Because of the disaster in Bo City, Mu Nianbing did not participate in the national magic college entrance examination.
Instead, he entered Mingzhu Academy through special recruitment.
He chose the Summoning Department not because he wanted to "play the pig to eat the tiger," but because joining it granted qualification to enter the Three-Step Tower for cultivation.
According to the academy's rules, anyone who could defeat two hundred opponents in the beast-fighting competition would earn all the resources allocated to the freshmen.
Those resources were enough to be exchanged for an opportunity to enter the Three-Step Tower for training.
With the Ice God's blessing and the Nebula Magic Artifact, Mu Nianbing's cultivation speed was now more than six times that of an ordinary mage.
If I can also obtain the Three-Step Tower's support, he thought, I might reach an entirely new level within a year.
Of course, to break through to a higher realm, he would still need money to purchase a Galaxy Vein.
The Interview
Special recruitment students didn't need to take written exams—only an interview assessment held inside Mingzhu Academy.
Five examiners sat in the room, all professors or senior instructors. Among them, one old man especially drew Mu Nianbing's attention.
His hair was gray, his face wrinkled with age, yet his body was upright and his eyes sharp and energetic—more vigorous than many young men.
There was no mistake. This was Dean Xiao, the master of forbidden spells himself.
"Intermediate level in the Summoning Element," said a bespectacled professor, smiling with satisfaction. "That's already far above your peers. Very good."
The Summoning Element was notoriously difficult to cultivate.
Reaching the intermediate stage at his age was proof of extraordinary talent.
The other teachers nodded in agreement; such a student would be welcome in any academy.
"Student Mu Nianbing," a female teacher asked, "since you are from the Mu family's collateral branch, why not enroll in the Imperial Capital Academy? You'd receive far more resources there."
Her tone carried genuine curiosity. According to their information, Mu Nianbing came from a small branch of the Bo City Mu family.
Even as a collateral descendant, attending the Imperial Capital Academy would bring him great advantages.
Mu Nianbing's gaze was calm and composed.
"I don't like living under someone else's roof," he replied. "Mingzhu Academy suits me better."
The professors exchanged surprised looks. It was rare to hear such words from a noble family's child.
Before anyone could continue questioning, Dean Xiao spoke with finality.
"Student Mu Nianbing, you've passed the interview."
Mu Nianbing nodded slightly.
Though he had only displayed basic summoning techniques, he suspected Dean Xiao had already noticed something unusual.
But that didn't matter—an intermediate level two Summoner wasn't so abnormal that it would cause alarm.
Arrival at Mingzhu Academy
After passing the interview, Mu Nianbing returned to his apartment to continue cultivating until September 1st, the official start of the semester.
He arrived early that morning with his luggage in tow. Mingzhu Academy required all freshmen to live on campus during their first semester—no exceptions.
His assigned dormitory was a spacious six-person room. Since he was a specially recruited student, he had been placed in a mixed-department dorm.
Four other students were already there, each with a different personality. They mostly kept to themselves, aloof and prideful.
"Hey, bro, what department are you in?" asked a thin, friendly-looking student, trying to break the ice.
Mu Nianbing set his luggage down on an empty bed before replying without turning around.
"Summoning Element."
"Whoa, that's awesome, man! Summoning is so powerful. I'm in the Light Element—pretty miserable, right? Everyone says we're weak and have no human rights."
The boy made a dramatic face of mock despair. Mu Nianbing couldn't help raising an eyebrow. No wonder the others were ignoring him—he was a Light Element mage. That explained a lot.
Still, Mu Nianbing wasn't one to look down on other elements. Every element had its purpose—though, admittedly, none could rival his Ice Element.
"Tch, so what if it's the Summoning Element?" a young man with dark red hair scoffed from his bed. "If your summoned beast is trash, you'll still end up in jail."
Mu Nianbing glanced over, feeling the heat radiating from him. A mid-level Fire Element mage—no wonder he was arrogant.
"Ahem, my name's Lin Mu," said the Light mage quickly, trying to lighten the mood. "What's yours, bro?"
"Mu Nianbing."
Lin Mu blinked. "Wait, Mu… as in the Mu family?"
The other three students looked up at once, even the red-haired one.
"Not that Mu," Mu Nianbing said helplessly. It seemed explaining this was going to be a common occurrence.
"If it's not that Mu, then which one?" Lin Mu muttered, before gasping. "Don't tell me—the Mu family from the Imperial Capital?!"
Even the red-haired man's eyes widened slightly. The Mu Family of the Imperial Capital—one of the greatest magical families in all of China. Even the four great families of Magic City combined couldn't compare.
Yet one of their descendants had come to Mingzhu Academy?
Mu Nianbing didn't bother explaining further. He simply nodded.
The red-haired youth got up and extended his hand.
"My name's Dongfang Lie, from the Dongfang Family."
Mu Nianbing's eyes flickered with surprise. So it's him... What a coincidence.
Dongfang Lie's sudden friendliness didn't surprise him. There were circles within circles—even in school.
After some brief introductions, they all went their separate ways. Later, Mu Nianbing headed to his classroom to begin orientation.
The Summoning Department's advantage was that its course load was light, leaving most of the day free for cultivation or personal matters.
That meant Mu Nianbing could even return to his off-campus apartment regularly—to "study" and meditate together with Ye Xinxia.
The Qilin's Blessing
That night, a faint golden light surrounded him.
[You have received the blessing of the Qilin.]
[Ability 1: Luck Blessing — Effects unknown.]
[Ability 2: Blessing of the Auspicious Beast — Greatly increases favorability among the Kunlun Demon Clan.]
Mu Nianbing opened his eyes, feeling the divine aura recede. The Divine Beast Qilin's protection—what an unexpected fortune!
The Freshman Beast-Fighting Competition
The next day marked the grand event of the new semester: the Beast-Fighting Competition.
Mu Nianbing didn't follow his roommates to Qingdou Hall's stands. Instead, he entered the backstage area reserved for Summoning Department students.
This year, only six freshmen had joined the Summoning Department—proof of how rare the element truly was.
Soon, Dean Xiao began his opening speech. His words—about the eternal heart of magic and the endless pursuit of greatness—ignited the blood of every freshman. The arena buzzed with excitement.
When the speech ended, Dean Xiao turned toward the Summoning Department students.
"The first round of the Beast-Fighting Competition will feature the summoned beasts of the Summoning freshmen. Who will go first?"
The six looked at each other in hesitation.
Mu Nianbing sighed softly. "I'll go."
Dean Xiao's gaze lingered on him for a moment, then he nodded. "Very well. The stage is yours."
As Mu Nianbing stepped into the center of the arena, several other freshmen eagerly leaped up to join the battle.
After all, this was their first chance to shine—to become the star of the Qing Campus.
...
Author's Note
Sorry for the late updates. Because of my semester exams, I wasn't able to upload stories continuously.
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