Bai Xin’s astonishment matched that of the students, Lin Mi, and Lin Zhijun. Only now did she truly feel her body—suddenly incomparably stronger than before. That intoxicating power, as if she could do anything, made her feel like the world was under her feet. It was dizzying. Such a massive leap in strength had its downsides.

Seeing her friend Wu Xia slammed aside with a pained cry, Lin Zhijun’s eyes blazed with fury. She ignored the school rule against using abilities in daily fights. With a sharp cry, a thick water column—nearly the size of a washbasin—shot straight at Bai Xin. Well, Wu Xia had used her ability too. But honestly, low-level physical enhancement was hard to spot when activated.

Bai Xin, eager to test her newfound power, lit up as Lin Zhijun broke the rules first. She took a deep breath. A dazzling, half-human-sized light disc appeared before her.

Thankfully, abilities stemmed from one’s core, making them feel as natural as moving an arm. The Mystic Necklace helped too. That’s why Bai Xin could use her sudden power normally—though still clumsy and unable to handle complex techniques. With non-core abilities, she’d be sitting on a treasure mountain, unable to use a single bit.

Back to the fight: the water column crashed into Bai Xin’s disc-like shield with a deafening roar. The clashing energies fizzled out. Bai Xin’s slender hand trembled. The disc flared brighter. The water column reflected back, blasting the unprepared Lin Zhijun away!

Light’s traits! Heat! Mirror reflection! But this reflected energy itself!

The crowd gasped. This girl, called a “useless pretty face,” had just easily defeated two C-Rank Ability Users? They couldn’t help but marvel.

Lin Mi’s face darkened like storm clouds. Her two trusted underlings beaten by a “famous waste” she bullied daily? Where was her dignity as their leader?

So Lin Mi decided to act herself. Dark red flames flickered faintly over her body. The scorching heat radiating from her seemed to raise the air temperature.

Bai Xin didn’t know why her power surged so suddenly. The necklace? Cold Night Feather? Or both? Though not emotionally sharp, she was clever. Her mind raced—but Lin Mi, radiating hostility, gave her no time to think. Bai Xin took a deep breath and began channeling energy from her core.

Just as tension peaked between them, the crowd parted again—like when Cold Night Feather walked to the classroom earlier. At the path’s end stood a bald, middle-aged man, his muscles straining his shirt to bursting. Beside him was a beautiful girl with short black hair. The man glared at the two girls with hawk-like eyes and roared:

“You two! Do you think the school means nothing to you?!”

Cold Night Feather narrowed her eyes. This man was stronger than the Ability Users she’d seen fighting Sin Beasts—but weaker than General Lei. Why would such a respected figure hide in this small place?

At the sight of the muscular man, both girls instantly retracted their energy. Like mice seeing a cat, they bowed respectfully: “Principal!”

This was Li Wushuang, principal of Donglin Third Middle School. Rumored to be a B+-Rank Ability User, many believed he was already A-Rank. No one knew why an A-Rank Ability User wouldn’t get certified for better status, choosing instead to lead a third-rate high school in a tiny city.

No one had ever seen Li Wushuang fight at full strength. He rarely handled city crises or outside requests. He always stayed at the school. People felt he guarded some forbidden seal—but he never spoke of it.

At school, Li Wushuang was a strict traditionalist. Lin Mi feared him deeply. Though her father was a B-Rank Ability User, ranks had tiers—he was merely mid-to-upper level.

Normally, Li Wushuang ignored Lin Mi. She bullied classmates and acted arrogantly, but never committed serious crimes. So he tolerated her.

But today, when a wind-user student rushed into his office reporting Lin Mi’s fight with Bai Xin at the gate, Li Wushuang came immediately. He’d finally discipline this troublemaking heiress.

“Lin Mi! Bai Xin! My office. Now!” His gaze at Lin Mi was stern and sharp. But when he looked at Bai Xin, a trace of guilt and pity flickered in his eyes.

Watching the anticlimactic end, Cold Night Feather dismissed her scout insects into elemental particles. She quickened her pace toward the classroom, satisfied.

Her reason for arriving boldly with Bai Xin, then leaving abruptly, was deliberate.

From General Lei’s files, Cold Night Feather knew Bai Xin lived with deep insecurity—even around her.

This stemmed not just from being orphaned, but from a world valuing strength above all. Powerless and mocked, Bai Xin had been bullied relentlessly.

To build her confidence, Bai Xin needed to defeat her tormentors with her new, unknown power. But this was only step one.

Their flashy entrance drew everyone’s attention. Those unfriendly to Bai Xin would act—especially since Cold Night Feather left immediately, ignoring Bai Xin’s shaky state. Most would assume she’d merely given Bai Xin a ride.

So Cold Night Feather had gone to great lengths.

Hastening her steps, Cold Night Feather soon reached her homeroom teacher’s office—the one the government agent had described.

She took a deep breath. Cold Night Feather, Freya Continent’s top genius, felt nervous. Yes, the fearless warrior who faced disasters and slew the Demon King was nervous. Simply because this was her first time entering a school.

For the orphan she once was, schooling was an unreachable luxury. On Freya Continent, academies charged steep fees—only nobles and the wealthy could afford them. Survival had been her only concern.

Later, saved by the kind XiaoYunYao, she trained in combat within the Eternal Night organization. Even after XiaoYunYao took her as a disciple for her terrifying talent, she’d never set foot in a school.

Putting a forty-something warrior—scarred by blood and death, with no schooling—into a peaceful classroom of naive students was deeply unsettling.

But Cold Night Feather had dug this hole herself to protect Bai Xin. No matter her reluctance or nerves, she had to bite the bullet.

Cold Night Feather took another breath and pushed open the office door under curious student gazes.

Inside, long desks overflowed with books and trinkets. All were empty except the one facing the door. A slightly plump middle-aged man stared at her, awestruck.

“Hello. I’m Cold Night Feather, the new transfer student for Class 4, Grade 11.” She bowed slightly. Though his power seemed weak, he was now her teacher. Cold Night Feather prided herself on not being “good,” but she respected elders.

The man stood, smiling and nodding. Truthfully, he had a headache. A stunning transfer student like this would stir up his already restless class. Her beauty even tempted him, nearing fifty. He feared students from other classes would swarm in.

Sighing, he could only pray Cold Night Feather was as well-behaved as she looked.