Lu Hu's heart burned with incomparable confidence. In his view, although the elite trainees were all Middle Rank Apprentices, Fang Zhou's extraordinary skills and extensive combat experience were more than enough for him to stand out among these young talents and become an object of admiration. Of course, beneath this firm trust, Lu Hu also harbored a dream that was almost impossible to realize: for Fang Zhou to successfully advance to Upper Apprentice before the new recruit competition began. Such an achievement would not only create a massive gap between Fang Zhou's strength and that of the other first-year recruits, but it would also be a great reassurance for the Sea City Military Academy. However, I know such an expectation is just a fool's dream. In the entire history of the Sea City Military Academy, no trainee has ever gone from a newly Awakened recruit to an Upper Apprentice in just four months. Even for someone as uniquely gifted as Fang Zhou, such a leap is an unattainable height. Despite his awe-inspiring Talent, he can't defy Natural Law and forcefully shorten the timeline for growth.

Just as Lu Hu was immersed in these complex thoughts, his eyes suddenly shot wide open. He could no longer maintain his outwardly calm expression.

Meanwhile, Fang Zhou, facing Instructor Lu Hu's sharp gaze, remained perfectly composed. However, the powerful aura he emanated—that of an Upper Apprentice—could not be hidden.

Lu Hu blinked repeatedly to confirm he wasn't mistaken. Then, he briskly walked off the stage, came to Fang Zhou's side, and asked with wide eyes, "Fang Zhou, have you broken through to Upper Apprentice?"

The moment he spoke, the surrounding Seed Students, who had been closely monitoring his actions, erupted into a flurry of discussion.

Upper Apprentice?!

They couldn't believe their ears.

Gu Zhiqiu's piercing gaze locked onto Fang Zhou, his face a mask of disbelief and mixed emotions. With the Perception I just gained as a Middle Rank Apprentice, I naturally couldn't grasp his true strength outside of combat without deliberately probing. It's only now, after hearing Instructor Lu Hu, that I realize he quietly broke through to Upper Apprentice. He's already so far ahead of us!

Standing to the side, his two assistants, Bai Xiaochan and Meng Hongzhuang, couldn't control their expressions at all. Surprise and excitement nearly overflowed from their eyes. The powerhouse they had chosen to back was now even stronger; they couldn't help but be overjoyed. We really know how to spot a diamond in the rough! Who among all the trainees here has better judgment than us?! After all, who wouldn't want to fight alongside a genius with limitless potential and share in their future glory?

Fang Zhou, however, just calmly nodded and replied, "Yes, Instructor Lu Hu. During my Meditation last night, I had an epiphany and broke through the bottleneck, advancing to Upper Apprentice. It happened quite suddenly, so I wasn't able to report it to the instructors in time. Please forgive the delay."

Upon hearing this, a pleased smile spread across Instructor Lu Hu's lips. He showered Fang Zhou with praise, his voice filled with pride and expectation.

"Good! Good! Good! Fang Zhou, you've truly amazed me! You are worthy of the title 'Innate Holy Body of the Undead Mage'! Breaking through on the eve of the new recruit competition is a heaven-sent opportunity!"

Instructor Lu Hu continued excitedly, "As long as you take this time to quickly Master your newly acquired power, I firmly believe you are bound to shine in the upcoming competition!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Instructor Lu Hu eagerly pulled out his personal terminal to share the exciting news with the other instructors.

After hearing Fang Zhou's confirmation, the other Seed Students could no longer restrain their disbelief and began gossiping fervently among themselves. Whether they had previously doubted him or had always believed in his extraordinary prowess, all the surrounding students found it hard to suppress their excitement.

Among them, the reactions of Bai Xiaochan and Meng Hongzhuang were particularly noteworthy. They circled Fang Zhou excitedly, their faces radiating brilliant smiles, as if trying to physically express their immense joy. This wasn't due to a lack of composure; rather, Fang Zhou's breakthrough was so overwhelming that it delivered a massive psychological impact. This impact wasn't just due to his personal accomplishment, but also the influence his breakthrough would have.

After all, Fang Zhou's advancement to Upper Apprentice wasn't just a symbol of personal honor; it was a significant enhancement for the entire Team. With an Upper-level Undead Mage in the lead, Sea City Military Academy was bound to achieve excellent results in the upcoming new recruit competition. More importantly, tradition dictated that outstanding Team members would receive substantial rewards. This was an immense temptation for first-year Middle Rank Apprentices like Bai Xiaochan and Meng Hongzhuang. Opportunities to be selected for the representative Team were rare. Now, once selected, having a powerhouse like Fang Zhou to dominate the competition meant they would also enjoy the glory and tangible rewards of victory.

When one person succeeds, everyone connected to them benefits. Faced with such tangible benefits, they naturally weren't going to show any restraint.

The two assistants continued their jubilant celebration for quite some time, only gradually quieting down after Fang Zhou cast a meaningful glance in their direction.

At the same time, Instructor Lu Hu recovered from his initial ecstasy. With a smile, he walked over to Fang Zhou and gently patted his shoulder, his eyes full of encouragement. Then, Instructor Lu Hu turned and walked back to the podium, ready to start the day's lesson.

However, this noteworthy episode had just occurred, and the other trainees were still somewhat distracted and mentally adrift. Their gazes repeatedly fell upon Fang Zhou, who stood at the very front, their minds still reeling in amazement.

...

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