A cool hand rested lightly on his shoulder.
The nails were clean and neat, tinted with a faint, pale pink luster.
Lin Yuan instinctively tried to sidestep and dodge, but the person’s fingertips had already slid gently along his collar, brushing aside the fine bangs on his forehead.
He slowly turned his head.
A girl stood behind him.
She was 168 centimeters tall—not short for a girl—but she still looked quite petite standing before Lin Yuan.
Dark brown curls were draped lazily over her shoulders, and her features were strikingly beautiful.
Her academy uniform was draped casually over her shoulders, worn over a tight-fitting crop top that accentuated her exceptionally slender waist.
She was a rising sophomore, a B-rank water ability user at Tier 2, Level 8.
She tilted her chin toward the seniors who had been making excuses, her tone laced with a hint of disdain. “That group has absolutely no eye for talent.”
With that, she turned and walked toward the school gate. After a few steps, she looked back and smiled, her eyes charming and soulful.
“My name is Jiang Ruyuan, a rising sophomore in the water system.
I’ll show you around the campus. Interested?”
Lin Yuan didn’t hesitate and stepped forward to follow her.
Having someone guide him through the academy was certainly better than flying around like a headless fly on his own.
...
Lin Yuan followed Jiang Ruyuan as they wandered through Magic City Academy for nearly an hour.
During this hour, Jiang Ruyuan learned that Lin Yuan was the candidate from today’s news who had killed a Shadow Abyss Imperial Clan member.
Though she was shocked and curious, she continued to introduce the academy to him normally.
This academy was unimaginably large.
It covered a staggering 50,000 mu. Between the teaching buildings and the cultivation rooms, there were no narrow corridors—only vast lawns of Glowgrass and artificial lakes.
The library was an independent, silver-gray spherical building, also ridiculously massive.
The cultivation rooms occupied five entire blocks, with each system having its own distinct style.
The center of the living area was a mall with seven floors, containing everything from weapon shops and milk tea stands to general stores and residential facilities.
The milk tea shop Shen Man had mentioned was on the first floor. A giant pearl milk tea pattern was printed on the sign, with a line of small text below it that was particularly eye-catching:
“20% discount with a student ID; 30% discount with Shen Man.”
It was unclear whether the owner truly recommended her or had simply been bullied by Shen Man into setting such a rule.
Jiang Ruyuan walked ahead with a leisurely pace.
Her dark gray uniform jacket was draped over her shoulders, her fingers casually hooked into the collar. As she walked, the hem of her clothes swayed gently, revealing a glimpse of her slender waist.
Her voice was husky and lazy, yet it possessed a natural allure, with slightly drawn-out vowels that were exceptionally pleasant to the ear.
Jiang Ruyuan turned her head, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Lin Yuan. “You’re in the lightning system, so you’ll be attending classes here in the future. By the way, what’s your current realm?”
“Tier 2, Level 1.”
Hearing this, Jiang Ruyuan’s footsteps came to a sudden halt.
Her facial expressions were well-managed, and the curve of her lips didn’t change, but her eyelashes couldn’t help but tremble twice.
The news said he had solo-killed a Tier 2, Level 6 Shadow Abyss Imperial Prince, and she had thought the media was exaggerating.
For a Tier 2, Level 1 to slay a Tier 2, Level 6 Imperial Clan member... even the top geniuses in the academy might not be able to pull that off!
“The news said you solo-killed a Shadow Abyss Imperial Clan member. Is that true or false?”
“It was just luck.”
“No matter how lucky you are, that was still an Imperial Clan member! To kill a Tier 2, Level 6 Imperial Prince is not something that can be summed up by the word ‘luck.’”
At that moment, a light breeze blew past.
The two happened to reach the entrance of a small park.
Lin Yuan consistently maintained a moderate distance from Jiang Ruyuan.
When she walked faster, Lin Yuan followed; when she slowed down to walk side-by-side, Lin Yuan deliberately lagged half a step behind.
When Jiang Ruyuan tried to reach out and touch his arm for the third time, Lin Yuan had already stepped ahead to a nearby bench.
She withdrew her hand, her knuckles cracking as she stared at the back of Lin Yuan’s head with a complex expression.
Is this kid a total blockhead, or does he just not like girls? Is he gay?
The small park was paved with pebble paths, lined with unknown broad-leaved trees that provided shade over benches and stone tables.
In a corner of the park, several students were gathered around playing cards, the cards snapping loudly against the table.
Just then, a heart-wrenching cry came from up ahead.
“Don’t go! Please! Just let me see it once! I promise I won’t touch!”
A young man was kneeling on the ground, death-gripping the leg of a tall girl, his arms locked tightly around her knees.
His white uniform was covered in mud and grass stains, and his hair was a mess, but his features were extremely delicate and handsome.
At the moment, he was crying so hard that tears and snot were running down his face, completely disregarding his image.
The girl whose leg was being held was wearing strappy high heels, and her calves had beautiful lines.
The expression on her face shifted from embarrassment to panic, then to a breakdown, before finally turning completely dark.
The girl gritted her teeth and lowered her voice. “Let go first! Everyone is watching!”
“I won’t!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the boy hugged even tighter.
“If you promise to let me see it once, I’ll let go! I’ve been looking for so long, please!”
The girl finally reached her limit and swung her hand, slapping the boy across the face.
“Get lost!”
The force was immense, yet the boy didn't even try to dodge.
His head snapped back, and his entire body was sent flying by the slap.
Tracing an arc through the air, he smashed straight toward Lin Yuan and Jiang Ruyuan!
Jiang Ruyuan didn’t even blink. It wasn't that she couldn't dodge; she just couldn't be bothered to.
At that moment, a silver-purple shimmer flashed beneath Lin Yuan’s feet.
【Sands of Time】 was cast silently, and the air within a four-meter radius instantly became thick and viscous.
The boy crashed into this area, his speed plummeting as he slowly descended toward Lin Yuan’s feet.
Lin Yuan reached out, grabbing the boy by the back of his collar with one hand. Like lifting a small chick, he steadily placed him down on the pebble path.
The boy stood up straight, brushed the grass off his shirt, and rubbed the red handprint on his face.
Then, he looked up at Lin Yuan, sniffled, and gave a grateful smile.
He was exceptionally refined, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, and a high bridge to his nose. In a white shirt, he should have been incredibly handsome.
But currently, his hair was a bird's nest, one side of his face bore a slap mark, and there was a nosebleed hanging from his lip. He looked as pathetic as could be.
“Thanks, brother. I’m He Junze!”
He proactively reached out a hand to Lin Yuan, his smile honest and open.
Lin Yuan reached out and shook it. “Lin Yuan.”
He Junze withdrew his hand. Just as he was about to continue speaking, his gaze fixed on Lin Yuan’s face and suddenly froze.
He didn't just glance casually; he observed Lin Yuan seriously, his gaze moving from Lin Yuan’s forehead to the bridge of his nose, then to his chin.
His originally playful demeanor instantly became incomparably solemn.
He bent his waist and tilted his head, looking even more closely. He even reached out, wanting to touch Lin Yuan’s forehead, but Lin Yuan raised a hand and swatted it away.
“Little brother, I’m really not lying to you!”
He Junze straightened up, his tone exceptionally grave.
“I see darkness on your forehead. You are definitely going to face a bloody disaster soon. Be careful lately, and try not to provoke...”
Before he could finish, Lin Yuan slowly raised his right hand and clenched his fingers into a fist, his knuckles cracking loudly.
The pale golden bone patterns from his Ten Rounds of Bone Tempering shimmered faintly between his fingers.
“Do you want to get beaten again?”
Rate on N.U.
