After each purchase, Ye Hanjun would seize the opportunity to gather information.

He then learned that the annual "Newcomer Competition" of Canghai Pavilion was about to be held. Any new Patrons who have been in the North Campus District for less than a year could participate.

This competition carried great weight. It could reveal which newcomers were potential talents and which were bound to fail.

The usual rule forbidding interaction between the North and South Campus Districts would also be temporarily suspended.

A group of senior Patrons from the Southern Campus District would occupy the most coveted spots in the competition venue. They would observe and evaluate the newcomers, determining who might soon become their peers.

Furthermore, most assistants and mentors were interested in watching such competitions.

Each year, the top-ranking new Patrons, if they lacked a strong backing, would often be taken as direct disciples by many mentors.

After all, the better the disciple performs, the smoother their development, the higher their achievements.

In the end, not only does it bring prestige to the mentor, but the bond between mentor and disciple could also flourish and possibly yield unexpected blessings in the surge of time.

There was once a mentor who had been stuck at the 3rd Order for over fifty years and had no hope of any further advancement.

However, one of his students was extraordinarily talented and made great achievements after much effort, advancing to the 4th Order in his prime. He rose to prominence as a regional leader in Blue Frog Kingdom.

This leader, remembering his past debts, one day returned to the academy with substantial gifts.

To everyone’s surprise, a few days later, the mentor, who had no hopes of advancement, made a breakthrough overnight. He seemed to have found a renewed vitality, extending his life span by at least 50 more years.

Similar stories were not uncommon in the nearly two-hundred-year developmental cycle of Canghai Pavilion.

As an Instructor, Ye Hanjun did not care whether his disciples could potentially help or give him anything in the future. This kind of mindset, seeking absolute returns, was not suited for a teacher.

He was more focused on the present.

In this competition, Su Mei, Li Jingming, and Wang Xinfei all had the qualifications to participate.

The test run at the Knight’s Sprint Race had already shown that if the disciples could achieve satisfactory results in such high-profile social events, they would feel a sense of joy and accomplishment. This would result in a reciprocal enrichment of the Instructor’s experience in an instant, far more than in other circumstances.

Perhaps this could be the turning point to ascension to the 2nd Order.

But in a competition like this, the ones with the highest chance of victory were often the Patrons who had entered the academy ten or even eleven months ago.

The most talented among them had had more time to cultivate and potentially could develop Clay Body level Contracted Spirit Fond Spirits.

The chances of winning for the three disciples were slim, without the liberty to reveal the Respecting Teacher’s Ring and having to compete against superior ranks.

"Twenty more days..."

"There’s still time to prepare..."

Mulling over this, Ye Hanjun finished his purchasing and returned home.

Making the "Imitation Life Pigment" and devising a more detailed plan, the remaining two days flew by quickly, and soon it was the agreed-upon day. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Whooosh~~~"

As the morning dew hung on the leaves, the vitality of life always complemented the morning.

Su Mei and Li Jingming, still dressed in their bizarre disguises that even their mothers wouldn’t recognize, left through the fourth gate of North Campus one after the other.

Ye Hanjun, who had been waiting outside the gate for some time, leaned against the shadow like a puff of smoke.

Confirming that nobody was tailing them, he revealed his true form.

Now his face was tan, and from the left cheek to the tip of his nose, a long and fearsome scar that looked as if it just healed was visible.

His curly black hair suddenly turned emerald green, making it look as if he was Su Mei’s blood sibling when they stood side by side.

"Moo~~~"

A seemingly honest and docile horse, having its restraint removed from the tree trunk, was forced to stop grazing.