Azure Cloud Pavilion

"Te... level-twelve talent strength!" Lan Ning dropped gracelessly onto the ground, his voice dry and hoarse, so shocked he could barely speak.

For a moment, the surroundings were so silent that a pin dropping could have been heard. Everyone held their breath, their gazes uniformly focused on Xia Ming without exception.

Even Xia Ming himself was stunned by the result. He knew his talent was decent, but he had never imagined it could be this powerful.

Level-twelve talent strength—a god-tier talent even more formidable than that of the Star Legend...

Nearly everyone stood there with their mouths agape, unable to snap out of the shock.

Once Lan Ning recovered, his first thought was, Could there be something wrong with the Measuring Sky Ruler?! But he immediately dismissed it. The Measuring Sky Ruler was a true treasure; it could never make a mistake. That meant the young man before him truly possessed that terrifying talent...

This young man actually possessed talent surpassing Orlando's. Could he become another God of Mages in the future? Though the crowd did not know exactly how terrifying the strength of a God of Mages was, it did not stop their imaginations from galloping to the ends of heaven and earth. The more they thought about it, the more frightened they became.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Solomon's eyes widened as he stared fixedly at Xia Ming, as though Xia Ming had somehow wronged him...

Xia Ming secretly felt that things were going badly. After this stunt, it would be impossible for him to keep a low profile in the academy.

"Enough, stop making a fuss, you little brats!" Lan Ning shouted, only to find that it had little effect. Most of them were still hopelessly immersed in the shock Xia Ming had brought.

Seeing that his thunder had been stolen, Lan Ning blew his beard and glared. "What are you all staring at him for? Look at me! I have something to announce!"

"Based on the talent test results just now, the following people will be assigned to these classes..." Lan Ning had actually begun assigning classes. This was important information, and it immediately drew everyone's attention.

Xia Ming let out a breath and pricked up his ears to hear which class he had been assigned to.

"Xia Ming, Magic Department, Azure Cloud Pavilion, First-Year Class One. Instructor: Freya."

"Azure Cloud Pavilion! It's actually Azure Cloud Pavilion!"

"Azure Cloud Pavilion is where Azure Flame Academy's geniuses gather... So this guy really does have level-twelve talent strength..."

"If I could get into Azure Cloud Pavilion, I'd die without regrets..."

Cries of astonishment rose and fell. Yet after receiving the news, Xia Ming greased his soles and quietly slipped away. If he stayed any longer, he feared he would become the target of everyone's arrows.

"Level-twelve talent strength..."

Xia Ming muttered to himself. Even he had not expected his talent to be this extraordinary. Though he was excited, he did not feel much pride.

After all, he had only come to this world two months ago, like an infant learning to walk unsteadily. At the very least, he had spent ten fewer years cultivating than everyone else! He had studied magic for far too short a time. At his age, the legendary Orlando had probably already been a seventh-level mage.

Besides, talent alone was not enough. Focus, foundations, and even luck were all conditions for becoming strong. Not one could be lacking.

Xia Ming narrowed his eyes slightly. "Azure Cloud Pavilion... Looks like I was assigned somewhere decent."

He had heard Anthony mention the name "Azure Cloud Pavilion" before. It was the strongest division of Azure Flame Academy's Magic Department, where nearly all magical geniuses gathered. It seemed his days ahead would certainly not be boring.

"Whatever. I should find somewhere to settle down first."

Azure Flame Academy naturally had student dormitories, but Xia Ming could not be bothered to live there. There were too many people and too many prying eyes; doing anything in the future would be inconvenient.

Fortunately, the academy was rather flexible in this regard. There were also dedicated lofts and courtyards on campus available for students to rent.

In the end, Xia Ming spent five hundred gold coins to rent a courtyard beside Azure Sparrow River in the southern part of Azure Flame Academy. Living alone gave him some private space as well.

By the time he had settled everything, it was already afternoon. Xia Ming looked at his new home with satisfaction.

The courtyard had a garden in front, a training ground behind, and a two-story loft in the middle. It also stood on high ground, offering a sweeping view of the entire Azure Sparrow River. The scenery was quite lovely.

The buildings in front and behind shared the same design. Xia Ming went up to the second floor and stepped onto the balcony to enjoy the sun. With a sweep of his gaze, he spotted someone standing on the balcony across from him—a broad-backed, burly warrior. It was Sigru, the one who had tested at seventh-level talent during the earlier assessment.

"Hey, genius!" Sigru was taken aback upon seeing Xia Ming, but his smile quickly bloomed as he waved vigorously at him.

This neighbor was rather enthusiastic.

Xia Ming rubbed his nose and smiled as he nodded back.

Sigru was quite straightforward. "Haha, genius, I never thought we'd end up neighbors. The entrance assessment is tomorrow. I hear this one will be difficult, but you'll definitely have no problem with it."

Xia Ming's heart stirred. According to Azure Flame Academy's usual rules, new students all had to undergo an entrance assessment. It seemed Sigru had gotten the news in advance.

"Genius, I really envy you. You were assigned to Azure Cloud Pavilion. Not only is it where the academy's greatest geniuses are concentrated, it's also a gathering place for beauties..." Xia Ming discovered that Sigru was not only overly familiar from the start, but also a nonstop talker. Still, thanks to Sigru, Xia Ming gradually learned much about Azure Flame Academy.

In short, Azure Flame Academy was the greatest power on Azure Flame Island. Its headmaster, Rogge, was a figure who could make the entire island tremble three times with a single word. His strength was unfathomable, and people revered him as though he were a god.

Azure Flame Academy was known as the continent's foremost academy, so naturally it had geniuses beyond counting. More importantly, there were quite a few reclusive masters within the academy, which made Xia Ming especially cautious.

He was merely a fourth-level mage. It was better to keep a low profile.

He had a pleasant conversation with Sigru, who was easy to get along with. After they had chatted happily, Xia Ming returned to his room.

"I should go buy some things, or I'll starve to death."

Looking at the empty room, Xia Ming felt somewhat helpless. He had to do everything himself; it seemed he should find a servant.

Xia Ming left and walked along the academy's main avenue. Azure Flame Academy was like a city in itself, with plenty of luxurious restaurants and entertainment facilities. The streets were bustling all the way through.

"This is..." Xia Ming's gaze sharpened when he noticed a furtive figure at a street corner.

It was an old man with an unkempt beard, squatting in the corner with a crystal ball in his hands and a lecherous smile on his face. One would not notice him without looking carefully, but Xia Ming had keenly sensed the magical fluctuations from the crystal ball and thus noticed him.

What astonished Xia Ming most was the content displayed within the lecherous old man's crystal ball.

The crystal ball clearly reflected the graceful figures of the women walking along the street, with its focus mainly on women wearing skirts. Swaying hems, snowy whiteness, and endless alluring sights were all displayed within the crystal ball one by one!

The lecherous old man watched with keen relish, as if drool might spill from his mouth at any moment. Whenever an especially beautiful woman passed through the crystal ball, he praised her aloud as though no one else existed...

What shocked Xia Ming most was not anything else, but the identity of that lecherous old man. He was none other than Lan Ning—the man who had tested Xia Ming's talent that very morning!