NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10: The Genius Youth Shocks His Mentor
Chapter 10: The Genius Youth Shocks His Mentor!
The time had come for the annual freshman ceremony at Qinglong Academy.
In the central square, all the new students gathered with their respective mentors to attend the event.
With the sound of saluting cannons, the ceremony officially began.
Xiao Xingyu stood among the crowd, looking up at the podium.
The director, Lin Cang, had a smile on his face.
"Welcome, new students, to Qinglong Academy."
Lin Cang went on with a lengthy introduction about the academy’s history and began listing notable alumni.
Half an hour passed, and Xiao Xingyu was yawning repeatedly, clapping along with the other new students out of sheer reflex.
Lin Cang cleared his throat.
"Ahem, I’ve said all I needed to say."
"Next, let’s invite our dean to give a speech to the new students!"
As soon as Lin Cang's voice fell, a thunderous roar shattered the clouds above.
A mature woman, riding a flying lion, descended from the sky.
"Dean Su has arrived!"
"Truly the most beautiful dean in the nation; she’s stunning!"
"Rumor has it that Dean Su is over forty, but she looks incredible!"
"Dean Su is a Seven-Star Beast Master; she’s truly a heroine among women, my idol!"
Xiao Xingyu’s gaze first fell on the lion-type magical beast.
It was a majestic lion, comparable in size to a three-story villa, with its claws wrapped in purple flames.
What was even more fascinating was that it had a pair of purple crystal wings sprouting from its back.
This was the first time Xiao Xingyu had seen a flying lion.
"Purple Flame Wing Lion King, Beast King Body, Fire Attribute Magical Beast..."
Xiao Xingyu muttered to himself, his Demon Eye revealing all the information about the Purple Flame Wing Lion King.
The owner of the lion was an attractive woman with long red hair cascading down her shoulders, her features striking and exuding an exotic charm.
This was Su Ruyan, the dean of Qinglong Academy.
Dressed in a purple beast master robe, she wore seven star badges on her chest.
This signified her status as a Seven-Star Beast Master.
"Typically, to cultivate a Beast Emperor-level magical beast, one must become a Seven-Star Beast Master."
"The Purple Flame Wing Lion King is merely a Beast King-level magical beast, so..."
"This woman must have other magical beasts."
Powerful beast masters, brimming with spiritual energy, would never contract just one magical beast.
The strongest magical beasts are often kept as trump cards, summoned only in times of dire need.
Xiao Xingyu was certain that the Purple Flame Wing Lion King was Su Ruyan's second or third magical beast.
Her first magical beast must surely be above the level of a Beast Emperor.
Su Ruyan stood on the podium, looking down at this year’s new students.
"Congratulations to all of you for entering Qinglong Academy."
"Here, I want to remind you all."
"Since you’ve entered Qinglong Academy, no matter if you’re from a prestigious family or a humble background."
"You must abide by the rules of Qinglong Academy."
In their hands, Xiao Xingyu and every other new student held the academy’s set of regulations.
Among them, the eighth rule particularly stood out.
**Eighth Rule:**
**Conflicts between students, regardless of right or wrong, must be resolved through "Arena Duels."**
**The losing side must apologize to the winner.**
This rule seemed quite unfair, as it directly negated the concept of right and wrong, potentially leading to bullying among students.
The crowd murmured, expressing their dissatisfaction.
Xiao Xingyu merely smiled; he understood that what appeared to be an unfair rule was actually Su Ruyan's well-intentioned plan.
"New students, enjoy your three years at the academy."
"After three years, whether you soar like a dragon or crawl like a worm will depend on whether you study diligently or waste your time."
"Lastly, I wish you all to become high-level beast masters soon!"
After delivering her speech, Su Ruyan rode off on the Purple Flame Wing Lion King, disappearing from view.
Once the freshman ceremony concluded, all the new students returned to their respective classrooms.
**Class 3 of Year 1.**
This was Xiao Xingyu’s classroom.
Chen Qinian was the homeroom teacher for Class 3.
"Students, please take your seats according to your numbers."
Xiao Xingyu's seat was at the back row by the window.
Moreover, this seat was special—it had only one desk.
This meant Xiao Xingyu had no desk partner.
"I thought I’d have a beautiful classmate next to me; maybe I could flirt and charm her."
"Ah, never mind; strong individuals are always lonely."
"Back row by the window, the kingdom's abode."
Xiao Xingyu comforted himself.
"Hello, Xiao classmate! I’m Wu Shengyou!"
Xiao Xingyu turned his head and met his first friend.
Xiao Xingyu's position was at the left back window, while Wu Shengyou sat at the right back door.
Both had single desks, creating a sense of camaraderie between them.
"Hello, Wu classmate."
"Xiao classmate, I’ve heard of your remarkable exploits. Your initial spiritual power value is even higher than that of the genius monster, Ye Shuangning!"
This was the Ninth time Xiao Xingyu had heard Ye Shuangning's name.
Because of his initial spiritual power, Xiao Xingyu's name was always linked with hers.
"Another mention of Ye Shuangning..."
"I seem to remember her; she’s also a student at Qinglong Academy, in her second year, and she’s my senior."
Wu Shengyou was an upbeat chubby guy, and after chatting for a while, they became good friends.
"Brother Yu, what a coincidence! My dorm is also 312!"
"We’re truly fated; not only are we classmates, but we’re also roommates!"
Xiao Xingyu reminded him, "Old Wu, stop talking; Teacher Chen is glaring at us."
After handing out the textbooks, the bell for the first class rang.
Chen Qinian stood at the podium.
"Classmates, this semester, we’ll cover 13 textbooks during theory classes."
"Theory is the foundation of practice. To defeat magical beasts, you must understand their habits and weaknesses."
"Everyone, open your 'Monster Bestiary,' and we’ll start with the first chapter..."
Xiao Xingyu looked at the thick stack of textbooks on his desk, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
While Chen Qinian slowly lectured from the podium, Xiao Xingyu frantically flipped through the pages.
With his Demon Eye granting him photographic memory, within three minutes, Xiao Xingyu had memorized the content of all 13 textbooks, mastering the material.
Wu Shengyou, who found reading tedious, decided to pass notes to Xiao Xingyu.
The note read: **[Brother Yu, are we eating at the cafeteria tonight or going out for a feast? I’ll treat!]**
Xiao Xingyu replied on a slip of paper.
**[No thanks, my sister prepared a bento for me; I can just microwave it.]**
**[You have a sister? I’m so jealous!]**
*Thud!*
A piece of chalk hit Wu Shengyou on the head.
"Wu Shengyou, Xiao Xingyu, why aren’t you two paying attention in class? What are you passing notes for?"
Chen Qinian, adopting the stern demeanor of a homeroom teacher, scolded, "You two are the worst class of freshmen I’ve ever taught!"
After his anger subsided, Chen Qinian posed a question.
"Wu Shengyou, answer this: What is the weakness of the Sky Demon Lizard?"
Wu Shengyou stammered for a while, then blurted, "It expresses the author's homesickness."
The class erupted in laughter.
Chen Qinian smacked the podium.
"You little rascal! Do you think this is a high school reading comprehension test?"
"Stand for three periods!"
"Xiao Xingyu, why are you laughing? Stand up and answer the question!"
Chen Qinian intended to make an example of them, showing the consequences of not paying attention in class.
"What is the weakness of the Sky Demon Lizard?"
"The venom sac beneath its abdomen," Xiao Xingyu answered effortlessly.
Chen Qinian was taken aback.
"Well, you’re quite impressive! Not paying attention but still answering correctly."
"Don’t get too comfortable; continue answering."
"The Ice Giant Crocodile Beast usually lives in which region?"
Without hesitation, Xiao Xingyu replied, "In the southern part of Longguo, around Frostfall Lake, and the cold water pools beneath the Kunlun Glacier."
Chen Qinian’s expression turned to one of surprise.
"You little rascal... keep going!"
"If you encounter a Demon Devouring Tiger in the wild, how should you respond?"
Xiao Xingyu replied nonchalantly, "Hold your ID in your mouth and find some shade to lie down."
Chen Qinian frowned, "Why?"
"Because the Demon Devouring Tiger is a Beast King-level variant, only six-star beast masters have the strength to fight it."
"As newbies, if we encounter a Demon Devouring Tiger in the wild, it's a certain death sentence."
"So, I choose to hold my ID in my mouth for easy identification of my remains."
"And finding some shade to lie down can prevent my body from stinking."
After Xiao Xingyu finished, the classroom fell silent, all eyes on Chen Qinian at the podium.
Chen Qinian's mouth twitched; after a long silence, he finally spoke.
"That answer gets full marks."
"Xiao Xingyu, the questions I just asked you were from the last few chapters of the textbook."
"I’ve only just started teaching the first chapter, so why do you..."
Xiao Xingyu replied calmly, "I’ve already finished studying all 13 textbooks."
"What?"
"The first class has only been on for 20 minutes, and this guy has already finished the entire semester’s curriculum?"
"This is unbelievable; this guy is a genius monster!"
"Xiao Xingyu, that name sounds familiar..."
"Wait, I remember! This is the Xiao Xingyu who’s trending online, whose initial spiritual power is only 2 points lower than Ye Shuangning!"
So far, Xiao Xingyu and Ye Shuangning had never even met.
But whenever one of their names was mentioned, the other would inevitably follow.