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Join the ServerThe results of Zhang Liang’s test sent many into fits of laughter, tears streaming freely as they slapped their thighs in amusement.
“I’m dying! A hundred thousand capacity, and it’s nothing but a dud!”
“No wonder he couldn’t activate his container; a dud like that is no different whether it’s activated or not!”
“He truly opened our eyes today. A super-large container combined with no attribute — these two rare constitutions together make for something truly unique, ha ha!”
Zhang Liang stood utterly stunned, his gaze fixed on the serene blue sky, his heart so unnervingly calm it felt as though it might cease beating altogether.
What was he to do about the magic exchange competition in two months?
Murong Xue had gone through great lengths, even enduring pressure, to secure his enrollment and had gifted him an apartment. Given her sincerity, if he were to falter now, any hope of increasing her favorability would vanish completely.
This…
“Everyone, please stop laughing. He must be utterly disheartened right now.”
Fan Bin spread his arms wide, calling out loudly to the onlookers. Knowing he was the son of one of the Ten Prodigies, the crowd’s mocking laughter significantly subsided.
“Brother, don’t lose heart,” Fan Bin encouraged, patting Zhang Liang’s shoulder. “This is Holy Spirit Academy; there’s bound to be a solution.”
“Really?”
“Of course,” Fan Bin affirmed, gesturing toward the White Tower, a symbol of Holy Spirit Academy. “You could visit the library when you have some free time.”
Upon seeing the glimmer of hope in Zhang Liang’s expression, Fan Bin struggled to suppress a laugh.
‘Heh, once you visit the library, you’ll truly understand what despair feels like.’
‘No attributes, utterly incapable of wielding magic—a truth even a child understands. Yet he still clings to hope; how incredibly foolish.’
“Thank you.”
Zhang Liang, overcome with emotion, embraced Fan Bin. He had overheard others speaking of Fan Bin earlier, learning that he was Fan Sha’s son and Xi Lan’s fiancé.
It was unexpected that Fan Bin’s father had pulled strings for him, and now his son was offering guidance. Though they bore no resemblance, both father and son were truly kind individuals.
Zhang Liang resolved to play matchmaker between Fan Bin and Xi Lan; as for whether Fan Bin would prove worthy, that would ultimately be his own fate to determine.
After they parted, Fan Bin uttered a few casual words before turning to leave. Once out of Zhang Liang’s sight, he covertly patted his chest, a look of profound disgust crossing his face as he muttered, “How utterly filthy.”
****
A short while later, everyone had received their test results.
Overall, Heng Naixin’s abilities ranked at the very bottom, even falling short of some of the more gifted students in the ordinary classes.
Lin Na had explained that very morning that consistently poor academic performance would lead to demotion to an ordinary class.
Heng Naixin’s situation appeared dire; the gap between her and the other students was substantial. Should she be demoted, any chance of increasing her favorability would be lost.
Zhang Liang resolved to put her through a grueling, hellish special training regimen in the labyrinth in a few days.
As Zhang Liang meticulously outlined the training regimen, he suddenly perceived something behind him. His head snapped up, a cold dread causing the hairs on his neck to prickle, and sweat beaded on his brow. It was as if some formidable presence had brushed against his innate warning senses.
Trusting his years of experience, he did not turn to confirm. Instead, he channeled energy throughout his body, transforming into a fleeting shadow, and vanished into the bustling crowd.
“This child is truly exceptional.”
Bai Huo had just been about to lay a hand on Zhang Liang’s shoulder, only to find his grasp meeting empty air.
The onlookers reacted a beat too late. Their gazes belatedly shifted to the spot, only to find Bai Huo standing right before them. In their astonishment, they stumbled back several steps, with a few even tripping and falling to the ground.
“Child, come out. I mean you no harm.”
By this point, Zhang Liang had already created ten clones, concealing them within the crowd. Cold sweat slicked his forehead, and he gasped for breath, his brow furrowed with a look of profound, lingering shock.
‘Damn it, startling someone like that is enough to scare them to death.’
Lin Na had witnessed the entire exchange. Bai Huo had intentionally concealed his aura to approach Zhang Liang, yet Zhang Liang had not only sensed his presence but had also managed to evade him.
Lin Na frequently sparred with Bai Huo, her mastery over electricity having been honed through such training. Zhang Liang, however, had not activated his container and was incapable of using perception-based magic, yet he had still managed to sense Bai Huo’s aura.
This left Lin Na utterly stunned, finding it almost impossible to believe.
“I’m behind you.”
Zhang Liang, too, reached out to place his hand on Bai Huo’s shoulder. However, with a flick of his white sleeve, Bai Huo vanished, only to reappear moments later directly behind Zhang Liang.
“No, *I’m* behind you.”
“Is that so?” replied four Zhang Liangs simultaneously.
Surrounded by Zhang Liang’s four clones, Bai Huo glanced at the ground, noting that each possessed a distinct shadow. He then stroked his white beard thoughtfully and remarked:
“From whom did you learn this movement technique?”
“Self-taught.”
Zhang Liang’s demeanor utterly dumbfounded the crowd. To speak with such composure, neither subservient nor arrogant—indeed, with a touch of brazenness—to a Saint Realm expert was simply unheard of.
“Hahaha, quite promising indeed! How about you spar with this old man for a few rounds?” Bai Huo suggested, regarding Zhang Liang with genuine admiration.
Upon hearing Bai Huo’s words, thousands of students were utterly astonished. A Saint Realm expert wished to spar with someone at the pinnacle of the Mortal Realm?
To spar with a Saint Realm expert was a lifelong dream for countless individuals, an opportunity virtually impossible to obtain.
Why, then, had the situation reversed itself for Zhang Liang?
He was, after all, merely a dud, albeit one at the pinnacle of the Mortal Realm, and this immediately sparked widespread resentment among the students.
“Very well,” Zhang Liang replied, crossing his arms and meeting Bai Huo’s gaze directly. “You must agree to two conditions.”
“State them.”
“First, you must personally assist me in activating my container. Second, I demand unrestricted access to all the books within the library.”
“A trifling matter. If you can withstand ten of my moves, I shall grant your requests.”
As the four shadows converged into one, Zhang Liang’s lips curved into a slight smirk. ‘Saint Realm experts are inherently formidable,’ he mused. ‘He has no reason to kill me now; this is an excellent opportunity to uncover his true capabilities.’
Zhang Liang’s audacity utterly dumbfounded the assembled teachers and students. Not only was he sparring with a Saint Realm expert, but he was also brazenly imposing conditions.
Even more astonishingly, Bai Huo had agreed.
Reflecting on Zhang Liang’s actions and the favorable treatment he received, they could only lament that their own destinies paled in comparison.
Lin Na, at this moment, fixed her gaze upon Zhang Liang with intense concentration.
Mortal Realm versus Saint Realm—to confront a Saint Realm expert with a mere mortal body was an feat that demanded far more than simple courage.
She was intensely curious to see how Zhang Liang would contend with her master.
The two stood facing each other, a distance of ten meters between them, when Zhang Liang raised a hand, signaling a pause.
His gaze swept across their surroundings before settling intently on Heng Naixin.
“Heng Naixin, could I borrow your sword for a moment?”
“Huh?”
Startled by the sudden address, Heng Naixin momentarily froze, a look of utter bewilderment crossing her face.
“Your sword! Lend it to me!”
Zhang Liang gestured pointedly to his own waist.
“Ah! Catch!”
Zhang Liang caught the sword, and both combatants assumed their ready stances. As a single leaf drifted silently to the ground, the battle officially commenced.
Bai Huo initiated the attack, his form moving like a delayed phantom, resembling a colossal white python as he rapidly closed in on Zhang Liang.
Zhang Liang frowned upon witnessing the move. ‘This old man clearly isn’t planning to help me activate it easily,’ he mused. ‘To think he’d resort to such a deceptive movement technique.’
“Phantom Palm.”
Bai Huo unleashed a palm strike, which Zhang Liang deftly sidestepped. Yet, the striking palm vanished into thin air, and Bai Huo instantly reverted to his stance from before the attack.
Seizing the brief window when Zhang Liang could not evade, he delivered another sharp palm strike, landing it forcefully on his waist.
“What!?”
Bai Huo was profoundly surprised; the strike had clearly connected, yet he felt no impact.
“I, too, am familiar with that technique.”
After the exchange, both men remained rooted in their original positions, as if the preceding moments had been nothing more than an illusion.
With the exception of Lin Na, almost no one else had clearly perceived what had transpired; it felt as though they had fought, yet simultaneously, they hadn’t.
“From whom did you learn this particular technique?”
Bai Huo was genuinely astonished. This technique was his own creation, one he had never taught to anyone other than Lin Na.
“Self-created.”
Zhang Liang, capable of surviving to become a Sword Dao Demonic Venerable, had long perfected the art of evasion as his signature skill. This technique was merely an exploitation of visual perception, achieved through intermittent bursts of acceleration and deceleration.
Following this exchange, Bai Huo’s interest was piqued. He was eager to observe if Zhang Liang’s execution of the same technique would reveal any unique differences.
In a mere few minutes, the two had exchanged over a hundred moves, locked in an intricate, inseparable dance.
The surrounding students were filled with confusion, their murmurs growing into a cacophony of discussion. Bai Huo, seeing this, reluctantly reined in his enthusiasm and called a halt to their exchange.
From a third-person perspective, the two figures appeared like frames from a glitching animation, utterly baffling to observe.
Meanwhile, the senior teachers nervously swallowed, fervently hoping that Zhang Liang hadn’t noticed their earlier mockery.
“Hahaha, what a truly exhilarating day! I hope we can spar again sometime in the future.”
Bai Huo then placed a round, white jade pendant into Zhang Liang’s hand.
“Hold onto this, and you’ll have unrestricted access to the library for all your research needs. After school, I will personally assist you in activating your container.”
“Is this a gift, or merely a loan?”
“Haha, it’s a gift for you, consider it a token of our acquaintance.”
Zhang Liang gazed at the jade pendant in his hand, utterly stunned. This was no ordinary trinket; it pulsed with formidable energy fluctuations.
Although his detector was not yet complete, and he couldn’t discern its precise effects, Zhang Liang accepted it without the slightest hesitation.
‘There’s nothing quite like getting something for free.’
****
Within the pure white domain, amidst their training.
“Lin Na, how did you perceive him during your spar?” Bai Huo inquired, adopting an attacking stance with a curious expression.
“Utterly astonishing,” Lin Na replied breathlessly, deftly evading Bai Huo’s attack.
“He fought me in this very state.”
Before Bai Huo now stood seven Lin Nas; six observed from a distance, while one engaged him in battle.
The two were reenacting their morning spar.
“Unbelievable,” Lin Na stated, unable to continue. Her clones merged back into one.
Her legs felt weak, and she propped herself up with her hands on the ground, gasping for breath as sweat trickled down her cheeks.
“Moreover, he even utilized his clones to perform a Phantom Step that surpassed my own.”
“……”
Not only could he sense her master’s aura, but he had also outmaneuvered him. Lin Na increasingly found Zhang Liang unfathomable. After a moment of silence, a thought seemed to strike her.
“Master, could he possibly be the Sword Dao Demonic Venerable?”
“Impossible,” Bai Huo replied, gently stroking his white beard. “The Sword Dao Demonic Venerable carries a demonic aura; even if concealed, it would be exposed once engaged in combat.”
“That’s good then.”
Having personally clashed with the Sword Dao Demonic Venerable, Bai Huo naturally wouldn’t be mistaken, and Lin Na was completely reassured.
“You seem rather concerned about him, don’t you?”
“……” Lin Na subtly bit her beautiful lip. “No.”
You’ve got to see this next! The Moon Reflected In The Water will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!
Read : The Moon Reflected In The Water
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