Miscellaneous Matters, Great Sage's Soul

Chen An looked at the bewildered Luo Xiaoshi with a cold expression, hauled the boy down, and incidentally told Ning Rongrong to follow.

"Master, what happened to Senior Brother?"

The aura that had leaked out when Luo Xiaoshi's momentum reached its peak earlier had chilled her to the bone.

She felt like an ant peering at the sky from a hole, or a fledgling rabbit watching a tiger; she felt utterly powerless.

"It is nothing, merely a trivial matter."

Chen An was unwilling to disclose the situation regarding Little Stone at this moment; after all, it concerned matters from beyond the realm, and speaking of it would only add unnecessary worry.

Returning to the preparation area, the day's matches had concluded, but Chen An's expression was far from good.

Although Luo Xiaoshi had continued to improve during this period and performed even better than before, such a fighting style and such a state made it difficult for him not to suspect that the boy had fallen into a demonic path.

Luo Xiaoshi, having regained his clarity, was lost in thought and dared not look at Chen An.

"Stop hanging your head; you won, after all."

Chen An closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and only spoke after soothing his emotions.

This matter could not be blamed entirely on Luo Xiaoshi; in this situation, he also bore some responsibility.

"We will discuss what happened recently properly after we return."

This was the only way; he could not scold the child right after the fight, especially in front of so many people.

After saying this, Chen An composed himself and turned to speak to the other students who were waiting for his remarks.

"Children, you did well. Most of you won, and those who lost should reflect properly when we return."

Praise when praise is due, and call out names when necessary.

Chen An then summarized the areas where they performed well today and pointed out where they fell short.

"Dean Chen, I should be going; it is getting late."

Once Chen An brought the children back to their temporary residence, Ning Fengzhi said this with hesitation and worry etched on his face.

He had wanted to ask if Meng Yiran's techniques could be taught, but remembering what was said earlier, he dismissed the thought.

However, having seen the battle between Tang San and Meng Yiran today, he had guessed the relationship between them quite accurately. Two paths lay before him: cling tightly to this powerful figure, or cooperate with Tang San in private.

Having seen the arena match, how could he not know the lethality of these hidden weapons? To the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they were treasures.

The disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had always been weak, forced to hide in the rear and cast soul skills during actual combat.

His dilemma lay here: Ning Rongrong had provided a surprise, and while others were applying to Phantom Star, they were still a minority.

Cooperating with Tang San, however, would serve the interests of the majority.

"Sect Master Ning seems to have something weighing on his mind."

Since the man had come personally to bid farewell and no one else was around, Chen An asked.

The resources the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had sent over during this period amounted to nearly a hundred million; it could be said that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was now their biggest client and ally.

They were more practical than Martial Soul Hall; compared to the two, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had sent roughly three times the resources of Martial Soul Hall, and they asked for nothing in return.

They never mentioned what they needed Phantom Star to do; it was more like a pure investment.

"The Dean's mind is truly sharp," Ning Fengzhi praised.

He briefly mentioned the current predicament of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and his yearning for the hidden weapons he saw today.

Every sentence touched upon hidden weapons, and every word revolved around Meng Yiran; as for Tang San, he did not mention him.

"I understand. I believe what your sect lacks more is weaponry," Chen An said with a smile.

Ning Fengzhi was puzzled at first, then seemed to understand, nodding as he unconsciously adopted the etiquette he used in royal circles.

"I wonder what insights the Dean has? I look forward to hearing your wisdom."

Chen An shook his head, offering a humble remark that he had no such wisdom.

He then took a blueprint out of his Storage Ring, on which he had drawn the Crossbow he had researched previously.

It was a basic crossbow design, and he said, "This weapon is called a Crossbow."

He handed the blueprint to Ning Fengzhi and continued, "Even the best weapon depends on the person wielding it. If you have the heart, you can have your sect disciples strengthen their bodies and then practice archery."

As he spoke, he took out a short bow and led Ning Fengzhi outside.

"Try drawing the bow and shooting an arrow at that tree without using your soul power."

Ning Fengzhi did not understand, but he followed the instructions, drawing the bow with all his might and releasing it.

As the arrow flew out, it embedded itself one-third of the way into the tree.

Chen An secretly shook his head and sighed, thinking that the people of Douluo were truly lacking in the development of their physical capabilities.

"Now, try infusing your soul power into the arrow and try again."

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi seemed to have an epiphany, and his expression immediately became sharp.

The next arrow pierced straight through the trees, and it was clear that this was not the limit of Ning Fengzhi.

Having been enlightened, Ning Fengzhi's brain began to spin at high speed, contemplating basic techniques like longbows and rapid-fire volleys.

These things were no secret; archery was common in the military, but it was primarily used by ordinary people or low-level Spirit Masters.

"This is just an ordinary short bow. What if you were to continue making modifications to the bow body, the shaft, and the arrowheads?"

Chen An continued to offer a few directions for the other to consider.

Ning Fengzhi became even more spirited, looking at the bow in his hand as if a new door had been pushed open for him.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Chen."

Ning Fengzhi bowed, and Chen An responded with a light chuckle. It was a trivial matter, and once finished, he returned to his room.

The next day, while the others were still recovering, Chen An had Luo Xiaoshi come out alone, as he had something to ask him.

Luo Xiaoshi kept his head low, wondering how he should tell Chen An about this matter.

"Master, could you let me think about how to say this?"

"You may."

When it came to Phantom Star, and when facing Chen An, there was nothing he couldn't say; he simply didn't know how to put it into words.

After a long while, he finally spoke.

"Master, there is another soul inside my body."

Chen An was not overly surprised, as he had already guessed as much, so he asked, "When did you discover it? Tell me in detail."

Once prompted, Luo Xiaoshi began to recount the story.

"There were signs of it when I absorbed my second spirit ring, but there were no subsequent abnormalities, and I couldn't find any evidence, so I didn't pursue the matter further.

It wasn't until the Great Sage Scripture broke through two days ago that things became strange. After a careful investigation, I discovered that when I push myself to the limit, I can borrow His power."

Chen An listened without a word, and only after the boy finished did he ask, "So, yesterday was the first time you used this ability?"

"Yes, that's right. I just didn't expect that borrowing the power would cause me to fall into a state similar to a battle-frenzy," Luo Xiaoshi nodded and said.

Based on his description, it sounded exactly like borrowing the power of Kazan in the Dungeon.

But the problem was, if he were to borrow power, it should be from that Monkey King; why would it cause such madness?

"Oh, right, Master. When I borrowed the power, my mind was filled with the image of a monkey. It was covered in black armor, with two long hairs atop its head."

The description added by Luo Xiaoshi made Chen An knit his brows.

That description was definitely that monkey, but why would it be wearing black armor?

"Forget it, hold out your hand."

Deciding not to dwell on the question, he simply chose to examine him directly.

Luo Xiaoshi obediently extended his hand, and Chen An took his pulse to conduct an investigation.

After the examination, he felt even more puzzled; there was nothing unusual about the body, and the only strange thing was the soul of Little Stone.

The final conclusion was that there was no immediate danger, and the specifics would have to wait until he reached level thirty and absorbed his next spirit ring.

"There is nothing wrong for now, but you are not to borrow that power again."

Chen An had made up his mind that when Luo Xiaoshi went for his next spirit ring, he would specifically set up a formation to lure that chaotic monkey out for a confrontation.

"Yes."