Switching to the Origin Return Formula

As soon as the Spell Arts class ended, the lecture hall stood empty, with only a few lingering ripples of spiritual energy.

In the instructors' lounge, a stick of incense for calming the mind sent up a thin curl of smoke.

Ji Yu brushed a sleeve of her pale-purple court dress and sat gracefully beside the tea table. Her gaze passed over it to Zhou Changkong, who was sorting the new students' roster.

"Senior Brother Zhou, your Class Three is hiding quite the remarkable youngster this year."

Ji Yu lifted her spirit tea and took a small sip, her voice still tinged with curiosity and amazement.

Zhou Changkong's hands paused over the records. A rare, knowing smile touched his usually stern face. Without looking back, he said, "Junior Sister Ji, do you mean Chu Bai?"

"Who else?"

Ji Yu set down her cup, her eyes bright. "I checked everyone's foundations during Spell Arts class, as usual.

"When that boy used the Minor Qi Gathering Technique, his movements were so smooth and effortless that he had clearly reached mastery.

"And that wasn't all. His foundation of Spell Power was frighteningly solid. Beneath its calm balance was a lively quality—he had unmistakably fused perfectly with a highly unusual strain of wild water-aligned spiritual energy."

She leaned forward slightly, puzzled. "If he came from a family with deep roots and had elders protecting him since childhood, fusing with unusual spiritual energy wouldn't be so surprising.

"But this boy's methods are rough-hewn. Both his casting habits and his tenacious nature suggest he clawed his own way through the mud. With talent and insight like that, he was truly a pearl buried in dust back in remote Anping County."

"Senior Brother Zhou, tell me honestly: how did he perform in the county examination? Did you