Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 474 - 345: Applying for Advancement, Red and White Dragon Maids!

"Recently, I received the latest scientific research achievement from the military of the Longxia Federation—the portable Concentration Meditation Array.

When I have the chance, I would also like to seek your guidance on the power of the Space Attribute and the mysteries of Array Magic."

Hearing Fang Zhou’s interest in Alchemy and Array Magic, Chu Chengxiu’s smile grew even more enthusiastic. He chatted with him for quite a while longer, discussing some fundamentals of Alchemy and Arrays and sharing insights and experiences.

Chu Chengxiu only snapped out of it when Instructor Lu Hu coughed gently as a signal. He smiled awkwardly at Instructor Lu Hu, then turned to Fang Zhou. "The academy has other tasks for me, so I must be going, Fang Zhou. Let’s stay in touch."

Fang Zhou nodded and saluted him again. "Thank you for your help, Instructor Chu."

Chu Chengxiu waved his hand and turned to leave.

Just then, Instructor Lu Hu, looking a little displeased, patted Fang Zhou’s back. "Fang Zhou, I know you have incredible talent, both as an Undead Mage and in Alchemy. But you must understand that you’re currently in a golden period of rapid growth. It would be best to focus all your energy on cultivating and perfecting your main profession. Later, when your progress slows down, you’ll naturally have plenty of time to study these sub-professions. Do you understand? Don’t sacrifice the greater goal for lesser gains. The strength of your main profession is the foundation of your survival in this chaotic world."

Ever since Fang Zhou’s Awakening, through his victory in the New Recruit Competition that brought him so much attention, Instructor Lu Hu had always looked out for him and thoughtfully considered his future.

Fang Zhou was well aware of this and trusted Instructor Lu Hu deeply. He understood that Lu Hu’s words stemmed from a genuine concern for his future. The instructor feared that by dividing his focus among sub-professions, Fang Zhou would squander this precious period of rapid advancement. It was truly well-meant advice.

However, Instructor Lu Hu perhaps had a somewhat conservative misunderstanding of Fang Zhou’s talent and his unique advantages.

Fang Zhou smiled and reassured him, "Don’t worry, Instructor Lu Hu. I definitely won’t neglect the cultivation of my main profession."

Instructor Lu Hu knew Fang Zhou had a cautious and deliberate nature; he wasn’t the sort of arrogant young genius who refused to listen to advice. Therefore, after Fang Zhou gave his word, he didn’t press the matter further, simply changing the subject. "Fang Zhou, Instructor Chu Chengxiu was right earlier. You can’t be too far from the Black Iron bottleneck, can you?"

Fang Zhou nodded. "I’ll probably need another two or three months of accumulation before I can attempt to break through the bottleneck and advance to Black Iron. That’s mainly thanks to the Nether Amber I was awarded from the New Recruit Competition, which greatly accelerated my cultivation progress. Why do you ask, Instructor Lu Hu? Do you have new instructions for me?"

Instructor Lu Hu shook his head, his expression filled with emotion. He patted Fang Zhou’s shoulder and said, "Each generation brings forth new talent, each leading the charge for a time. Judging by your current cultivation progress, I believe you are set to lead this generation of young powerhouses in the Human Alliance. At least, here in our Sea City Military Academy, no other student can outshine you."

He paused, seemingly lost in reminiscence for a moment, then continued, "Fang Zhou, a few instructors recently proposed asking for your opinion on something. They want to know if you’d be interested in skipping to the second year at the end of the first semester. This idea was brought up even before the New Recruit Competition. The reason, naturally, was that your strength as a Middle-rank Apprentice was already far ahead of the other first-year, Lower-rank Apprentice students.

"However, everyone was focused on preparing for the competition back then, so I didn’t spread the news to avoid disrupting morale. Now that the New Recruit Competition has been over for a while, everyone has seen your cultivation progress and combat performance with their own eyes. Many instructors have brought up the topic of you skipping a grade again."

Fang Zhou was slightly surprised to hear this, but also felt a surge of pride.

Instructor Lu Hu continued, "Right now, the mainstream level for second-year students is Upper-rank Apprentice. A very small number of the most gifted seed students have already broken through the bottleneck and advanced to Black Iron, which aligns perfectly with your projected progress. I estimate you should be able to advance to Black Iron by the end of the semester. If you choose to skip a grade then, you could team up with the top second-year students. It would be an excellent choice, whether for challenging the Simulation Battlefield or taking on real combat missions. After all, once you reach the Black Iron Tier, you need ample real-world combat experience to speed up your cultivation."

He paused, giving Fang Zhou a moment to digest the information. Then, he looked at him and asked, "I think it’s a good arrangement. What are your thoughts?"

Fang Zhou was already mentally prepared for the possibility of skipping a grade. The Sea City Military Academy had specifically established its grade-skipping system for prodigies like him, whose talent far surpassed the ordinary.

During his previous interactions with Liu Diewu, Gu Yueyuan, and other second-year seed students, they had also anticipated that he might skip a grade.

Upon reflection, skipping to the second year had only upsides and no downsides for him. At this point, his first-year classmates could no longer provide him with any meaningful support.