Chapter 436: Between Teacher and Student

They passed through the portal, and the students found themselves in a bright hall.

The circular hall's diameter was nearly thirty meters, its height ten meters, and all four walls were made of transparent magical glass; looking through, the left side overlooked most of Weizelan, the right side opened to an endless blue sky, and the city of Mo Du spread across the floor below.

"We are on top of the Wu Shi Ta!"

The students were roused; last month Weizelan held a small celebration, congratulating the teacher and Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya for moving into their Wu Shi Ta.

They looked out the window and immediately spotted another Wu Shi Ta just a stone's throw away.

The two towers stood almost side by side, less than a hundred meters apart, like twin towers, and they were in a room at the very top of one of them.

Ordinary people rarely get to the tower's summit; generally, this is the core hub that controls the entire tower, and only the tower's owner may enter.

The students curiously surveyed their surroundings; the floor was spotless, and aside from a set of sofa and tables in the center, there were no other furnishings, giving a hollow feel, while the dome was also transparent, allowing a view of the sky as if standing on an open platform.

Whether this extreme minimalism reflects the teacher's personal style or simply a lack of time to decorate is unknown.

"Everyone, sit down."

Lei En sat on the spacious sofa, his body half‑reclined against the soft back, inviting everyone to sit, his smile showing none of the usual teacher's authority, appearing very casual.

Several students had never seen a teacher like this, and they exchanged puzzled looks.

In the Empire's Wizard lineage, the bond between teacher and student can be more important than a father‑son relationship; once one becomes a disciple, they dare not easily defy or betray, even if some teachers are harsh, the students must obey.

They had just become disciples of Lei En and could not relax at all.

Even though Lei En seemed easygoing, as a teacher he may act so, but students cannot be frivolously reckless; this is the minimum respect owed to a legendary Wizard.

Only Reslin sat down without hesitation.

Lei En looked at the youths and laughed, "We are all peers; I'm only two or three years older than you, Jia Lu is even a few years older, so we can treat each other as friends, no need to be so solemn. Sit down quickly; you should all learn from Reslin."

As he spoke, he gave Reslin an approving glance, but Reslin did not react, as if it were natural.

"Yes, teacher."

Only then did the students bow and sit, their lingering unease unchanged, yet a few sparks of joy arose; the teacher truly was as easygoing as rumored.

After Da La Ma earnestly bowed to Lei En, he was the last to sit, his posture and etiquette flawless.

Lei En neither affirmed nor denied.

His gaze swept over the five students seated in a circle around the tea table; he reached into a ring and produced a pot of fruit juice and several cups, intending to pour each a drink himself.

"Teacher, let me do it."

Zhenna, born of high nobility, stepped forward, took the silver pot, neatly arranged the cups, and elegantly poured the juice.

Lei En let her serve everyone and said, "My original intention was not to take on students; after all, I'm still young, but you all know Weizelan's current situation—there's an urgent need to train reserve Wizards, to let you grow, and I also intend to contribute more to Weizelan..."

He suddenly ordered, "Zhenna, pour that cup as well."

There were seven cups on the table, but only six people present, causing everyone to wonder who the last cup was for.

"Alright," Zhenna complied.

She had just filled the seventh cup when a portal opened beside her, and a familiar figure stepped out.

"Po Laruisi!"

Except for Reslin, everyone else wore shocked faces, wondering how she had arrived here.

Po Laruisi herself looked a bit bewildered; she had followed Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya back to the Wu Shi Ta, called out "teacher" once, after which Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya gave a brief instruction and opened a portal to send her over to find Speaker Lei En.

Seeing the group seated in a circle on the sofa, with Lei En in the middle, she felt both surprised and delighted.

"Speaker, the teacher sent me..." Po Laruisi bowed respectfully.

"Understood, you may sit as well," Lei En waved his hand, explaining to the others, "Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya is not adept at teaching students, and she is currently in a rapid power‑growth phase, unable to spare time, so she entrusted Po Laruisi to me for instruction; don't treat her as an outsider."

The students were suddenly enlightened.

Such situations are not uncommon in Weizelan; some legendary Wizards are busy researching magic or focusing on time‑consuming experiments, traveling for extended periods and unable to attend to their students, so they entrust them to other legendary Wizards for a price.

However, it is odd for someone like Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya to hand a newly taken student over to a teacher immediately.

Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya must have offered a very high reward to get the teacher to agree!

This is good for Po Laruisi, but when she eventually succeeds, she will have little to do with Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya; the teacher‑student relationship will be nominal only.

Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya seemed indifferent to this as well.

"Po Laruisi, you think you can call me teacher too," Lei En said with a smile.

"Yes, teacher."

Po Laruisi inhaled deeply; her choice during the apprenticeship ceremony proved correct, as Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya and Speaker Lei En were in sync—had she refused then, she would have missed the chance.

She forced her excitement down, sitting with a slight reserve.

Lei En smiled inwardly.

This had been prearranged with Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya: Po Laruisi would be under his charge, but not free of charge; all resource costs she incurred here would be paid by Ao Xi Li Ya until Po Laruisi ascended to legendary status.

Ms. Ao Xi Li Ya only needs to be a hands‑off manager; of course, in the future she cannot command Po Laruisi, the prodigious talent.

But the two are soulmates; it makes little difference who serves as Po Laruisi's teacher.

"Since I've taken you as students, I will certainly do my utmost to give you the best conditions," Lei En said, pulling out six prepared Weizelan insignia, "I've already granted you access; you may use all the tower's facilities, including the high‑tower meditation chamber, with no time limit, all costs will be on me."

The six students stared at the insignia, their eyes sparkling, their breathing growing a bit heavier.

For Wizards below legendary rank, the most attractive part of a tower is undoubtedly the meditation chamber!

The meditation chamber in the tower is fitted with a massive rune array that aids cultivation, greatly increasing meditation efficiency and speeding the recovery of soul energy or mana. With long‑term use, for those below legendary, upgrade speed increases by at least half; the higher the talent, the faster the acceleration, even more than double.

However, the meditation chamber's consumption is huge.

The Wu Shi Ta's energy source in Weizelan is the Iola Core, which is not infinite and requires countless magical materials each year to maintain balance.

Each tower's energy consumption is settled annually.

Fu Kong Cheng reimburses only half the cost; the remaining half is paid by the tower's owners, the legendary Wizards.

Someone calculated that using the meditation chamber at its maximum twelve‑hour daily limit would cost about eighty thousand Gold Shields per year.

Normally, legendary Wizards limit students' use of the meditation chamber, allocating quotas that favor favored students, allowing at most two or three hours daily, never exceeding six hours.

Otherwise, even a legend couldn't afford the exorbitant fee.

Some more stingy legends, or teachers whose fortunes aren't that great, don't even allow the meditation chamber to be opened at will, and can use it only once every few days.

By contrast, Lei En is truly generous!

An unlimited-time tower meditation chamber!

This is a treatment they wouldn't even dare to dream of; although they've heard Lei En is generous, they never imagined it would be this generous.

Even if no one can stay in the meditation chamber all day, the six of them together would cost about five hundred thousand Gold Shields per year.

The six students each wore a different expression.

Reslin remained as cold and calm as ever; perhaps affected by the Touch of the Uncanny, he noticed his temperament differed from his true self, tried to feign excitement but felt awkward, so he simply kept his icy expression.

The high elf Dalama's eyes flashed with delight, but she quickly suppressed her emotions, not wanting to show her joy too plainly and have her thoughts read.

Polaruisi clenched both hands tightly, yet they trembled ever so slightly.

Zhenna is a noble lady, the cherished daughter of a countess, who has had from childhood resources and wealth that ordinary people could never attain in a lifetime, so she was simply happy; after all, the count's family has no tower meditation chamber, and even with money they couldn't enjoy it.

Half-orc Jialu showed no concealment of his joy, gratefully saying, "Thank you, teacher!"

The youngest, Sipailuohuoke, was also excited but a bit worried, asking, "Teacher, with so many of us, will it consume too much?"

He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth, noticing the reproachful gazes from the others.

The shy boy tucked his neck back and lowered his head embarrassedly.

"Feel free to use the meditation chamber; I can still afford this cost," Lei En laughed lightly twice, took the cup Zhenna handed him, sipped the juice, then pulled out a dozen magical items from his ring, saying, "Each of you pick one as a welcome gift from me."

A pile of magical equipment appeared before them—robes, rings, wands, talismans… each was costly, emitting a faint enchanted glow that dazzled the eyes.

These were spoils from Lei En's many battles, not yet sold.

To him, equipment worth two or three thousand Gold Shields was no longer desirable; better to give them to students to boost their strength or defense, making full use of the items.

"Thank you, teacher!"

Everyone fully witnessed Lei En's wealth and generosity; this time none declined, and each chose the magical item they liked best.

"I've prepared a batch of potions and scrolls in the alchemy room; if you need any, feel free to take them," Lei En said. "If the potions run out or the alchemy room lacks resources, tell me and I'll try to provide them."

A series of surprises left the students somewhat numb.

After that, Lei En stopped talking about cultivation and instead chatted casually, asking about their backgrounds, and occasionally telling a few jokes.

Since they were all peers, Lei En showed no teacher's airs; gradually, the students realized that aside from his status and power, he wasn't much different from them, becoming like friends who moved from strangers to familiarity, shedding their reserve.

Sipailuohuoke, a countryside boy from a remote overseas island, is internally sensitive and insecure, yet has already taken Lei En as the person he trusts most, his eyes filled with admiration like Zhenna's.

Dalama maintained her usual poise and spoke little.

Jialu, the most outgoing of them, even dared to joke with Lei En.

Lei En didn't mind at all.

Amidst a burst of laughter, they drank several pitchers of juice, and before they knew it the whole afternoon passed; outside, darkness fell and stars twinkled in the night sky.

"Alright, that's enough for today."

Lei En stood up, his gaze sweeping over Dalama, who was already eager to enter the meditation chamber, and said, "My teaching style may differ from others; it's mainly self‑study. If you encounter a problem you don't understand, discuss it among yourselves a few times before coming to me for guidance."

"If I'm not here, you should consult Reslin; he'll oversee the tower in my stead."

As he spoke, a strand of magical light shot from Lei En's fingertip into Reslin's Weizelan badge, raising his permission to control the tower to just below Lei En's.

The other students' expressions shifted slightly; the teacher's words unmistakably indicated that Reslin was his most favored student, ranking above the rest, and that everyone should look to Reslin as the leader!

Polaruisi and the others couldn't help but look at Reslin.

Throughout the afternoon, Reslin was the quietest, speaking only a few sentences; his voice was low and hoarse, even more mysterious than Dalama from the elven realm.

They had subconsciously ignored Reslin's presence, never expecting him to be the teacher's most relied‑upon.

"Yes, teacher," the students rose and saluted.

Lei En opened a portal and watched them depart, a faint smile curling his lips.

In the mid‑level lodging area of the tower, the students' rooms had been arranged; the six shared the same floor, with six doors opening around a spacious central hall, each accessible with a badge.

Reslin was about to enter his room when he heard someone behind call his name, "Reslin."

He turned and saw Dalama approaching.

Though the high elf's face bore a smile, her eyes showed pride and doubt as she said, "The teacher asked us to consult you; I happen to have a question—can Reslin clarify it for me?"

The other four students also halted, offering curious glances without objection.

Clearly, Dalama couldn't help but begin probing.

Reslin's expression was like an ancient well; faced with provocation, not a ripple rose, and he said calmly, "What question do you wish to ask?"

For some reason, Dalama, looking at Reslin's calm gaze, felt an inexplicable fear; after less than half a second of eye contact, she instinctively looked away.

"This Wizard must not be provoked!"

Dalama keenly sensed something, but was already in a bind, so she bowed gracefully and whispered, "I mean no malice; I just wish to discuss spellcasting techniques with you…"

He hadn't finished speaking when Reslin cut him off, "Do you want to spar with me?"

"Uh..." Dalama was momentarily tongue‑tied.

He had that thought earlier, but now changed his mind; turning to see the others' expectant gazes, he thought that if he backed down now, it would be hard to assert authority later, so he might as well give it a try.

Besides, he was a third‑rank mage while Reslin was only a first‑rank Wizard, giving him a great chance of victory.

Dalama's mind shifted quickly, and she nodded, "Please teach me."

My parents' medical check‑ups all turned out with serious problems; these past few days my thoughts haven't been on typing, and I don't want to open a chapter about this, sorry for not notifying! The novel will definitely continue, because it's more important now…

(End of Chapter)