Chapter 151: Proof of Magic

The professors standing toward the back could clearly sense the active state of the students' spiritual power, and that applied to every single one of them. As transcendents, and ones relatively familiar with these students at that, they all understood this to be an astonishing metamorphosis. As long as this state could be sustained, the true formation of a world had already begun.

The Musician had been away for some time and had entirely missed the chain of events leading up to this, but at this very moment, he could feel the spiritual state of the students resembling a piece of music.

"Such a wonderful melody! Truly deserving of the professor most beloved by the students of the Black Castle. When I have the time, I must ask Professor Jon斯特 for some pointers."

The Musician spoke with a smile on his face.

Mongery beside him curled his lips in mild disdain. A music teacher pulling off such tricks—no matter how one selected candidates, finding even a few individuals with genuine extraordinary musical talent would be fortunate, given how utterly niche that path was.

Mongery felt that the subjects he taught—involving foundational alchemy potions, arcane runes, and spell-array research—were quite different. The probability of students displaying such talents, or having such talents deliberately cultivated, was much greater.

Even some of the other professors, including Sebastiana, looked at the students with gazes vastly different from before.

Mulan took all of this in, clearly understanding the thoughts of these people. To put it bluntly, until this very moment, these transcendents of the Black Castle had finally started treating the students as actual "people."

"Clap, clap, clap..."

Mulan clapped his hands a few times, and the prolonged chatter in the First Grand Hall was finally subdued. Yet as the noise vanished, the sense of excitement grew even more fervent. This was no illusion, for the temperature inside the First Grand Hall had risen by several degrees. A faint, glowing warmth lingered in the room, and the spiritual powers of the hundreds of students did not repel one another at this moment.

This, once again, was a marvelous phenomenon. Some of the professors had already begun studying the changes within the First Grand Hall itself. Mongery even secretly produced a notebook and an old quill to start recording, frowning from time to time.

Then, the old wizard spotted the Musician, who still wore a gentle smile, and could not help internally complaining that this fellow was putting on quite the act.

"Hysen, you seem to understand quite a bit?"

Hearing the words of the old wizard Mongery, the Musician tilted his head slightly.

"Professor Mongery is puzzled by this interweaving of spiritual fluctuations, aren't you? That is precisely why I say Professor Jon斯特 is truly remarkable. At this moment, it is like a grand symphony, and Professor Jon斯特 is the musician holding the baton. Under his guidance, everyone has merged into the exact same piece of music!"

The Musician closed his eyes slightly, as if feeling a silent movement.

"The wavelength of the spirit, interweaving and resonating, giving birth to notes within the soul amidst the swells and ebbs—this is the sound of a world being born, wondrous and charming!"

Good grief, this guy was truly something! Mulan glanced sideways out of the corner of his eye at the Musician in the back, while continuing with the task at hand. He revealed the eagerly awaited answers to the students with a slightly mysterious tone.

"Next, we shall begin unveiling your talents. First, I must clarify that these talents merely indicate a general direction; you are not restricted to a single path. In fact, it can be said that even every well-known talent may yet evolve into new and unknown pathways."

"Remember, after today's class, your primary learning objective in the Black Castle moving forward will be to research your own personal paths. We will assist you. Very well, I shall delay no longer."

From the moment he entered the First Grand Hall until now, Mulan had not wasted a single action, nor uttered a single superfluous word. At this moment, he had finally finished subdividing the spiritual wavelengths of all the students present. A power hidden within the shadows had brushed past every single person's emotional will.

Mulan waved his hand lightly across the podium, and a miraculous scene occurred once again.

As Mulan's palm swept through the empty air, stacks of paper appeared upon the podium, gliding forward and overlapping like a fanned-out deck of cards.

Mulan could not help a mysterious smile from touching the corner of his lips. It was a success!

"These are your talent directions, along with a few details and some listed stabilization and training-expansion plans. Although still somewhat rudimentary, they cost me a great deal of time and effort. When I call your name, come forward to collect yours."

The manifestation of documents out of thin air was a stunning feat, but that was only from the perspective of the professors, because the documents truly appeared out of nowhere with no discernible trajectory. This was clearly a hidden power; after all, everyone had their secrets.

To the students, however, the reaction was not overly exaggerated. It was not that they thought the feat unimpressive, but rather that no display of prowess from a transcendent could ever seem too exaggerated.

"Benjamin."

"Present!"

Benjamin scrambled to his feet, his body trembling slightly. No matter how seasoned he usually tried to appear, at this moment he felt like an excited child. He took a deep breath before leaving his seat to walk toward the podium, roaring internally like a self-motivation chant.

*I, Benjamin Charkus, will surely become the first transcendent of the Charkus family!*

Mulan picked up a document in his hand. It was crafted from a specialized parchment paper, its surface dense with hidden magic runes.

Charkus took it with trembling hands. The document was not thick, just a single page slightly larger than A4 size, yet it was densely covered in tiny handwriting—entirely composed of Professor Jon斯特's personal notes.

"Well done. Take it back down to examine it closely; I imagine the other students can hardly wait."

Everyone in the First Grand Hall chuckled. Benjamin hurriedly bowed to Mulan before returning to his seat, whereupon the students around him immediately leaned over, eager to catch a glimpse of Benjamin's document.

Benjamin gripped the paper, finding it exceptionally tough, though he dared not test just how durable it truly was. He simply began reading from the most prominent position, and the students around him did the same.

In the upper-left corner of the paper was a passage distinct from all the large blocks of text:

*Proof of Magic, belonging to Benjamin Charkus. I have witnessed the courage of my master, and I shall also witness him forging ahead. Upon the path of flame, the lion roars!*

Below this text was a signature reading: *A gift from Mulan Jon斯特.*

All the students knew this was Professor Jon斯特's encouragement to them. Perhaps every student's "report card" would feature something similar?

At least, that was what the students believed.

"Hendel Linton."

"Present!"

Hendel clenched his fists, stood up, and briskly walked to the podium. Mulan nodded slightly at him and handed him a sheet of paper. The young man could not resist standing right where he was to look at the upper-left corner.

*Proof of Magic, belonging to Hendel Linton. Beneath the calm lies a proud heart. I have remained silent for long, yearning to bloom. My heart beats with strength, my blood burns hot as fire. I have awakened, just as my master has!*

*A gift from Mulan Jon斯特.*

"Linton, classmate, hurry back down!"

Urged on by the other students, Hendel hurried down, eager to share his inscription with those around him.

At this moment, several professors even drifted closer to Benjamin and Hendel to catch a look at those "report cards."

Mulan held another document in his hand, his gaze shifting toward a girl sitting beside Hathaway in the middle rows. Recalling when they had first met on the ship, Jenny had blossomed since then, though her true age was clearly younger than many of the other students.

"Jenny."

Jenny gave a start, looked at Hathaway and Marlene beside her, and then tightly gripped Hathaway's hand.

"It's my turn, it's my turn!"

"Go on up quickly, don't keep the professor waiting."

"Mm!"

Jenny hastily left her seat and hurried toward the podium. Yet as she drew closer, she involuntarily slowed her pace, feeling a sudden wave of apprehension. She remembered that during the examination, she seemed to have spoken ill of the professor; the professor must have heard it. Would he mind?

Yet, at least on the surface, Professor Jon斯特 wore no displeased expression as he smiled and handed her the document.

"Do not cower, nor feel inferior—oh, forgive me, the current you no longer needs me to utter such empty words, but you will only grow better and better."

The calm, sincere words melted into Jenny's heart like a warm current. She recalled their time aboard the Princess, the train ride to the Imperial Capital with Mulan, and how he had allowed her and her younger brother to become students once again.

*Actually... the professor has always been protecting us...*

Jenny felt her eyes grow warm. She accepted the report card, bowed, and practically fled back, feeling somewhat unworthy in the professor's presence.

Speeding back to her seat, under the gaze of the girls crowding around her, Jenny unfolded the paper to examine it carefully, naturally starting with the upper-left corner.

*Proof of Magic, belonging to Jenny. Is it cowardice, hesitation, or perhaps bravery? The riddle shall eventually be unveiled, and I am the answer. When the frozen ice of fear melts, the world shall lie beneath my master's feet!*

*A gift from Mulan Jon斯特.*

Amidst the excited low cheers of the girls, one student after another stepped forward to collect their "report cards."

Every single one was a Proof of Magic, and every single one bore a unique inscription symbolizing the earnest expectations bestowed upon each student by Professor Jon斯特... or so they believed.

Only Mulan himself knew that these inscribed gifts were not all written by him. For certain students, he had indeed added personal touches, while for others, the words had simply manifested of their own accord. Only the signature and the word "gift" represented his impartial, universal affection.

One could imagine that none of the students would ever dare lose this Proof of Magic.

Every single one of these Proofs of Magic was forged with Mulan's own power as the bond, built upon the foundation of each student's most sincere spirit at this exact moment, and imbued with a special, bestowed will.

The First Grand Hall soon grew noisy once more as the students began reading through the detailed contents. It could be said without a shred of guilt that these were the fruit of Mulan's heart and soul, and he had shown favoritism to none.