Another Person

Action is the beginning of knowledge, and knowledge is the completion of action.

With a sense of seeking answers and a feeling of bewilderment about the future, Muneyoshi slowly walked towards the mountain peak of the temple.

Meanwhile, at the temple, Saeki Kojiro, Itsuki Kihiko, Shuto Satoshi, Kisarazu Ryo, and others who had been living and eating there had begun their training.

Because the Kanto Tournament consists of one round of matches per week, they have plenty of time.

With Kojiro now much stronger than in the original work, the Rokkaku members are quite relaxed and even have time to fool around.

"Old Man, our morning training session is almost over."

Be careful, don't fall.

"Kojiro, let's have a match..."

"Okay, Ryo."

"Ryo, why don't you come and compete with me? Getting humiliated by Kojiro is no fun."

"Hahaha..."

Laughter and the sounds of training carried far along the quiet mountain road.

By the time Muneyoshi climbed the steps and entered the mountain gate, the morning training session was almost over, and this was the scene that greeted him at the temple.

"Hey, Kojiro, your cousin's here!"

"Muneyoshi's here."

"Welcome, Muneyoshi. If we had known it would turn out like this, we should have stopped you from going to Tokyo."

"Yes, with your strength, it's a real pity that you don't have any matches to play this year..."

Because he grew up in Chiba and was related to Kojiro, everyone at Rokkaku Middle School was very familiar with Saeki Muneyoshi.

Moreover, during his time back, Muneyoshi wasn't exactly free to relax. Apart from Kojiro, he also interacted with the other Regular.

Although Muneyoshi is still processing the gains from his nationwide tour, he has not yet begun to break through his limits in terms of power.

But based on his current demonstrated strength, he fully deserves the titles of genius and strongman.

Therefore, everyone admires him.

Moreover, they all knew to some extent why Muneyoshi had come to see his Old Man today, so upon seeing him, they couldn't help but strike up a conversation...

The group only stopped chatting when the school bell rang again down the mountain.

"Alright, you lot, it's time to go back to class."

"Ugh... I want to drop out of school too, classes are so annoying!"

After being urged on, Saeki Kojiro and the others reluctantly turned and went down the mountain.

Meanwhile, Rokkaku Old Man stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his lips, calmly watching Muneyoshi.

He seemed quite satisfied with Saeki Muneyoshi.

Once the temple had completely quieted down, he nodded to Muneyoshi, signaling him to follow.

Then he slowly walked towards the temple.

Seeing this, Muneyoshi quickly took off his shoes, put on the guest's wooden clogs, and followed Rokkaku Old Man.

Although the temple is nameless, it occupies a considerable area.

The temple's interior is a winding, secluded path that leads all the way to the mountaintop.

However, Muneyoshi only glanced at it before looking away.

It is extremely impolite to look around someone else's property without the owner's permission, and having lived there for over a decade, he was well aware of these taboos.

Muneyoshi then turned his gaze to Rokkaku Old Man.

As he looked at the other person, he noticed something different about them.

From the moment he entered the temple and met the other person, he felt a surging yet very peaceful spiritual power emanating from Rokkaku Old Man.

This was something Muneyoshi didn't realize when he was a child.

The reason I was able to detect this was probably because my mental strength had broken through and I had undergone a transformation after entering the Darkness Domain, which allowed me to discover this characteristic of the other party.

Moreover, Rokkaku Old Man's leisurely demeanor blended perfectly with the peaceful atmosphere of the temple nestled in nature.

They seemed to have merged into one.

With your eyes closed, you cannot detect the other person's actions by relying solely on your mental senses.

In other words, if Muneyoshi hadn't been able to see at that moment, he wouldn't have been able to detect any of the other party's movements at all.

Muneyoshi's little actions and attempts, of course, did not escape the notice of Rokkaku Old Man.

"A perceptive little fellow..."

"I didn't expect your strength to have improved so much in just over half a year. But... Darkness... such an impact shouldn't be a big problem, right..."

Rokkaku Old Man hesitated for a moment.

While he was pleased with the development of the new generation of tennis players in Japan, he didn't have many good ideas about why Muneyoshi had chosen this path.

In fact, he had noticed it from the moment Muneyoshi arrived at the temple. Under his powerful spiritual perception, Muneyoshi was like a warrior shrouded in black mist, exuding a strong desire for destruction.

This destructive urge, tinged with malice, was suppressed by Muneyoshi, but prolonged suppression was not a good thing.

The longer it is suppressed, the stronger the rebound will be.

Regular and necessary guidance and emotional support are the best way to prevent a drastic change in their temperament.

Thinking of this, Rokkaku Old Man slowed his pace even further...

Tap... tap... tap...

As he walked softly, the sound of his wooden clogs striking the floor created a peculiar rhythm, drawing out Muneyoshi's outward spiritual energy, which spread along with the sound waves.

Gradually, guided by the sound of footsteps, Muneyoshi's spiritual power seemed to merge wonderfully with the natural mountains and the vast ocean.

Muneyoshi's mental energy began to become more active than ever before.

With a mental strength of five points, he may not be the strongest among junior high school students, but he is already among the top.

Moreover, the previous continuous battles allowed Muneyoshi's Dark side to absorb a lot of nutrients, resulting in astonishing growth.

Although there were few truly strong opponents during the previous national tour, Muneyoshi was like a fully wound-up toy, constantly seeking nourishment to promote his hidden growth.

Mental alertness must be maintained at all times.

At this moment, with Rokkaku Old Man's encouragement, he finally relaxed.

People often say that there is a balance between tension and relaxation.

Once his tense mental energy relaxed, a strong sense of fatigue and exhaustion instantly swept over Muneyoshi's entire body and mind.

All he wanted to do right now was get a good night's sleep.

Relax in the tranquil mountains or on the shimmering sea.

At this moment, his mind was so relaxed that he didn't even notice that after he relaxed, the taut Mental Fluorescent Flame began to flicker again, and the darkness became even deeper.

His mental strength actually increased slightly.

This growth, though small, is very real.

This is a kind of growth that goes beyond the quantification of data; it does not come from absorbing anything from anyone else, but is born solely from one's own continuous refinement.

Muneyoshi fell asleep. Rokkaku Old Man already knew his purpose from Kojiro, but he was on a different path from Muneyoshi.

Therefore, Rokkaku Old Man cannot provide true guidance.

However, he could point out Muneyoshi's flaws and shortcomings, and even suggest ways to improve him.

This guidance was silent yet undeniably real, and it began the moment Muneyoshi stepped into the temple...

After settling the sleeping Muneyoshi in, Rokkaku Old Man went to a nearby courtyard.

Upon entering a courtyard, Rokkaku Old Man saw a very handsome and masculine young man standing under an ancient tree, dressed in monk's robes, sweeping fallen leaves from the ground with a long-handled broom.

Because of the guidance he had just received regarding Muneyoshi's experience, Rokkaku Old Man was in a very good mood, so upon seeing the boy, he broke his previous silence and leisurely asked:

"Little Phoenix, how did your understanding go today?"

"Old Man, you're back."

Completely absorbed in his surroundings, the boy didn't notice his Rokkaku Old Man, approaching. Only when the voice rang out did he snap out of his reverie and laugh heartily.

"Today was another wasted effort, just like yesterday. It seemed slightly different, yet nothing had changed at all. I can't quite put my finger on it..."

The boy stopped what he was doing, turned around, and bowed to his Old Man.

His aura was incredibly calm and still, seemingly carrying the scent of the ocean.

But in his Old Man's eyes, it was a different story; the boy's true nature, hidden beneath the silence, was like an incredibly turbulent sea.

Muneyoshi wasn't the first person to seek guidance from Rokkaku Old Man.

Although Muneyoshi has familiar memories of this world and knows the level and foundation of Rokkaku Old Man.

But he wasn't the only one in the world who knew this.

This tall young man also came here through an introduction, and he has been here for some time now.

He was none other than the "Byōdōin Hōō".

P. S.: "When Uncle Huang makes his appearance, please give me suggestions for names of his moves. I'll then use those names to visualize the visuals. Please vote with your monthly tickets!"