Transcendent Dawn

Chapter 542: Chapter 0542: Astrology (9400 supplementary, requesting monthly ticket)

“Astrology… it encompasses celestial movements, divination, prophecies, and other advanced arcane knowledge… if you really delve into it, it might be beyond your capabilities.”

In the small classroom, Su Lu was giving Bai Ling a private lesson.

Despite being a busy principal, he paid close attention to this ‘protagonist’ and noticed some of Bai Ling’s actions.

Perhaps the natives of this world would be blinded by their affection and unwilling to think ill of her, but Su Lu was different. He quickly thought about the possibility that Bai Ling was being manipulated, or perhaps she was on the right path to becoming a protagonist!

Therefore, he used the pretext of tutoring to observe her closely.

It was a great privilege for a student to receive private lessons from a principal, an opportunity that other students could hardly attain.

If Bai Ling weren’t Su Lu’s niece, I’m afraid jealousy would have consumed her.

More unsettling than those flames of jealousy, though, was the secret within Bai Ling’s heart.

Heaven help her!

If possible, she’d rather keep her distance from this uncle, especially since the latest order she’d received had left her torn, and on the brink of a mental breakdown.

“Well… then I’ll stop learning…”

Bai Ling pleaded pitifully.

Astrology was indeed hard and left her utterly confused.

“No… this is the perfect blend of technology and mystery, and it’s a field that might shine brightly in future…” Su Lu smiled, “you must lay a solid foundation now!”

No matter how you look at him, he gave off the vibe of a doting elder who didn’t mind bending the rules for his younger generation.

No one could have guessed that beneath this facade, he harbored a heart of darkness.

“I understand.”

Bai Ling nodded, fiercely determined to learn.

Only after the class ended and Su Lu left did she breathe a sigh of relief. The difficulty of her studies and the effort to hide her inner turmoil had been a torment!

‘But… am I really going to bring those objects in and restrict my uncle?’

Bai Ling struggled deeply with this decision.

During her last ‘outing’, the Summit had given her a new order – to bring certain tools into the Secret Realm and, if necessary, cooperate with others to restrain Bai Jing.

Although Huang Minghao would like nothing more than to kill Bai Jing directly, the instructions given to his subordinates were, of course, about isolation and scrutiny.

Otherwise, Bai Ling would feel even more conflicted.

The only good news she received was that her understanding of arcane studies was advancing rapidly. According to her uncle, she would soon be able to apply to become a professional without having to sign any contract.

However, over the past decade, various basic professions had been discovered one after another – far exceeding the original four choices, and she needed to make a careful decision.

“There are many basic professions, but if you’re not an extraordinary genius, you can’t go wrong by following their path!”

Bai Ling contemplated privately, “The top hundred masters in the world, their Fifth Level paths and choices, have all been verified as powerful by facts… but my uncle doesn’t want to teach me his methods.”

What mysterious profession did Bai Jing hold?

This was also vital information that Tian Wang insisted she needed to investigate rigorously.

Unfortunately, after a slight probe, Bai Ling found that Bai Jing had no intention of passing his legacy on to her.

When she returned to the dormitory, Bai Ling suddenly heard a familiar sobbing sound.

“Mi Jiaying, is that you?”

She walked to her roommate’s door intending to knock but found it open.

Mi Jiaying was curled up in her bed, crying with swollen eyes.

“What happened?”

Seeing this scene, Bai Ling felt anxious.

“Jiajia has disappeared!”

Mi Jiaying said through her sobs.

“Disappeared?”

Bai Ling immediately thought of the recent murmurings about the disappearance of an upperclassman and exclaimed in a low voice, “Are you sure? Maybe… she’s just out or went home?”

“That’s impossible, she’s not an upperclassman, she can’t even leave the Secret Realm!”, Mi Jiaying shook her head, “The teachers have searched the entire academy without finding any trace of her. They’ve contacted her family and still nothing…”

This was when Bai Ling remembered that low-level students at the Mysterious Academy were under closed management. Not everyone had the privilege, as she did, to come and go freely.

“So… what did the teachers say?”

She felt a chill run down her spine as she persistently questioned.

“What can they say? She’s missing, not dead…”, Mi Jiaying sobbed, “Ling Ling… I’m so scared.”

“Don’t cry! Don’t cry!”

Bai Ling hugged her best friend’s shoulder, “Maybe she’s just lost somewhere and hasn’t been found.”

An endearing statement that even she found hard to believe.

“No… I know a clue!”

Mi Jiaying murmured as though in a trance, “That night… she went midnight-trekking to the ‘Cannibal Corridor’.”

That was the hallway where they had seen the figure in the oil painting, the same one rumoured to cause people to disappear, as if swallowed by the hallway.

“That place!”

Coldness seeped deeper into Bai Ling’s heart.

“A lot of female students are afraid and ready to dropout. I’m going to stay… at least until I find Jiajia!” Mi Jiaying, wiping her tears, regained her strength.

Despite being martial arts students, when faced with such terrifying mysteries, they were no different from ordinary people.

“Your problem is my problem. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely help you.”

Bai Ling clenched her small fist.

“How will you help me?” Mi Jiaying asked, a hint of mockery at the corner of her mouth, “Will you plead with your principal-uncle?”

‘She… she’s doubting my uncle! Maybe she’s doubting me too?!’

A chill ran down Bai Ling’s spine, but she quickly looked sincerely at Mi Jiaying’s eyes, “After all these years as friends, don’t you trust me? I plan to use astrology…My uncle said that ordinary people can use that ritual, it’s just hard to get an answer, or the signs are very vague, and there may be some side effects.”

“I’m sorry… I was too anxious before.”

Mi Jiaying apologized.

“It’s okay… we’ll start tonight.”

Bai Ling looked at her watch, “The teacher once said that after ten-thirty in the evening, the Astral Spirituality is more active. Divining at that time can get a certain bonus.”

Midnight.

In the dorm.

Bai Ling and Mi Jiaying clandestinely gathered together, fussing with artifacts before them.

Three candles, a silver candlestick, purified salt, and a variety of spices…

These were Bai Ling’s ‘learning tools’, specially approved by the principal, and of excellent quality.

“You brilliant cluster of stars…”

As Bai Ling recited the spell, she lit each candle, sprinkled the spices, and filled the room with a fragrant scent.

“I beseech you for signs… I beseech you to guide me!”

Grabbing a handful of salt, Bai Ling scattered it around and explained to Mi Jiaying, “Divination is likely to summon some harmful things. Salt, being a substance detested by devils, can banish this contamination.”

At the moment, she might seem like a witch, but in Mi Jiaying’s eyes, it was awe-inspiring.

Being of the same grade, Bai Ling’s performance far outstripped hers.

“I implore you to let me know, where Jin Jiajia is!”

Pop!

Just then, the middle candle suddenly extinguished on its own.

The color drained from Bai Ling’s face, “This candle… represents Jin Jiajia’s life. Its extinguishing represents that the target… is dead!”