The first day after the break, Classroom A.
Cecilia Windwalker stood at the podium, black short hair, sharp eyes. She swept her gaze across the students in the classroom. Without any pleasantries, she got straight to the point.
“The content for the final exam is out.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but every word was clear. “Echo Valley, team trial. You’ll be divided into groups and enter Echo Valley to complete two tasks. First, hunt the highest-level magical beast you can. Second, collect samples from the anomalous zones in Echo Valley and bring them back to the Academy.”
The classroom fell silent for a moment. Echo Valley was the Mystic Realm where the accident happened last time, and the Academy had even given them a few days off (which was also when Xuan Xi met Sig’s parents ahead of schedule). Xuan Xi’s pen tip paused on the paper.
“Echo Valley was originally an advanced training ground and shouldn’t have been opened to freshmen rookies like you.” Cecilia’s gaze swept across the classroom. “But after the Academy’s clearance, the high-level magical beasts inside the valley have been mostly eliminated. The detailed situation is marked on your maps. This special opening for freshmen, the Academy has set up multiple anomalous zones in Echo Valley. Every time you reach a zone, you’ll trigger the corresponding trial content. It could be combat, puzzles, or teamwork. The completion of each zone will be counted toward your assessment score.”
Elsa raised her hand. “Teacher, roughly how many zones are there?”
“Each group will get at least one,” Cecilia said. “These zones are distributed across different locations in Echo Valley. You’ll need to explore, plan your routes, and assign tasks yourselves. The Academy only provides the starting point and the end point. The process in between is for you to decide.”
A low murmur of discussion rose in the classroom.
“Also,” Cecilia paused, “according to intelligence, there are indeed traces left by the Eastern Dragon within Echo Valley. But this is not part of the exam setup. If you encounter them, you can record it, but the exam does not require it. The Academy maintains an open attitude toward information about the Eastern Dragon. What you see is what you get.”
Xuan Xi’s pen scratched a line across the paper.
Cecilia put away her lesson plan. “The group assignments are the same as in the last Teamwork Course. We depart the week after next, so next week’s class is canceled. Your group will prepare for the final exam on your own.”
The bell rang. Veralis walked over from the back row and sat down next to Xuan Xi. Her ice-blue eyes looked at the area beneath Xuan Xi’s right eye.
“Three marks now,” she said softly.
“Yeah.”
“Let me see.”
Xuan Xi turned her face. Veralis leaned in closer, staring at the three dark-gold markings for a few seconds.
“The color is deeper than I expected.” She sat back. “It seems the Seal is loosening faster than anticipated. Have you encountered anything recently?”
Xuan Xi told Veralis everything about when Sig’s Father had released his Pressure Aura.
Veralis nodded. “That explains it. With three markings, you can try a small-scale Dragon Transformation now. Like transforming just one hand or something.”
“I know. You told me in your message.”
Veralis glanced at her. “Have you tried it yet?”
Xuan Xi extended her hand. With a flicker of thought, ink-cyan scales emerged from her fingertips, covering her finger, the back of her hand, and her wrist. Every scale carried faint golden light patterns, gleaming with a cold luster under the classroom lights. The Destiny Mark didn’t feel hot. The Restriction didn’t activate. The power simply flowed quietly and obediently from her heart to the point of Dragon Transformation.
Veralis stared at the scale-covered hand. After a moment, she evaluated, “Not bad.”
In the afternoon, Training Ground No. 3.
The team of five was assembled in full force again: Xuan Xi, SigrdrÃfa, Elsa, Reggie, Veralis. Elsa stood with her hands on her hips, her short brown hair a complete mess from the wind. “The final exam! Echo Valley! We’re taking first place!”
Reggie was stretching. He glanced at her when she spoke. “Warm up first.”
Today’s training was different from before. Before, it was tactical coordination, element synergy, and team battles. Today was about discussing everyone’s Dragon Transformation forms.
“Uncontrollable situations can arise during the exam.” Xuan Xi stood in the center of the grounds. “If we encounter danger, Dragon Transformation will be our last trump card. So we need to know each other’s Dragon Transformation abilities.”
Elsa demonstrated first. Her Dragon Transformation was as explosive and direct as she was. Brownish-red scales covered her entire body, her form expanding to twice its original size. Flames spurted from the gaps between the scales, and the scorching heat wave raised the temperature of the entire training ground by several degrees.
Reggie went second. His Dragon Transformation was far calmer and steadier than Elsa’s. Dull yellow scales were as thick as armor, his limbs as thick as pillars. Every step left deep cracks in the ground.
Veralis went third. Ice-blue scales covered her arms and shoulders, and fine frost crystals condensed on the scales. Her breath turned into white mist in the air.
SigrdrÃfa went fourth. She only transformed her right hand. Silver-white scales covered from her fingertips to her shoulder. Thunder Light danced across the surface of the scales. For her, this level of Dragon Transformation was enough. Her Bloodline Pressure alone was a weapon in itself.
Then came Xuan Xi. She took a deep breath and raised her right hand. Ink-cyan scales emerged from her fingertips, covering her fingers, the back of her hand, and her wrist. The scales were quiet, obedient, following her will as they spread from her fingertips to her arm, passing her wrist, passing her forearm, passing her elbow. Every scale carried faint golden light patterns, gleaming with a cold luster under the afternoon sun.
Elsa’s mouth formed an O. “So this is… Xuan Xi’s… Dragon Transformation?”
“It’s just a Partial Dragon Transformation.” Xuan Xi flexed her scale-covered fingers. Her joints let out a faint clicking sound.
“No, I mean—” Elsa pointed at Xuan Xi’s face. Beneath her right eye, three dark-gold Destiny Marks were glowing.
“The Seal is loosening.” Veralis’s voice came from beside her, explaining for Xuan Xi. “With three markings, small-scale Dragon Transformation is possible.”
SigrdrÃfa said nothing. She watched Xuan Xi’s scale-covered hand, those ink-cyan scales with golden light patterns.
“Try it,” SigrdrÃfa said.
“Try what?” Xuan Xi asked.
“An attack using your Dragon Transformation.”
Xuan Xi raised her left hand and condensed a water ball in her palm. The water ball floated above her palm, transparent and flowing. She pushed the water ball toward her scale-covered right hand. The moment the water ball touched the scales, it melted into the gaps between them. The golden light patterns flowed within the water, like tiny golden snakes.
Xuan Xi clenched her fist. Water surged from between the scales, condensing above her fist into a Water Blade. This water element was no longer a defensive Water Wall or Water Curtain. It was a sharp Water Blade for offense, refracting rainbow-colored light in the sun.
The entire ground went silent. Elsa’s mouth opened a little wider.
Veralis stared at the Water Blade, a glint of light flickering in her ice-blue eyes. “Your Dragon Transformation has strengthened your Water Attribute. Not just control, but attack power has also increased.”
Xuan Xi dispersed the Water Blade and looked down at her hand. The scales slowly receded. The golden light patterns disappeared, revealing the skin underneath.
“One more time,” SigrdrÃfa said.
Xuan Xi turned her head to look at her.
“Your Dragon Transformation just now wasn’t complete,” SigrdrÃfa said, her amethyst eyes fixed on her. “After all, your horns haven’t come out yet.”
Xuan Xi was stunned for a moment. Horns. She really hadn’t transformed her horns. At Sig’s castle, under the pressure of Sig’s father, her draconic form had horns—short, coral-like horns. Back then, her body wasn’t ready. The form had been forced to manifest while the Seal resisted the pressure. Was she ready now?
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Spiritual Qi surged from her Dantian, flowing through her Meridians to every limb and bone. Scales emerged. Fingers, the back of her hand, her wrist, her forearm. Then, horns slowly pushed out from both sides of her forehead. Coral-like, branched, ink-cyan. She opened her eyes. Her pupils had changed. Amber-gold had turned into pure gold, like molten gold. The Golden Eyes had appeared again.
The training ground was completely silent this time.
Elsa stopped talking. Reggie stopped stretching. Even Veralis’s expression finally shifted. SigrdrÃfa stared at her, her amethyst eyes reflecting those golden pupils. Xuan Xi looked at her own hand. The scales covered up to her shoulder. The horns had fully emerged. She hadn’t lost control. The Destiny Mark lay quietly beneath her right eye. It wasn’t hot.
She curled the corners of her mouth and dismissed her Dragon Transformation. The scales receded. The horns retracted. The Golden Eyes changed back to amber-gold.
“Is that enough?” she asked.
No one answered.
SigrdrÃfa walked over, reached out, and touched Xuan Xi’s forehead—the spot where the horns had just been. Her fingertips were cool and lingered there for a while.
“It’s enough,” she said.
By the time training ended, the sunset was beginning its descent again. Orange-red light blanketed the entire ground, stretching the shadows of the five of them very, very long.
Elsa hugged her knees, still mumbling to herself, “Xuan Xi’s dragon horns were so cool…” Reggie packed up the training equipment, the clanging of metal echoing in bursts. Veralis leaned against a barrier pillar, flipping through her notes, occasionally looking up at the clouds on the horizon.
SigrdrÃfa and Xuan Xi sat side by side on a bench, a fist’s distance between them.
“Your Golden Eyes,” SigrdrÃfa said softly.
“Yeah.”
“Try not to use them during the exam.”
Xuan Xi turned her head to look at her. Her amber-gold eyes reflected the setting sun. “Why?”
SigrdrÃfa didn’t answer immediately. She gazed at the last sliver of light along the far mountain ridge. Her amethyst eyes darkened slightly.
“Golden Eyes are proof of bloodline,” she said. “In this continent, not just anyone can possess something like that.”
Xuan Xi listened quietly.
“Since your mother brought you and fled to the West, keeping a low profile the entire way, it’s clearly because she didn’t want you to be found.” SigrdrÃfa turned her head to look at her. “If you reveal your Golden Eyes during the exam, too many people will see. There will always be those who recognize them. The things you’re not ready to face yet—they’ll come knocking on your door ahead of time.”
Xuan Xi was silent for a moment.
The wind blew, sweeping her ink-cyan hair across her cheek. She lowered her eyes, thinking for a moment. Then she raised her head, a curve forming at the corner of her mouth.
“What about you, then?” she said. “You’ve seen this secret. What are you going to do with me?”
SigrdrÃfa was briefly taken aback.
“I’m different.” After she said those four words, she paused, as if weighing her next choice of words. In the end, what she said came out much gentler than expected. “I’ll protect you. Like the knight who protects the princess in a fairy tale.”
Xuan Xi looked at her profile. The setting sun happened to fall right on that outline, dyeing the stray strands of hair by her ear a golden color.
“I know,” Xuan Xi said.
A few seconds of silence passed between them.
Then Xuan Xi spoke again, a hint of laughter in her voice. “Then from now on, I’ll only show my Golden Eyes to you.”
SigrdrÃfa’s expression barely changed. But Xuan Xi saw it—starting from the tips of her ears, a pale pink slowly, slowly spread across her cheeks.
SigrdrÃfa turned her face toward the setting sun, as if the light was too bright for her to keep her eyes open.
After a long while, she only uttered one word, muffled. “Mm.”
Hidden from view beneath the bench, her hand quietly reached over and hooked Xuan Xi’s pinky finger.