Just as Kefi successfully condensed the light sphere, drawing low murmurs of astonishment from the crowd, a sudden surge of extraordinarily intense magical energy erupted from the back row of the classroom, instantly capturing everyone’s attention.
Ellaria first managed to successfully construct a Wind Element Vortex Technique, then precisely infused it with Fire Element energy, forming a rapidly spinning Fusion Magic Sphere that roared with blazing flames.
This alone was already a remarkably advanced skill, far surpassing the classroom’s requirements and enough to leave people in awe.
But Ellaria felt it wasn’t enough!
A mere dual-element fusion didn’t seem sufficient to truly catch the eye of the cold and indifferent teacher.
If she could create a more difficult, more dazzling triple-element overlapping magic…
That thought ignited a fierce desire to show off and a stubborn refusal to give up, driving Ellaria to attempt forcibly fusing the wild Thunder Element into the already critically balanced Wind-Fire vortex.
However, the repulsion between different elements and the disparity in energy levels far exceeded her expectations and control…
Especially the moment the volatile Thunder Element intervened, the fragile balance was completely shattered.
“Zzzzzt—!
The elemental sphere in her hands instantly became wildly chaotic!
Wind blades shrieked, flames howled fiercely, electric snakes darted uncontrollably—three forces collided and repelled each other, emitting extremely dangerous fluctuations!
The powerful magical turbulence even began to distort the air around her.
This is bad! It’s going out of control!
Ellaria’s face instantly turned pale; she could feel the energy in her hands rapidly slipping from her control, ready to explode at any moment.
“Everyone, step back!” she shouted loudly, her voice trembling slightly.
At the very least… she couldn’t let this affect the other students.
She tried to forcibly suppress it, but the more she struggled, the more violently the chaotic energy fought back.
Hearing her warning, everyone looked over with horrified expressions and quickly retreated, fearing they might be caught in the out-of-control magic.
Gritting her teeth, Ellaria’s arm trembled slightly from the effort to control it, cold sweat trickling down her temple.
She felt her strength draining rapidly, almost unable to maintain control…
The shadow of failure and the fear of causing harm spread relentlessly in her heart…
Yet, at this critical moment—
A small figure suddenly appeared before Ellaria, bringing a sense of calm to everyone present.
“Don’t give up. Focus your mind! Use your will to guide it, not suppress it! Feel the flow and try to untangle it, not fight against it!”
Sefina’s cool and steady voice poured into Ellaria’s chaotic mind like an icy spring.
***
At the same time, a pure and gentle yet powerful magical energy flowed from Sefina’s fingertips, assisting Ellaria in adjusting the near-collapsing energy, jointly guiding the wild elemental turbulence.
Ellaria’s heart jolted; she immediately cleared all distractions and fully committed to following Sefina’s instructions.
Furrowing her brows, she poured all her mental energy into the violent sphere, striving to feel, untangle, and guide it…
The process was incredibly difficult, like taming a runaway stallion.
The elemental sphere came to the brink of a full explosion several times, but with Sefina’s strong control and precise guidance, it was forcibly pulled back onto a stable path again and again.
Finally, through their combined efforts, the once blinding and chaotic elemental sphere gradually lost its erratic glare, its colors stabilizing.
Wind, Fire, and Thunder energies still intertwined, but no longer clashed—instead, they formed a strange balance, slowly rotating in Ellaria’s palm.
Looking at this miraculous three-element balanced sphere in her hand, Ellaria couldn’t help but let out a soft breath, a surge of relief and an unbelievable sense of accomplishment flooding her heart.
She had actually… controlled it right at the edge of losing control.
She instinctively looked up, hoping to see even a trace of praise or at least recognition on Teacher Sefina’s face…
But what met her gaze was a pair of ice-cold, even slightly disdainful wine-red eyes.
Sefina’s voice carried no warmth at all, like a cold blade cutting through:
“Ellaria, come to my office after class!”
After saying this, she didn’t even spare Ellaria another glance, as if she were a disappointing failure, and turned directly to walk back to the podium.
Ellaria froze where she stood, the three-element sphere in her hand instantly dissipating from the turmoil of her emotions.
That final look from Sefina was like a bucket of ice water, chilling her to the bone from head to toe.
The fragmented whispers around her washed over her ears like a tide:
“Ellaria got called to the office?! She must be in big trouble…”
“Almost caused an accident in class, definitely deserves it…”
“Although triple-element fusion is impressive, it’s a bit overambitious… Thankfully Teacher Sefina stepped in just in time…”
These words pierced her like silver needles, but even more than that, Sefina’s look just now plunged her into an icy abyss.
That gaze… that look of contempt…
It was just like how her father and her half-brothers and half-sisters in the imperial palace looked at her…
Most people didn’t know that this noble Imperial Princess wasn’t of pure royal blood.
Her mother was nothing more than a lowly maid. She was the result of the emperor’s one-night indiscretion—a “bastard,” an unwelcome stain on the royal lineage.
At least, that’s how her older siblings humiliated her since childhood.
No matter how hard she tried to prove herself, no matter how brilliantly her magical talent shone, the original sin of her bloodline seemed impossible to wash away.
And Sefina’s gaze just now silently echoed that same judgment:
No matter how dazzling your surface, deep down you are base and unworthy of the spotlight.
The day’s string of failures had violently torn open the deepest wounds and insecurities Ellaria never wanted to touch.
A fierce sense of humiliation and unwillingness churned in her heart.
So it was true… Teacher Sefina was just like her father and those others?
Only caring about lineage and appearances?
Ellaria clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.
Recognition of her bloodline—she might never have it.
But at least… on the path of magic, she would prove herself!
She would become stronger than anyone else!