A year later.
East Dragon Magic and Martial Arts Academy.
Rumbles rang out across the Trial Ground, wave after wave of heat washing over it. Within a towering sea of fire, two voices clashed incessantly.
"O blazing fire, bury all before you, Flame Funeral!" Amid the low chant, a fissure opened in the sky, and heavenly fire poured down in a mighty, unstoppable torrent.
"Flame Funeral!" On the other side, heavenly fire poured down, tinged with dark red, as though it were Hellfire surging up from the depths of hell. Although its momentum was weaker than that of the first Flame Funeral, when the two torrents collided, the dark-red one scattered the other outright.
"Protective barrier! I'm done fighting. You really are a monster, kid. In just a year, your fire magic energy has nearly reached Purple Level, and you've even learned Flame Funeral." Ye Gong stepped out of the flames as he spoke. He was a fire mage and one of the Fire Department's instructors, chiefly responsible for teaching students in the fourth year and above. Flame Funeral was among the most powerful fire spells below the level of forbidden spells.
Looking at the young man amid the flames, Ye Gong could not help marveling. In a single year, he had gone from a mage who knew nothing about fire magic to a Fire Grand Mage capable of casting the top-tier fire spell Flame Funeral. Ye Gong now had nothing left to teach him.
"That dark-red fire of yours truly enjoys nature's favor. It deserves to be called the king of flame. Without a corresponding flame to counter it, almost no fire mage at your level could be your match!" Ye Gong said.
Jiang Hai walked out of the sea of flames, and the Hellfire returned to his body.