Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

While Tilan was in the academy among the Northern Mountains, considering how to hatch her little bird, several high schools in South First District displayed a lively scene, gearing up for the upcoming Winter Festival competition and making thorough preparations.

Strong academies thought about playing to their strengths this year to advance their rankings, while those with insufficiencies pondered how to maintain their positions to prevent slipping down the rank.

"In addition to top-notch faculty from Saint Ingo Academy, they have also invited Madame Gurifura May from the 'Golden Lands' faction." There were online claims of seeing a faster-than-light aircraft marked with a golden butterfly descending upon Saint Ingo Academy.

"With the assistance of the 'Star Explorers Alliance' resources, Crystal Lattice Academy began loading training materials from friendly academies in other Star Domains." Within the Federation, there are many academies and organizations that adhere to the philosophy of 'Tracing the Clouds,' who have formed a cooperative organization, the 'Star Explorers Alliance,' which exchanges learning experiences regularly.

"Thunder Edge Academy has invited a retired officer who once graduated from the academy to assist in guiding students."

"Lelysia Academy remains closed off from external news; their internal situation is unknown."

"Swarm's Reign's Xia Kui, it's said, secluded herself for half a year in arduous cultivation after her defeat in the last confrontation competition, and now she has made significant progress. Easily defeating others in the academy's ranking contest, she has become the first."

Compared to the buzz from various academies, Edith Academy, previously made famous by Hexia Tilan, has now become much quieter and subdued, and the online chatter about it gradually submerged by other information.

"That's quite alright." Tilan lay on her bed, chatting on the phone with Annelli about recent events.

She never liked being under constant scrutiny, where every action was magnified and interpreted, and such an atmosphere was more conducive to maintaining a calm and undisturbed training environment within the academy.

"How's everyone in the academy during these days I've been away?" It had been several days since Tilan arrived at Yuanting Academy.

"It's much the same as before, actually, everyone's gotten used to Tilan's occasional mysterious disappearances, thinking you need to pursue knowledge and abilities related to the Songstress." Annelli spoke of the academy's recent situations.

"Well, that is indeed true." Tilan thought for a moment; a large part of why she was here was to learn from a ghostly teacher about the Songstress's arts.

"The training is going as usual, and to keep everyone at ease, I've already told them about the rewards they'll receive after this competition." Annelli added.

"Rewards?" Tilan was briefly startled, then quickly recalled the promises made previously. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

"Will they be useful?" She put down her legs, which had been propped up, and thought back to her previous offer of origami and singing, unsure of the certainty.

Indeed, there were fervent star chasers or fans, but Edith Academy was no ordinary academy. If one wanted to secure top grade ranks and good positions, they presumably wouldn't be the foolish kind. Mostly, they would be talented students who adopted a diligent approach and correct methods. Would such individuals be truly moved and lose themselves over such symbolic rewards offered by her?

If it were Tilan herself, she wasn't the type to be easily misled or to immerse herself in the worship of someone, even when confronted with memories of the two previous generations of Color Level Songstresses she maintained her own thoughts and ideas rather than blind adoration.

Never mind, whether they genuinely liked her or not, as long as they were studying and training well now, the objective was being met. Endlessly pursuing the truth behind could lead to madness.

Today, she was no longer the type to obsess over trivial details. After ending her call with Annelli, Tilan sat up, slipped into her slippers by the bed, and headed to a corner of the dormitory's common room.

There was a warm yellow daylight lamp, and under the lamp, in a downy nest, coiled an Indigo Snake with scales shimmering silver and blue. Within the snake's embrace were five eggs the size of fists, their shells glistening snow-white, resembling jade under the lamplight.

Petting the Indigo Snake's head and neck, Tilan gently caressed the eggshells with her fingers, sensing the burgeoning little lives within.

"They should be able to break out of their shells in about two days." The girl thought to herself.

Draped in a fluffy home long robe, Tilan leaned back in a lounge chair in the great hall, a sturdy little column-shaped heater stood by her feet, square and solid, casting an orange glow.

Being winter in the north, it was chilly outside, and even the large spider at the moment lounged atop the heater, only occasionally crawling into Tilan's lap, acting as a mini desktop or to fetch drinks and snacks from the fridge for Tilan.

As she turned the pages with her fingertips, Tilan studied the cultivation materials left by Yuanting Academy, which detailed various advancement paths for the Light Cotton Bird. There was a branch that specialized in healing and treatment with its ultimate stage being Radiant Feather Sequence 7: Holy Feather White Kite; a branch focused on combat and defense, culminating in the Radiant Feather Sequence 7: Forbidden Azure Kite; a branch specifically for ornamental performance, ending in the Primordial Sequence 7: Venus Spin Moon Bird; slightly more aggressive options like the Slashing Blade Sequence 6: File Gold Flying Kite, and so on.

'Light Cotton Birds have innate conditions suited for advancement into Radiant Feather Sequence or Primordial Sequence; other Sequences offer no evident advantages. Choosing Blood Pupil Sequence or Natural Sequence would be particularly hard,' the book recorded this.

After reading about the Light Cotton Bird's aptitudes and innate conditions, Tilan continued to sift through related cultivation histories.

Transcendent creatures often originate from existing species, and the Light Cotton Bird also came from a specific raptor species. Light Cotton Birds were first bred during the Third Era, aiming to address the visibility issues of nighttime battles. These birds, capable of night flight, would scatter cottony patches of light illuminating the darkened battlefields. Additionally, their status as mid-sized birds of prey could fend off some wild hawks and eagles, ensuring a swift flight speed, thus enabling them to survive on battlefields.