Chapter 4

Xu Jintang's eyes lit up. She picked up the inscription pen and began engraving the defensive formation pattern onto the raw stone, channeling her mental power into it as she worked.

While engraving, she had to keep the flow of mental power uninterrupted and concentrate on making no mistakes in the formation's lines.

All her energy was focused on what lay before her.

After an unknown length of time, a bead of sweat rolled down Xu Jintang's forehead, and the hand holding her inscription pen began to tremble faintly.

The final stroke of the formation pattern fell into place.

The once-dull white raw stone instantly shone with light, its shape gradually changing. A few seconds later, it had taken the form of a Defense Inscription.

"It worked!"

Chapter 4

A tiny white Defense Inscription floated slowly in the air, wrapped in a ball of light.

Xu Jintang excitedly clasped it in her palm, feeling the energy circulating within. "Brother Long, I did it! I made a Defense Inscription."

The Ice Soul Dragon had been watching her all along. Seeing that she had actually succeeded, he was somewhat surprised. "Not bad."

Although Xu Jintang had no idea how many attempts other inscription masters needed to succeed, she felt that succeeding on her very first try had to make her something of a genius.

Xu Jintang toyed with the Defense Inscription in her hand. "Brother Long, would you say I'm a genius?"

The Ice Soul Dragon remained composed. "Young people should guard against arrogance and impatience."

Xu Jintang snorted and put the inscription talisman away in her storage space.

Still, he had a point. She couldn't let this small achievement go to her head. She needed to stay humble.

Xu Jintang settled her emotions.

After resting, Xu Jintang rode her momentum and made four more Defense Inscription talismans in succession.

With each engraving, Xu Jintang grew more proficient at making Defense Inscriptions. Her first had taken nearly three hours, but by the fifth, she finished in just one hour.

The Ice Soul Dragon had not been watching Xu Jintang practice quietly the entire time.

Seeing how much progress she had made, a hint of gratification entered his eyes.

He truly knew little about human inscription masters, but Xu Jintang had cut her engraving time by two hours in just five attempts. Judging by his experience, that progress should qualify her as a genius.

"I'm so tired." With all her mental power exhausted, Xu Jintang slumped over her desk, not wanting to move a single finger.

The Ice Soul Dragon said, "You've reached your limit for mental power use. You can rest now. Also, your Scales Ability seems to have grown a little stronger."

"My guess is that making those inscriptions just now strengthened its energy."

Hearing this, Xu Jintang immediately pushed herself up from the desk and curiously activated her ability, trying to summon the scales manifestation.

But despite trying for a long time, she still couldn't summon it.

"Brother Long, what's going on now?"

The Ice Soul Dragon continued explaining, "The ability might be too powerful. Your current strength may not be enough to activate its manifestation."

Xu Jintang was puzzled. "Abilities like that exist?"

The Ice Soul Dragon answered honestly, "If I didn't cooperate willingly, you wouldn't be able to summon me either. Your current strength still isn't enough to fully control me or your Domain of Ice ability."

Xu Jintang said, "..."

So having an ability that was too powerful wasn't necessarily a good thing either.

Still, this Scales Ability was making her more and more curious.

Early the next morning, classes at the academy continued as usual.

Xu Jintang walked into the classroom with two dark circles under her eyes. As soon as she sat down, she slumped over to catch up on sleep.

Yesterday, her hands had itched to make more. After recovering her mental power, she had stayed up late making several healing inscriptions before going to bed. When she got up that morning, she had felt unbearably sleepy.

"Xu Jintang, answer this question." Jiang Lu frowned as he called on her from the podium.

Just about to fall asleep, Xu Jintang abruptly raised her head and stood up. "Present!"

The students around her burst into laughter.

Jiang Lu's frown deepened.

He still had high expectations for Xu Jintang. Even though she had only awakened a support ability yesterday, he still believed she could get into a good military academy and graduate successfully.

But seeing Xu Jintang sleeping soundly from the very first lesson today, looking as though she had given up on herself, naturally made him angry.

"Never mind." Jiang Lu waved a hand. "Come to my office after class."

Now awake, Xu Jintang rubbed her nose awkwardly. "All right."

Of course, Xu Jintang didn't dare sleep through the second half of the lesson. But she couldn't fight off her drowsiness. She forced her eyes wide open and listened, yet before long, her eyelids began to droop again, her head sagging as she drifted toward sleep.

"Class dismissed. Xu Jintang, come with me." Jiang Lu's stern voice reached her ears.

On the verge of falling asleep, Xu Jintang quickly snapped awake. She stood and straightened her back, immediately pulling herself together as she looked at Jiang Lu. "Yes!"

Inside the teachers' office at Dawn Academy.

Jiang Lu looked at Xu Jintang with frustrated disappointment. "I know Song Tianqi awakening the Vermilion Bird Token may have hit you hard. But you have to move forward. Your ability may only be a support ability, but it isn't bad. It's also a very rare domain-type ability. Once you advance to the second and third tiers, your ability will grow stronger and evolve along with you."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

Xu Jintang quickly nodded. "Yes! I won't let Song Tianqi awakening a rare ability knock me down! I'll keep working hard, prepare properly, and strive for a good ranking in the All-Star-Domain Academy Joint Entrance Examination!"

Only then did Jiang Lu's anger subside. "Good, as long as you understand."

The All-Star-Domain Academy Joint Entrance Examination was somewhat like Lanxing's college entrance examination.

She had one year left before graduating from the academy. If she wanted to continue her studies at a military academy, she would have to take this joint examination and undergo the standardized assessment.

The final assessment rankings would serve as an important basis for determining which military academies students could attend to continue their studies.

Students near the top of the rankings could choose elite institutions such as the five great military academies, or even the First Military Academy.

Those with middling results could only choose lower-tier military academies.

Because each military academy offered different majors and departments to applicants, there had also been some lucky reassigned students in previous years who had managed to enter the five great military academies despite not having top-tier results.

In addition, there were genius students whose talent had been exceptionally outstanding from the moment they awakened their abilities. These students would qualify for special admission recommendations and could enter military academies directly without taking the joint examination.

Xu Jintang smiled, showing her little canine teeth. "Teacher, there's something else I'd like to ask."

"Go ahead."

Xu Jintang considered her wording. "Do you know of an ability whose manifestation is a set of scales? I stayed up late studying last night and happened to read about it in a book, but the book didn't explain much. I thought you'd surely know, since you're so knowledgeable."

Jiang Lu raised his brows in surprise. "So that's why you've been so sleepy in class today. Still, staying up late isn't good for you. You should keep your studying to the daytime from now on."

"As for an ability shaped like a set of scales, I've never heard of one either. What book did you read about it in?" Jiang Lu looked at Xu Jintang curiously.

Xu Jintang pondered for a moment, then smiled. "I don't really remember. Never mind, then. It probably isn't anything important."

Jiang Lu nodded. "Mm. You've more or less mastered the theoretical knowledge now, so you'd be better off putting your energy into practical combat. Winter break is almost here, and the school plans to use the holiday to give you all some special practical combat training. If you have time, join your classmates. It'll be good for you."

Xu Jintang was just about to nod in agreement when the Ice Soul Dragon's voice rang out in her mind. "Your academy's special training won't amount to much. I'll take you to Blizzard Forest to practice combat over winter break. Your strength will improve faster that way."

Xu Jintang immediately swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue and declined with a smile. "Teacher, I already have other plans for winter break."

Jiang Lu's expression grew a little more serious, and he was just about to stress something further to Xu Jintang.

The bell rang for class.

Xu Jintang hurriedly spoke. "Teacher, don't worry. I'll definitely bring you back a good result in the joint examination! I'm heading back to class now."

As soon as she finished speaking, she ran off and vanished from sight.

Jiang Lu shook his head helplessly.

The second lesson was practical combat.

Their teacher, Huang Binhan, stood before the students with his hands behind his back and a stern expression. "You have one year left for your final push before the All-Star-Domain Academy Joint Entrance Examination. You all awakened your abilities yesterday. In the practical combat lessons ahead, I'll gradually explain how to use your abilities in actual combat."

"Teacher, I have a question." A boy among the students suddenly raised his hand with a smile.

Huang Binhan turned to him. "What is it?"

Xu Jintang also looked up.

The boy who had spoken was named Xu Bohan, and he had awakened the Hardening Ability yesterday. Once activated, his ability could instantly cover every part of his body in hard metal, increasing both his attack power and his defense.

Overall, it was an excellent ability with considerable potential for future development.

As a result, many teachers had placed high hopes on him after yesterday.

Xu Bohan glanced at Xu Jintang out of the corner of his eye, then spoke with a somber expression. "Our practical combat class representative has always been whoever is strongest. During yesterday's ability awakening, Xu Jintang only awakened a support ability. Doesn't that mean it's time someone else took her place as class representative?"

Ever since Xu Jintang had caused a sensation by handing in a blank exam paper a year ago, she had begun stealing the limelight at every turn, outdoing him in everything.

In the last selection for practical combat class representative, he had lost to Xu Jintang, and she had taken the position from him.

He could only endure it and quietly improve his strength.

During yesterday's ability awakening, he had been watching Xu Jintang the whole time.

The result hadn't disappointed him. Xu Jintang, on whom the academy's teachers had pinned such high hopes, had only awakened a lackluster support ability.