First Meeting with Wu Sidao

Twilight deepened, and a cool evening breeze slipped through the gap in the window, stealing into the bedroom. It brushed across the desktop, gently nudging a map lying there at random, revealing a spot circled in red ink.

Donghai City.

Nan Liujing sat in his chair, the glow from the computer screen illuminating a face as handsome as his Father's, though at his young age, it still held a hint of immaturity.

His fingers nimbly typed in a URL, then clicked.

Taiwan Novel Network

"Mingdu," "Heaven Dou City," "Star Luo City"—the names of various regions appeared before Nan Liujing's eyes. He ignored these top-tier metropolises, his gaze searching continuously until it finally stopped on a red square labeled "Donghai City."

He clicked the mouse.

The screen shifted, and the various Soul Master Academies under the jurisdiction of Donghai City came into view. At the top was the profile for "East Sea Academy," whose Dean was named Yu Zhen.

If one clicked inside, they could see a more detailed introduction, as well as the academy's physical address.

But this was not Nan Liujing's target; he dragged the mouse to scroll down.

Finally, his gaze landed on an academy called Hongshan.

Within the Sun Moon Federation, the start and end dates for school terms varied by region. A typical example was that Mingdu started school two months earlier than Heaven Dou City; likewise, their holidays began nearly two months earlier, with the schedules staggered against one another.

Donghai City, which belonged to the Tianhai Alliance, was naturally the same.

As Nan Liujing's deep, dark blue pupils swept over the profile for Hongshan Academy, a trace of fluctuation flickered across them. He leaned back, crossed his hands behind his neck, and looked up at the ceiling.

He did not know exactly what point in the timeline he was in, so he planned to go to Aolai City himself to take a look. If he could run into the person he wanted to see, it would make it much easier for him to lay out his plans early.

There were still a few days left before the new semester; it was enough time for him to go there after his Martial Soul Awakening.

Under the stunned gazes of countless pedestrians, a hovering Soul Guide Vehicle, its appearance and performance far superior to the surrounding cars, sped past.

Nan Liujing sat in the back row, calmly observing this city with over twenty thousand years of history, but after a few glances, he lost interest.

Compared to Heaven Dou City, which was proactive in preserving ancient culture and had almost no skyscraper-style architecture, Star Luo City was the complete opposite extreme.

Looking at this city, the skyscrapers seemed no fewer than those in Shrek City. Humans, like busy worker ants, shuttled back and forth within this massive world of steel.

Ancient buildings were almost non-existent.

The hovering Soul Guide Vehicle drove steadily out of the bustling downtown area, winding its way until it arrived outside a beautifully landscaped manor.

The manor gates were open, and there were over fifteen guards stationed around, all of them carrying powerful Soul Tools.

The driver had been here many times with Sun Kong and was very familiar with the route. Under the respectful gazes of the guards, he drove straight inside, finally coming to a stop in front of the door of a luxurious villa.

Outside the door, several people were already waiting, looking to be about the same age as Sun Kong.

When Nan Liujing stepped out of the car, he saw a side of Sun Kong that was completely different from usual.

The few grown men embraced each other as if they hadn't met in a long time, shedding the composure and the immense, dignified air they usually carried when in high positions.

"Liujing." After a brief exchange with his four old friends, Sun Kong called out to Nan Liujing, who was standing to the side.

Nan Liujing walked forward, drawing everyone's attention.

Today, he was dressed in a simple white-gray tracksuit, his jet-black, supple short hair looking clean and sharp. Although his young age made his handsome facial features appear somewhat immature, his dark blue pupils and the faint smile naturally playing at the corners of his lips gave him a gentle air that was quite striking.

His Mental Power was already far beyond that of an ordinary person, and given that these people were unlikely to have any guard up against a child like him, Nan Liujing keenly sensed that one of them was looking at him with a hint of scrutiny. This left him quite puzzled, but he did not make a scene.

"Is this the nephew you mentioned?" Wu Jingru asked with interest as he sized up Nan Liujing.

"Yes." Sun Kong nodded.

Nephew?

The other three middle-aged men of significant status all showed expressions of surprise in their eyes.

In their understanding, their old brother had neither wife nor children, having dedicated himself entirely to the pursuit of cultivation. At only forty-something years old, his cultivation had already reached the Titled Douluo realm, yet under such circumstances, a nephew had inexplicably appeared.

"Liujing greets all the uncles." Unaware of what they were thinking, Nan Liujing sensibly stepped forward to offer a bow.

As elders, no matter how curious they were, they couldn't ask directly. Everyone smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

After Sun Kong gave a brief introduction, Wu Jingru led everyone into the villa to prepare for his daughter's Martial Soul Awakening ceremony.

As they walked through the main hall, Nan Liujing's gaze lingered for a brief moment.

On the wall directly in front hung a very peculiar portrait.

Inside the portrait was a lifelike White Tiger, but if that were all, it wouldn't have made him stop. Right beside the White Tiger was a phantom beast silhouette; it looked somewhat similar to a cat, but much larger, and its fur was dark purple. Whether it was due to the paint or not, it appeared somewhat hazy and indistinct.

Walking deeper inside, he realized there was more to it than met the eye.

A corridor gradually appeared before Nan Liujing, leading to an unknown place. After walking for several dozen meters, a hall resembling a cathedral came into view.

The decor of the hall was not as luxurious as the villa's main hall, but it possessed a sense of solemnity accumulated over the years.

On the left and right, there were two beast-shaped statues respectively.

They were the same as the portrait Nan Liujing had seen in the hall.

They were the White Tiger and the Hell Spirit Cat.

The identity of this Wu family was now self-evident.

Inside the Hall, some thirty people were already standing there, all of their gazes fixed upon a girl kneeling on both knees, hands pressed together in prayer, eyes closed.

From Nan Liujing's perspective, his attention was captured in a single second.

As if her prayer had been answered, a myriad of fine, fragmented rays of light slowly filtered down from the stained-glass window above the Hall, falling entirely upon the girl in the pristine white dress. The surroundings were dim, yet she alone emitted a holy white light, as if she were the only thing left in the world.

The entire Hall fell into a silence that lasted for several minutes. Finally, the girl parted her joined hands, stood up, and turned around.

This time, Nan Liujing saw her appearance clearly.

It was an incredibly exquisite and fair face; it was difficult to find a single flaw in it. Her hair was a brownish-red, cut to shoulder length with a slight curl at the ends. Combined with her facial features, it added a sense of cold detachment that didn't quite belong to her age, but what was most striking were the girl's eyes—they were, surprisingly, heterochromatic.

Her left eye was white gold, and her right eye was dark purple. Surrounded by the fragmented light falling from the stained-glass window, they were as magnificent as gemstones.

Before Nan Liujing could take more than a few looks, a tall, elderly man walked out and said to Wu Jingru, "Jingru, the time has come."

"Yes, Second Uncle." Wu Jingru was very respectful toward the old man. Immediately, under the gaze of the crowd, he walked to the girl's side and said, "Qiming, Chengyu, come over here."

Two children who looked to be about the same age as Nan Liujing soon stepped out from the crowd. Both were boys, and interestingly, compared to that girl, the two of them were trembling with nervousness.

Nan Liujing followed Sun Kong and his group, standing to one side and watching with great interest.

He was especially focused on the girl, as he had a vague guess as to her name.

Once the three children were in position, white soul power quickly surged out from Wu Jingru's body like an arrow, striking the stained-glass window above the Hall. Upon receiving the soul power, the window seemed to come alive. As it twisted, the fragmented light originally displayed within it converged into lines, spreading along the ceiling all the way down to the floor.

Finally, they landed at the feet of the three children respectively.

In an instant, everyone's gaze was locked onto the three of them.