Volume 1: Bo'an Awakening & The Calamity Storm
Chapter 18
Ten Thousand Scholarship & Family Joy
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Urgent, heavy pounding echoed down the subterranean corridor, accompanied by the grinding rattle of heavy mechanical gears engaging in rapid sequence.
“Abnormal energy fluctuations detected in Chamber 01! Emergency override—open the blast door immediately!”
The gruff, booming voice of Feng Lan High’s Chief of Campus Security carried the unmistakable mana pressure of an experienced mage, vibrating through the half-inch-thick alloy blast door. High on the reinforced ceiling, a spherical magetech surveillance orb spun with frantic whirrs, its ruby indicator pulsing in a rapid, crimson emergency strobe.
Inside, Lin Feng did not panic in the slightest. In this razor’s-edge crisis, his mind turned unnervingly calm.
The secret of his Innate Dual Elements could not be revealed under any circumstances—not now, and certainly not here. A destitute youth awakening an extraordinary Fire Element had already painted a colossal target on his back, drawing the bitter envy and resentment of the local noble clans. If word leaked that he harbored a second, wildly mutated Lightning Element that crackled with violent, apocalyptic fury, what awaited him would not be accolades, but an endless barrage of covert snares, poisoned daggers, and ruthless assassinations.
His gaze darted to the ragged crater blasted into the granite wall. Web-like fractures of scorched, purplish-black stone radiated outward from the point of impact, still smoking with residual static electricity from the lightning strike.
He had two seconds at most before the blast door slid aside.
Fire Burst... Raging Flame!
Lin Feng roared mentally. Without a breath of hesitation, incandescent crimson fire erupted across his right palm, swelling instantly into a swirling vortex of roaring flames that he slammed straight into the scarred granite wall!
“BOOM!”
The blistering inferno ravenously engulfed the stone, incinerating every trace of lightning scorch and electrical residue into a bed of crackling, smoldering embers. The sharp, pungent tang of ozone was instantly suffocatingly drowned out by the thick stench of burning stone and billowing smoke.
At that exact moment, the multi-ton steel blast door ground aside with a heavy hiss.
The Security Chief burst through the threshold, flanked by two armed guards gripping energized stun batons. The roaring wall of heat slammed squarely into their faces, forcing all three men to throw their arms up to shield their eyes and stumble back half a step.
Through the swirling haze of grey dust and smoke, Lin Feng sat cross-legged upon his woven straw meditation mat. Beaded sweat trickled down his brow, and his youthful features were painted with an expression of sheepish, earnest remorse.
“Sir... I was trying to compress all the mana from my seven Star Cores to push Fire Burst to its absolute maximum output,” Lin Feng said softly, dipping his head. “I didn’t expect the release to be so violent that it would trip the chamber’s safety sensors. I’m truly sorry for causing such an alarm.”
The Security Chief stepped forward, resting a calloused palm against the blistering, blackened granite. He closed his eyes, sensing the raw, unadulterated Fire mana clinging to the rock. Detecting no forbidden techniques or foreign anomalies, the man breathed an audible sigh of relief, his eyes widening in begrudging admiration.
“The explosive output of this boy’s spellcasting is leagues beyond his peers,” the officer muttered under his breath, before clearing his throat and offering a gruff nod. “Still, watch yourself next time, young man. Reckless over-channeling risks severe mana backlash to your meridians.”
Once the security squad withdrew and the heavy alloy door hissed shut, sealing him back into isolation, Lin Feng exhaled a long breath. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
The crisis had passed. His greatest trump card—the Lightning Element—remained safely veiled in the deepest shadows.
For the next three weeks within Underground Meditation Chamber 01, Lin Feng poured every waking heartbeat into forging his magical foundations.
Triple the ambient mana density, paired with the miraculous, constant nourishment from the Primordial Dragon Pendant resting against his chest, triggered a staggering transformation.
The seven Fire Star Cores orbiting within his Sea of Consciousness were tempered day and night until they burned as brilliantly as flawless rubies forged from liquid flame. When called upon, they snapped into alignment, weaving a Star Path as smooth and unobstructed as mountain rapids cascading down a riverbed.
His casting time for Fire Burst—originally a respectable three seconds—was whittled down to a razor-sharp 0.8 seconds!
0.8 seconds to unleash a lethal, devastating strike!
In the brutal realm of practical combat, such speed bordered on the mythical realm of instant casting. Any opponent of his tier who dared hesitate for even a fraction of a heartbeat would be engulfed by Lin Feng’s flames before their defensive wards could even begin to manifest.
Furthermore, the ethereal boundaries of his Fire Stardust had expanded to their absolute limit, cementing his foundation at the very apex of Primary Rank 1. It hungered for advancement; all it needed was a single breakthrough catalyst, and the barrier into Primary Rank 2 would shatter like fragile porcelain.
At the same time, the seven Lightning Star Cores were meticulously nourished by the Dragon Pendant’s ancient spiritual currents. They had submitted entirely to his will, coiled like a slumbering violet-black thunder serpent, ready to strike at his command.
Three weeks slipped away in an instant. When the resonant chime of the bronze bell echoed down from the academy spire to signal the conclusion of his cultivation retreat, Lin Feng rose to his feet. He reined in every scrap of his mana aura, transformed into the image of an ordinary student, and strode out from the subterranean chambers.
Golden late-afternoon sunlight bathed the sweeping marble stairs of Feng Lan High’s administration hall.
Rather than returning to his dormitory, Lin Feng ascended straight to the third floor, stopping before a polished bronze plaque that read: Finance & Awards Bureau.
The moment the clerk behind the mahogany counter caught sight of Lin Feng, he practically leaped to his feet. His usual aloof, bureaucratic indifference was replaced by a beaming, solicitous smile:
“Ah, Lin Feng! Come in, come in! Your top-ranker grand prize has been thoroughly prepared and waiting for you.”
The finance officer produced a brass key, turning the heavy lock on a reinforced alloy safe. From within, he brought out a thick, dark-brown leather envelope along with an ornate ebony box carved with delicate cloud-flame motifs.
“Here is ten thousand mana credits in cash, jointly awarded by Feng Lan Magic High School and the Municipal Government to the student who achieved absolute first place across the entire tenth-grade midterm assessment.” The officer placed the heavy leather envelope onto the polished desk, his voice brimming with unfeigned praise. “And inside this ebony case rests a Qi Gathering Pill, specially concocted by the master apothecaries of the Alchemists’ Guild. It possesses the miraculous ability to cleanse clogged meridians, dissolve internal blockages, and nourish foundational vitality. To any Primary Mage, this is an invaluable treasure.”
Lastly, he unfurled an official certificate of commendation, edged in vermilion silk and stamped with gleaming gold foil. Emblazoned across the center in majestic calligraphy were the words: Student Lin Feng – Absolute Champion of the Annual Assessment, punctuated at the bottom by Principal Qin’s bold signature and the crimson wax seal of the academy.
Lin Feng extended both hands to accept the honors. The leather envelope was pleasantly heavy in his grip, its crisp stacks of newly minted mana banknotes emitting the fresh aroma of security ink and the subtle, refreshing hum of latent elemental energy.
Ten thousand mana credits!
To silver-spooned scions like Ling Bai, such a sum might be pocket change—barely enough to purchase a designer gala suit or pay for a lavish night of imported wine. But to his family dwelling in the slums of South Street, this was an astronomical sum. It represented the endless blood, sweat, and tears his father, Lin Hai, would have had to shed, wrestling the steering wheel of his battered cargo truck night after night across dangerous mountain passes for an entire year just to scrape together!
Lin Feng carefully slipped the ebony box containing the Qi Gathering Pill deep into the inner pocket of his coat, rolled up the certificate with meticulous care, and bowed respectfully to the clerk.
“Thank you, Teacher. And thank you to the academy.”
With the rewards secured, Lin Feng didn’t linger for another moment. He turned on his heel and strode briskly toward the school gates.
Dusk descended over Bo’an City.
Frigid winds swept down from the jagged heights of Cang Lei Ridge, howling through the city streets and scattering dead, brittle leaves across the pavement. In this frontier garrison town, winter always arrived with premature, biting severity.
Steering clear of the wide, illuminated boulevards of the city center—where magical lampposts bathed the storefronts in lavish, multi-colored light—Lin Feng turned down a narrow, rutted dirt track leading into South Street.
The impoverished quarter materialized under the gloomy twilight. Rows of ramshackle single-story houses with rusted corrugated tin roofs leaned against one another in cramped disarray. The pungent, sulfurous smoke of honeycomb coal briquettes seeped from makeshift outdoor stoves, blending with the sharp stench of motor oil and stagnant drainage ditches flanking the unpaved alleys.
Lin Feng paused before a familiar, weathered iron gate. It stood slightly ajar. Inside the uneven, cracked concrete courtyard, the pale yellow beam of a bare incandescent bulb—suspended precariously from the gnarled branch of a guava tree—cast long, quivering shadows.
Under that meager pool of light, an emaciated, hunched figure lay half-submerged beneath the rusted undercarriage of a battered freight truck caked in dry mud.
It was his father—Lin Hai.
The dark-blue canvas work jacket on his back was threadbare and split at both elbows, blackened with thick smears of grease and dirt. His coarse, heavily calloused hands—ravaged by frostbite and crisscrossed with deep fissures that wept dried blood—strained with every ounce of sinew, hauling a heavy iron wrench against a stubborn, rusted bolt on the rear axle.
A biting winter gale whistled through the gap in the courtyard wall. The father shivered violently inside his thin clothing, his labored breath billowing out in thick, white plumes against the freezing dusk fog.
Looking upon that bowed spine and those frail, bony shoulders, Lin Feng felt a crushing tightness grip his chest. A sudden heat stung his eyes. He pushed the gate open and stepped into the yard, his voice soft yet resonant with warmth:
“Dad. I’m home.”
The sound of his voice caused the wrench in Lin Hai’s hands to slip. The older man scrambled out from under the truck in a flurry of clumsy movements, trying to stand upright, only to wince and clutch his lower back as his chronic joint pain flared with a vengeance.
Yet the instant his bloodshot, exhausted eyes found his son standing in the courtyard, all the weariness seemed to vanish in a flash of pure light. He quickly wiped the sweat and grime from his forehead with the greasy back of his sleeve, his lined face breaking into a radiant, gentle smile:
“Feng’er! You’re back! Three whole weeks of cultivating at the academy—are you starved? Are you exhausted? Quick, get inside! The wind out here will freeze you to the bone!”
Lin Hai frantically snatched up a stained shop rag, scrubbing at the blackened grease on his hands. He reached out instinctively to ruffle his son’s hair, but suddenly caught sight of the pristine, pressed fabric of Lin Feng’s school uniform. Feeling self-conscious, he hastily pulled his hands back, hiding them behind his apron with an awkward chuckle:
“I just wrapped up a long haul from the outskirts, so I thought I’d adjust the brake shoes before heading out at dawn tomorrow. I’ve got a pot of radish and pork bone soup simmering on the stove inside. Xiaomo is warming it up right now—go on in and have a hot bowl to chase away the cold!”
Lin Feng didn’t step inside. Instead, he walked directly up to his weary, weathered father and gently caught those rough, cracked hands in his own. He slid his backpack off his shoulders, reached inside, and retrieved the thick, officially sealed bundle of 10,000 mana credits, placing it firmly into Lin Hai’s grease-stained palms.
Then, he unfurled the brilliant crimson certificate with its gleaming gold borders, smoothing it flat across the dusty hood of the cargo truck.
“Dad. This is the top-ranker scholarship from Feng Lan High. Ten thousand mana credits, in cash.”
Lin Feng’s voice was calm, yet every syllable carried the weight of a mountain:
“From this day on, you don’t ever have to risk your life hauling dangerous night freights across the mountain passes again. Our family... will never suffer in poverty again.”
“Wh... What?!”
Lin Hai froze in place as though struck by lightning, his body turning rigid as stone.
His clouded eyes widened until they threatened to tear, staring dumbly down at the dense stack of currency resting in his palms. The crisp, pale-purple high-denomination notes shimmered with intricate anti-counterfeit mana runes right before his eyes. His trembling gaze drifted from the money to the truck hood. Beneath the dim, buzzing lightbulb, the embossed gold calligraphy burned itself into his vision: Student Lin Feng – Absolute Champion of the Annual Assessment.
“CLANG——!”
The heavy iron wrench slipped from his limp fingers, crashing against the concrete with a deafening metallic ring that shattered the quiet of the night.
Lin Hai’s entire frame began to shudder violently. His soot-stained fingers reached toward the certificate of honor, trembling as if approaching a sacred relic, only to jerk back inches away—terrified that a single stray smudge of motor oil might tarnish the pristine crimson seal of the city’s finest academy.
“Ten thousand credits... Valedictorian... My son... my boy is the top ranker...”
Lin Hai’s lips quivered uncontrollably, the words choking in his throat.
For over ten years, ever since his wife passed away, he had weathered life’s storms alone to raise two young children, swallowing every bitter humiliation the world had to offer. He remembered kneeling in the freezing mud outside the gates of the Ling Clan estate, enduring the spittle and sneers of arrogant household servants just to beg for a recommendation letter so his son would have a chance to enter magic high school. He remembered the terrifying winter nights behind the wheel, crawling along the precipitous ledges of Cang Lei Ridge with monstrous beasts prowling in the abyss, gritting his teeth until his gums bled just to secure their future.
All those years of stifled agony, all that silent endurance, ruptured in an instant—transforming into an overwhelming, torrential river of warmth that flooded his hollowed chest!
“Oooo... Sob...”
The steadfast pillar of this household, a man who had never let out a single whimper before the harshest storms of fate, suddenly sank onto the concrete steps. He buried his weathered, soot-blackened face in his calloused palms and wept uncontrollably, like a helpless child.
Scalding tears poured between his cracked fingers, washing clean streaks through the accumulated grime and diesel grease on his cheeks before dripping onto the frozen pavement. They were tears of pure, breathless pride! The son of a ragged, destitute freight driver had trampled every arrogant aristocrat underfoot to stand upon the highest peak of Feng Lan High!
“Dear wife... if your spirit is watching from the heavens, look... look at our boy... Our Feng’er has brought honor to our name... He’s the valedictorian, my love... He’s the champion...”
Lin Feng dropped to one knee beside him, wrapping an arm around his father’s thin, trembling shoulders. His voice caught with emotion, yet rang with unyielding iron:
“Dad. From this day forward, our family will walk with our heads held high. No one will ever dare look down on us again!”
“Creeeak...”
The weathered wooden door of the main house creaked open.
A slender, petite figure seated upon an old wooden wheelchair slowly pushed herself onto the small porch.
She was clad in a light-blue knitted sweater she had woven with her own hands, her long black hair tied neatly behind her nape. Her porcelain face was as delicate and fair as blossoming pear petals in spring. Her large, obsidian eyes, clear as autumn springs, glistened with unshed tears as she gazed at the two men in the yard.
It was Lin Xiaomo.
“Big Brother... Dad...” Her soft, sweet voice drifted across the courtyard, gently sweeping away the bitter chill of early winter.
Lin Feng stood up, helped his father wipe the tears from his cheeks, and together they walked into the modest house.
The humble dwelling spanned barely forty square meters, but under Xiaomo’s diligent and caring hands, every corner was spotless and neatly arranged. Lin Feng walked up to the wooden wheelchair, knelt before his little sister, and retrieved the ebony box from his inner pocket, setting it gently upon the low wooden table.
“Xiaomo, come here,” Lin Feng said with a tender smile, taking her small, slightly chilly hand into his own.
Xiaomo tilted her head, her gaze lingering curiously on the exquisitely carved ebony container. “Big Brother, what is this?”
“This is a Qi Gathering Pill, a special reward given to me by the academy.”
Lin Feng flicked the brass clasp open. In an instant, a refreshing, invigorating fragrance—born from dozens of pure, unadorned spiritual herbs—blossomed throughout the small room. Resting upon a bed of golden silk was a round, thumb-sized pill, lustrous and smooth as carved jade, radiating a soft, gentle azure halo.
“I want you to take this pill,” Lin Feng said, gazing directly into her eyes with deep, earnest hope. “The Qi Gathering Pill clears blocked meridians, repairs damaged vessels, and replenishes foundational vitality. It will definitely bring life back to your legs!”
Xiaomo froze, her eyes widening in panic as she waved her hands frantically. “No, Big Brother! You can’t! This is a precious spirit medicine meant for mages! You have to use it to strengthen your cultivation! I... my legs have been crippled since I was a child. Taking it would just be wasting such a rare treasure...”
“What foolishness are you talking about?!”
Lin Feng’s tone turned stern, though his eyes brimmed with boundless affection. “In my heart, even the most profound, god-tier magic in this world could never compare to your legs! Listen to your brother—take it!”
Lin Hai hurried over, gently patting his daughter’s head as he chimed in with urgent warmth: “Your brother is right, Xiaomo! Feng’er has genuine talent; he will never lack cultivation resources in the future. Seeing you stand on your own two feet is what your brother and I pray for more than anything else in this world!”
Seeing the resolute, loving gazes of both her father and brother, Xiaomo’s eyes turned red with moisture. She bit her lower lip gently, bowing her head in a soft nod. “Okay... I’ll listen to you, Big Brother.”
Lin Feng carefully lifted the jade-like pill and placed it gently against her parted lips, offering her a cup of warm water.
The pill dissolved the instant it touched her tongue, melting into a sweet, warm nectar that flowed down her throat like a soothing spring stream straight into her abdomen. Within seconds, a healthy rosy blush bloomed across Xiaomo’s pale cheeks.
The pure medicinal potency swiftly transformed into gentle currents of thermal energy, circulating through her organs, descending along her spine, and surging like a warm river down into her paralyzed legs!
At that very instant, deep within Xiaomo’s body, a miraculous resonance stirred!
From within her lower dantian, a radiant, milky-white light—pure, gentle, and serene as moonlight—quietly manifested, spilling outward to envelop her slender legs. It was the dormant, primordial seed of White Magic—pure Healing Magic!
Under the gentle guidance of this milky-white aura, the medicinal essence of the Qi Gathering Pill did not dissipate; instead, it condensed into concentrated surges of vibrant life force, relentlessly surging into the atrophied meridians, blocked acupoints, and withered blood vessels that had slumbered in darkness for nearly ten years!
“Mmph...” Xiaomo let out a soft gasp, her slender fingers gripping the wooden armrests of her wheelchair with sudden strength.
“Xiaomo, how does it feel?!” Lin Hai asked, his voice trembling with anxiety.
“Warm... Dad, it’s so warm...”
Xiaomo breathed rapidly, her large eyes wide with astonishment. “My legs... the freezing numbness is gone... It feels like... like hot water is flowing right through my toes...”
Beneath the dim yellow lightbulb, an undeniable miracle unfolded before their eyes!
Xiaomo’s ten toes, which had remained rigid, pale, and lifeless since her childhood, slowly flushed with healthy, vibrant pink. One by one, her toes began to twitch, flex, and curl with rhythmic grace!
And it didn’t stop there. The tendons along her ankles tightened. Under the conscious command of her mind, both delicate feet slowly lifted off the wooden footrest of the wheelchair, hovering nearly two inches in mid-air before gently settling back down!
Though she could not yet leap to her feet and run, regaining warmth, sensation, and voluntary motor control after nearly a decade of total paralysis was a miraculous breakthrough that defied all medical expectations!
“They moved... They really moved!”
Lin Hai dropped to his knees before the wheelchair, his trembling, grease-stained hands gently cradling his daughter’s warm feet. He threw his head back toward the ceiling, weeping in ecstatic delirium: “The heavens have opened their eyes! My Xiaomo can move her feet!”
Xiaomo stared down at her feet, then looked up at her brother. Tears spilled over her eyelashes, but the smile blooming across her face was as radiant as the dawn: “Big Brother... I moved them! I can feel my feet!”
Lin Feng clenched his fists, an overwhelming surge of joy washing over his soul. That milky-white glow just now had confirmed his deepest intuition beyond all doubt: Xiaomo possessed an innate, dormant talent for White Magic! As long as he continued to secure higher-grade resources in the days to come, the day she would stride proudly under the open sky was no longer a distant fantasy!
That evening, the modest house in South Street was filled with hearty laughter and boundless warmth.
The pot of radish and pork bone soup bubbled merrily on the stove, sending aromatic plumes of savory steam into the air. A plate of stir-fried pork with onions, a dish of tender boiled water spinach, and three heaping bowls of fluffy white rice were set around the small circular table.
Lin Hai took a slow sip of cheap rice wine, his face glowing with the rosy intoxication of pure, unfiltered joy. He continuously picked out the tenderest morsels of lean pork, heaping them into the bowls of his two children:
“Eat, eat, my children! Today is the happiest day of my entire life!”
Xiaomo ate small, delicate mouthfuls, her eyes never leaving her brother—brimming with awe, reverence, and profound love. The humble dwelling radiated with the fierce, protective warmth of family, utterly banishing the bitter winter frost howling against the outside eaves.
Late into the night, after his father and sister had fallen into peaceful slumber with serene smiles gracing their lips, Lin Feng sat cross-legged upon the floor of his tiny attic room.
The icy night wind rattled against the wooden window slats, carrying the biting chill down from Cang Lei Ridge. Against his chest, the black dragon pendant—the Primordial Dragon Pendant—pulsed with a slow, soothing heartbeat, radiating a gentle, ancient warmth that enveloped his Sea of Consciousness.
His family was safe and joyous, his sister’s recovery was underway, and his dual-element cultivation stood firmly entrenched at the pinnacle of Primary Rank 1. Everything seemed to be heading in the most glorious direction.
Yet, deep in his mind, Lin Feng harbored no illusions: this was merely the opening chapter. Bo’an City concealed too many ruthless undercurrents and treacherous predators.
Early the following morning.
Just as the first golden rays of dawn pierced the dense morning fog clinging to the tin rooftops of South Street, the tranquil stillness of the alley was violently shattered by a thunderous, concussive roar!
“Vrrroooom —— ROAAR!”
The deep, bass-heavy snarl of a massive mana engine echoed from the entrance of the alley, vibrating the crumbling plaster and loose bricks of the surrounding houses.
Residents of the neighborhood heading out for their morning labor scrambled to the sides of the road in sheer terror, staring in stunned disbelief at the monstrous, ultra-luxurious vehicle slowly gliding down the muddy, rutted lane.
It was an elongated armored limousine sheathed in polished, mirror-like silver plating, its chassis etched with complex, bulletproof and spell-dispersion defensive warding runes. Mounted upon the front hood and embossed in pure silver on both passenger doors was a proud, gleaming six-petaled snowflake crest!
The exclusive heraldry of the undisputed Number One Noble Clan of Bo’an City: The Ling Clan!
“Screeech——”
The magnificent vehicle drifted to a flawless halt directly outside the rusted iron gates of the Lin household.
The heavy rear door unlatched and swung open.
A middle-aged man clad in a tailored black brocade three-piece suit stepped down onto the muddy lane. His hair was slicked back with fragrant pomade, and his hands were sheathed in pristine white silk gloves. His sharp, predatory eyes swept across the squalor of the alley with thinly veiled aristocratic disgust. But the moment his gaze settled upon the wooden front door of the Lin residence, he instantly reigned in every trace of arrogance, smoothing his lapels with impeccable decorum.
Held reverently between the butler’s gloved hands was a formal invitation scroll crafted from crimson beast leather and bound with dazzling gold trim.
At the center of the scroll, a golden jade crest pulsed with an imposing, noble mana aura, beneath which four characters were stamped in sweeping, imperial calligraphy:
Ling Clan – Ling Zhuofeng!