Er Chen Chang Fas Keren was a learned and wise scholar, capable of distilling profound knowledge into accessible simplicity. He could articulate the most intricate truths using the plainest language. However, after that very first lecture, he never taught the new students again, whether in his capacity as a senior Alchemist or the highest authority within the Apothecary Institute. He had far more important matters demanding his time. Constantly busy, leaving the minor task of instructing freshmen to the other professors in the institute was more than sufficient.

And so, Yang Ying settled into life at the Central Glacial Academy. Each day, aside from attending scheduled classes, he devoted himself to the meticulous study of potion formulation, his figure often lingering in the library or the experimental labs for half a day at a stretch.

He had already mastered the hundred Level Seven courses required by the Apothecary Institute, even exceeding them. However, since freshmen were barred from accessing Level Eight courses, he could only continue broadening his knowledge laterally rather than delving deeper. Knowing he couldn't change this immediately, Yang Ying set a goal for himself: to successfully compound every one of the newly learned Level Seven formulas.

Theory and practice had always been intertwined, complementing one another perfectly. Yang Ying planned to seek out the old Dean or Vice Dean Tissia once he had successfully formulated one hundred potions ranging from Level Seven, Category Four, through Level Seven, Category Seven, to inquire if they might grant him early access to the Level Eight curriculum.

During this period, his ample theoretical knowledge, coupled with the virtual laboratory that afforded him complete creative freedom, spurred his mastery of alchemy forward at a rapid pace. He gradually began to grasp the nuances of the various spiritual processing techniques involved in Level Seven elixirs.

One day, three months later, Yang Ying left the lecture hall, preparing to enter the virtual laboratory to attempt the ninety-eighth Level Seven potion. He held no doubt that he could create this one; the success of the previous ninety-seven had built a solid foundation, and Level Seven potions no longer posed a significant challenge to him.

He even considered that upon entering the virtual lab this time, he might just manage to complete the final three potions in one go, reaching the full hundred, and then proceed to formally petition the academy leadership.

“Isn’t that Brother Igor over there? Brother Igor!” A childish voice called out from behind the flowerbeds in the distance.

Yang Ying instantly recognized the tone. Looking behind the beds, he saw a small boy waving at him. Yang Ying immediately recalled the boy: Uli, whom he had encountered in the virtual campus on the day of the entrance examination.

Yang Ying felt a slight surprise. It wasn't unusual for a child Uli’s age to sit the entrance exam for the Central Glacial Academy; however, most of those candidates were merely there because their parents wanted them to experience the atmosphere. Few actually passed. Yang Ying had assumed Uli was one of them, so the possibility that Uli had genuinely passed caught him off guard.

Uli shifted his feet, executing a few swift evasive maneuvers before arriving in front of Yang Ying. He scrutinized Yang Ying closely, then smiled and nodded, "It is indeed Brother Igor."

This child has actually mastered the advanced footwork technique, Shrinking the Ground! Yang Ying looked at him and chuckled, "Uli, you really got into the Mind-Link Academy?"

"Mmm." Uli planted his feet wide, hands on his hips, and declared with a proud tone, "I'm a member of the Mind-Link Academy now!"

The Mind-Link Academy at the Central Glacial Academy was renowned, even across the entire Empire. It was understandable that Uli, being so young, might be slightly carried away by his success.

Yang Ying found it amusing, dismissing it as typical childish boasting. Reflecting further, he realized that if Uli were unnaturally reserved or dull for his age, that would actually be more concerning.

"Young Master, Young Master." A delicate voice approached swiftly, and in moments, its owner materialized beside Uli: a young maiden clad in traditional Imperial maid attire, her expression utterly composed from head to toe.

She appeared to be around nineteen, possessing soft brown hair and olive-colored pupils. A pair of gold-rimmed optical frames rested on her nose, lending her an air of scholarly refinement. Her stance subtly positioned her slightly behind Uli, and she flicked a glance toward Yang Ying, seemingly sensing the powerful spiritual energy emanating from him. A flicker of intrigue crossed her eyes.

Uli’s expression abruptly turned awkward. He stammered, "Sha Hua found me so quickly."

The maid, Sha Hua, looked at Uli with unwavering seriousness. "Young Master, please refrain from wandering off. The Academy is vast. What if you get lost? What if you encounter danger? What if someone harms you?"

Yang Ying assessed that the maid’s spiritual power was around five hundred thousand, which wasn't low even among Level Three practitioners. A thought crossed his mind: the Central Glacial Academy had a regulation requiring accompanying guardianship for underage students residing and studying within the campus. Maid Sha Hua was clearly sent by Uli’s family to care for him.

The current situation seemed to be that Uli had used some means to temporarily shake off Sha Hua and was exploring the campus alone, only for Sha Hua to locate him quickly and express her displeasure at his unsupervised roaming.

Uli, knowing he was in the wrong, darted his eyes around and immediately pointed at Yang Ying. "Look, Brother Igor is here! With his abilities, he certainly won't let anything happen to me!"

Sha Hua turned toward Yang Ying and performed a slight curtsy. Already wary of Yang Ying, she had been surprised her Young Master had befriended such a formidable individual. Her initial intent was to hurry the Young Master away, but since the conversation had shifted to Yang Ying, she could not simply feign ignorance.

"Cadet Igor? Are you the Young Master's friend? However, my instructions did not mention you," Sha Hua inquired politely.

"Uli and I met on the day of the entrance exam in the virtual campus. We only exchanged a few words; there wasn't much worth mentioning, I suppose," Yang Ying replied, sensing her defensiveness without concern.

"I see. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Sha Hua turned back to Uli. "Young Master, I implore you, do not do that again. Otherwise, I will report it to Madam."

"No, no, no!" Upon hearing this, Uli shook his head frantically like a rattle drum. "Don't tell Mother, please! She'll nag me to death. You don't want me to die, do you?" Uli seemed genuinely terrified of his mother.

Sha Hua nodded slowly. "Then I hope, Young Master, that you will not make things difficult for me again."

"Alright, alright. As long as you don't tell Mother, I'll agree to anything," Uli surrendered easily, though he then lowered his head and mumbled softly, "It was just introducing you to a few handsome seniors. You’re popular too; why get so worked up about it?"

Sha Hua’s brow furrowed; for her, this was already a clear sign of intense displeasure. Suddenly, another voice joined in: "Hey! Isn't that Uli and Sha Hua? Igor, you know them?"

Yang Ying was even more familiar with this voice; he heard it often. Looking toward the source of the sound, he saw her indeed: Laya!

"Ah! It's Sister Laya!" Uli's eyes lit up instantly. Sha Hua clearly knew Laya as well. Seeing that Laya was acquainted with Igor, she relaxed slightly.

Laya walked over and joined the trio's circle.

"Miss Mu Ya," Sha Hua began to offer a formal greeting but was stopped by Laya placing a hand on her arm. Laya adopted a deliberately pouty expression. "Sha Hua, what are you doing? I’ve always considered you a sister!"

"But—"

Sha Hua, maintaining her serious demeanor, was about to offer a rebuttal, but Laya covered her mouth with her hand. "No excuses!"

Seeing that they all knew each other, Yang Ying recounted how he and Uli had met.

"So you haven't known each other long," Laya said after listening. She patted Uli's head. "So, you little imp, you only approached Brother Igor because of his head ornament. Just as expected of someone aspiring to be a Mind-Link Engineer, Little Uli."

There was a momentary pause in her speech, and Yang Ying noticed a faint green light flicker across Uli’s wrist just before the pause—the exact spot where the boy had shown him his bangle-type Mind-Link device earlier.

Yang Ying immediately understood: Uli had used his Mind-Link device to send Laya a quick message. In this scenario, that method was far safer than telepathy. Given Uli’s Level Two spiritual strength, if he had attempted mind-to-mind communication in front of Yang Ying, a peak Level Three practitioner, Yang Ying could have intercepted it effortlessly. A Mind-Link device communication, however, carried no such risk.

As for what Uli told Laya, Yang Ying could guess most of it: a request not to reveal his true status. This child clearly intended to continue playing the unassuming role within the academy.

The four conversed for a while longer. Yang Ying and Uli exchanged contact information, and under Laya’s assurance, Sha Hua’s guardedness toward "Igor" finally dissipated completely.

The weather in Yongxue City that day was a steady, gentle snowfall. The flakes drifted downward, appearing as if they would land on their shoulders, but they would suddenly curve away, bypassing their bodies. The four had stood in the snow for a considerable time, yet not a single flake adhered to them.

Even Uli could manage to repel the snowflakes from his form. After all, with his Level Two spiritual power, if he had been born in the Solar System, he would already qualify as an official Psionic trooper on the battlefield.

"Young Master, it’s getting late. We should return; it's not entirely safe outside," Sha Hua advised.

"Not safe? I don't think so." Uli shook his head and then asked Yang Ying, "Brother Igor, what do you think?"

"If you ask me..."

Yang Ying looked around. He saw cadets walking by, chatting and laughing; some were paired up, others were gesturing expansively. Everywhere, there were various small animals and birds with pure white fur, gentle in temperament and endearing in appearance, coexisting well with people.

Here, humanity and nature were seamlessly integrated—a veritable paradise of white. It was infinitely superior to the war-torn environment of the Solar System.

"I think this is a very tranquil campus," Yang Ying said with a smile. "There shouldn't be any danger here."

The moment the words left his mouth, a sharp sense of imminent crisis slammed into his mind. A deafening "BOOM" echoed nearby, a sound so immense it caused the very ground to tremble slightly.

Yang Ying subtly clenched his fist. It was truly ironic; he had just declared the area tranquil and safe, and now this massive disturbance erupted.

The sound originated from outside the campus walls. Yang Ying looked in that direction and saw a gigantic sphere of blue light hovering outside the academy barrier, reaching a hundred meters high. It seemed to be rotating continuously, generating a violent Category Twelve hurricane whose winds all converged toward the sphere, making it appear as if the orb was connected to an endless vacuum, sucking everything toward its center.

"No... Impossible. That's a Vacuum Implosion Bomb," Sha Hua whispered, her pupils constricted, her entire body trembling.