"Because I already saw the staircase appear right in front of me. But the exact moment my eight-hour limit expired, the pagoda’s laws took hold, and I was forcibly transported out before my foot could even touch the first step." Bai Xifeng explained, her voice carrying a heavy, annoyed huff of genuine frustration.

Ji Yuan fell silent for a brief moment, his gaze fixed on her as he processed her words internally. This girl truly was an enigma, a walking deviation from the norm. Even among the sea of countless geniuses he had encountered throughout his long life, Bai Xifeng’s advancement speed was something that could only be described as monstrous. Deep down, a faint sense of paternal pride warmed his heart at her accomplishments, though naturally, he had no intention of expressing such a sentiment openly and potentially inflating her already significant ego.

"I see..." Ji Yuan finally said, rising to his feet with a calm, fluid grace. "We shall set that matter aside for now. We are going to begin our class immediately. Prepare yourself for the practical session."

"Eh? Right now?" Bai Xifeng asked in utter disbelief, her eyes widening as she felt the weight of her lingering exhaustion. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Yes. Is there a problem with the timing?" Ji Yuan asked. His tone was perfectly calm, but the faint, dangerous glint in his eyes made it abundantly clear that refusal was not a viable option. "You are the one who skipped my scheduled evening class to play in the pagoda, after all. Consider this the interest on that debt."

"Fine..." Bai Xifeng surrendered instantly, dropping her shoulders and giving up any lingering thought of resistance.

She silently began the grim task of preparing herself mentally to get beaten up once again in the noble name of "training."

Two hours later, the sun had dipped below the horizon, and Bai Xifeng lay sprawled flat on the hard ground. She stared blankly at the darkening sky above her, her expression completely hollowed out and emotionless. Every single muscle in her body screamed in a chorus of agony, radiating waves of dull, throbbing pain that made even breathing feel like a chore. Ji Yuan had clearly shown absolutely no mercy during today’s lesson, pushing her to the very brink of her physical and mental endurance.

"There will be an inter-division competition held later this term." Ji Yuan stated calmly, his voice drifting down to her as he stood over her. He looked down at Bai Xifeng, who currently resembled little more than a discarded corpse lying in the dirt. "It would be beneficial for you to participate. However, there will be a specific restriction placed upon you. You are only allowed to use runes during the entirety of the battle."

"Only... runes?" Bai Xifeng asked weakly, her voice thin and barely rising above a ragged whisper.

"Yes." Ji Yuan nodded once, his tone firm and unquestionable.

Bai Xifeng gritted her teeth and slowly pushed herself into an upright position, her bones let out audible creaks despite the cooling flow of healing Qi circulating through her meridians.

"I have a lot of questions regarding the finer points of these restrictions." Bai Xifeng stated, her eyes regaining a spark of their usual seriousness.

"What is it?" Ji Yuan asked with surprising patience.

"Hmm... Can I use my dagger? If I can, am I permitted to attach runes to the blade beforehand? How many runes am I allowed to activate simultaneously? Can I use..."

Before Bai Xifeng could continue listing an endless, exhaustive stream of tactical queries, Ji Yuan raised a hand to cut her off midway.

"You may use one weapon of your choice." Ji Yuan answered. "You may also use as many runes as you are capable of controlling at any given time. However, you are strictly forbidden from utilising your natural elemental attributes. You must rely solely on the power of the inscriptions you forge."

Bai Xifeng nodded thoughtfully as she chewed on the conditions. This was a challenge, but a welcome one. It meant she would need to start preparing a vast arsenal of specialised, high-tier runes well in advance.

There were already many complex rune combinations and experimental techniques she had been wanting to test for a long time, but lacked the proper, high-stakes opportunity to use safely. Perhaps this upcoming competition would become the perfect laboratory for her to experiment freely in the crucible of actual combat.

"Teacher Ji." Bai Xifeng suddenly called out, her mind shifting gears.

"Yes? What is it?" Ji Yuan glanced toward Bai Xifeng.

"What is the reward?" Bai Xifeng asked immediately, her eyes shone, waiting for the answer.

A competition of this scale, involving the entire academy, should naturally have a prize worth the effort. Otherwise, where was the motivation to suffer through the training and the inevitable bruises?

"I do not know the exact details of the price yet. You will find out when the official announcement is made. However..." Ji Yuan paused slightly, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I believe the prize should be quite valuable. Enough to tempt even the most reclusive of students."

Since Ji Yuan had vouched for it personally, Bai Xifeng decided to trust his judgment. She was now fully, single-mindedly determined to win the competition and claim whatever treasure was waiting at the end.

...

For the following several days, Bai Xifeng became a ghost within the academy. She rarely left the Inscriber Division except for the absolute necessity of attending her Poison Master classes. The moment those lessons concluded, she would immediately vanish back to her private room to write runes, practice the intricate timing of activating them, and prepare herself for the looming competition.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***