"Sakuya-sensei, what are you thinking about?" In a room within Mahora Academy's faculty section, Chao Lingyin asked the silver-haired young woman sitting a short distance away after finishing her work.

Sakuya Izayoi frowned, clearly deep in thought. Hearing Chao Lingyin's voice, she turned her head, "Chao, I didn't tell you last time, but I ran into someone at the library. My movements were observed by her. Although I don't know if she recognized me, it keeps bothering me, something I can't let go of."

"Is that so?" Chao Lingyin commented casually, but there was little surprise on her face. "Sakuya-sensei, are you suspecting that person is one of the 'Three'? Well, while the 'Three' certainly has many people from the dark world, I doubt anyone other than Evangeline could escape from your grasp."

"Evangeline? That woman is strong, not easy to deal with, but it wasn't her," Sakuya shook her head, stating gravely. "The person I'm more suspicious of is someone else."

"Who is it?"

Sakuya extended a hand. A photograph was already resting on her palm. She presented it before Chao Lingyin. "It was him."

"Eh! Lin Luo-sensei?" Chao Lingyin was stunned. The person in the photograph was indeed Lin Luo, captured at the moment he unleashed the Fantasy Light, a picture Asakura Kazumi had once shown him.

"Based on the circumstances at the time, combined with the strength he displayed and his build, I am seventy percent certain it was him. But the problem is, the one I encountered in the library was a woman. It's truly bewildering," Sakuya said, frowning.

Although Lin Luo's Hideyoshi transformation had been mentioned to Negi Ryūgū Manami and others, only those who participated in the battle knew about it. Under Lin Luo's instructions, they wouldn't speak of it, so Sakuya naturally remained unaware.

"That does sound a bit strange. I've never heard of magic that allows a male to transform into a female," Chao Lingyin also showed confusion. Knowing Sakuya, she trusted Sakuya's judgment wouldn't be wrong, but the idea of someone shifting between male and female forms was simply too bizarre.

"No," Sakuya shook her head. "There are countless people in this world with strange abilities. Even if he could truly transform into a woman, I wouldn't be overly surprised."

"Then why did you say you were confused just now?"

"Tsk, I just found it incredibly incongruous." Sakuya gave what seemed like an awkward laugh, then took the photo back, gazing at it intently. "But speaking of which, his abilities remind me of the past. It's almost been three months already."

"Sensei seems to miss your hometown quite a bit," Chao Lingyin chuckled.

"It's not quite that, just that there are things that must be done," Sakuya stood up from her seat and walked to the window. From here, she could see the massive cherry blossom tree. "The magical energy is gathering again."

Chao Lingyin also walked over and looked at the cherry tree. "Sensei, do you know? This cherry tree has another name—the World Tree. There's a legend: every twenty-two years, the moment it illuminates, when the magic power is fully gathered, if someone confesses their love beneath the World Tree, it is guaranteed to succeed. It's a wish-granting tree."

"Haha, that sounds quite powerful," Sakuya smiled, offering no affirmation or denial. This legend was incredibly popular at Mahora Academy; of course, she had heard of it. However, she didn't believe it was true, even though the magical energy emanating from that World Tree was indeed extraordinary.

"Sensei, it's true," Chao Lingyin said seriously, sensing Sakuya's disbelief. Sakuya paused slightly, considering that Chao Lingyin wouldn't lie, then said, "Even if it is true, its power must be limited. Achieving all wishes is impossible, especially yours and mine."

"That is true, haha," Chao Lingyin laughed. "Wishes like conquering the world or becoming the richest person are naturally impossible. But altering human hearts to a certain extent is certainly achievable."

"It's normal for ordinary people to undergo aberrations caused by magical influence," Sakuya nodded.

"So, Sensei, what I'm trying to say is, have you thought of something?" Chao Lingyin turned to her with a mysterious smile.

Sakuya smiled faintly. "Indeed. More power means more security. The combination of technology and magic should be very interesting. Let's seize the World Tree's magic during the upcoming School Festival."

"As expected of Sakuya-sensei, you understand my thoughts perfectly," Chao Lingyin praised, then her face showed a troubled expression. "But this matter is very difficult. Mahora Academy will surely set up heavy defenses around the World Tree then. Forcible seizure probably won't work."

Sakuya nodded. While she was confident in her own strength, she never underestimated her enemies. In the past two months, she had learned almost everything she needed to know. Mahora Academy's guards were formidable. Setting others aside, she wasn't even certain of victory against Evangeline alone, and now there was Lin Luo added to the mix. If those two joined forces, she would likely be defeated.

"It seems we must use strategy. As the strongest mind in Mahora Academy, you must already have a plan prepared."

"Hehe, originally I thought that plan might not work, but with Sensei's help, I think we have a near-perfect chance."

"Then let's make this School Festival more lively—a banquet of anomalies."

"The students should be delighted, while the teachers will probably have migraines. I'm already getting impatient."

...

Lin Luo taking Negi on as a disciple wasn't just a simple acceptance of tutelage. As the protagonist of this world, Negi's potential was nearly limitless. Furthermore, he was a genius in magical theory; the extent of his knowledge rivaled that of many adult mages, and his fundamentals were nearly flawless.

Training him in the Time Chamber, if his potential erupted, he would definitely make massive breakthroughs in a short time. While he might not reach Lin Luo's level yet, in a group of three, there is always a teacher to learn from. Lin Luo believed that as long as things possessed were different, even the strong could learn much that was useful from the weak.

By helping Negi, he was indirectly improving himself.

Moreover, his battle against Fate had shown Lin Luo that many of his ancient magics were unrefined; the power was there, but the foundation was lacking. Fighting someone with perfect fundamentals, under identical conditions, would allow him to remedy his most deficient areas—and Negi was undoubtedly the best candidate.

Therefore, Lin Luo was extremely strict in training Negi, using only a mage's power and sealing off most of his own magical energy. Under the condition of using equal magical output, he held almost nothing back, unleashing ancient spells like Fantasy Light, Light Flash, and External Force Interference without reservation.

The result of this type of sparring was that Negi was usually defeated instantly, and Lin Luo would exhaust his magical energy in a very short span. In an all-out bombardment, Negi couldn't defend, and his mana reserves couldn't withstand it. Overall, although Negi lost, Lin Luo didn't win either, because if he were merely a mage, running out of mana meant certain death.

After several days of sparring, Lin Luo gradually understood where he needed to improve... control over power. The energy generated by Rule Force was truly vast. As long as his spiritual power could sustain it, it was almost endless. Thus, during battles, he relied on sheer bombardment, wasting much of his power that failed to serve its intended purpose.

Take the previous fight with Fate, for example. While he intended to test the power of Fantasy Light, only a small portion of the light spheres had any effect; the rest were idle. Against an enemy with similar bullet-hell attacks, this method was correct, but against Fate, the effort was largely wasted.

Fundamentally, Fate didn't lose to the barrage; their strength levels were worlds apart.

Micro-control—this was the most crucial technique Lin Luo needed to master.

On the other hand, after the initial string of defeats, Negi gradually mastered his own fighting style. Although defeat remained inevitable, under equal conditions, he could now exert some pressure on Lin Luo.

Due to the extremely long training sessions—training far stricter than Evangeline's—Negi's strength advanced by leaps and bounds, but his stamina was severely depleted. He even felt weak and listless during lessons, which puzzled the 'Three' students. Under surveillance by some students, Misaka, Setsuna, Kinokasu Shoten, and others eventually arrived at the Time Chamber.

If Lin Luo truly intended to stop this, he could have, but there was no need. In fact, he had decided from the start to allow certain people to discover this place; he was just too focused on the training, which allowed them to take the initiative.

The existence of the Time Chamber fascinated everyone, and some even attempted to learn magic. Naturally, Lin Luo allowed them to join the training. This was a great opportunity for both Kinokasu and Setsuna. Kinokasu could learn magic faster, finding a purpose for the mana inside her, while Setsuna also had significant room for growth; real combat was the best way for her to improve.

As for Misaka, the Time Chamber was somewhat superfluous to her. Although she could achieve elementalization, fundamentally, she was not a mage; she was a scientist-side esper. Her elementalization wasn't achieved through the qualitative change of magical energy but through making possibilities within her heart manifest into reality. In essence, it had nothing to do with magic, which was evident by the fact that Setsuna's Demon-Slaying Sword had no effect on her.

The Kamina style of swordsmanship was a natural enemy to spirit-based entities; even elementalization couldn't prevent one from being cut down. However, against genuine lightning, it was useless—and Misaka's essence was natural lightning.

What she needed to improve wasn't power or computational ability, but the growth of her potential.

This growth—perhaps it would take a lifetime to break through, or perhaps a single moment of enlightenment would make her terrifyingly powerful. But Lin Luo couldn't find a path on how to achieve it; he could only allow her to develop on her own. After all, she controlled one of the four fundamental forces that constitute the world. Honestly, the ceiling of her growth potential was immeasurable, even to Lin Luo.

The other important figure, Evangeline, was still studying that highest-tier magical realm. However, the result was the same as the first time: she was quickly drained of mana every time, making little headway.

Evangeline was furious about this, yet she persevered relentlessly, vowing not to stop until she succeeded. While this spirit was admirable, her method of recovery made Lin Luo depressed: every time her mana was completely depleted, she would come to him to drink blood, staying for a full half-hour until her energy was almost restored.

Even with the Rule Force acting as a buffer, over time, Lin Luo felt drained... But being fed upon felt incredibly comfortable. He supposed it was a case of pleasure mixed with pain.

Time flowed quickly under these circumstances. Many interesting things happened during this period—like Negi's heartfelt search for his father, Evangeline's memories of her childhood castle life, a certain small dog's journey through Mahora, and various awkward yet heartfelt games of Truth or Dare... Then, the day of the School Festival finally drew near.

On the eve of the School Festival, Lin Luo, Negi, and Setsuna, having just left the Time Chamber, were summoned by the Headmaster to the plaza opposite the World Tree for an urgent discussion.

Although Negi and Setsuna were somewhat bewildered, Lin Luo already understood. As the school's magic teacher and magic student, they had specific duties to perform. Honestly, Lin Luo was still hesitant about whether to help Mahora Academy or Chao Lingyin, but he figured he could decide later.

When the trio arrived at the World Tree plaza, they found the Headmaster and about a dozen other teachers or students already waiting. Lin Luo could sense faint magical fluctuations emanating from each of them, strongest from the Headmaster and Ryudou. Undeniably, they were all people from the dark world.

"Yo, you're here. We were waiting for you," the Headmaster greeted the three. The others nodded briefly in acknowledgment.

"Excuse me, who are these people...?" Negi stepped forward, asking with confusion. Even Setsuna wore a look of great interest.

"Oh right, I haven't introduced you yet," the Headmaster gestured towards the people beside him. "Everyone gathered here are magic teachers and students currently serving in the elementary, middle, high schools, and universities across the academy city. Of course, this isn't everyone."

"Eh?" Negi was utterly astonished.

Setsuna was also taken aback. "I didn't know there were this many."

"Idiot," Lin Luo shot them a look, spreading his hands. "Don't you usually observe? You only need to sense the magical fluctuations within someone to know if they belong to the ordinary world or the dark world. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles—it's also a form of training."

"Ah... sorry, Master," upon hearing Lin Luo's words, both immediately apologized.

"Master?" However, Negi’s word stunned the Headmaster and the others, who cast curious glances.

Negi quickly explained, "Yes, Lin Luo-sensei is a remarkably powerful mage. I formally became his disciple a few days ago."

Setsuna added, "Though I didn't formally apprentice, I am undergoing training from Lin Luo-sensei."

"I see. Speaking of which, Lin Luo-sensei was a great help during the last school trip," the Headmaster remarked.

"It was nothing, just a small favor," Lin Luo smiled faintly.

"Lin Luo-sensei's ability to conceal his strength is truly commendable. Knowing you for so long, I only just learned about this recently. I'm ashamed," one of the other teachers said.

Lin Luo smiled, saying little more. He knew most of the people here and saw no need for false pleasantries or showing off.

After a brief exchange, the Headmaster addressed the main topic. "I gathered everyone here today because a problem has arisen, and I hope to use everyone's combined strength to solve it."

This so-called problem was precisely the legend of the World Tree. Because the World Tree possessed the ability to grant wishes—though large wishes were impossible, the success rate for things like confessions was nearly 120%, reaching a level close to a curse. Therefore, their mission was to prevent students from confessing their love there.

The task itself was simple, but due to the vast area covered by the World Tree's influence, it required a significant number of personnel.

"Do not mistake this as just a minor matter of confessions; it concerns the very essence of a student's youthful years. But you must be extremely cautious when using magic. Patrol according to the schedule I previously provided. I entrust this to you all. Now, everyone is dismissed."

With that, everyone dispersed. Lin Luo, along with Negi and Setsuna, went their separate ways back to their dorms.

"A confession success rate of 120%..." Honestly, Lin Luo felt tempted. If he brought his Maid Chief to the World Tree and confessed, would it succeed?

"Well, most likely not." Setting aside the World Heart, considering the Maid Chief's own power, the World Tree's magic likely couldn't exert any significant influence on her. Besides, such a method felt somewhat cowardly.

"Forget it, I'll take it slow. The upcoming Martial Arts Tournament is the main focus, but before that... Contracted Entity Manifestation." By this time, Lin Luo's summoning system experience had reached maximum capacity, meaning he could summon another Contractor. Although he didn't lack combat power, since he could summon, he might as well do so. Considering the potential jealousy that might erupt, who would be suitable to summon at this moment...

The Tome of Contract opened, and Lin Luo's gaze finally settled on one page.

"Come forth, Suigintou."

A flash of light erupted, and a spatial rift suddenly opened opposite Lin Luo. A young woman with black clothing and white hair drifted out.

"Father, I missed you so much!"

As soon as she appeared, Suigintou lunged into Lin Luo's arms, shouting excitedly, her tone filled with joy.