Translator: CinderTL
The next morning, at the Star City Academy cafeteria, Feng Qi, Lin Ran, and Mu Qing sat at their usual table, eating breakfast after getting their food.
After the events of the previous night, Mu Qing's attitude toward Feng Qi had noticeably softened, her previous hostility gone.
Midway through their meal, Lin Ran suddenly turned to Feng Qi.
"Brother Qi, are you free today?"
"What's up?" Feng Qi asked, looking up curiously with his mouth full.
"I'm teaching Combat Class One later. If you're free, come listen in. You can point out any areas where I need improvement."
Seeing Lin Ran's expectant expression, Feng Qi instinctively asked, "What are you planning to teach? Cultivation arts? Art magic?"
"After preparing my lesson last night, I decided to focus on art magic. My understanding of cultivation arts is too shallow—not even as good as the academy's teachers. I'd rather not embarrass myself."
"If you know your knowledge of cultivation arts is limited while you excel in art magic, why are you still so determined to study cultivation arts?" Feng Qi couldn't help but retort.
"It's my dream, and I believe I can do it!" Lin Ran grinned, his face radiating confidence.
"It's better to specialize than to dabble in many things," Feng Qi said earnestly, trying to dissuade Lin Ran from his world-threatening ambitions. "I don't approve of your approach."
"Brother Qi, are you saying I should focus solely on pursuing my dreams and abandon art magic? Only by dedicating myself wholeheartedly can I succeed?"
"Cough, cough, cough!" Feng Qi choked, caught completely off guard by this interpretation.
Good grief, his comprehension skills are truly something else.
If Lin Ran actually followed through with this, Feng Qi would inevitably bear some responsibility for the future blunders he would commit.
"No, that's not what I meant. I'm saying you should focus on art magic. Since you lack talent in cultivation arts, it's better to give up early. Besides, art magic is equally important. While cultivation techniques form the core of art magic, powerful techniques can compensate for deficiencies in your cultivation technique."
"No way! A true man should bravely pursue his dreams. I'm still young—I won't turn back until I hit a wall!" Lin Ran shook his head firmly, refusing to budge.
Feng Qi: ...
He didn't mind Lin Ran hitting a wall, but the problem was that when Lin Ran hit that wall, he'd drag millions of others along with him. That made the situation utterly hopeless.
"Brother Qi, do you have time after all?"
"Yes, I do. I'll go with you after we finish eating," Feng Qi nodded.
Since he couldn't immediately change Lin Ran's mind, Feng Qi decided to take a gradual approach. He planned to first praise Lin Ran's talent in technique research, then belittle his aptitude for cultivation techniques, hoping the contrast would dissuade him from pursuing cultivation arts.
"Senior sister, do you have class? Come with us," Lin Ran said, turning to Mu Qing, who was still engrossed in her meal.
Hearing this, Mu Qing suddenly stopped eating and slowly raised her head, her cheeks still stuffed with food, giving her a adorably silly expression.
After glancing at Lin Ran's beaming face, she shifted her gaze to Feng Qi.
"Senior sister, do you have class today?" Feng Qi asked curiously.
"No class."
"Then come listen to the lecture with us."
"No way! I never go to class!" As she spoke, a fleeting hint of melancholy flickered in Mu Qing's eyes, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
Feng Qi, ever perceptive, immediately noticed it.
He suddenly understood why Mu Qing had said that.
As an outcast in the eyes of her classmates, she drew attention wherever she went. No one wanted to associate with her, and attending class would inevitably subject her to constant scrutiny and judgmental stares. This was likely why she avoided classes.
Realizing this, Feng Qi didn't press the matter further.
He couldn't change the students' attitudes toward Mu Qing right now, and forcing her to join them would only make her feel more uncomfortable.
"Then let's have lunch together."
As he spoke, Feng Qi picked up his tray and stood up. Lin Ran, who was beside him, immediately followed suit.
Leaving the academy cafeteria, the two headed to Combat Class One.
The students were already waiting, their anticipation palpable. Having heard that Junior Brother Lin Ran would be teaching this session again, they were brimming with excitement.
The previous lesson had been immensely beneficial, so this time, they had all brought notebooks, ready to record every key point Lin Ran covered in real-time.
As they entered the classroom, Lin Ran strode toward the podium while Feng Qi took a seat among the students.
The moment Feng Qi stepped through the door, smiles lit up the students' faces.
Such was the way of this world: exceptional talents were always held in high regard, for they were the pioneers who blazed trails through the thorny path of humanity's struggle against domain creatures.
But then the students noticed something strange: "Junior Brother Lin Ran" was sitting down, while the strikingly handsome boy who had arrived with him walked to the podium.
After placing his prepared notes on the desk, the boy beamed at the students below and announced:
"Hello everyone, I'm Lin Ran. I'll be teaching you all today."
Whoosh!
The students instinctively turned to Feng Qi, their eyes filled with confusion.
At that moment, Lin Ran continued, "I know you all have many questions. I won't go into the specifics, but to summarize, Senior Feng Qi—the one sitting in the right corner of the classroom—was the one who taught you last time. I am the real Lin Ran."
"While my abilities can't compare to Senior Feng Qi's, I've achieved some modest success in art magic. I'll now share some of my research findings in this field."