GAMMT - Chapter 92
Chapter 92: Profession
In the arcane world, there was no "should" or "should not," only strong and weak, only winning and losing.
The winner could break the rules or be favored by them, while the loser's name would fade.
Were the students present watching him now?
They had to watch. How could they not take heed of a cautionary tale, a defeated dog before their very eyes?
In truth, even Xie Keli wasn't one for excessive theatrics after achieving his goal. As he prepared to step down from the table, he suddenly frowned. He quickly raised a hand, controlling the vortex in his palm and thrusting it forward to block.
Boom!
A dark, twisted, and chilling stream of air bloomed like a black Casablanca lily—blooming and withering in an instant. It ignored physical defenses and pierced directly into the bodies of the three challengers, draining their bodily functions and channeling the energy back like a blooming flower.
It was initially subtle and cryptic, but after absorbing their vitality, it swelled madly, becoming far more terrifying than the wind-element vortex. In a flash, it unfurled into a horrifying flower of death above the assembly hall. Then, Fu Chuan saw a young girl, hidden in the darkness, raise her hand. The arcane truth in her palm materialized and underwent Enlightenment.
If someone like her, a latecomer, had managed to materialize her weapon in less than four months, then why couldn't someone like Wei Mingtang achieve Enlightenment?
During the re-selection, she probably hadn't reached the level of Enlightenment yet, but after half a month at the academy, she had.
However, Fu Chuan had never really seen her weapon before, let alone known what kind of spirit it would awaken.
Now she knew.
A Konghou.
Was she taking the sound-based attack route?
No, it wasn't that simple.
As the vortex spun, Fu Chuan saw that it only drew back vital energy and elements into her palm. The cryptic black aura within the dark stream was not pulled back.
It was soul power.
Her expression changed slightly. She sent a mental message to Shen Qixi, telling her to be ready. Simultaneously, her body flashed forward. Bracing one hand on a table, she vaulted over with her long legs, landing lightly behind Fu Ye's seat and covering her ears.
Fu Ye had reacted, subconsciously grabbing Fu Chuan's wrist to stop her, but she… hesitated for a moment. That slight delay was all it took. The turtle shell armor instantly shrank and transferred onto Fu Ye's body.
The Twin Mirrors also appeared, shielding Fu Ye from the front and back.
Hum!!
The sonic shockwave swept over them.
At the same time, on the stage, powerful figures like Zhao Er and Ye Suran prepared to intervene and protect the students, but they were stopped by the Vice Dean.
The Vice Dean?
With the intervention blocked, the dark flower withered madly to the rhythm of the Konghou's music.
Withering signified death. The ultimate expression of the seven death-related arcane truths was the formation of an Undead Field.
And if her weapon was the Konghou, once materialized and combined with the Undead Field… and that wasn't all, the Enlightenment was here!
A massive, twisted undead creature flew out from the Konghou. It had the form of an ape-like monster, but its body was contorted with the power of countless other undead spirits.
And these spirits were not unfamiliar to Fu Chuan and the others—they were the undead from the prison!
It seemed the biggest beneficiary of that day's assessment dungeon wasn't necessarily Xie Keli. At the very least, this person had quietly collected the souls of numerous criminals for her own use.
Including that terrifying ape-like monster.
With a terrifying roar, the monster absorbed the power of the Undead Field and let out a bellow.
Undead Konghou.
Death's Swan Song.
A sound attack combined with a soul attack.
In an instant.
The three challengers were about to be killed instantly!
Yes, they would have been killed.
After the undead echo faded, the physical objects in the hall were completely undamaged, but a large number of students turned pale, their bodies trembling, with blood trickling from their eardrums.
They were terrified.
The only ones unharmed were the fifteen students from Class S and seven or eight from Class A. All the others were severely injured.
Including Fu Chuan. Her face was slightly pale as she watched Wei Mingtang, who had already landed. Behind her, her three opponents had long since fallen to the ground, unconscious and looking as if they were dead.
Indeed, they had almost died. If not for the Vice Dean's intervention to protect them.
They would have been instantly killed by Wei Mingtang.
It was too terrifying.
It wasn't that she was overwhelmingly strong—at least in terms of level and energy reserves, she was only slightly better than Fu Chuan and lacked Fu Chuan's frightening endurance and sustainable combat system. Her strength lay in the higher-level energy system she commanded.
Sound plus soul.
It bypassed all defenses. How could you resist? How could you defend?
So, if Xie Keli's triple damage-reduction and recovery system had been difficult for anyone outside of Class S and a few top Class A students to handle, then Wei Mingtang was someone that even the students of Class S found extremely troublesome.
Fu Chuan also found her troublesome.
Heaven had dealt her a good hand; her aptitude followed a rare path. How could anyone compete? It was like how Xie Keli had been blessed by the Xie Clan ancestors with a genetic pupil technique that others could never hope to obtain in their lifetime. Weren't others resentful of that too?
One could only say that the world was vast, filled with countless geniuses.
Fu Chuan merely watched Wei Mingtang's concluding death arcane system with a thoughtful expression for a moment before quickly looking away and withdrawing her hands.
However, many people had noticed them, their gazes complicated.
It had to be said, girls were more perceptive. Seeing Xie Keli's pale face and Fu Ye, who was completely unharmed, they couldn't help but think: perhaps there was a reason Fu Ye had chosen this scum after all.
The scum might be scum, but he was truly good to her, and exceptionally outstanding.
How many men would make the right judgment in a crisis and, without a second thought, abandon their own safety to protect their wife?
He had the ability and didn't hesitate to use it.
Around the same time, Fu Ye lowered her hand, her fingers leaving the fine skin and bone of Xie Keli's wrist. She glanced at Fu Chuan, only to see the latter in a state of contemplation, seemingly unconcerned with what she had just done.
He wasn't looking for credit.
She lowered her gaze, thinking to herself: this person was indeed an excellent contract partner. His service was impeccable, even exceeding expectations. But his rush to protect her just now was likely not because of her.
She could sense his indifference toward her, devoid of any romantic sentiment. And he was smart and perceptive enough to know that while this level of damage would be a severe blow to others, for someone like her who could earn millions of points, it was a minor injury. A visit to a healer and a few days of rest would be enough; it was hardly a debilitating wound that warranted such an urgent rescue.
But there was one difference—the fact that she was pregnant. A pregnant woman could not sustain soul damage, as it would harm the baby.
So this person had rushed to her aid, even at the cost of his own injury, solely to protect the child.
Fu Ye was a little confused.
How could someone with such ruthless methods have such a soft heart?
The scene was quickly brought under control by the school staff. Zhao Er and the others wanted to cause trouble for Fu Chuan, but the challenge had been conducted under legal rules, and the challengers themselves had agreed to it.
Methods were one thing, results were another. As long as it was within the rules, it wasn't a major issue. After all, East Guan Academy valued strategy above all else.
Many teachers even found the move quite brilliant—he had taken a gamble and won.
He was just a bit too bold.
The Vice Dean had seen it all and wasn't fazed by the scene. He just smiled, tapped the microphone, and said slowly, "Very bold, but you went too far. I'm talking to you, Wei Mingtang. Were you just trying to execute your three classmates?"
The students around Wei Mingtang had already backed away. Those who dabbled in death arcana were ruthless people who recognized no kin.
To be so vicious right after enrolling was terrifying.
Que Baimo lowered his head in thought: his luck was terrible. This year, he had run into two oddballs, Wei Mingtang and Xie Keli, and was even at the same school as the latter. He would probably be suppressed for the foreseeable future.
Wei Mingtang stood in the open space, glanced at the people being carried away, and then swept her gaze impassively over the heavily injured Zhang Linjian and the others. She answered the question politely enough.
"Those three pursued me before. After I rejected them, they spread rumors behind my back, saying I was too aloof and that without a powerful background, all my hard training was just to marry into a great noble family to bear and raise their children. They even went to investigate the orphanage I grew up in."
A stir went through the crowd.
Xie Keli was, at worst, sharp-tongued, and even that might have been a deliberate act to provoke them and fleece them of their points. But seeing how protective he was of his wife, it seemed like a strategic issue, and his bad impression could easily be washed away. The three men Wei Mingtang mentioned, however, were truly despicable.
A single sentence had revealed four things that women detested most: badmouthing someone after being rejected, believing a woman's value lies in childbirth, looking down on the lower class, and even investigating her family (the orphanage was her home).
For an orphan, these three had crossed too many lines. It wasn't just the female students; even the other male students were utterly disgusted.
No wonder she wanted to kill them.
The Vice Dean frowned. "Is there more?"
He could see that Wei Mingtang had a resolute character, a pragmatist who was absolutely realistic, just like Xie Keli. She had a strong mind. Even if she was furious about them investigating her orphanage, she wouldn't have chosen such a public method.
When a low-profile person suddenly becomes high-profile, there must be a practical goal or benefit.
He wanted to know her true intention.
The Vice Dean's tone was somewhat cold and oppressive, as if she had angered him, but Fu Chuan saw a hint of something else and raised an eyebrow slightly.
Sure enough, Wei Mingtang's next sentence was: "I want to enter Class S this semester. To do that, I need a teacher capable enough to teach me."
So direct, so cold, so assertive.
But who would dare say she didn't deserve it?
The Vice Dean narrowed his eyes and smiled. He picked up his communicator and shook it. "The Dean heard you. She wants you to wait for her after school."
Amidst the commotion, the Vice Dean turned to Fu Chuan. "And what are you doing? Stand up for me."
Fu Chuan, who had just sat down, felt helpless and had to stand up again. But she couldn't very well explain the real reason for today's incident, let alone admit she was making an example of them. Her gaze happened to fall on Wei Mingtang, and an idea struck her. She was about to copy her answer.
The Vice Dean raised a hand. "Don't tell me you also want to find a master. You already have a powerful enough teacher. Copying an answer is cheating, which will add to your crime. Think carefully before you speak."
Fu Chuan really wanted to say she was looking to switch masters, but that was tantamount to suicide. As she struggled… she looked at Fu Ye.
Fu Ye: "?"
What are you planning?
Just as she grew wary, she heard Xie Keli say remorsefully, "Although we are engaged, my fiancée still finds me crude and lacking in manliness. My heart was filled with grief, and I lost my senses, randomly challenging a few people. I thought they would refuse, but I never expected them to accept. I'm quite helpless about this. I also didn't expect them to be so fragile, and I certainly didn't expect Miss Wei to steal all the limelight."
Zhang Linjian and the others: "!!"
You cunning old dog, Xie!
"Vice Dean, you have a wife too. Surely I'm not the only fool in this world who has made a mistake for his wife."
The Vice Dean: "?"
Fu Ye: "…"
You must be the most shameless fiancé in the world.
The Vice Dean probably hadn't expected him to come up with such a bizarre excuse, even deliberately mentioning that he also had a wife.
How did he know he was afraid of his wife?
If he were to deny such a display of deep affection, wouldn't his old wife twist his ear?
"Your case has extenuating circumstances. Your punishment will be to clean the school's beast pens with Wei Mingtang for one week."
That seemed to settle the matter, but for the students of Class S, the pressure was immense.
They exchanged glances without a word, but they knew very well that two terrifying classmates would soon be joining Class S.
The issue was, Wei Mingtang's rise was a case of accumulated strength paying off, taking a shortcut via the necromancy route. But Xie Keli had indisputably made a comeback in the last half-month by mastering techniques like the Twin Mirrors.
How did he do it? Was his comprehension of arcane truths that strong?
"I think it has something to do with the item he crafted in the Trial Tower."
Yelu mused, "I remember there's a type of treasure among alchemical items called the Lesser Heavenly Book of Arcane Truth, as well as Middle and Grand Heavenly Books. They can grant instantaneous enlightenment on arcane truths one is studying. Based on the point value, what he crafted should be a Lesser Heavenly Book of Arcane Truth."
This explanation had about a 70% chance of being correct.
How else could one explain how this person had comprehended so many arcane truths in just half a month?
Was he a monster?
It was important to remember that Wei Mingtang already had a foundation in arcane truths, whereas Xie Keli's proficiency had been far inferior to hers before.
Only this could explain it. Otherwise, they would have to admit that this person's comprehension of arcana and arcane truths far surpassed their own.
After sitting down wearily, Fu Chuan rubbed the corners of her eyes. Glancing at their expressions, she thought to herself: Their train of thought is so coherent. Looks like they figured it out on their own, no need for me to put on an act to remind them.
In any case, she couldn't let them know she had crafted the Primary Species Conversion Equation.
When the assembly dismissed, Fu Chuan collected her points, a handsome profit. But what irked many was that she still wore a troubled and worried expression, as if she were truly tormented by love.
Moreover, after collecting the points, she handed them all over to Fu Ye beside her.
Fu Ye: "?"
Fu Chuan: "Take it and spend it. Does this count as manliness?"
That's enough out of you.
Fu Ye really wanted to roll her eyes at him, but with so many people around, she had to keep up the act. She softened her cold, glamorous aura, her voice gentle. "Not yet. Why don't you go uproot a willow tree? Let me see your world-shaking strength."
Fu Chuan: "…"
Onlookers just thought they were flirting, and no one doubted that they were a proper engaged couple.
However, as they were leaving, Fu Chuan kept her eyes on Wei Mingtang, thinking about something. The arcane truths this person studied and her method of Enlightenment felt familiar, as if she had seen them somewhere before. But her knowledge of the necromancy system was limited because it was so rare. Among all the player-clients she had dealt with, she had met very few necromancers.
Perhaps sensing Fu Chuan's gaze, Wei Mingtang turned to look. As their eyes met, she saw contemplation in the other's eyes.
It was the kind of look that said, I've seen your tricks before, and I'm trying to figure out your foundation and your true strength.
And you had the faint feeling that she had really seen through you.
It was that subtle feeling of being seen through.
But at the same time, the person seemed to be lost in thought.
Perhaps it was because this seemingly impure Xie the Grand Paramour, who was complex in both ability and character, possessed a pair of remarkably pure eyes.
Wei Mingtang turned her face away. As she was about to descend the steps, for some reason, she suddenly turned back and looked again at Fu Chuan, who was walking along the edge of the crowd. "Xie Keli."
Fu Chuan: "?"
Wei Mingtang: "Don't look at me like that, unless you think beating me to death will display your manliness."
After speaking, she even glanced at Fu Ye beside Fu Chuan.
Fu Ye: "…"
It seemed she was taking the blame for everything. So who was the real tool here?
Wei Mingtang had already turned and walked away.
Fu Chuan thought: That was probably a warning.
Although it sounded a bit like a joke.
The events of that day's assembly indeed swept through the four great academies. Even the other high schools in Beluke City's inter-school league heard about it. Although people like Pang Ci had failed the re-selection for the four great academies, they had entered other second-tier schools that were still ranked in the top ten provincially. When they saw the news, they didn't feel much pressure—after all, when the gap is too large, the motivation to catch up disappears. They just felt that Jingyang had burned some serious incense to produce such a powerful genius.
They wondered what the Orange Blood families were thinking.
It seemed that none of the top figures filtered out from this year's middle school exams came from the great noble families. One from a trash planet, one from an orphanage—it was quite ironic when you thought about it.
People like Li Cang were probably dying of anxiety, under immense pressure.
The great noble families handled their affairs discreetly. The losses suffered by Zhang Linjian and the others would be compensated with resources, so it wasn't a total misfortune, but after this incident, they would probably lie low for a long time.
In their residence, Fu Ye asked Fu Chuan, "Do you think they'll believe it?"
"Even if they do, it's their habit to take a gene blood sample on the day you give birth for testing. So, we've only bought ourselves these few months."
"During this time, you can't go out. It's best to limit your activities to the academy grounds. Also, be careful in your interactions with people like Zhan Xuandong. They might try to test your physical condition through duels."
Fu Ye was naturally aware of this, but after a moment's thought, she said, "I rarely went out when I was at West Jin Academy anyway. I mostly used teleportation arrays for dungeons and didn't like to move around much. Staying put at East Guan is fine. That was the plan from the beginning. But in eight months, there's the Family Festival."
"Family Festival? A family memorial? Is it an annual thing?" Fu Chuan took ingredients from the refrigerator, washed her hands and the vegetables, and then handed Fu Ye a glass of milk.
Fu Ye: "Once every ten years."
That serious?
"You can't miss it?"
"I probably can't. In this generation, the family values my brother and me the most. And you know our family places the most importance on the girls."
Fu Chuan glanced at her. "Does the Fu Clan know about your situation?"
"They know. It was a choice made out of necessity. But they can't interfere too much, or it would be too obvious. The most important thing for the Fu Clan is procreation. If the family makes too big a move, many outsiders will be able to guess the truth. Actually, another reason for choosing you was that the outside world would assume the Fu Clan did it because you have Xie Siyi behind you."
That did make sense, logically.
"And the Family Festival involves a legacy inheritance, which is quite important for me and the child. I can't miss it. This is the biggest hidden danger. But on that day, the family's experts will all be present. Unless several Li Family experts show up, I won't be in danger. So you don't need to accompany me that time."
Fu Ye drank her milk and looked at Fu Chuan. "I know you're busy, and your time is far more precious than ours."
She suspected that the item this person had crafted wasn't the treasure others were guessing it was. The real reason for the public display was to reveal her level of arcane proficiency, thereby concealing the true nature of that treasure.
This was her own speculation, but there was no need to say it out loud.
Fu Chuan smiled. "If you add more money, and I happen to be free, I might not necessarily refuse to go."
Fu Ye: "…"
As expected, the following days were quiet. Fu Chuan and Wei Mingtang spent a week together tending to the ferocious beasts raised by the academy. But they were both very busy; one had been taken as a disciple by the Dean, while the other was busy comprehending arcane truths on two fronts.
Ye Suran had probably seen her potential and began to overturn her previous arrangements—or rather, she had raised the level of the previous arrangements by several LVs. The dungeon difficulty was so high that the moment Fu Chuan entered, she was greeted by a horde of elite BOSSes and was nearly roasted into a human jerky within a minute or two.
The frequency of dungeons was too high, and it consumed a lot of academy resources, but the school had silently raised her access privileges, clearly having high hopes for her.
"Your current access privileges are already in the top three of Class A. If you don't want to be envied and retaliated against, then digest them."
"Also, since you've already acquired the Twin Mirrors and such ahead of schedule… there's no need to change your path. Biting off more than you can chew is not good. It's better to improve on your current foundation."
Ye Suran, eating crayfish, gave Fu Chuan a smile full of motherly hope. "Back then, my teacher was the old Dean. He wanted me to take that path, but unfortunately, my aptitude wasn't good enough. I didn't have your kind of endurance. You, on the other hand, can do it."
Fu Chuan felt that her smile, enhanced by the greasy garlic sauce, was gradually becoming twisted.
"By the way, isn't your aunt your teacher? Hasn't she taught you anything?"
Ye Suran asked curiously.
Fu Chuan: "If I told you we don't even have a binding relationship yet, would you believe me?"
Ye Suran was stunned. "Then you've lost out. You might as well have worked hard to secure a binding teacher-student relationship with the Dean or Vice Dean."
Fu Chuan: "Teacher, my sights aren't set that high. I think you would do."
Ye Suran's face turned green, and she rolled her eyes. "No way. I can't beat her."
Fu Chuan: "You two have fought?"
Ye Suran frowned. "No, but I've seen someone I couldn't beat get instantly killed by her."
Fu Chuan wasn't particularly surprised.
This topic was a bit dangerous. Besides, two people who were both afraid of Xie Siyi wouldn't get anywhere by continuing the discussion. After all, even if they teamed up, they couldn't beat her.
"Teacher, you said the old Dean wanted you to take a certain path before?"
She remembered that the old Dean was a research-type powerhouse, best at studying the power systems of controllers and had cultivated many terrifying experts.
The current Dean was his granddaughter, personally trained by him. The position of East Guan's Dean wasn't hereditary, but she had fought her way through the competition and secured the position at a young age. She was probably only in her thirties now, considered a prodigy in her own right, famous throughout the empire.
Compared to Fu Chuan and the others who were still making waves within the province, she had been competing with the geniuses in the imperial capital during her high school years.
And East Guan's rapid development had also occurred in recent years; otherwise, the Education Ministry wouldn't have leaned towards strategy in the secret questions of the re-selection exam.
This indicated that she had more say with the Education Ministry in Beluke Province than the guilds did.
For some reason, Ye Suran suddenly had a moment of artistic flair. She dipped her finger in garlic sauce and wrote on the wooden board: Infinite Control Flow.
Fu Chuan was stunned, but blurted out, "Teacher, am I cleaning the floor again today?"
Ye Suran froze. "…"
In the study of the Sage Medical Hall, Fu Chuan entered the arcane content onto the seal of the second bookshelf. The gears on the seal turned, and with two clicks, it automatically unlocked. The seal was released.
But the moment it was released, Fu Chuan heard a voice message play from above. It was Liu Wuxiang's voice.
"Finished in half a month. Not a bad result. Are you thinking about your own profession path now?"
Fu Chuan uttered two words, "Forbidden Controller."
Liu Wuxiang was somewhat surprised. "What are you thinking? Forbidden Controller is one of the five King-tier professions, but it's not one that humans excel at. Only a few humans with the relevant bloodline genes can walk this path. Others can't even touch the edge. Although there have been successful human Forbidden Controllers, they are extremely rare prodigies with extraordinary, freakish innate comprehension of arcane truths. I have met a human Forbidden Controller before. There was a child who successfully achieved Enlightenment at the age of seven and later carved out a place for himself among the Forbidden Controllers purely through his monstrous comprehension ability. Because among the five King-tier professions, only Forbidden Controller focuses on arcane truths, allowing one to succeed through comprehension. But… you don't have that kind of aptitude yet."
The words were harsh.
But that was just how Liu Wuxiang was.
Fu Chuan asked instead, "Then which races are suited to be Forbidden Controllers?"
"The Abyss Undead of the Undead race, the Divine Light Elves from the Alona Rainforest of the Elf race, the Gui Chi of the Beast race, and the Qi Mei of the Worm race… actually, there's also the Aoyin of the Mechanical race. The hundred steps a human needs to take to become a Forbidden Master, they are born with."
Fu Chuan was, of course, aware of this, but she couldn't let Liu Wuxiang know. This was top-level classified information, inaccessible to anyone outside the highest echelons of the human race.
So she had to ask.
"They are all races from peak factions. The gap seems huge. However, I am indeed interested in Forbidden Controller right now. I'll try it first. If I can't achieve it, then I'll choose the next best thing, Light Potential Controller."
Light Potential Controller was also very powerful, a top-tier profession among humans. But Liu Wuxiang knew this person possessed the Forbidden Arcane ability, which was enough to qualify her for this level.
"It's good to have a dream. Light Potential Controller is also an excellent profession within the arcane system. Your aptitude is sufficient for it. Coincidentally, I am also a Light Potential Controller. Alright, I've left you a letter with my guidance. There's also corresponding equipment in the study. You can figure it out."
Fu Chuan opened the letter and saw three cultivation paths listed.
Liu Wuxiang's level was higher than Ye Suran's, but his advice was targeted at the abilities Fu Chuan had displayed—he knew she had the Forbidden Arcane ability, her most terrifying technique, comparable to the necromancy path.
Light Potential Controller was his profession.
He suspected this little girl had figured it out long ago and had deliberately mentioned Forbidden Controller to guide him into passing on the Light Potential Controller legacy.
Did she even need to guide him?
Did she really think he took her as a disciple just for her looks?
Thinking this, Liu Wuxiang's voice on the other end turned a little chilly.
"Fu Chuan."
"Teacher?"
"Don't be insecure. I am currently satisfied with you. There's no need to do pointless things to attract my attention. Also, I've opened VIP accounts for you at several fashion houses. Remember to go pick out some clothes. The cost will be deducted from the medical hall's account."
"???"
Liu Wuxiang's voice message ended.
Fu Chuan was stunned for a moment before realizing he had misunderstood. But she had also gotten a better sense of his personality.
It seemed that beneath his extremely high aesthetic standards, there was always a touch of narcissism… a somewhat childish narcissism.
No wonder Big Bear and the Vice Dean found this master a bit hard to handle.
Fu Chuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
However, as she looked at the letter Liu Wuxiang had left and the various pieces of equipment that had been activated in the study, she felt a wave of emotion: the feeling of having such a powerful patron was just too good.
This bit of vanity could be forgiven.
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