The courtyard of the Celestial Spirit Academy was vast, filled with thousands of students honing their spiritual energies. Li Hua and Seely stood dressed in their crisp new academy robes, with Agni disguised as a fellow student by their side.
The first person they encountered was a young man named Kai. He was constantly buried in a book and possessed the rare ability to control the element of Vayo (Wind). "You're the newcomers with those strange marks, aren't you?" Kai asked without even looking up. "Be careful; not everyone here is a friend."
Just then, a student dressed in expensive black silk robes approached them with a sneer. His name was Long-Wei, one of the academy's elite students, known for his ability to manipulate dark spiritual forces. "What do we have here? A fresh pile of trash?" Long-Wei laughed mockingly. His eyes then shifted to Seely. "Especially this beautiful girl... you're hanging out with the wrong crowd."
Li Hua stepped forward, fuming. "Hey! Stay away from her!" Long-Wei reached out to shove Li Hua dismissively. However, due to the "Divine Punishment" placed upon Li Hua and Seely, the invisible barrier between them taught Long-Wei a painful lesson.
Because Seely was standing so close to Li Hua, the moment Long-Wei tried to touch him, a massive bolt of lightning triggered by their proximity struck Long-Wei's hand.
"ZAP!" With a deafening crack, Long-Wei was blasted ten feet backward, landing head-first into a trash bin.
"What... what just happened?" Long-Wei screamed, his hair standing perfectly straight up from the electric shock.
Li Hua suppressed a laugh and said, "That's what we call the 'Lightning of Love'! Think twice before getting between us." Agni clutched his stomach, howling with laughter. "General, that 'shock' was brilliant!"
Kai walked up to them, looking concerned. "You've made an enemy of Long-Wei. He won't let this go easily. He'll definitely try to sabotage you during tomorrow's 'Spiritual Power Measurement Test.'"
Li Hua and Seely looked at each other. They realized that even if they couldn't touch, they would have to become each other's strength within this academy. Li Hua looked softly into Seely's eyes and said: "We may not be able to get close to each other, but let's become the strongest team this academy has ever seen."
Night fell over the academy, and Seely had to head to the girls' dormitory, separating from Li Hua and Agni. Since she was new and "strange" to them, the other girls ignored her. They wouldn't even give her a bed to sleep on. Having no one to talk to and nowhere to go, Seely was forced to sleep sitting up on a cold wooden bench in a corner.
Meanwhile, Li Hua couldn't sleep. He spent the night staring out the window toward the girls' dorm, worried about Seely's safety and comfort.
The next morning, Seely overslept because she had only fallen into a deep sleep at dawn. The other girls didn't bother to wake her up; they left for their classes, leaving her behind. When she finally woke up, she found the dormitory empty. She didn't know where to wash, where to eat, or even where the Spiritual Power Measurement Test was being held. Lost and hungry, she wandered the vast halls of the academy, tears welling up in her eyes as she whispered, "Li Hua... where are you?"
While Seely stood helpless in the courtyard, she felt the branches of an ancient Willow tree gently tap her on the shoulder. As you may recall, Seely possesses the mystical ability to speak with plants and hear their voices.
"Child... follow that narrow path. There you will find a crystal-clear spring," the tree whispered to her. Following the path shown by the tree, Seely quickly bathed and got ready. However, a problem remained—she still had no idea where the examination was being held.
Meanwhile, near the examination hall, Li Hua and Agni were waiting impatiently. All the other students were already lined up, and the instructors were prepared to begin the test.
"Seely still isn't here! I have to go find her," Li Hua said anxiously. "No, My Lord! Male students are strictly forbidden from crossing into the girls' territory. If you go, there will be major trouble," Agni warned him.
But Li Hua had made up his mind. Deciding that he would not take the test without Seely, he refused to enter the hall and remained standing right by the main entrance.
Shortly after the test began, Seely came running toward the hall. The moment she saw Li Hua, her eyes filled with tears. "Li Hua... I lost my way. No one would help me."
He comforted her and escorted her into the examination hall. However, the Head Instructor turned red with rage the moment he saw them. "Late on the very first day? And Li Hua, staying outside instead of entering is a direct violation of academy rules!"
The instructor declared sternly: "As punishment, neither of you shall receive food today. Furthermore, after the examination, you will be required to clean the entire academy library!"