Encounter

Encounter

Feng Yao strolled to the gates of Nuoding Academy and looked up. Four vigorous characters—"Nuoding Academy"—were engraved upon the Rocks at the center of the archway. Through the gaps in the iron gate, he could see the academy's broad, clean avenues winding through secluded paths, with lush green plants lining both sides, full of life. In the distance, several elegant rooftops gleamed beneath the sunlight, exuding an air of solemnity and refinement.

Feng Yao looked around but did not see the figure he had been rather curious about—the protagonist, Tang San. The corners of his lips lifted slightly in a self-mocking smile as he thought, What are the odds? I have no idea where exactly I am on the timeline. Spirit Hall still presides over Martial Soul awakenings, which only means I'm probably from the same era as the protagonist. Maybe I arrived several years early, or perhaps several years late. Never mind. As long as Yu Xiaogang is still at the academy, I'll eventually have a chance to meet him.

With that in mind, Feng Yao headed for the gate. At the same time, the gatekeeper slowly emerged from the little room beside it. Seeing Feng Yao's fine clothing, he immediately quickened his pace, his face breaking into a respectful smile.

"What business does this young master have at Nuoding Academy?" The gatekeeper bowed slightly, his tone carrying a hint of ingratiation.

Recalling the plot of the original work and seeing the gatekeeper's friendly attitude, Feng Yao could not help but laugh. He slowly took the folded Martial Soul certificate from his robes and handed it over with a smile. "I'm here to enroll at Nuoding Academy."

The gatekeeper did not take the certificate from Feng Yao, nor did he even glance at it. He immediately looked even more respectful. "So you are a Spirit Master here to enroll, sir. Please, come in!"

As he spoke, he stepped aside slightly and raised a hand to show Feng Yao the way. "Would you like this humble one to guide you?"

Feng Yao smiled and shook his head, silently putting the Spirit Master certificate back into his robes before striding into the academy.

Before long, under the guidance of the academy staff, Feng Yao successfully arrived at the registration office. After paying the enrollment fee of one hundred Gold Soul Coins, he officially became a student of Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy.

Not long afterward, following the registration teacher's directions, Feng Yao arrived at his dormitory—Dorm One. He found his room according to the number on the key, and the moment he pushed open the door, he could not help but freeze slightly.

"Looks like money is the most useful passport in any world." Feng Yao chuckled to himself. "I never expected even ordinary students could have private rooms."

The room, roughly ten square meters in size, was simple but fully furnished: a single bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and even a small balcony. Sunlight streamed through the window, painting warm patches of light across the floor. Feng Yao nodded in satisfaction and placed his luggage on the bed.

As a former teacher, Feng Yao knew well that peace and solitude were indispensable when pursuing achievement in any field. This private space was precisely the cultivation environment he had always dreamed of.

Unable to wait any longer, Feng Yao opened the academy-issued introductory textbook. On the title page were the prominent words "Basic Meditation Method." Its contents were concise: "Find a quiet place to prevent outside interference; enter meditation while sitting, but do not fall asleep; visualize the appearance of one's Martial Soul, coordinate with breathing, and sense the energy of heaven and earth."

"Just as I thought." Feng Yao closed the textbook thoughtfully and lay back on the bed. The shadows of trees outside the window swayed gently in the breeze, while mottled light drifted across his face. "The Eight Brocades truly has its own unique merits. Combining movements with breathing places greater emphasis on conditioning the body. Along with my above-average Spiritual Power, it is no surprise that I awakened Soul Power."

After obtaining the Meditation Method, Feng Yao suddenly felt that academy life had lost much of its original appeal. But on second thought, given his current age and strength, there was indeed nowhere better for him to go. The continent was fraught with danger. Before he had enough strength to protect himself, it would be safer to lie low in this small city for a few years.

Feng Yao raised his hand and stared at the sunlight slipping through his fingers, lost in thought. "This Meditation Method really is simple. Even six-year-old children can grasp it easily. But..."

A bold idea suddenly surfaced in his mind. Could I create an internal cultivation method unique to myself, like Tang San did? One that could accelerate cultivation while strengthening the body? After all, a strong physique often means powerful Spiritual Power as well.

At the thought, Feng Yao shook his head with a self-mocking smile. As a modern person, he naturally lacked any innate advantage in something as mysterious as cultivation. Though he did not understand cultivation, he had once taught others in the art of the zither. He knew well that the simpler something was, the more one had to rely on talent to break beyond convention. Spirit Master meditation was the same: easy to understand, but to truly achieve anything, the crucial factor was still the hard requirement of Innate Soul Power.

"After awakening Soul Power, I've become greedy." Feng Yao chuckled and raised a hand, summoning his Martial Soul. His fingertips gently brushed the strings as he said softly, "Old friend, I'll call you 'Fuxi' from now on. Borrowing the name of an ancestor, I hope that one day, you can truly become a Divine Artifact."

Holding the ancient zither, Fuxi, in his arms, Feng Yao leisurely left the dormitory. The sunlight was pleasant, and he intended to find a secluded place within the academy to play.

As he walked along Nuoding Academy's tree-lined paths, quite a few students cast curious looks at the Seven-stringed Zither in Feng Yao's arms. The eyes of the few children who recognized its value flashed with envy—in this world, music had always been one of the calling cards of noble status.

Nuoding Academy occupied a vast area, but there were not many Spirit Master students. Feng Yao soon found a quiet spot deep within the academy. Thick tree trunks cast dappled shadows, while sunlight filtered sparsely through the branches and leaves, warm but not scorching. He sat cross-legged and placed Fuxi on his knees.

His fingertips lightly plucked the strings, and a clear note drifted leisurely outward. Invisible sound waves rippled through the air as Feng Yao gradually immersed himself in the mood of the melody. The zither music flowed like a clear spring, at times like pearls falling upon a Jade Plate, at times like waves of wind through pines. On this tranquil afternoon, the tone of the Seven-stringed Zither blended perfectly with nature, as though even the sunlight swayed gently with the melody.

The Zither Sound lingered like a spring breeze sweeping over the fields. On a patch of grass not far away, a boy sitting cross-legged suddenly opened his eyes, surprise flashing through them.

"This piece actually carries the feeling of all things reviving, brimming with vitality." Tang San murmured softly, sensing the unusual movement of the Soul Power within him. Just yesterday, with his teacher's help, he had obtained his first Spirit Ring and broken through to level eleven. Yet now, while listening to this Zither Sound, the Soul Power within him surged once more, and he naturally broke through to level twelve.

He spread open his right hand, where his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul swayed gently in his palm. Ordinarily, meditation was most taboo against outside interference. Yet guided by the Zither Sound just now, his Martial Soul seemed to have formed a wonderful resonance with nature, bursting with vigorous life like spring shoots breaking through the earth.

Tang San rose and brushed the grass clippings from his robe before slowly following the sound of the zither. Passing through several bushes, he saw a young man immersed in his own music. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves and fell upon the youth, coating him in a gentle halo.

"A noble?" Tang San's gaze paused briefly on the other's exquisite clothing. He could not help recalling what he had experienced when he first arrived at the academy, and his brows furrowed slightly.

He stood quietly amid the tree shadows and observed. The youth playing the zither had his eyes half-closed, long fingers gliding across the strings. His whole being seemed to merge with the surrounding nature. The music was sometimes like a babbling spring, sometimes like fresh shoots pushing forth branches, every note containing the rhythm of life.

"It seems there are people of genuine talent among nobles as well." Tang San thought to himself, and some of his original prejudice unknowingly faded. Leaning against the tree trunk, he relaxed without realizing it, allowing the Zither Sound to cleanse his mind. At that moment, he seemed to see countless Blue Silver Grass plants unfurling their leaves in the music, blooming with dazzling life.

When a rendition of "Yangchun Baixue" came to an end, its lingering notes still drifting through the air, Feng Yao slowly opened his eyes. Tang San, who had been standing there for some time, could not help clapping softly, the crisp applause especially clear in the silent forest.

Following the sound, Feng Yao saw a boy in coarse cloth standing not far away. He was slightly surprised; there were not many children of this age who could understand zither music. "May I ask who you are?" Feng Yao asked warmly.

"Hello, classmate. My name is Tang San." Tang San stepped forward a few paces and answered politely.

Surprise appeared on Feng Yao's face when he heard this. His gaze swept over the lush grass around them, and he immediately understood—this vibrant patch of grass truly was the ideal cultivation ground for a Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master.

"Classmate, do you know me?" Seeing Feng Yao remain silent, Tang San asked hesitantly.

Feng Yao came back to himself and gently shook his head. "No. I was simply surprised that you could understand my zither music."

Tang San deliberately shook his head with an innocent look. "I don't understand it, but I know you played very well."

Feng Yao could not help smiling. We're both old foxes, so why put on this act?

"It seems that zither music played with Soul Power may have had some special effect on Tang San." Feng Yao pondered inwardly. "Otherwise, with his personality, if his cultivation had been disturbed, he should have gone elsewhere to find somewhere quiet."

With that thought, Feng Yao stopped dwelling on it and said to Tang San, "As long as I didn't disturb you. I'm going to continue cultivating." With that, he said no more and began playing again.

The Zither Sound rose once more, and Feng Yao quickly sank back into his own world. Watching Feng Yao's focused expression, Tang San's opinion of him rose another notch. Feng Yao's utter absorption reminded him of himself in his past life, when he had researched Hidden Weapons.

"Once Teacher's health improves, I'll ask him about the mysteries of this Zither Sound." Tang San decided inwardly. "For now, I'll continue cultivating and see whether I can gain anything more." He quietly retreated a few steps, sat cross-legged again some distance away, closed his eyes, and focused his mind as the Zither Sound curled around his ears.

Deep within the dense tree shadows, a burly figure stood silently. He was a tall middle-aged man. His rough fingers unconsciously gripped the tree trunk, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. Feng Yao's Zither Sound seeped into his heart like a babbling stream, gradually moistening those weathered eyes.

"Such zither skill..." the man murmured, his voice trembling with barely concealed emotion. As the strings were plucked, he seemed to see that elegant figure again, playing the zither in the courtyard. "Yue Hua..."

Only when Feng Yao's Soul Power was about to run dry and the music gradually ceased did the man awaken as if from a dream. He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, but his gaze never left the youth playing the zither.

"Ah, my Soul Power is still far too little." Feng Yao sighed softly, his fingertips reluctantly leaving the strings. He could feel that every performance using Soul Power made the connection between his Martial Soul and himself closer, but the limitation of his Soul Power remained an obstacle difficult to overcome.

After withdrawing Fuxi back into his body, Feng Yao sat cross-legged and began attempting meditation. Following the method in the textbook, he visualized the Seven-stringed Zither in his mind, coordinated with the rhythm of his breathing, and sensed the flow of Soul Power within him. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves and fell upon his face, coating his focused features in a golden glow.

From deep within the tree shadows, the burly figure silently watched Feng Yao's meditating posture, surprise flashing through his eyes. As a Title Douluo, he could clearly sense that Feng Yao's meditation was still somewhat awkward, yet that superb zither skill reminded him of his younger sister far away at Moon Xuan. What surprised him even more was that this youth's attainments in zither music seemed faintly poised to surpass Yue Hua's.

His gaze shifted between Feng Yao and Tang San, and the man suddenly realized that both children carried a similar quality—a unique talent they had been born with.

"Both natural-born, huh? Interesting..." the man murmured, his rough fingertips unconsciously rubbing the messy stubble on his chin. The scent of ale drifted faintly through the air with each breath.

After lingering to observe for a while longer, the man turned and left. His burly body moved as lightly as a ghost, vanishing into the academy after only a few leaps. Only a withered yellow leaf spiraled down, coming to rest directly before Feng Yao. Its surface still carried the sour scent unique to cheap ale.

Feng Yao's first attempt at meditation did not go smoothly. He repeatedly adjusted his breathing and gradually caught hold of that mysterious trace of sensation. When he opened his eyes again, the setting sun had already dyed the entire academy gold.

Feng Yao glanced at the now-empty patch of grass, carefully sensing the condition of his body. A bitter smile could not help appearing on his face as he muttered, "This speed really is painful. From morning until dusk, my Soul Power has only increased by the tiniest amount. If it were him cultivating, it would probably go much more smoothly."

Perhaps because he had not eaten lunch, Feng Yao's stomach soon began voicing its protest.

Grrumble—

The sound from his stomach shattered the silence of the woods. Feng Yao rubbed his numb legs, rose, and brushed the grass clippings from his robe. As a modern person, sitting cross-legged in meditation was still something he had not quite adjusted to.

"Time to try Nuoding Academy's Cafeteria." Feng Yao spoke to himself as he headed toward the source of the scent of food.

Feng Yao hurried along the woodland path, the afterglow of the setting sun stretching his shadow long behind him. Nuoding Academy's buildings appeared especially solemn in the twilight. The lights of the Cafeteria had already come on in the distance, and he could faintly hear the clamor of students.

The moment he reached the Cafeteria entrance, Feng Yao smelled the rich aroma of food.