Chapter Fifty-Six: Director Harman

What? Dropped by five levels? Who?

When Xu Wen heard the old mage mention the latter sentence, his mind froze for a moment, never associating the “young man” in question with himself.

It wasn’t until he saw the unhidden look of pity and regret in the vice dean’s eyes that he realized the old man was actually talking about him.

“I dropped by five levels?” Xu Wen was deeply skeptical.

The vice dean, unaware of Xu Wen’s confusion, stroked his beard and nodded, his tone heavy with regret: “The thirty-six Divine Statues of the Academy Square are the masterpieces left behind by the most talented earth-element magisters of our Azure Cloud Academy. Each statue vividly embodies a different Emperor-level battle spell from thirty-six professions. Anyone with extraordinary perception can gain enlightenment from them and achieve a breakthrough. It’s one of our academy’s greatest treasures! Who would have thought…”

Xu Wen realized at once that those statues were indeed anything but ordinary...

Yet he still didn’t understand why the old man insisted his level had dropped. When he awakened from unconsciousness, he had cast a three-star spell effortlessly for more than three minutes, and his mental strength hadn’t diminished—in fact, it had increased significantly.

How strange...

Xu Wen looked at the old man before him, puzzled. Something seemed off. This old man could fly—surely, he had the strength of an eight-star Grand Magister and was likely truly a vice dean of Azure Cloud Academy. There was no way he couldn’t see through Xu Wen’s current state of mental power! Unless…

His brow furrowed, Xu Wen quickly took a Refreshing Pill from his ring and swallowed it, waiting for his mental power to gradually recover. Meanwhile, he asked, “Are you really the vice dean of Azure Cloud Academy?”

If it had been anyone else, under other circumstances, the old man would certainly have been angry. But facing Xu Wen, who appeared so honest and simple—a boy with a promising future who had fallen below the academy’s admission line because of those Divine Statues—the vice dean simply couldn’t muster any anger. He nodded at once:

“We’re currently in the Dean’s Office of the Fire Arts Branch of Azure Cloud Academy. I am the head of the Fire Arts Branch, Harman.”

The Dean’s Office? This tower?

Xu Wen was astonished.

Harman fixed his gaze on Xu Wen and continued, “Although your current strength has dropped to between two-star third stage and two-star fourth stage, below the academy’s admission line, since this incident happened at our academy, we naturally won’t turn a blind eye.”

Xu Wen chose silence this time.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. First, he didn’t feel his cultivation level had dropped. Second, he was certain he had already mastered the Emperor-level ‘Blazing Flame Ring.’

There must be some mistake.

Xu Wen decided to hear the old man out.

“If you’re willing to leave Azure Cloud Academy, I promise you, as vice dean, that you can take two improved five-star elixir recipes back to the Hortonklin Family. With two such recipes, I’m sure your family can guarantee you a lifetime of wealth and honor.”

Seeing Xu Wen unmoved, Harman was not surprised. For a young genius with dual talents, such things might indeed be of little interest.

After a cough, he quickly offered another solution:

“Of course, you may also choose to stay at Azure Cloud Academy and continue your cultivation, to see if you can recover what you’ve lost. During your time at the academy, all tuition, living, and accommodation costs will be waived. However, due to your current level, you cannot train with the other students.”

“Why?” Xu Wen couldn’t help but ask.

The vice dean hesitated, then, seeing Xu Wen’s confusion, explained: “The minimum threshold at Azure Cloud Academy is two-star fifth stage. If the other students discover your situation, it would have a negative impact. If word spreads that you lost your level due to insight into an Emperor-level spell, both the academy and our esteemed predecessor would be affected.”

Suddenly Xu Wen understood.

No wonder the academy didn’t dare expel him nor let him mingle with the regular students, and had sent the vice dean to negotiate with such gravity…

So that’s how it was.

Xu Wen’s silence was read as disappointment by the vice dean. After a brief pause, he added, “Don’t worry! Once you restore your cultivation, you can rejoin your peers.” Yet he knew well that a sudden loss of cultivation usually damaged one’s mental strength, and recovering was nearly impossible.

Xu Wen felt slightly reassured. To be honest, he had never yearned for classes with a group of youngsters his age. Solitude suited him just fine… There was, however, one thing he was deeply concerned about:

“May I go to the school library?”

At this, the vice dean frowned slightly. “I’m afraid not. The library is crowded and gossipy; there are no secrets there. Your current level would be exposed.”

“So, I can only stay here… practicing alone? Or will you personally instruct me?” Xu Wen looked at him with disappointment, tinged with hope.

Yet he was almost certain the answer would be no.

Sure enough, the vice dean’s face showed a trace of embarrassment. If he agreed, it would be difficult; if he refused, he might hurt the boy’s feelings. And truthfully, where could he find a dedicated Fire Arts teacher for Xu Wen on short notice?

After some thought, the vice dean devised a compromise:

“How about this? I’ll announce that you’re a distant relative of mine, here at Azure Cloud Academy simply to spend time with me—not as an official student. I’ll give you a temporary pass so you can freely enter and exit the library. But in return, you must promise not to reveal your situation to anyone, at least not until I permit it—including members of the Hortonklin Family.”

Xu Wen could sense the kindness in the old vice dean. This opportunity must be seized.

“Vice Dean, I grew up with my father, waking early every day to pick herbs atop high mountains… It was my master who found me on the street and brought me into the clan, gave me a grand house to live in, many gifts, and told me to come to the academy to study alchemy and magic, so that I might one day bring honor to my ancestors. How could I ever hide anything from my master?”

The boy’s tale, spoken by the soul of a twenty-three-year-old, carried both sincerity and a subtle poignancy. The vice dean sighed:

“You’re a good child. Stay at the academy for now. If you have questions about cultivation, you may ask me. If I’m not here, seek out these two people—I’ll leave the rest for later.”

“Thank you, Grandfather!” Xu Wen wiped imaginary tears from the corners of his eyes, moved. “You are so kind. Even if I never regain my magic, I will never forget your kindness.”

The vice dean gazed at the sorrowful youth and nodded with a sigh. “Don’t worry, little one. Heaven will always leave a way out. From now on, you’ll live in this tower. There’s a small teleportation array in the next room, connected to an underground training chamber. You can practice there as you wish. Here’s how to use the array.”

And so, under Xu Wen’s gentle probing, the kind-hearted vice dean unwittingly laid all the groundwork for his future at Azure Cloud Academy, even giving him a crystal ball to test his mental strength before leaving.

The entrance exams at Azure Cloud Academy had ended two days prior; all new students had been assigned to temporary classes for a month of basic courses. During this time, Xu Wen could train in peace. Should he restore his cultivation to two-star sixth stage or higher in time, he could still join the formal student ranks of Azure Cloud Academy.