Chapter 47

Alright, the great author's work, tragically, was bumped to the thirteenth spot, staying on the homepage for only half a day. What a tragedy. I beg for recommendation votes, clicks, and favorites for comfort...

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After leaving Lydia's room and reaching the hotel lobby, Ji Ran suddenly noticed that Aileen had already returned.

"Take a look, are these magic beast bones okay?" Aileen pointed to some bones on the table.

Most of these bones were ordinary magic beast bones with no magical energy, but there were a few that had some magical energy. It seemed that Aileen placed great importance on Hualuo and was afraid that just the ordinary bones would not be suitable.

Ji Ran walked over and nodded with a smile, "Of course they are. Don't look at these magic beast bones; they may not have magical energy, but they actually contain a lot of life energy from the magic beasts. This life energy is hard for humans to absorb, but it's fine for magic beasts... of course, it needs to be processed in a certain way, otherwise the absorption efficiency would be very low. These few bones... yeah, they will naturally have better effects. But they should be much more expensive, right? The cost-effectiveness is poor."

Ji Ran fiddled with the bones, quite satisfied. With the not-so-expensive herbs he had bought, he could at least make enough spirit beast feed for Hualuo to last two or three months.

"... As long as it can help Hualuo improve his strength, spending a bit more money is nothing. By the way, did you manage to sort things out with Lydia?" Aileen glanced at the room she shared with Lydia.

Ji Ran nodded, "Finally managed to persuade her. But you should also encourage her since you live together. Her talent is very good, but she is too insecure and somewhat timid. If she can overcome this, her future could be very promising."

Aileen nodded in agreement, "That's right. From the moment I met this child and saw her use the simplest magic to drive away a wild dog chasing her, I knew she was special. Later, when I found out she had only studied magic for a short time, I was even more shocked. Her talent surpasses that of most of her peers. With proper cultivation, she could become a high-level Silver or even a Gold mage... Unfortunately, none of us know magic, and we dare not entrust her to other mages... You know, for a girl to come to Baise City alone is already quite an achievement."

Ji Ran understood Aileen's point. A wandering, not very strong little girl could easily encounter all sorts of tragic events. Fortunately, she met people like Lai Si.

"So, the most important thing now is to boost her confidence and gradually make her believe she has the ability to achieve her goals. Only then can her potential be fully realized. Sigh, there's no other way but to instill this in her gradually at the academy."

Ji Ran also felt a bit frustrated. After all, he had already encouraged Lydia twice, and who knew if she would become depressed again if something happened at the academy.

"That's your problem. We used to be Lydia's guardians, but now this responsibility is in your hands. If you don't take good care of her, don't think we'll let you off."

Aileen still had a blank expression but had already simply dumped the responsibility on Ji Ran...

Ji Ran laughed bitterly, "You sure know how to shirk responsibility... But I also like this little sister and won't let her suffer. Rest assured. It's getting late, I'll go back to rest. I'll make Hualuo's food for you tomorrow. Given his size... it should last him two or three months."

Aileen waved her hand, "Do as you please. If Hualuo really strengthens because of your food, rest assured, I won't owe you a favor."

Ji Ran waved back, "That's a bit too formal, right? We don't need to talk about that now. But if you want to talk about compensation..."

Ji Ran glanced at Aileen's mask, suddenly realizing his words were a bit abrupt, so he swallowed the rest.

"What, interested in my appearance? If Hualuo really gets stronger, I might consider letting you see it."

Aileen's words almost made Ji Ran trip. He always thought the mask was Aileen's first taboo, not to be touched casually. So since they met, he never even mentioned it to Lai Si or Beck, and others acted as if it didn't exist. What was going on now? This sharp-tongued elf was actually offering to let him see?

"Don't be surprised. I bet every man who has seen me thinks the same. Just, hmm, you might be disappointed when the time comes." Aileen remained cold.

Ji Ran laughed and turned to walk towards his room. He couldn't handle this woman, so it was better to leave.

Back in the room with Uncle Lai Si, Ji Ran found Uncle Lai Si lying on the bed but apparently not asleep yet.

"Did you just go to comfort Lydia?"

Ji Ran wasn't surprised. With Uncle Lai Si's strength and experience, it would be strange if he hadn't noticed Lydia's abnormal behavior.

"Yeah, Lydia is fine in other aspects, but she lacks confidence. I need to focus on this and train her more in the future."

Uncle Lai Si smiled, "That's understandable... But I can see that Lydia has an extraordinary resilience in her heart. Otherwise, no other little girl would have the courage to run away from home alone to join the Azure Wind Academy. As long as we boost her courage, she will definitely undergo a significant transformation."

Ji Ran nodded. Lydia's potential and talent were the best in the group, and even he couldn't compare. He was stronger now because of a golden finger... If he were a native, he would probably be far behind her...

He had already given Uncle Lai Si the soup in the morning, and there was nothing else to do. Lying on the bed, Ji Ran tried hard to suppress his excitement and finally managed to fall asleep.

But this night, not everyone would sleep as peacefully as he did.

"Perfect score in the swordsmanship exam? This time, our academy actually has such a genius?"

Inside the Azure Wind Academy, in the student council building, the student council president's office, a steady voice was speaking.

"Yes, a perfect score in the swordsmanship exam. I have confirmed it, and there are no issues. Based on the analysis, he seems to have a Gold-level swordsmanship technique that perfectly matches his personality, allowing him to display Silver-level combat power at Level 2. The practical test in the entrance exam is set one level higher than the candidate's actual strength, which is probably why Ji Ran got a perfect score." Standing in front of the large desk was none other than Rex, who had organized the betting during Ji Ran's exam.

"Even so, a perfect score in the swordsmanship exam still proves that the Ji Ran you mentioned has great potential. We must do our best to bring such a student back to our academy. Even if we can't, we can't let others take him away."

The deep shadow behind the president's desk spoke calmly.

"President, do you mean...?" Rex's eyes showed a hint of surprise.

"... What are you thinking? The student council's actions are to strengthen our Azure Wind Academy, and we definitely won't do anything that harms the academy's interests. However, we can't let Azure Wind be messed up by others, right?"

Rex quickly lowered his head, "Yes, President, I understand."

The president nodded and waved his hand, "It's late, go back and rest. You'll be busy in the coming days."

Rex thanked him and turned to leave the president's office. The president remained silent for a moment, then sighed deeply.

"A genius with a perfect score in swordsmanship... Perhaps he really can bring some extraordinary changes to Azure Wind..."

In the faculty dormitory of the Azure Wind Academy.

"What? A candidate with a perfect score in swordsmanship? Show me the records quickly!" A middle-aged man, who looked to be in his forties or fifties, eagerly looked at Baise and David standing before him.

Baise responded and immediately took out a crystal the size of a finger, inserted it into a black, somewhat bulky device in the room, and fiddled with it.

With a hum, the device started. Then, a light screen was projected onto the opposite wall, and the scene of Ji Ran's exam began to appear on the wall.

"... What a marvelous swordsmanship, I've never seen anything like it! This swordsmanship seems to contain a mysterious charm, as if there is some profound philosophy within. The way he uses the longsword is different from any swordsmanship currently known on the continent, yet its power seems quite significant... His movements also follow a certain pattern, but I can't figure out what it is... Aura solidification? Yes, that's it! Aura solidification! To be able to perform aura solidification at Level 2, what kind of swordsmanship is this... I must see this boy in person!"

The middle-aged man, naturally, was Professor Lawrence, as Baise and David had mentioned. By the end, his hands were even moving slightly with Ji Ran's movements, completely immersed in the scene.

Baise and David exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of joy in each other's eyes. Professor Lawrence was indeed captivated, so as the ones who recommended this person to him, they should gain quite a bit, right?

In Baise City, at the high-end hotel Golden Glory.

"Damn! Damn! I will kill them, I will kill them!" Juan paced back and forth in the room, his rage almost setting the room on fire.

"Uncle, don't worry, I won't let that boy off! That boy has no backing and no support. I'll make sure he doesn't survive in the Azure Wind Academy!"

Odie's expression was as dark as his uncle's.

"Hmph, it won't be that easy to get to him in the Azure Wind Academy. After all, those old guys at Azure Wind won't let their so-called genius suffer easily. You need to use your head and not confront him directly. There are plenty of nouveau riche children in the Azure Wind Academy. Find a way to make them conflict with Ji Ran, and you can watch the show from the sidelines..." Juan smiled maliciously, seemingly very satisfied with his plan.

"Uncle's plan is indeed better! Don't worry, that poor boy doesn't seem to have experienced any noble life and won't be able to connect with those rich kids. I'll make sure he doesn't have an easy time..." Odie also smiled, a cruel smile.

"That boy is secondary; the key is Lai Si! That waste of space! He actually dared to insult me... I won't let him live! I can't do anything in Baise City, but once he leaves Baise City..." Juan's expression changed, and a hint of killing intent appeared in his eyes.

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