The results of the exam rippled through the student body like a quiet storm.
Whispers, jealousy, excitement, disbelief.
Everyone felt the shift.
Some had risen faster than expected.
Others had fallen behind.
But no one knew the truth of what was happening beneath the surface.
Xu Mang sat on one of the stone benches behind the school, the Frost Star Wolf curled around his feet like a small patch of winter. He held a thin notebook—handwritten calculations and star charts he rarely showed anyone. Not the school's material. His own.
It recorded every step of his cultivation since awakening.
Lightning: Novice Tier, Level 2 bottleneck.
All seven stars were smooth. The orbit formed cleanly. The second stage of the Novice-tier was nearly complete. If he wanted, he could already cast Lightning Strike with destructive power far beyond a normal student.
Summoning: Novice Tier, Level 2 bottleneck.
The Summoning Gate reacted instantly to his will. A silver crescent formed the moment he aligned the stars, and the newly evolved pendant strengthened everything. With a single thought, he could pull a creature stronger than any early mage should even sense.
Water: Novice Tier, Level 1.
The foundation was fresh, still stabilizing. He had formed the seven stars, but the orbit wasn't ready. It would soon be his most defensive element, something he needed for survival against stronger foes.
Metal: Novice Tier, Level 2.
This one grew strangely fast. The lessons from the Metal Element chapters—especially the early warnings about its killing power—were engraved in his mind. The metal energy inside him moved like thin blades, sharp and obedient. Properly guided, it could become a lethal tool in close combat.
He placed the notebook aside and looked toward the basketball court where Lu Jun was quietly practicing his own stars.
Lu Jun's progress was impressive.
His Light Element had reached Novice Tier Level 3, already past the first bottleneck.
His second element—Space—was at Novice Tier Level 1, a very rare and blessed combination.
His White Tiger Pendant clearly accelerated his cultivation, but more important was Lu Jun himself. He was calm, disciplined, and carried a quiet strength in his breathing.
"Your Light is cleaner today," Xu Mang said as he walked over.
Lu Jun lowered his hand and released the starlight gently. "I stabilized the third star-path yesterday. The pendant responded to it."
"That's good. You'll reach Intermediate Tier faster than most adults."
"Not faster than you," Lu Jun said.
Xu Mang looked at him. "I'm still at the bottleneck."
"The bottleneck is what you build strength on," Lu Jun replied. "You feel stable. Solid. Like you're waiting to erupt."
Xu Mang didn't deny it.
The difference between Novice Tier and Intermediate Tier was massive.
At Novice, a mage only formed seven stars.
At Intermediate, a mage formed forty-nine stars, creating a Star Map.
The leap required enormous mental strength.
Xu Mang was still far from forming a map… but his mana flow, thanks to the Summoning Plane resources, matched those halfway through Intermediate.
He would break through sooner than anyone expected.
A cold wind rolled across the field as the Frost Star Wolf hopped out of Xu Mang's hood. It padded over to Lu Jun, circled his feet once, then returned to Xu Mang.
Lu Jun smiled. "Does it not like me?"
"It likes you too much," Xu Mang said. "It knows your pendant."
Lu Jun's fingers brushed the White Tiger Pendant unconsciously, and for a brief moment the air between the two beasts hummed like quiet thunder.
Xu Mang stored that observation away.
Light and Ice had synergy.
If nurtured properly, the combination could be terrifying.
He walked toward the edge of the field, Frost Wolf at his side.
His thoughts drifted again—toward the months he spent traversing edges of the Summoning Plane. He had collected more than crystals and souls. He had found forgotten ruins, rare herbs, lightning seeds, fragments of dimensional ore, and even pieces of collapsed elemental hearts. Most were tucked safely inside the Black Totem Pendant.
His total net worth reached 8.9 billion yuan, with an unknown amount in unvalued treasures.
He had enough resources to create a team of monsters.
But he needed to distribute them carefully.
Mo Fan would get the biggest push.
Each night this week, Xu Mang slipped a few items into Mo Fan's bag before dawn rose—nothing extravagant at once, but small high-grade items that accelerated lightning affinity. Mo Fan didn't notice who left them, but the improvement was dramatic.
Mo Fan was already capable of channeling the fourth star consistently.
Soon he would be ready to join the Hunters.
Xu Mang knew the next part of Mo Fan's path: the City Hunter Squad, the place where he would gain experience, pressure, and the fire that truly tempered him into someone formidable.
The thought made Xu Mang exhale slowly.
Everything was moving faster this time.
Zhang Xiaohou was catching up.
Lu Jun was stable.
Mu Bai's arrogance was cracking.
Mo Fan was rising.
He watched Mo Fan talk to a group of older students animatedly, showing off sparks between his fingers.
"They're preparing to recruit," Lu Jun said as he approached. "The City Hunters."
"I know."
"Is Mo Fan joining?"
"Yes," Xu Mang replied. "And this time, he will not stumble blindly."
He placed a hand on his wolf and gazed toward the distant mountains.
Time was flowing differently now.
Paths were shifting.
Even destiny felt more flexible than before.
The disaster approaching Bo City…
The people he needed to save…
The enemies he would face…
All of it felt close.
Xu Mang took a slow breath.
"We move soon," he said quietly.
The wolf answered with a soft frost-filled howl.
Lu Jun nodded.
And somewhere in the city, Mo Fan, unaware of everything moving beneath the surface, laughed loudly, sparks dancing in the air, completely ready to begin his journey as a hunter.