C23 The Student List

Huajun remained succinct. She had already spoken her piece; the choice now lay in their hands. She wouldn't belabor the point any further.

The list before her read:

Yu Yin: Wind Chasing Seal, Nine Deaths Seal.

Zhuang Jiujing: Giant Elephant Seal, God Sealing Seal.

Huixiao: Blood Withering Seal, Severed Injury Seal.

Xia Chen: Wind Chasing Seal, Giant Elephant Seal.

Zhang Ziyue: Blind Trapped Seal, Blind Eye Seal.

Dongmen Ai: Weak Vein Seal, Blind Eye Seal.

Zhao Cai: Giant Elephant Seal, Blood Withering Seal.

Ou Lu: Blind Trapped, Severed Injury Seal.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you how to activate the meridians and apply the seals. Today, go back and familiarize yourselves with the sealing skills you've chosen."

"Everyone, you may leave now."

Yu Yin stayed behind as Zhao Cai and the others departed. He approached Huajun with a question in mind.

"Master, I have a question."

Huajun nodded for him to proceed.

"Why can each person only choose two skills for their entire life?"

"The execution of sealing skills requires a connection to the corresponding meridians. Mastering two is already pushing the limits for a conjurer. Any more, and there's a high risk of meridian disruption, leading to instant death."

"Hasn't anyone ever learned more than two sealing skills?"

"There have been some, but 99% of those individuals have perished. Only a rare few might manage to succeed."

Yu Yin fell silent, grappling with a sense of dissatisfaction.

Huajun could read his thoughts clear as day and shook her head. Everyone desires to master numerous skills, but who truly isn't afraid to face death?

"Go back. The two skills you've chosen will keep you busy for quite some time. Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Yu Yin inhaled deeply and turned to leave. Huajun's words had grounded him, and he realized his aspirations had been lofty.

And so, the days continued to unfold.

Time flew by, and before we knew it, the month was drawing to a close.

Throughout these days, Yu Yin and his companions had diligently attended Huajun's lectures on meridian channeling and seal casting. By now, the eight of them had just managed to form their own seals.

They had reached a point where they could channel their meridians and execute seals within the time it takes an incense stick to burn—a significant advancement.

During an early morning lesson, Huajun spoke with gravity, "Casting sealing techniques greatly depletes one's mental energy. If done too frequently, a cultivator may faint on the spot, or in severe cases, even die. This is crucial to remember!"

Zhang Ziyue, driven by curiosity, inquired, "Instructor, how can we tell when it's too much?"

Yu Yin and the rest leaned in, eager to hear the answer.

"The number of times a spell can be cast varies from person to person, but the symptoms of mental energy depletion are generally the same," Huajun explained.

"Take note! Symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, or nausea after casting a spell indicate that the cultivator has reached their limit. It's imperative not to continue casting. Remember this well."

All eight students nodded in agreement, "Understood, Instructor!"

"Instructor, I've had a lingering question, and I seek your guidance," Xia Chen spoke up.

Huajun gestured for him to proceed.

"If we successfully cast a seal, will it remain on the target indefinitely?" he asked.

Huajun, anticipating this question, smiled subtly. "In theory, yes, but there are constraints," she confirmed.

The students looked on, intrigued.

"Firstly, a conjurer of the same type can remove the seal simply by reversing the flow of their meridians."

"Secondly, if the person bearing the seal dies, the seal will dissipate along with them."

Yu Yin furrowed his brow, "So, the seal persists indefinitely unless removed by a conjurer of the same type or if the bearer dies?"

Huajun nodded in affirmation.

Ou Lu, wide-eyed, grumbled, "Damn, if a seal can be undone after it's cast, then conjurers are pretty useless!"

His words were coarse, but they struck a chord with Yu Yin and the others. Given these restrictions, they too felt that conjurers seemed somewhat underpowered.

Huajun had an uncanny ability to read people's expressions and discern their thoughts. With just a glance, she could often guess the underlying reasons behind their demeanor.

"What do you perceive a conjurer to be?" she asked, her voice cutting through the silence.

The eight individuals before her furrowed their brows, puzzled by her question.

"There are countless cultivators across the continent, but do any of you know what proportion of them are conjurers?" she continued, not waiting for a response. "Let me be clear—less than one in a thousand!"

"Conjurers are a unique group. They are seen as symbols of genius, the most sought-after partners among the myriad of other professional cultivators. The strength of a cultivator's faction isn't judged by the number of Berserkers or beast transformation cultivators it has, but rather by the quantity and level of its conjurers. Do you understand?"

"My intention isn't to inflate your egos, but to make you realize that conjurers are not as common as weeds, and finding one with the same sealing techniques is even rarer."

The room fell into a hushed silence, with everyone except Zhuang Jiujing absorbing Huajun's words with great effort.

Glancing at the time orb and noting the day was advancing, Huajun shifted the conversation. "This afternoon, the class rankings will be announced based on overall performance. You eight had better hope our class is in the top ten, or you're in for a rough time until the end of next month."

Dongmen Ai, Zhao Cai, Zhang Ziyue, and Ou Lu's faces turned pale at the thought, each of them sweating at the prospect of their recent cultivation efforts.

Yu Yin remained the most composed of the group. Since Huajun's last punishment, he had pushed himself to his limits in daily cultivation. Despite the excruciating pain, he felt confident he could maintain his endurance.

After the midday meal, Yu Yin reclined on a flowerbed in the Giant Pine Forest, surrounded by students from other classes milling about. Huajun approached, a book in hand, and upon seeing him basking in the sun, she approached with a gentle smile.

A scent reminiscent of blue flowers from the snowy mountains of her hometown wafted through the air. Yu Yin opened his eyes, recognizing the familiar fragrance emanating from Huajun.

Seeing him turn to her with eyes wide in surprise, Huajun couldn't help but laugh and chide, "Your face is as red as a hot iron, and yet you're still out in the sun. Follow me; the instructor wants a word with you."

Yu Yin touched his burning cheeks and hopped off the flowerbed, hurrying to keep up.

In a secluded spot among the pines, Huajun stopped and gave him a once-over.

Puzzled, Yu Yin met her gaze and inquired, "Does the instructor need something?"

"Your current source energy is 1310. Aside from the initial 20 on the first day and the 90 from your bout with Wang Gu, you've been hitting nearly 100 every day. Do you realize what that signifies?"

Yu Yin looked on, intrigued.

"A source energy of 1310 means you've reached the status of a level three cultivator."

"Are you aware that the top student on the leaderboard, Li Xiaoyun, has only 820 source energy?"

Yu Yin blinked, his face taking on an embarrassed tint as he recognized the playful jab.

"Right now, you're ranked eighteenth on the student leaderboard with a source energy of 730."

"Continuing at this rate, in five years, you'll be on the cusp of becoming a level seven cultivator. Do you grasp the significance?"

"The academy's minimum graduation requirement is to attain level five. Though any level five Conjurer should easily amass 20,000 source energy—something even a pig could manage—the jump from level five to six is a feat achieved by very few."