*Chapter 18: The Mentor's Mask*
The days after the shadowy encounter found the friends caught between magical research and pretending to be regular students. Life at Jade Spirit Academy hummed as usual—lessons, laughter, and Jin Ming's latest prank (filling the hall with frog-croaking scrolls). Yet every whisper of wind or chill in the hallway made them tense, expecting the next attack.
One afternoon, Headmistress Zhou quietly summoned the group after class. In her candlelit study, she introduced a cloaked stranger—Master Qiao, an expert in ancient wards and magical defense. His face was hidden, but his energy was unmistakable. "The runes you've found aren't just a warning," Master Qiao murmured, tracing glowing lines over their samples. "You're being watched and tested—for a reason as old as the school itself."
With the Headmistress's blessing, Master Qiao started training the five in subtle, advanced magic: how to strengthen hidden barriers, weave illusions over their patrols, and sense spells woven into the very walls. He didn't speak of their chosen fate, but his strict lessons forced the group to work as a true team, sharpening their magic and trust.
Evenings found them exhausted but closer, swapping stories and worries under starry skies. "Whatever's coming next," Chen Xiulan said one night, "at least we won't face it alone." A new chapter had begun—not just of battle, but of learning what it meant to be the hidden heart of Jade Spirit Academy.