It was strange, really. Although Anjixinya’s movements were sluggishly slow, the moment she acted, Cold Fragrant Snow’s heart would clench, and an unbidden pressure would well up within her.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes locked onto the two figures in the arena. Many among the onlookers had witnessed their previous match and were now anticipating this encounter with even greater fervor. More importantly, they were desperate to know what Zhong Shenxiu had said to Angelia and what kind of shockwaves it would unleash.

Just as Angelia closed the distance to within four meters of Cold Fragrant Snow, she suddenly accelerated, shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Cold Fragrant Snow was prepared, so she betrayed no surprise; the sword in her hand was already rising to meet the attack.

“Bang!”

In the instantaneous flash of crossing energies, before the crowd could even register what had happened, Cold Fragrant Snow’s body was already airborne.

Even as she struck the ground, the look of astonishment on Cold Fragrant Snow’s face hadn't faded. She was still trying to process how she had been flung backward.

In that fleeting moment, she hadn't seen any unusual move from Angelia, yet a solid side-kick had landed squarely on her abdomen. How was that possible?

The others fared no better. They stared at Angelia with wide, disbelieving eyes, their expressions suggesting they had never seen this person before.

They had witnessed Angelia fight Cold Fragrant Snow previously, and the battle had never concluded so quickly; back then, they had fought to a grueling standstill. Yet this time, it was decided in the very first exchange.

“Are you alright?” Angelia walked over, asking Cold Fragrant Snow, who was struggling to rise.

The reason Cold Fragrant Snow hadn't gotten up immediately wasn't due to a severe injury, but because she was still replaying the events of the last few seconds.

“I’m fine!” Cold Fragrant Snow stood up, though her gaze immediately shifted to Zhong Shenxiu.

Her admiration for him deepened. To think that merely a few words from him could cause Angelia to defeat her so decisively was incredible.

“You should believe what I told you now,” Zhong Shenxiu said to the approaching Cold Fragrant Snow.

Cold Fragrant Snow nodded. She hadn’t doubted him from the start, but she still didn't know what her fatal flaw was—what bad habit she harbored.

When she asked Zhong Shenxiu about it, he simply replied, “You’ll have to figure that out for yourself over time. The moment you discover this weakness, it means you’ve grown stronger!”

Cold Fragrant Snow felt baffled but asked no further questions.

Subsequently, Zhong Shenxiu gave several demonstrations addressing the question of “How can a dual cultivator of Martial and Arcane arts maximize their power?” These displays left the onlookers stunned and speechless for a long time.

Time slipped away unnoticed until the sun was high in the sky.

“That concludes today’s lesson. For the next session, Wayne and Daisy will notify you beforehand; just provide them with your addresses!” With those words, Zhong Shenxiu departed with Robin, needing to return and diligently study the ancient book he had recently acquired.

Even though class was over and Zhong Shenxiu and Robin were gone, the students remained seated, their expressions caught between recollection and deep absorption.

None of them could have imagined the immense shock delivered by a single lesson. Their established norms crumbled under Zhong Shenxiu’s successive demonstrations, revealing a brand-new realm of possibility before them.

Solomon was so moved he felt like crying. He finally understood why Angelia had improved so rapidly. Following someone as monstrously talented as him, it was hard not to advance. The thought that he would soon learn these conventional-shattering techniques from Zhong Shenxiu made Solomon yearn to throw his head back and shout in excitement.

Cherie, the young girl, rested her chin in her hands. Though her eyes were fixed forward, they held no focus; she was clearly lost in thought. Having spent so much time around Zhong Shenxiu, she realized she was no longer as afraid of him. Especially after witnessing his demonstrations today, she saw him as the person who could help her realize her dreams.

Nearby, Marco Xin was equally distracted. Before coming here, she had fiercely resisted Zhong Shenxiu, particularly the notion of reversing the teacher-student dynamic; she simply couldn't accept it. Now, however, she realized how small-minded she had been. How could someone this formidable be someone she was meant to teach? The sight of his near-perverse command over water magic still echoed vividly in her mind. Suddenly, a thought she hadn't dared to conceive before surfaced: following Zhong Shenxiu’s tutelage would actually be quite beneficial!

Rhys’s reaction was steadier than the others, largely because he had already seen Zhong Shenxiu fly on a sword, making him quicker to accept these new revelations. He firmly resolved that he must work much harder in the future; otherwise, it would take him until the next millennium to master all these incredible moves.

Angelia was far more grounded than the rest. She didn't dwell on abstract notions. Currently, she was processing the profound insights Zhong Shenxiu had unveiled through his various techniques, yet certain feelings were taking root. Her task was to clarify these nascent sensations.

Just then, a gentle voice drifted beside her ear: “May I sit next to you?”

Angelia looked up to see Cold Fragrant Snow, who had approached her side without her noticing.

Angelia nodded. She held a favorable impression of Cold Fragrant Snow, recognizing that in several aspects, they shared many similarities.

Seeing Angelia assent, Cold Fragrant Snow allowed a rare, faint smile to grace her lips. She wasn't entirely sure why she had impulsively decided to sit with Angelia; it went completely against her usual nature.

“How—how long have you known Teacher Zhong?” Cold Fragrant Snow asked abruptly after a long silence.

The question made Angelia pause. A long time? Indeed, nearly a year had passed since they met. Yet, it felt like just yesterday.

Finally, Angelia nodded and then posed a question of her own: “You aren't from our ‘Winter Moon Empire,’ are you?”

“No, I came from the ‘Xindaya Kingdom’!” Cold Fragrant Snow did not conceal the truth.

The ‘Xindaya Kingdom’ was a minor nation, falling far short of the Four Great Empires in terms of both territory and overall strength. Angelia had never heard of it but chose not to press further.

“Teacher Zhong is truly powerful—the strongest person I have ever met,” Cold Fragrant Snow murmured, seemingly to herself as much as to Angelia.

“And that’s far from all he possesses!” Angelia added softly. She knew that Zhong Shenxiu’s strength was unmatched, but his knowledge spanned an astonishing, almost limitless spectrum: artifact forging, alchemy, medical treatment, and so on. The mastery in any single field was an attainment most people spent their entire lives striving for. To date, Angelia genuinely didn't know what Zhong Shenxiu couldn't do. He commanded all elemental magic, was even an Arch-Necromancer, and his swordsmanship was monstrously refined—she had been initially captivated after seeing Robin’s sword forms, all of which Zhong Shenxiu had taught him.

Cold Fragrant Snow stared dreamily at Angelia’s lovely face, her thoughts unreadable.

Another silence fell, and then Cold Fragrant Snow asked a question, her voice trembling slightly.

“Can we be friends?” After asking, Cold Fragrant Snow dared not meet Angelia’s eyes.

Angelia was taken aback by the request, but she responded with words Cold Fragrant Snow would never forget:

“Aren’t we already friends?”

Then, the two women looked at each other and smiled, like two blossoming snow lotuses.

In the following days, Zhong Shenxiu did not return to the Academy. One reason was his need to study the newly acquired books. Another was that the ‘Dark Commerce Guild’ had officially absorbed the ‘Wumei Magic Shop.’ He spent these days pondering how to upgrade the existing magical equipment within the shop.

The guiding principle of the ‘Dark Commerce Guild’ was: What others lack, we possess; what others have, we surpass.

Therefore, selling the current stock at a discount would violate the Guild’s core tenet and constitute a waste of resources. How could he upgrade them? If it were just one or two items, Zhong Shenxiu could handle it personally, but the ‘Wumei Magic Shop’ was a nationwide chain, holding countless pieces of enchanted gear. Upgrading them all by hand would consume too much energy and time.

But as an unparalleled genius, there was nothing he couldn't devise. After days of contemplation and research, he finally settled on a solution: constructing a vast and intricate grand array.

As explaining the full principles would be overly cumbersome, here is only a summary of its function:

According to Zhong Shenxiu’s design, once the array was successfully established, any magical equipment tossed inside would have a random array imprinted upon it, tailored to its specific properties. Since the primary focus would be ‘stability,’ the resulting enchantment and any special effects generated would be unpredictable.

However, one thing was certain: the equipment would receive an upgrade, and its attributes and capabilities would no longer be limited to its original functions. While these upgraded items might not match the quality of gear Zhong Shenxiu manufactured in controlled batches, they would far exceed any equipment produced by other magical shops. If Zhong Shenxiu sold these upgraded items at their original prices, he would undoubtedly crush and bankrupt the competition, allowing the ‘Dark Commerce Guild’ to achieve a total monopoly over the magical equipment industry.

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