman Orientation Ceremony comes around, don't let our Undead element lose face."
Jiang Yuan's eyes immediately lit up.
An enrollment gift package? That was so cool!
But what did Qin Yun mean by not losing face at the Freshman Orientation Ceremony? Was he going to participate in that Beast Taming Competition too?
"Teacher, what exactly did you prepare in this gift package?"
"Don't rush." Qin Yun stood up. "My gift is related to your Undead element specialty and can increase your undead's strength."
"Before I give it to you, I need to see your undead first. You've already used Undead Summoning, right? What undead did you summon from the Underworld?"
Jiang Yuan nodded and replied, "I did. It was a Bone Soldier."
"A Bone Soldier, one of the most common undead. But that's fine. Bone Soldiers are relatively easy to strengthen. Have you strengthened it before?" Qin Yun pressed.
Jiang Yuan raised his right hand and held his index finger and thumb a tiny distance apart. "Just strengthened it a little bit."
"Alright, come with me to the training grounds. I'll take a look at your Bone Soldier first, then give you the gift package," Qin Yun said.
Why was he being so mysterious over a gift package?
Jiang Yuan grumbled inwardly, but still followed Qin Yun outside.
Pearl Institute had quite a few training grounds. Besides the public ones, every college had its own dedicated grounds.
Jiang Yuan followed Qin Yun to the Summoning System college's training grounds.
"Oh, Old Qin, what brings you to the training grounds?" A middle-aged man warmly greeted Qin Yun.
This man was a teacher at Pearl Institute named He Hui, one of the instructors from the Summoning System college.
A long-faced male student stood beside him. He was also a freshman from the Summoning System college, named Wang Liting.
He Hui looked at Jiang Yuan beside Qin Yun, his face breaking into a smile as he asked, "This is the only Undead element freshman you recruited this year, right? Congratulations. At least the Undead element has someone to carry on its legacy now."
Faced with He Hui's greeting, Qin Yun merely responded indifferently. It was obvious that the two did not get along.
After Qin Yun led Jiang Yuan away, He Hui's expression immediately darkened. "Hmph, an Undead element freshman. I really don't understand why the school still keeps the Undead element around. It's purely a waste of resources."
"Exactly. How can the Undead element compare with our Summoning System? They spend all day dealing with those undead and stink from head to toe. If I run into that freshman at the institute someday, I'll definitely challenge him to a duel and let him see how useless the Undead element is." Wang Liting spoke frivolously, his face full of mockery.
"Liting, you need to understand something. As a person, you can't let your emotions show too much, or you'll ruin major plans," He Hui lectured.
Those who truly knew how to conduct themselves understood how to hide their emotions.
Like venomous snakes, they dealt enemies a fatal blow when least expected!
"What major plans could I possibly ruin by dueling him?" Wang Liting looked utterly unconcerned.
He Hui sneered. "The Undead element belongs to the Summoning System college, and they also enjoy the college's resources, so they have to participate in certain activities too."
"For example, in the Beast Taming Competition a few days from now, the Undead element has to send someone as well. But that works out nicely. There aren't many freshmen in the college to begin with, and the Undead element people can serve as cannon fodder, helping eliminate some opponents first."
"It's just a Beast Taming Competition. I can handle it alone," Wang Liting said arrogantly.
A hint of displeasure flashed through He Hui's eyes, and his tone turned stern. "You'll do as I tell you. Your uncle won't harm you."
"Fine." Wang Liting agreed on the surface, but inwardly he remained dismissive.
Within the Summoning System college, he did not think much of anyone.
His mind was filled with the belief that he was the greatest under heaven, yet he lacked the strength to match it. His self-awareness was severely warped.
"Hm? One Thought Star Track?" He Hui suddenly cried out in surprise.
In the distance.
A Star Track formed from gray Star Particles appeared beside Jiang Yuan.
Qin Yun's face was full of shock. He definitely had not seen wrong just now.
Jiang Yuan had actually displayed a casting speed only high-level mages could possess—one thought star track!
Yet the shock was far from over.
The instant the Star Track was completed, gray light flashed, and dense undead aura surged forth.
A massive figure slowly rose from the light.
Its skeletal body stood more than three meters tall, forcing Qin Yun to tilt his head back, his heart filled with amazement.
"Something's wrong with your undead, isn't it? This is a Warrior-level undead?!!"
"And that presence... put it away, quickly, put it away!" Qin Yun's expression changed drastically as he sensed the powerful aura emanating from the Three-eyed Underworld General, and he hurriedly urged Jiang Yuan.
The next moment, the Three-eyed Underworld General vanished from where it stood and returned to the eternally gray Underworld.
It turned its head and looked around in confusion.
Eh?
Was I just summoned?
At the training grounds.
Qin Yun stared at Jiang Yuan with wide eyes. "You call this strengthening it a little bit?"
"From the day I was born until now, I've never seen an Undead element mage your age possess a Warrior-level undead."
"And it's a Great Warrior, right?" Qin Yun lowered his voice at the end so only the two of them could hear.
He did not want He Hui and Wang Liting, who were watching from afar, to learn what level Jiang Yuan's undead truly was.
Although its Warrior level had already been exposed, the gap between a Lesser Warrior and a Great Warrior was still extremely obvious.
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