Are you trying to scam me?

Over the past year, Tang San had rarely seen Brother Feng use his Martial Spirit. Even when they occasionally sparred, he relied purely on his physical fitness to trade blows with them.

"I'm very much looking forward to it." Wang Feng said with a smile.

The three of them set off along the road toward Holy Soul Village, chatting as they walked.

Wang Feng nodded and glanced at Xiao Wu. Although she was still wearing her Notting Academy uniform, she had grown a bit taller, just like Tang San.

Old Jack said indignantly, "After handing me the letter, he just left, not even caring about Tang San's feelings... I'll go give the letter to Tang San."

Thinking this, Wang Feng walked inside. Seeing Tang San looking dejected, he said, "You children, really. It's such a long way!"

Caressing the familiar trees and the various trap marks left on them, he stepped over the creaking branches and weeds underfoot.

Wang Feng gazed at the small village in the distance with smoke curling from its chimneys, his eyes suddenly becoming somewhat distant.

Wang Feng said with a smile, "So, you don't need to be sad. Uncle Hao cares about you; he just might not want to see you for certain reasons."

Wait, why is this scene so familiar?

Xiao Wu skipped over, looking around and asking questions as she went.

Wang Feng suddenly said.

"Brother Feng, your spirit power hasn't dropped, has it?"

At this moment, several sounds suddenly rang out in the distance:

There weren't many people in the junior academy. After Xiao Chenyu left, basically no one could spar with Xiao Wu.

Holy Soul Village.

Wang Feng looked at the Little Green Bird and was greatly shocked:

Tang San was clearly still thinking about Wang Feng's thousand-year Spirit Ring. Although Brother Feng had said at the time that there wouldn't be any impact, Xiao Wu had also learned about the thousand-year Spirit Ring later on. However, they were the only two among the students who knew.

"Alright."

It truly was the place where dreams began.

"That guy Tang Hao is really irresponsible..."

Although it had only been a little over a year, Wang Feng felt as if a lifetime had passed.

"Brother Feng, Xiao Wu is coming back with me too."

Hearing this, Wang Feng felt a sudden sense of trance.

"Really, I only saw him occasionally. He came several times, just to watch you secretly. Sometimes it was when you were working, and sometimes when you were in class..."

Before long, Wang Feng suddenly stopped, his gaze falling ahead...

Old Jack glared at Wang Feng, "But it's good that you're back."

This little grove held too many of the tears he had shed back then.

"I understand, thank you Brother Feng."

An old and familiar figure approached from the distance; it was none other than Old Jack.

The rough and familiar chirping gave Wang Feng a feeling of having traveled through time.

Xiao Wu giggled, lifting her chin: "We haven't fought in several months. Xiao San should be at level sixteen, and I'm almost at level seventeen!"

Chirp, chirp...

Xiao Wu pouted and said, "Luckily, I still have Xiao San to play with. Brother Feng is too strong; I can't beat him, and I don't want to look for trouble."

At the gate of Notting City.

"Xiao San, actually, Uncle Hao probably came to Notting City to see you."

"Then I'll head back first. You and Xiao Wu should go tidy up your home."

"What the hell, don't tell me... are you that little bird I saved over a year ago? Why the hell are you severely injured again? Are you trying to scam me?"

"What's that stone pillar in the middle? There are even two handprints on it!"

Wang Feng snapped a stalk of Blue Silver Grass, put it in his mouth, chewed it slightly, and sighed:

As he spoke, Old Jack suddenly looked at Xiao San, opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Xiao San, your father..."

Wang Feng walked over and helped Old Jack.

Wang Feng walked around the village, bringing small gifts to most of the households. After finishing these tasks, Wang Feng arrived at the long-lost, familiar little grove.

"That's right, Xiao San also told me about his teacher's analysis. Brother Feng, Xiao San and I have increased our spirit power quite a bit~"

Sometimes followed by a few mischievous children, chattering noisily.

But it seemed... even at this slow pace... it was still much faster than the cultivation speed of most people?

However, compared to him, both of them were still a head shorter.

Wang Feng waved his hand and said:

As he spoke, he walked inside and handed the letter to Tang San.

Hearing this, Tang San was stunned.

Xiao Wu waved her fist, "Next time, Xiao San and I will definitely defeat you."

Speaking of this, Wang Feng couldn't help but glance at Tang San.

After more than half a year, Tang San and Xiao Wu had both grown much taller. Tang San looked even more sturdy, likely due to his daily blacksmithing exercises. His face carried a hint of determination.

"Hey, Xiao San, your village actually looks quite nice..."

But... hearing this, Tang San felt relieved.

Moreover, most of the time, Wang Feng was either soaking in the Spirit Beast Forest or researching meditation cultivation methods.

Beside Tang San, Xiao Wu looked around, seemingly curious about where the Holy Soul Village that Xiao San spoke of could be.

"Eh, that guy Xiao Chenyu has already gone to the intermediate academy. I don't know how boring it will be in the coming years."

Occasionally, a few villagers were returning from the entrance, carrying various kitchen utensils after a day's work.

"Hee hee, then we've surpassed Brother Feng. You should still be at level fifteen, right?"

"Xiao San, Xiao Feng, why are you back?"

A year didn't seem to have brought many changes to this small village. The water in the small fountain at the central stone pillar at the village entrance was still clear.

Old Jack nodded and subconsciously replied: "Yes, he left... Xiao Feng, how did you know?"

"My spirit power hasn't dropped..." Wang Feng shook his head.

On the ground in the distance, a little green bird was lying there, twitching and covered in blood.

As he spoke, Wang Feng helped Old Jack walk out.

"Yes, he left... how did you know?"

Tang San walked over, smiling as he explained.

Not having seen him for a year, Wang Feng noticed that the wrinkles on Grandpa Jack's face had deepened; time makes people old.

"It's winter break, so we came back early."

Tang San suddenly asked, "Over the past year, you've sparred with us a few times. I feel your strength hasn't dropped at all. I don't know if your spirit power has..."

It looked small, but it was actually quite large—at least half the size of Wang Feng.

Wang Feng thought to himself, Uncle Hao must have come to see Xiao San, right?

That guy Xiao Chenyu knew Wang Feng had a thousand-year Spirit Ring, but Grandmaster's analysis was clearly not something he could have come up with.

"It's Brother Feng's masterpiece... A few years ago, our Holy Soul Village was still very barren. It wasn't like it is now... with clean stone roads and beautiful fountain gardens..."

Tang San said with some excitement, and as he spoke, he took Xiao Wu toward the blacksmith shop.

"It's about time to go back and see Grandpa Jack."

However, given Uncle Hao's personality, it was unlikely he would see Xiao San face-to-face. He was probably watching secretly from some corner.

For the past half year, he had been immersed in combat training and various research, not paying attention to the two's spirit power growth. Although he lamented that his own cultivation speed was very slow due to compressing his spirit power.

"...Uncle Hao should have left, right?"

Hearing this, Tang San's eyes felt slightly sore.

He vaguely remembered that in the original story, this was the year Xiao San's father left, and he also established a formal relationship with Xiao Wu—as siblings.

Xiao Wu had wanted to see the story behind the stone pillar, but hearing Tang San's rare excitement, she followed him directly.

In the afternoon, the three of them finally reached the gate of Holy Soul Village.

Only Tang San would often practice with her. Wang Feng rarely did, because to spar with them, he had to suppress his own strength significantly.

It's good that it hasn't dropped. In other words, the side effects brought by that thousand-year Spirit Ring might not be as serious as Grandmaster imagined for Brother Feng.

"Grandpa Jack, I'm going back to see my father now."

Wang Feng didn't answer, just helped Grandpa Jack walk to the blacksmith shop, where he saw Tang San standing inside, lost in thought.