We girls and I got back to Shanghai quick, courtesy of the White Eagles. Everyone wanted to boost cultivation in the Three-Step Tower ASAP, though we kept developing outside it too. I'd broken through to the second step of Mid-level in healing, and lately I'd been cultivating light element—my weakest.
Sometimes I get the urge to just blast to High-level in ice and catch up the rest later, but I squash it. My current growth speed is already world-top. Focusing on just my two elements from this life would raise flags for sure.
Questions would come to any generation's top genius massively outpacing peers—especially since I'm not officially in any clan. And my sugar mommy wouldn't stop them; such ties aren't taken too seriously when a fast-growth secret's at stake. Be real: even the Magic Tribunal lacks a Curse-level mage. Big shots ignore them.
So even development it is. My cultivation speed stays world-class but reasonable. Plus, it strengthens my foundation, so post-Curse transition, catching other elements up won't take long—a big win.
I didn't slack those month and a half either—plenty of rest, but daily I killed ten Commander-level Red Sea Demons. Nothing like my Three-Step Tower hauls, but it let me empower all my soul stars with Commander souls, hugely expanding my reserves. Now my spells can boost three steps higher.
Before heading to the tower, I also bought the girls five more Pack Chieftain souls each, bringing the cultivation acceleration coefficient of their vessels up to x3. My own pendant, fattened with more than two hundred excess Commander-level souls, raised its cultivation enhancement coefficient to x7 and stalled there.
Next, we'd need to improve the quality of the souls, even if they could still be at the Commander level. After all, the limit for High-grade cultivation tools is x9. For Supreme grade, x12. And for Curse level, x15, but there are only a couple of such tools in the world, since producing them requires an Emperor-level soul.
And since people very rarely kill Emperors—and those are mostly false Emperors—such souls can at best make a cultivation tool up to x13, which is simply economically unviable. That's why all the noble powerhouses use narrowly specialized cultivation tools for a single element at x12.
After all, if the artifact is narrowly specialized, you can use a weaker soul and craft the needed one with other materials. Not everyone has a Supreme General soul lying around—they're rarely killed too, and they can even escape from a Curse mage, especially if that one lacks a Heavenly Seed. Plus, you have to find them, and they don't wander alone; they're either monster tribe leaders or hold high positions there.
When we girls arrived within the walls of our home university, one of the students approached us and relayed that Director Xiao was summoning us. Apparently, the term "free attendance at classes" shouldn't be taken too literally...
Climbing to the right floor and knocking on his office door, we waited for permission to enter and opened it. Director Xiao sat at the desk, sifting through a mountain of papers. When he saw us, a weary sigh escaped him. Clearly, he considered talking to us harder than paperwork.
"Mu Bai, Mu Nujiao, Ai Tutu. I must remind you that free attendance at classes implies you'll attend them at some point. You've been absent the entire school year," Director Xiao began lecturing us, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Oh, Director Xiao, you've misunderstood us a bit. After the Scaled Demons incident, our trio trained relentlessly in the wilderness and took lessons from a Master Hunter to boost our erudition. I'm sure that training was better than anything the safe walls of our home university could offer. And since we're here, could you tell us when we'll get our reward for participating in that incident?" I waved off his further lectures. He wouldn't expel us, but he'd nag us to death if not stopped.
"Ahem, you do deserve the reward. If only you'd claimed it on time, instead of half a year later, that would've been great. As for wilderness training and apprenticing under a Master Hunter, bring me proof, and I'll issue you class skip permissions. We unfortunately lack such qualified instructors at our university, so it'd be foolish to hinder your learning from such a specialist," the director nodded to us.
"Director Xiao, no need to downplay it. You still occasionally teach at the space element faculty in the Main Campus. And you could outshine many Master Hunters in power and knowledge." I wasn't even really flattering him—it was pure truth. He just proudly stroked his beard.
"As for the reward, could we exchange it for one National Team ticket each for the world championships? Also, we're planning to break through to High level by year's end—will that interfere with our transfer to the Main Campus?" I stated my points of interest.
"Ooo, planning to break through that fast? Well, per university rules, a High-level student can still study here but must move to the so-called 'graduating class.' There, with your academic advisor, you'll complete a practical task, write a thesis, and graduate. But since you want into the National Team, I'd suggest holding off. I'll just issue you academic leave—you'll formally remain students," he met us halfway. Cool grandpa.
"As for transferring to the Main Campus... Hmm, you've given me a puzzle. If I let you in, you'll break the whole competition structure; if not, I'm denying the most talented students their reward." He leaned back thoughtfully in his armchair.
"Director Xiao, as far as I know, you personally hold two National Team tickets that aren't university-allocated, so you can dispose of them freely. We're ready to transfer to the Main Campus without the reward if you give one ticket each to the girls beside me." I cast the line. Well, we kinda like him, so a bit of boldness wouldn't hurt.
"Heh, youth. If only many had your boldness at my age. Fine, for such talented students, it's no big deal. So, tallying it up, Mu Nujiao and Ai Tutu preliminarily have two of four tickets each for the team. You have one. Now it depends on you whether you make the team—consider my help given," the director agreed.
"Don't worry, Director. There are still university tickets. I don't recall exactly how many, but for one of the country's top universities, they allocated three for sure. We'll definitely win them in matches against Intermediate-level mages. The remaining tickets for the girls—their clans will find them, or I'll help somehow. I've already planned for myself." I assured him his investment wouldn't be wasted.
"Good, glad to hear it. You're free to go. And don't forget to send proof of training under the Master Hunter, or no class exemptions." He had the last word, and we left his office.
Messaging Ling Ling to send the director confirmation of our apprenticeship under her, we finally headed to the Three-Step Tower. Time to break through!