"What did you say?!" Dean Xiao did his utmost to lower his voice. "You're not joking, are you?"
If what Lu Ling said was true, then that person...
"Absolutely true, as long as I can touch her!" Lu Ling imitated Dean Xiao and spoke quietly.
"Touch... wait, you seem to know something." Only belatedly did Dean Xiao realize that Lu Ling had spoken along the lines of his own thoughts.
"As a fellow calamity survivor, naturally I can tell." Lu Ling immediately made up an excuse.
Like hell he could tell. In the end, it was just a slightly stronger innate talent. Who could see through someone else's innate talent at a glance?
Dean Xiao fell silent. Calamity survivors had always been targets hunted by the Heretic Judgment Court, and they themselves were extremely unstable. Even without any theories from their predecessors, it was not impossible for them to sense one another.
"Then I'll have her come meet you," Dean Xiao said thoughtfully.
"Wait, wait, wait, Dean Xiao. The semester's almost starting, isn't it? How about transferring me to the Fire Element?"
"It seems you already knew about Ding Yumian." Dean Xiao's gaze held no surprise. "But why go to all that trouble? I can simply call her over."
"I want to beat her up."
"..."
Although Dean Xiao had no idea what was going through Lu Ling's head, he chose to respect his wishes. In any case, during a fight... he could also "touch" her inadvertently.
Three weeks later.
The Fire Institute, challenge week.
After briefly getting ready, Lu Ling arrived at the Fire Institute's arena.
There were not many people who could awaken the Fire Element. Among students nationwide, Fire Element students were second only to Lightning Element students in rarity. However, Pearl Academy had gathered Fire Element students together, and the Fire Institute had over two thousand students, with well over a thousand regularly on campus.
At this moment, eight or nine hundred students had gathered in the arena, packing it to the rafters. It was unquestionably the largest department in all of Pearl Academy. Compared with the Summoning System, one was in the heavens and the other underground.
The poor Summoning System had only a few dozen students even counting everyone at the Main Campus.
Today was the first day of challenge week. Lu Ling had kept track of the date and come here, since those highly ranked students would only appear on the first day.
"What an unfamiliar face. Who is he?"
"No idea, but he's so good-looking."
The moment Lu Ling entered the lecture hall, the students who had arrived early noticed him. What could he do when his looks were simply too eye-catching?
After he waited quietly for over half an hour, almost all the Fire Institute students had arrived. They were all challengers or those being challenged, each racking their brains for a way to obtain a higher ranking.
The resources available to the top hundred were enormous for ordinary students without any backing, so every challenge week, some highly ranked students would accumulate all sorts of grudges, filling the air with the smell of gunpowder.
Challenge week was also an excellent stage for the scions of great families to make their names known. Among the top hundred, almost seventy percent were mages with great-family backgrounds.
As expected, the person presiding over this challenge session was Wei Rong, the director whose temper was as explosive as fire.
"I'll be presiding over today's challenges again. The rules have been repeated many times, so I won't go over them again. Next, I'll read out the challenge list. Check whether anything has been left out. If anyone wants to issue a challenge now, you may also speak up."
"He Zheng, ranked 300th, challenges Lu Kun, ranked 278th..."
As though chanting scripture, Wei Rong rattled off several hundred names. Each match probably would not last very long, but there were simply too many challengers. Today's challenges would likely last into the night again.
"All right, if there are no questions, the first round of challenges will begin immediately."
"Sir, I'd like to issue a challenge too." After waiting for a long time, Lu Ling raised his hand.
"You... are you from our Fire Institute?" Wei Rong narrowed his eyes at the white-haired youth.
Unlike at the Green Campus, students at the Main Campus were allowed to continue studying on campus as long as they had not broken through to the Advanced Level.
Thus, even with a thousand students, they were all familiar returning faces to Wei Rong. Only the new students who had just advanced from the Green Campus this year required some time to memorize.
But this person before him... Wei Rong had never seen him at all! He had not noticed this face at the new students' opening ceremony either.
That conspicuous white hair alone was enough to be certain!
"Sir, I just transferred here a few days ago. I'm Lu Ling." Lu Ling stood up and faced Wei Rong.
"A transfer student? Lu Ling?" Wei Rong murmured in puzzlement.
"Lu Ling!"
So you're the damn one! The transfer student who stood me up!
Relying on the fact that Dean Xiao had personally handled his transfer paperwork, he had remained nowhere to be seen when he should have reported in. Had Wei Rong not seen him in person today, he probably would have forgotten that he still had a transfer student to deal with.
Seeing Wei Rong's expression suddenly turn furious, even gritting his teeth somewhat as he said his name, Lu Ling's smiling face could not help stiffening a little.
"Director Wei?"
Could this guy have some strange character setting? Did seeing a transfer student trigger his passive ability to establish dominance?
"So he's Lu Ling... the one who was absent during roll call last week."
"It's not as if Old Wei's temper is anything new..."
In an instant, the Fire Institute students in the arena broke into discussion, and Lu Ling immediately became the focus of everyone's attention.
"Director Wei?"
Looking at his puzzled expression, Wei Rong forcibly swallowed his anger.
This was not the right occasion, and it was only a minor matter of reporting in late. He was not about to stoop to quarreling with a junior.
At least, not for today.
"Who do you want to challenge?"
"..."
Uncle, that disgruntled look on your face is really confusing me. Lu Ling was somewhat speechless inwardly.
Since he was only a few steps away from the judges' seats anyway, Lu Ling simply walked straight over to Wei Rong, completely ignoring his slightly angry expression.
"This one."
Wei Rong had still been thinking about how to teach this fellow who did not know the rules a lesson, but the moment he saw the ranking Lu Ling pointed at, he calmed down.
All his earlier temper vanished as well. Instead, he looked seriously into Lu Ling's eyes and asked solemnly:
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
After speaking, Lu Ling gave Wei Rong another reassuring look.
"Don't assume I'm some decorative vase propped up by great-family resources just because Dean Xiao helped me transfer. Actually, I think I have a little ability."
"Tch." With his thoughts exposed, Wei Rong's face immediately alternated between green and white.
How had he not noticed just now how much this fellow's smiling face begged for a beating? Just looking at it kindled a nameless fire in him.
Still, he could hardly say anything. In a moment, he would see whether Lu Ling truly had ability or was merely a decorative vase relying on his background and connections!
The students of my Fire Institute aren't herbivores!
Only after receiving Lu Ling's confirmation did he write the final line on the challenge list, simultaneously calling out in a ringing voice.
"Lu Ling, ranked 1403rd, challenges Ding Yumian, ranked 76th!"