Zhao Mu accepted the incoming video call.
A bald elderly man with a neatly trimmed white beard appeared on the screen. His face radiated kindness and warmth, and the moment he saw Zhao Mu, his eyes lit up with delight.
"Zhao Mu!" the old man exclaimed cheerfully. "I heard you've become a First-Level Jinhai Master. On behalf of the Qingfeng Camp administration, allow me to offer my sincerest congratulations!"
Zhao Mu was slightly surprised.
He had expected the principal to be a stern and authoritative figure, not someone so approachable and friendly.
Smiling politely, he nodded.
"Thank you, Principal."
The principal's expression became more serious.
"Zhao Mu, the world of Spirit Power Users is far more dangerous than ordinary people imagine."
"Possessing talent is a blessing, but it can also attract unwanted attention."
He paused before continuing.
"A tree that stands taller than the forest is the first to be struck by the wind."
"Therefore, Qingfeng Camp hopes you will keep your promotion to First-Level Jinhai Master a secret."
"Do not reveal it casually."
"Not to your classmates."
"Not to your roommates."
"Not even to close friends unless absolutely necessary."
The principal looked directly into Zhao Mu's eyes.
"This is a request from the camp. Can you do that?"
Zhao Mu was somewhat confused.
Becoming a Jinhai Master was a remarkable achievement. He didn't understand why such good news needed to be hidden.
However, he had never been someone who enjoyed showing off.
After a moment's thought, he nodded.
"Understood."
The principal immediately smiled in satisfaction.
"Excellent."
"Rest assured, Qingfeng Camp will not treat its talents unfairly."
"Starting this month, your resource allocation will be increased by thirty percent compared to other A-Rank Special Recruits."
"You only need to focus on improving yourself and crafting Ember Relics. Leave everything else to the academy."
Hearing those words, Zhao Mu finally experienced the benefits of becoming a Jinhai Master.
People treated him differently now.
Resources that others had to compete fiercely for were being offered directly to him.
After thanking the principal, he ended the call.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"So this is what it feels like to become stronger."
He lowered his head and looked at the Extinguished Ember in his hand.
Aunt Bu had once told him something.
"When you become outstanding enough, the world will naturally become kinder to you."
At the time, he hadn't fully understood those words.
Now he did.
People respected strength.
People valued talent.
And people were willing to invest in those with limitless potential.
Clenching the Ember Relic tightly, Zhao Mu's gaze became firm.
"Then I'll become even stronger."
"I'll become someone nobody can ignore."
Not long after the principal's call ended, another notification sounded.
Then another.
The two vice principals had also contacted him individually.
Their attitudes were almost identical to the principal's.
Warm.
Friendly.
Almost excessively so.
Both men spoke to Zhao Mu as if he were their own son.
If he encountered any difficulties within Qingfeng Camp, they told him to contact them directly.
The level of attention made Zhao Mu feel slightly overwhelmed.
Ordinary recruits would never receive such treatment.
Even elite B-Rank Special Recruits like Shao Han and Shen Moran weren't qualified to contact the camp's highest leadership directly.
Yet Zhao Mu, an E-Rank talent holder, was receiving personal attention from all three principals.
The reason was simple.
No matter how powerful other recruits became in the future, their achievements would mostly belong to themselves.
At best, Qingfeng Camp would gain some prestige.
But a Jinhai Master was different.
A Jinhai Master could create resources.
Could create opportunities.
Could create wealth.
His value extended far beyond combat strength.
That was why the administration was so eager to build a good relationship with him before he fully matured.
---
That night, Zhao Mu trained until dawn.
By the time he finally stopped, the synchronization rate of Extinguished Ember had reached fifty percent.
The result left him extremely satisfied.
As expected, an Ember Relic personally crafted by a Jinhai Master was completely different from ordinary relics.
The synchronization speed was astonishing.
For comparison, the Twin Tiger Shaking Heaven Bow he had crafted for Mo Guanguan still only possessed a synchronization rate of twenty percent.
This was one of the greatest advantages enjoyed by Jinhai Masters.
Because they understood every detail of the crafting process, they also understood how to maximize compatibility.
Their own creations naturally synchronized far more efficiently.
Tomorrow was a rest day.
For that reason, Zhao Mu ended his training earlier than usual and returned to the dormitory shortly after midnight.
When he pushed open the door to Dormitory 207, he immediately discovered his three roommates sitting together in a circle.
The group was chatting enthusiastically.
"You're all still awake?"
Zhao Mu closed the door behind him.
The moment they saw him, all three waved him over.
"Brother Mu!"
Meng Qiuqiu grinned.
"Are you planning to go home tomorrow?"
Zhao Mu thought for a moment.
"I probably will."
"Not that I have anywhere else to go."
Since Bu Yanhuan had joined the military, his home had become empty.
Returning home or staying at school made little difference.
There was nobody waiting for him either way.
Suddenly, Meng Qiuqiu threw an arm around Zhao Mu's shoulder.
A mischievous grin appeared on his face.
"Then come to my house instead!"
"What?"
"My family would love to meet my friends."
Meng Qiuqiu's enthusiasm was impossible to ignore.
Zhao Mu blinked.
"Where exactly is your home?"
"Qingzhou!"
The answer startled him.
Qingzhou was one of the most prosperous cities in Jiangnan Province.
It was also the headquarters of the Meng Clan Chamber of Commerce.
Across the entire Xuanfeng Empire, Qingzhou ranked among the five wealthiest and most influential cities.
Zhao Mu had always wanted to visit.
Unfortunately, traveling there required an expensive airship ticket.
For someone raised on a tight budget, it had always been little more than a dream.
Seeing Zhao Mu hesitate, Meng Qiuqiu quickly pointed toward the others.
"Lu Yan is going."
"Zhuo Yun is going too."
He puffed out his chest proudly.
"Our legendary ACE Team should travel together!"
The nickname had become surprisingly popular among the new recruits.
Dormitory 207 contained an unusual combination of talents.
Lu Yan, an A-Rank genius.
Meng Qiuqiu, the wealthy heir.
Zhuo Yun, a firearms fanatic.
And Zhao Mu, the E-Rank recruit who constantly outperformed expectations.
Together, they had become one of Qingfeng Camp's most talked-about groups.
Zhao Mu looked toward Lu Yan and Zhuo Yun.
Both nodded.
After a brief pause, he shrugged.
"Alright."
"I'll come."
Then he frowned.
"But isn't one day a little short for a trip that far?"
A mysterious smile appeared on Meng Qiuqiu's face.
"No problem."
"My family owns a private airship."
"We can get there and back in less than two hours."
The room fell silent.
Zhao Mu stared at him.
Then he sighed deeply.
"I really hate rich people."
The dormitory immediately erupted into laughter.
Since they planned to leave early the next morning, everyone went to bed soon afterward.
For Zhao Mu, however, sleep was almost unnecessary.
He only slept for about ninety minutes.
The rest of the night was spent meditating.
His Intermediate Meditation Technique, Spiritual Energy Rotation, had already reached an astonishing proficiency level.
Each meditation cycle required only three minutes.
His efficiency was several times greater than that of ordinary recruits.
While others struggled to complete a handful of sessions each day, Zhao Mu could complete more than twenty.
The difference was almost unbelievable.
And that gap continued to widen every single day.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)