Chapter 6

With that, Huang Binhan dismissed the class.

Xu Jintang turned and headed toward the dormitories.

Xu Bohan watched her retreating figure, his fists clenched and his fighting spirit burning even stronger.

Half an hour later, inside the women's dormitory building-

"Hello, are you Ms. Foodie, Foodie Soul?" the female courier asked with a smile, standing outside the door.

Foodie, Foodie Soul was Xu Jintang's Star Network ID.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's me."

Xu Jintang went back inside and took out four level-one defense inscriptions and four level-one healing inscriptions, handing them over. "These are the inscriptions I want to sell."

The courier smiled politely. "Of course. The Have You Earned Money? secondhand platform is happy to serve you."

After class, Xu Jintang had booked a home pickup through the secondhand platform, planning to sell the Inscription Talismans she had made the night before for money.

Two hours after the courier collected the inscriptions, sixteen hundred star coins were transferred directly into Xu Jintang's account.

"Inscription masters actually make this much money," Xu Jintang remarked as she looked at her account balance.

Buying a secondhand inscription pen and raw stones had only cost her a hundred and fifty star coins in total.

Yet in just half a day yesterday, she had carved eight level-one inscriptions and sold them directly to the Have You Earned Money? secondhand platform, earning sixteen hundred.

Xu Jintang rubbed her chin and fell into thought.

It seemed she needed to seriously develop her career as an inscription master.

That afternoon, Xu Jintang returned to the secondhand market and found the same stall as before.

The stall owner was reclining in a lounge chair, legs crossed, scrolling through the latest popular short videos on his communicator's light screen, looking quite relaxed.

Xu Jintang walked over. "Boss, how many attribute-free raw stones do you have left? I'll take them all."

The stall owner froze for a moment, then quickly got up with a broad smile when he realized this was a big order. "I still have..."

Recognizing Xu Jintang as the girl who had bought the inscription pen last time, the stall owner changed tack and asked curiously, "You want to buy all the attribute-free raw stones at my stall?"

"Yes. I tried carving inscriptions after I went back last time, but they all failed, and the stones were ruined too. I'm not giving up, so I want to buy some more raw stones and try again. Boss, I'm buying a lot this time. Give me a discount."

The stall owner smiled in understanding.

She had given him a fright. He had thought the girl had actually become an inscription master.

"Of course, of course. Let me count how many I have left."

Xu Jintang had no intention of revealing that she could already carve inscriptions successfully.

Otherwise, the fact that she possessed a second, star-attribute ability would be exposed as well.

She had too many secrets right now.

Until she had the strength to protect herself, she needed to keep a low profile.

Chapter 6

"I have fifty-eight attribute-free raw stones left, all brand-new. They'd sell for at least thirty star coins each elsewhere, but since fate brought us together, I'll charge you twenty-five each today. Fifty-eight stones comes to fourteen hundred and fifty star coins."

The stall owner spoke to Xu Jintang with a beaming smile.

Fortunately, she had sold those inscriptions beforehand, so her account balance was fairly healthy now.

Xu Jintang nodded. "How about rounding it down a little more? Fourteen hundred?"

The stall owner thumped his chest. "No problem!"

Xu Jintang transferred the money, put all the raw stones into her spatial bracelet, and left the market.

After returning to the academy, Xu Jintang shut herself in her dorm room and began another long session of inscription making.

The afternoon flew by.

Xu Jintang successfully made another four defense inscriptions.

"I've noticed I'm getting a little faster at making inscriptions again." Xu Jintang lifted her head, her expression asking for praise.

The Ice Soul Dragon encouraged her. "Not bad. Looks like you need to keep practicing. With enough practice, you might eventually be able to make a level-one inscription with a casual flick of your hand."

"That makes sense. Then I'll try attack inscriptions next." Xu Jintang nodded and bent her head to continue practicing hard.

Attack inscriptions had somewhat more complex formation patterns.

They could also be empowered by adding spiritual plants or demonic beast cores with elemental attributes.

For instance, the Snow Spirit Grass she had picked before was an ice-attribute spiritual plant. Adding it to an attack inscription would give the inscription's attack energy an additional ice effect.

Likewise, defense and healing inscriptions could be enhanced this way too.

However, she was only just starting out, so there was no need to make things that difficult for herself.

Xu Jintang decided to start practicing with the most basic inscriptions.

Three hours later, the sky outside had darkened, and a crescent moon had risen above the treetops.

One Inscription Talisman after another was successfully completed.

Xu Jintang casually piled them at the edge of the desk, picked up another raw stone, and quickly began carving the next one.

Seeing how late it was, the Ice Soul Dragon reminded her, "If you don't sleep now, it'll be dawn soon. You'll be sleepy in class again tomorrow."

Already caught up in it, Xu Jintang would not listen. "You go to sleep first. I want to make ten inscriptions. I'm still three short."

The Ice Soul Dragon shook his head and could only go to sleep first.

Early the next morning, daylight filled the sky.

After Xu Jintang finished her tenth Inscription Talisman, her feverish burst of energy finally faded.

By the time she entered the classroom, she was unbearably sleepy and yawning repeatedly.

Seeing her like this from the podium, Jiang Lu immediately frowned. "Xu Jintang, come to my office after class."

Xu Jintang abruptly roused herself and quickly answered, "Yes!"

After class, Xu Jintang entered Jiang Lu's office again.

Before Jiang Lu could begin lecturing her, she hurriedly spoke first. "Teacher, I was wrong. I shouldn't have stayed up studying last night and ended up sleepy in class again today. This time, I've fully recognized my problem. I'll be more careful next time."

Jiang Lu took a deep breath and slowly let it out, looking at her helplessly. "What's been going on with you lately? What exactly are you studying that has to be done late at night? If there's really no other way, study it in class. I won't stop you."

Of course, there was no way Xu Jintang could practice making inscriptions in class.

She hurriedly replied, "Teacher, I was wrong!"

Seeing how quickly she admitted her mistake, and since she had stayed up to train, Jiang Lu could not find much to criticize.

He waved a hand. "Don't let it happen again. Otherwise, if the other students keep seeing you catching up on sleep in my class, they'll all start copying you. That would set a bad example."

Xu Jintang lifted her head and straightened her back. "Understood!"

"Also, think some more about the winter break special training. Teacher Huang Binhan will be leading it personally. He's a fourth-tier ability user and a top graduate of Blue Shirt Military Academy. This training will definitely be very helpful for all of you. If you don't have anything particularly important to do, try to join us." Jiang Lu brought up the winter break special training again.

Xu Jintang remembered Brother Long saying he would take her to Blizzard Forest over winter break for actual combat against demonic beasts.

The academy's special training would, at most, involve practicing combat techniques in the early stages. Only during the last few days might they be taken to Blizzard Forest to fight demonic beasts.

By comparison, Brother Long's special training would certainly help her improve more.

Xu Jintang pressed her lips together and thought for a moment before answering, "Teacher, I really do have other plans. But don't worry. After winter break, I'll definitely have a surprise for you."

Jiang Lu frowned slightly. "A surprise? Just don't give me a fright."

"It definitely won't be a fright. Well, teacher, get some rest. I'm going to prepare for my next class!" Xu Jintang politely said goodbye, left the office, then turned and ran out of sight.

Jiang Lu watched her retreating figure, shaking his head with a sigh.

Ever since Xu Jintang had stunned everyone by handing in a blank exam paper, he had felt that her entire temperament had begun to change drastically.

Later, he learned that her family had been so poor during that period that she could not afford food, leaving her malnourished and seriously ill. Only then had he understood.

Perhaps that serious illness had made Xu Jintang die once in a very real sense, and that was why her personality had changed.

Another week passed, and Dawn Academy began its month-and-a-half-long winter break.

The students who had chosen to join Teacher Huang Binhan's winter break special training had already assembled in the academy's arena area.

Huang Binhan stood before the group, his expression carrying a hint of grim severity.

"I'm very pleased you've all chosen to participate in this special training. As your instructor, I'll ensure your safety throughout. However, as long as your lives aren't endangered, I will also give you opportunities to encounter real demonic beasts."

The students were all excited.

After awakening their abilities, they had all gained a certain amount of fighting power. Naturally, they wanted to test how strong real demonic beasts were.

Xu Bohan clenched his fists, his gaze sweeping over the group taking part in the special training.

Realizing something, he frowned slightly.

Xu Jintang actually isn't taking part in this special training? What is she up to now?

At that moment, Xu Jintang had already reached the outskirts of Blizzard Forest.

"Your target this time is a Flowing Fire Lizard. In a certain sense, your Domain of Ice completely counters its fire attribute. You'll have some natural advantages fighting it. So the main focus of today's special training is practicing how to make your ice attribute exert its proper countering effect against an enemy."

The Ice Soul Dragon's voice slowly sounded in her mind.

Xu Jintang frowned and asked, "But I still can't fully control Domain of Ice, can I? How am I supposed to counter it?"

The Ice Soul Dragon said, "When you fought that classmate in the arena last time, did you notice that when you used more mental power to mobilize your ability's energy, there was actually a faint ice effect within your domain? Other ice ability users can only wield and control the ice attribute, but your ice attribute was bestowed by me. You are the absolute ruler of ice."

"Even if you still can't fully control it, even the faintest ice attribute will have a countering effect on a Flowing Fire Lizard."

As he said this, the Ice Soul Dragon's tone revealed his innate dominance.

Xu Jintang understood. "I get it! Because you're a tenth-tier divine beast, your level is higher, so even a tiny trace of your ice attribute has a powerful countering effect on a first-tier Flowing Fire Lizard."

Within her sea of consciousness, the Ice Soul Dragon smiled as though pleased with a teachable pupil.