Chapter 17: Jealousy And Scorn

"Let's go". Anet signaled to her friends to follow her out of the faculty building.

Going to direction of the Advanced grade building, Anet explained. "Contrary to the name, the Summit is actually located underground the three grades buildings and the arrangement of all the different techniques corresponds to the grade of the building above its section. Also, being a Beginner grade students, Intermediate grade students or Advanced grade students doesn't mean that you can have access to all the inscription in your section. The inscriptions each student is allowed to borrow are predetermined by grades and teacher's recommendation".

"It sounds very harsh on the students who want to invest themselves in high grade technique". Zushi pointed out.

"You think so because you don't major in Martial class, and as a result, don't understand how lethal it can be for someone to cultivate a technique with severe prerequisites or prerequisites that you have yet to meet". Anet exclaimed.

What she talked about was a major issue that continuously reemerges, when people who just embarked on the Martial path get their hands on and try to cultivate a technique that is beyond their capabilities. The consequence such actions can lead to, worst case scenario, death. Best case scenario, temporarily wound the Qi channels and dantian.

"She is right". Zax backed Anet.

His Valor Ozeyn and the bodily refinement technique Grandmaster Kartion develops were a good example. Though he did not know the specifics, his Master told him that because of a certain choice or action His Valor Ozeyn did, he cannot cultivate Grandmaster Kartion's new bodily refinement technique.

"We will take it into consideration, even though it's not a big deal anyway". Serah joined the fray. "Neither I or Zushi cultivate complicated technique and what our school supply is already very demanding for us".

Entering the luxurious Advanced grade building, while Serah and Zushi were at awe, the young receptionist Zax met the first time he entered the building, welcomed the four and several other students that entered at the same time.

The group of five students was composed of fairly young teens, around the ages seventeen to nineteen, three boys and two girls. The five's cultivation was around that of Anet's with one exception. One of the boys had the cultivation of the Intermediate phase of the Mist Master level. The cultivation of the four in the Core Break level was below the standards of the Advanced grade building, but looking at their ages and demeanor, one could vaguely sense that each of the four had either an exceptional potential or talent, which was the reason for their enrollment or transfer to the Advanced grade building.

"Ah!" One of the girls suddenly cried with alarmed expression. Her group was about to enter the elevator, while Zax and the others were waiting by the receptionist's counter, when she aroused the attention of everyone present.

"Hahahaha, so it's true ... the new bright and shining 'majesty' actually associate with a bunch of useless people". She said in a loud and condescending tone while staring maliciously at Anet.

"What?" Other than the Mist Master student, the remaining three turned around to see what their friend is talking about. When they noticed that Anet was being delayed with another student and two pitiful Earth's Core Holders, the same nasty glint reflected in their eyes.

"I guess that's what you get when a miracle occurs and a waste of Intermediate grade student becomes a principal Ram's Tal". A slender, good looking boy said in apparent disdain.

"True, true! Someone that barely made it to the top ten in the half year Martial competition of the Intermediate grade should know where she belongs. Now, wouldn't it be wonderful if she will trudge to her rightful place together with the trash she brought with her?" A tall girl with extremely naturally pale complexion said.

"Come one guys, the elevator is here". The Mist Master student called his friends while staying indifferent to their taunts.

"Livai, why aren't you supporting us? Doesn't she also make you mad? What makes her better than you for principal to unjustly accept her as a Tal?" The tall and pale girl put her hand on the elevator door, stopping it from closing, she slyly emphasize that she did not speak out of selfishness, but for the sake of the best in their group.

"Her cultivation is not that bad and although she hasn't presented any qualitative skills, none of us can be certain that principal Ram did not see in her something that we haven't". Livai, the Mist Master student, said without showing any fluctuation in his tone. "Now enter the elevator or remove your hand and stay here". Only his last sentence revealed a hint of irritation.

The tall pale girl and the three others were dissatisfied with Livai's mostly uncaring disposition. They, like many other Intermediate and Advanced grade students felt wronged, due to Anet's swift and inexplicable rise to prominence, that is, her transfer to the Advanced grade building and acceptance as Don's Tal.

It would not be a lie to say that in recent weeks, the mere sight of Anet fueled the jealousy of many students and brought out the worst of them.

At first, Anet was not prepared to face such scorn or any scorn, but she just as well quickly adapted and used it to temper her personality. As for her Mor and her senior Tals, except from the same advice a few of her seniors Tals gave her, "Surpass everyone and no one will be able to look down on you", she basically had to deal with her fellow students all alone. Not even Don, her Mor and school principal, gave her indications that she would help.

Anet's forte was her age, which placed her among the youngest between those of the same level of cultivation. She used this notion to follow her seniors Tals' advice and aimed to better her cultivation and skills to be at the top of her generation, and then the older one, and older one, and older one...

With that kind of resolve, although Anet was just at the Advanced phase of the Core Breaker's level, she did spend the last month diligently training according to her Mor's instructions, practicing two techniques that will assist in improving her comprehensive abilities.

Hearing the insults of the students that walked past her and her friends, Anet clenched her fist in anger. She tried to ignore them as she usually does, but they involved her friends and that was crossing the line. Right before Anet opened her mouth to retort, Zax stopped her.

The two girls and two boys always kept eye contact with Anet, even when Livai forced them to enter the elevator. They saw her getting annoyed and about to react, unable to give the cold shoulder that she most times does. And then they noticed Zax clasping her hand and stepping forward.

"I understand", Zax said in a sympathetic tone, which surprised the four, considering the frown he had a moment before speaking. "Four of you are Advanced phase Mist Masters and one is in the Mist Master level, so you think that you can belittle those weaker than you or not in your abhorrent group".

"What did he say?!" The third boy in the group of five, a youth with shaved head that up till now only sneered in support of his friends, held the elevator's doors from closing and similarly to the other three was aghast.

"Repeating even one word for the likes of you would be too much of a hassle". Zax responded. He detested the four for their behavior, but did not speak to them to raise an argument. "Just come here and apologize to my friends?"

"You want us to apologize to two Earth's Core Holders?!" The first girl who spoke could not help but ask to make sure.

"All my friends, that includes Anet". Zax clarified.

The four stared at Zax with faces on the verge of boiling, but still bit their tongues. Actually, they were very careful from the start, not to say anything that might involve Zax. They did not recognize him as one of the Advanced grade students and by the time the first girl started to stir thing up, they were too far to use their Soul Sense to see his cultivation. They also could not detect mist energy undulation with their mist energy, which made them speculate that he probably hides his cultivation by some means. With all of this in mind, the four refrained from taking the risk of insulting someone they were unfamiliar with and so made effort to not to answer Zax.