The Heaven-Bestowed Hydro-Body (II)

After undergoing this complete metamorphosis, could he truly alter this body's stagnant affinity for Natural Primordial Force?

Du Chen's hand pressed onto the Attunement Crystal. In that instant, a myriad of reactions rippled through the onlookers.

Steve watched his younger brother with a pang of pity. *Poor Francis, alas…*

A surge of resentment simmered in Charlie’s heart. *Idiot! You've utterly disgraced the Saint Sigurd Cain family's honor!*

Among the students who had overheard Professor Mina's earlier remarks, curious gazes fixed on Du Chen. Someone without battle qi, unable to sense Natural Primordial Force, had actually gained admission to the Battle God Academy? How utterly bizarre! *Still, at least I won't have to worry about being last place anymore!*

The student Mina had threatened just moments ago, in particular, smirked as he scrutinized Du Chen. He inwardly sneered, *So he's just a waste who can't sense Natural Primordial Force. Why bother competing with a nobody? Let him cut in line. I'll just enjoy the show.*

Du Chen's hand made intimate contact with the Attunement Crystal. The crystalline orb remained stubbornly inert at first. While Du Chen felt a flicker of relief at not having to laboriously explain anything, a hint of disappointment also crept in. *The celestial metamorphosis doesn't seem to have been very effective after all!*

But then, without warning, a dazzling blue light erupted from within the crystal. It was a deep, cerulean hue, like the boundless ocean itself, so vibrant that for a moment, it felt as if a vast sea had manifested before their eyes.

The blue light intensified, growing brighter and more brilliant until it was utterly blinding, forcing onlookers to avert their gaze.

With a sharp *CRACK*, the Attunement Crystal shattered into a myriad of sparkling fragments…

*Blast it all!* It truly *was* a complete metamorphosis! Du Chen found himself torn between laughter and tears.

The crowd gaped, dumbfounded. While it wasn't unheard of for someone of exceptional talent to make an Attunement Crystal burst, what was truly astounding was that Professor Mina had explicitly stated—and many had heard—that Francis couldn't sense Natural Primordial Force!

The blue light signified a water-attributed affinity, and the fact that he'd shattered the crystal indicated a genius for cultivating water-attributed battle qi. Such innate talent was beyond the grasp of ordinary individuals; it could only be described as 'Heaven-Bestowed.'

What power could transform a mere wastrel into a Heaven-Bestowed Hydro-Body!? Even Dean Zigurd couldn't achieve such a feat!

Steve was the first to react, practically tackling Du Chen in a tight embrace. “Francis, my dear brother! You can cultivate battle qi!”

Charlie stared, momentarily stunned, before suddenly extending a hand to Du Chen. “Francis, before I ask how, let me say this: if you can cultivate battle qi, then you have earned my respect! From now on, do not tarnish the glory of our ancestor, Sigurd!”

“Damn it all! Are the examiners of the Lanning Diocese all imbeciles?! To send us a treasure with a Heaven-Bestowed Hydro-Body, mistaking him for a waste!” Mina spat, her voice laced with furious indignation.

Du Chen cast a helpless glance at the crowd’s reactions. With the Precious Lotus Scripture, he naturally didn’t put much stock in mere battle qi. But how was he to explain his sudden transformation?

To claim ignorance about the change was absolutely out of the question. Imagine, if a simpleton from his previous life suddenly possessed Einstein’s intellect, wouldn’t all the scientific 'uncles' want to 'study' him?

Such an inexplicable, wondrous transformation invariably drew the attention of the intensely curious, for they wished to replicate and apply such miracles to ordinary people. This principle held true even in the Battle God world.

“Th-this… what just happened?” Du Chen stammered, casting a bewildered glance around. “My body can’t sense Natural Primordial Force, but the Attunement Crystal…”

Mina shook her head sharply. “No, that’s wrong. The notes on your admission scroll were written by Godfather Ferdinand; that old man wouldn’t get something so simple wrong! Francis, has anything changed with your body recently, or have you encountered anything unusual!?”

“I, I…” Du Chen scratched his head, pondering for a long moment before hesitantly replying, “A few days ago, while helping the refugees rebuild their homes, I saw an old man who had no children and was quite pitiful. So I gave him a few extra gold coins and helped him finish building his house. The old man praised me, offered me a cup of water, and then patted my back a few times. After that, I felt my body grow warm, as if something had changed.”

Du Chen’s lie sounded simple enough: he had encountered an unrivaled, reclusive expert!

After speaking, Du Chen gazed frankly at Professor Mina, inwardly thinking, *Damn this professor, you should continue thinking along these lines: Wasn’t Dean Zigurd’s sacred artifact forcibly bound by an ‘exceedingly powerful expert’ just days ago? Therefore, there must be an expert near Antwerp Port, so powerful they defy common sense.*

If this expert could even compel a Nine-Star sacred artifact to recognize them as its master, then altering someone’s innate talent would be mere child's play.

This way, everyone’s attention would shift from his sudden change in talent to that enigmatic expert who defied all logic. He would just have to cooperate with the investigation and feign ignorance, and the matter of the Precious Lotus Scripture would be completely cleared.

Sure enough, Mina’s thoughts ran precisely along those lines. She lowered her head in contemplation. “Someone forced Dean Zigurd’s sacred artifact to recognize them as master just days ago… then that person must be capable of altering innate talent. Damn it, so *that’s* why they vanished after rescuing the Fiendess; they must have been impersonating a refugee! No wonder we couldn't track their whereabouts!”

She raised her head, her usually flirtatious and charming expression having become slightly more serious, though she still struck Du Chen as utterly detestable.

“Well, aren’t you a lucky young man!” she purred. “Even Dean Zigurd, a Titled Battle God, can’t alter someone’s talent, yet you stumbled upon someone who could help you. Now, in my capacity as a professor, I order you to cooperate fully with the academy’s investigation into that ‘refugee’!”

“Understood, I will absolutely cooperate!” Du Chen nodded solemnly.

Mina whirled around, shouting at the record-keeping staff, “What are you gaping at? Record this!”

The record-keeper looked troubled. “Professor Mina, how should I write this? He’s a Heaven-Bestowed Hydro-Body, a genius for cultivating water-attributed battle qi, and by regulations, should be assigned to an advanced class! However, his admission scroll states that Francis has never learned any techniques and currently hasn’t cultivated any battle qi, which means he can only be placed in the lowest-tier class.”

“Now this *is* a predicament!” Mina mused, a slight frown creasing her brow. “In that case, we won’t assign him a class for now. I’ll speak with the Dean… Damn it, the Dean is in seclusion healing. Then I’ll discuss it with the Dean of Academic Affairs. Steve, it’s your turn!”

“Alright!” Steve slapped Du Chen’s shoulder, his excitement palpable. “Haha, dear brother, you’re incredibly lucky! To encounter such an immensely powerful Battle God who even helped you change your talent—it’s simply marvelous! Father will be overjoyed when he hears of this!”

The moment he thought of Anjes, Du Chen’s newfound good mood, born of successfully pulling off his deception, instantly evaporated.

Would that cold, distant father truly change his attitude towards him? And did Du Chen even *need* him to change?

The Saint Sigurd Cain Estate had long since become a fount of utter disappointment!

After a new Attunement Crystal was brought forth, Steve and Charlie took their turns. Both proceeded smoothly. While Steve wasn't a genius, he possessed excellent talent. Charlie's aptitude, however, was formidable; though he lacked Du Chen’s ability to shatter the crystal, he still caused a distinct fissure to spiderweb across its surface.

With a disdainful glance at the cracked crystal, Charlie playfully punched Du Chen’s chest. “Too bad that powerful Battle God transformed you into a hydro-body. Our family’s martial arts are all fire-attributed, so there’s no way for us to study them together! Learn all you can at the academy. Big brother isn’t my match; I hope you can be my rival!”

“I won’t disappoint you!” Du Chen met Charlie’s gaze with cool determination. Though he had earned Charlie’s respect, no true fraternal bond existed between them. Perhaps 'rivals' was a far more fitting title than 'brothers'.

“Alright, alright, you two handsome young men, direct your attention to me! Can’t this beautiful professor capture your eyes anymore!?”

Mina clapped her hands, signaling the students to resume order, then crooked a finger at Du Chen. “Come with me. We need to discuss in detail how that refugee elder helped you change your talent!”

Her incessant, flirtatious winks made Steve gulp audibly. “Professor Mina, where are we going?”

“Wrong, not ‘we,’ just Francis alone!” Mina wagged a finger, her voice a seductive purr. “I want to have a ‘private’ chat with him… in my chambers.”