Feng Hao had a strange feeling sitting in the very front row.
Beside him, Xi Yueyao was constantly nibbling on snacks, glancing at Feng Hao every so often. A satisfied smile bloomed on her face. "Hey, you medicine peddler, why are you an auditing student?"
"I didn't pass the test, got sweet-talked into it by your dad, and it even cost me a freaking fortune," Feng Hao grumbled.
"You're rich?" Xi Yueyao stopped eating instantly, her eyes lighting up as she stared at him.
Feng Hao clearly sensed a hint of danger and hastily shook his head. "I'm poor. Very, very poor!"
"Hmph, as if I'd want to rob you," Xi Yueyao pouted, then went back to her snacks. "How much could your little medicine shop possibly make? I wouldn't be interested in that chump change!"
"You're right, you're right. How could my little business possibly compare to the Xiyue Clan's enterprises," Feng Hao said, playing along.
"Now that's what I like to hear. My family is incredible," Xi Yueyao said, bobbing her head in satisfaction.
'Feng Hao wanted to laugh.' He put on an envious expression, realizing this girl was actually quite easy to handle. All he had to do was flatter her a little. 'At this rate,' he thought, 'I'll probably be able to coax the other dagger out of her soon.'
With class about to start, the atmosphere in the room grew tense. Everyone wished they could just throw Feng Hao out, but under Xi Yueyao's intimidating thumb, they could only stew in their anger and whisper amongst themselves.
As the cream of the crop among the honors classes, Class One had a much smaller student body than the others—only about fifty people.
The students of Class One all had exceptional aptitude. Young and full of vigor, they were naturally a bit arrogant. It was no surprise, then, that they despised an auditing student like Feng Hao to the very bone.
A few minutes later, a glamorous beauty walked in, instantly sending the classroom into a commotion.
"That's our Class One teacher, Yue Linglong. What do you think? Isn't she gorgeous?" Xi Yueyao whispered to Feng Hao.
"She's definitely something," Feng Hao nodded in agreement.
The woman appeared to be in her twenties and was stunningly glamorous. She had long, purple hair thrown back over her shoulders, skin as white as snow, and sensual, crimson lips that perfectly adorned her lovely face. A bewitching charm emanated from her very being. A professional teacher's uniform clung to her body, revealing a curvy figure that made one's blood race and stirred the senses.
Though Yue Linglong had a coquettish air about her, her every move projected an aura of sharp, decisive competence. This, combined with her stunning looks, had made her the dream girl for every male student in the academy.
"Everyone, quiet down. Today we officially begin our lessons." Yue Linglong's crimson lips parted as her beautiful eyes swept over the students. She quickly noticed Feng Hao in the front row. "And you are...?"
"Teacher, he's this year's auditing student! Kick him out!"
With their teacher there to back them up, the students' suppressed anger finally exploded.
"Yeah, Teacher Yue! An auditing student doesn't deserve to be in our Class One!"
"That guy's shameless! He stole my seat the moment he got here," the chubby kid in the back row said resentfully.
"Everyone, quiet!" Yue Linglong quickly understood. The dean had indeed mentioned at yesterday's meeting that there would be a sponsored auditing student this year; she just never expected him to end up in her class.
Yue Linglong was deeply opposed to auditing students. As everyone knew, they were just talentless, nouveau riche who wanted to buy their way to a better reputation. Such people had none of the pride of a Mage. No, they didn't even deserve the title of Mage.
"You're this year's auditing student?" Yue Linglong looked at Feng Hao, her brow furrowed and her tone laced with contempt.
"Hello, Teacher. My name is Feng Hao," Feng Hao said, rising to give a polite bow.
"I have no interest in your name," Yue Linglong snorted, raising her chin haughtily. "I only need to be responsible for my own students. Let me offer you a piece of advice: Class One is no place for you to just coast by. I suggest you find a class more suited to your level."
Hearing this, a firestorm of anger erupted inside Feng Hao. 'Holy crap! I respectfully call you Teacher, and this is the crap you give me?'
'So what if you're a teacher? So what if you're beautiful? I paid good money to be here. I'll come and go as I please.'
"Heh, I think this class is great. I'll be auditing here from now on," Feng Hao sneered, his gaze meeting hers mockingly. "What are you going to do about it?"
The classroom erupted in gasps. No one had ever seen a student dare to talk to a teacher that way.
Yue Linglong was furious. Her delicate body trembled, her chest heaving. But according to academy regulations, she truly had no authority to kick Feng Hao out. At most, she could report the situation to the dean and voice her displeasure.
"Auditing students truly are low-class," Yue Linglong said, gritting her teeth.
"Yue Linglong, was it?" Feng Hao smirked coldly. "Let me make this perfectly clear. From now on, I'm sticking to your class like glue."
"How dare you address a teacher by her full name?!"
"I respectfully called you Teacher a moment ago, but you were the one who didn't appreciate it," Feng Hao paused, then continued, "Now, I don't think you're worthy of that title."
Yue Linglong's face turned livid. She said in a low, dangerous voice, "I will personally report this to the dean and have your auditing status revoked."
"Go ahead. I've got more than enough money. If what I've paid isn't enough, I'll just pay more. We'll see if the dean is willing to expel someone like me." Feng Hao stood his ground proudly by his seat, radiating the aura of a rich tycoon.
Yue Linglong was rendered speechless. She had never met such a brazenly shameless person. Just like her, the other students were all silently cursing Feng Hao for his audacity.
The air in the classroom crackled with tension, creating a bizarre atmosphere. Fortunately, Xi Yueyao stood up. "Hey, medicine peddler, that's enough out of you."
"Teacher Yue, I know him. I'm the one who told him to come to our class," Xi Yueyao announced, striking a pose of righteous loyalty.
Yue Linglong was taken aback, and her anger subsided slightly. She held Xi Yueyao in high regard; otherwise, she wouldn't have made her the class monitor. "Classmate Xiyue, as the class monitor, how could you do something like this?"
"It's no big deal. It's just one more person," Xi Yueyao said, smacking her lips.
"Frankly, with your talent, he is unworthy of being your friend," Yue Linglong said pointedly.
Feng Hao, who had been silent, was instantly displeased. "What the hell does our business have to do with you?"
"I'm simply reminding my student not to be led astray," Yue Linglong retorted coolly.
"Oh, come on, you two stop fighting!" Xi Yueyao pouted, blinking her big eyes. "Teacher, just let him stay in our class. I swear, he's actually kind of useful."
Yue Linglong scoffed. "What use could he possibly have?"
"He's rich, he knows alchemy, and he can contribute ten thousand Magic Crystals to the class fund every month," Xi Yueyao declared on her own initiative.
"Hey, girl! You can't just screw me over like that," Feng Hao said, his face darkening with exasperation.
"Didn't you just say you have plenty of money?" Xi Yueyao gave him a mischievous smile and a meaningful wink.
Feng Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He knew she was trying to help him, but the thought of paying ten thousand Magic Crystals a month as a class fee made his heart ache.
"Since Classmate Xiyue has spoken up for you, I will allow you to stay and audit for now." Before Feng Hao could respond, Yue Linglong had already settled the matter. She added sternly, "And remember to hand in the ten thousand Magic Crystals on time every month."
"..." Feng Hao was speechless. 'This woman changes her tune faster than anyone I've ever seen.'
Yue Linglong's expression remained impassive, but inwardly she was overjoyed. Many of the academy's facilities required students to pay out of pocket. With this contribution from Feng Hao, she could organize class-wide access to various equipment and even help many of the less fortunate students.
She had originally been disgusted by the idea of an auditing student, but now she was discovering they had their uses—especially when it came to funding. Having an auditor around solved the problem in an instant.
"Ahem. Now, let's begin class." Yue Linglong reverted to her 'beautiful teacher' persona, skillfully flipping open her textbook. She shot Feng Hao a pointed look. "Classmate Feng Hao, please be mindful of your words and actions. Don't disrupt my lecture."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Feng Hao grumbled, looking annoyed.
"Very good." Yue Linglong nodded in satisfaction, a flicker of triumph in her eyes. "Today, we begin our course on Demon Pattern Studies."
Yue Linglong quickly fell into her teaching rhythm, beginning her lecture on Demon Pattern Studies. Her voice was light and melodious, a pleasure to listen to.
"Before we begin working with Demon Patterns, we must first understand what they are. Simply put, Demon Patterns are the fundamental principles and intricate textures governing the workings of the universe. Over hundreds of millions of years, our ancestors comprehended and categorized countless Demon Patterns, though few have been passed down to the present day."
"Even so, these remaining Demon Patterns form the very foundation of the modern Mage World. From this, you can imagine their power and importance."
"The field of Demon Pattern Studies is divided into two main branches: theoretical and applied."
"The theoretical branch focuses on the effect of Demon Patterns within magic energy circuits. It involves combining Demon Patterns to form various Secret Technique circuits and condensing them into a Secret Technique Mark on one's Genetic Tree. This is the origin of every Magic Energy Secret Technique."
"The applied branch focuses on the effects of the Demon Patterns themselves. By coordinating these effects, one can create many wondrous tools. The Demon Pattern Mechanisms you are all familiar with are products of this branch. Applied studies are further subdivided into specialties, such as Mechanics, who focus on the operational effects of Demon Patterns; Artifact Refiners, who focus on their amplifying properties; and Resonance Pattern Masters, who specialize in their resonant effects, and so on."
"Here at the junior academy, we primarily teach theoretical Demon Pattern studies. We will only touch upon the rough basics of applied studies. Once you test into an Advanced Academy, you can choose a specialization that interests you."
"To put it bluntly, the curriculum here is foundational and introductory, which also makes it the most complex," Yue Linglong explained earnestly.
The students listened with rapt attention, their eyes filled with aspiration. Only Feng Hao felt a bit odd, as if he were listening to a public science lecture.
"Before we officially begin studying Demon Patterns, let's first discuss the basic composition of a Magic Energy Secret Technique. Every Secret Technique is composed of at least two Demon Patterns, one of which must be a core pattern."
"The core Demon Pattern determines the attributes of the Secret Technique. There are twelve common core Demon Patterns: Strength, Magic Damage, Hidden Energy, Defense, Gang Qi, Healing, Illusion Techniques, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth."
"Today, we will be studying three basic core Demon Patterns: Strength, Magic Damage, and Hidden Energy. We will also learn the most fundamental supplementary Demon Pattern: 'Force Qi'. Once you have grasped these, you will be able to combine them to create common Basic Secret Skills."
"If you have the means, you can go to the Secret Technique Pavilion to learn pre-made Secret Technique circuits. However, a circuit designed by someone else is never as good as one you comprehend on your own. This is something you will all come to understand deeply in the future," Yue Linglong finished with a light smile.