Star Dou Great Forest, forbidden zone of life.
At its heart lay a vast lake.
The lake stretched wide beneath a canopy of clouds and mist. Vapor rose from its surface and curled through the forest without dispersing, like lengths of white gauze fluttering in the breeze.
The water was inky green, its depths unfathomable. Now and then, sunlight slipped through the clouds and fell upon the lake, breaking into scattered flecks of gold.
This was Lake of Life, the absolute heart of Star Dou Great Forest.
At that moment, someone stood on the lakeshore.
He had black hair and golden eyes, and stood tall as a pine, yet his bearing was respectful.
Before him lay the lake, shrouded in a vast expanse of white mist.
"My lord, the three-year period has arrived."
As the words fell, the wind over the lake abruptly stopped.
The clouds and mist froze in midair. The lake became a mirror, without so much as a ripple.
Then, from the depths of the lake, from beneath its dark-green waters, from the unknowable darkness, came a cool, clear voice.
"Has it already been three years? Di Tian, have you found the thirty percent of my power?"
"Reporting to my lord, I have found the thirty percent of your power."
"Where?"
"Eastsea City."
"I see. Then I'll reclaim that thirty percent of my power first."
As her voice fell, a gale suddenly surged from the center of the lake, and clouds and mist gathered together.
Di Tian took half a step back, his golden eyes lifting slightly.
A figure emerged from the mist.
By the looks of her, she was only nine years old.
The girl's ink-black hair was tied high, falling in two long braids. Her purple eyes were clear and lively, and her features were exquisite and lovely.
She wore a light green, Chinese-style off-shoulder dress embroidered with pale pink patterns. Ruffles trimmed its wide sleeves, and white-and-green striped leg warmers completed the outfit. She was elegant and gentle, with an air of nobility.
Di Tian dropped to one knee. "My lord."
"Rise." The black-haired girl walked over to him. "What happened to the thirty percent of my power?"
"A human adopted her and named her Na'er."
"Adopted? How fortunate."
She stood on the shore and lowered her head to look at her reflection in the water. The lake was like a mirror, reflecting a beautiful face.
"Let's go to Eastsea City."
Di Tian rose and followed three paces behind her. The mist over the lake began to flow again, like a curtain slowly being drawn, concealing the state of Lake of Life behind the clouds.
The two disappeared into the forest, leaving only a trail of faint footprints, soon erased by the dew.
Elsewhere, Xiao Mu and Na'er stood beside a high wall.
The wall belonged to Eastsea Academy. Not far ahead stood the academy entrance, its imposing gatehouse built of massive stone.
Eastsea Academy was a large institution, qualified to provide both intermediate and advanced education. It was therefore divided into an Intermediate Academy and an Advanced Academy.
The Intermediate Academy occupied two-thirds of the grounds, but the Advanced Academy, which took up only a third, was the school's pride.
"So this is Eastsea Academy?"
"That's right."
They passed through the gatehouse, leaving the clamor outside behind. In its place came another kind of sound.
Leaves rustled, and faint voices drifted from the distance.
A broad road stretched across the grounds and branched off to the left and right, while the path straight ahead was paved with bluestone slabs, moss growing in the cracks between them.
Xiao Mu stamped on the ground, thinking the dean must be pretty well-off.
They were both assigned to Class One, Year One.
Xiao Mu parted ways with Na'er in front of the dormitory building. She stood beneath a parasol tree and waved at him, then turned and ran toward the girls' dormitory.
Xiao Mu watched Na'er enter the dormitory before turning toward his own.
Once inside, he took in the room.
Two bunk beds stood against the walls, enough to accommodate four people. There were also two long tables, four chairs, and two cabinets.
Three boys were already in the dormitory.
One, a boy with a middle part, stood in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips and his chin held high. A tall, broad-shouldered boy leaned against the window with his arms crossed, like a silent wall. The third, an extremely skinny boy, curled up on a chair in the corner, as if little more than a skeleton were holding up his clothes.
When the boy with the middle part saw Xiao Mu enter, he cleared his throat and raised his voice.
"New guy? Listen up. From now on, I'm in charge of this dorm. My name is Wei Xiaofeng, and starting today, I'm the dorm leader. Anyone got a problem with that?"
"My name's Zhang Yangzi. And naturally, I do."
Wei Xiaofeng's face stiffened for a moment, and his hands tightened on his hips. He turned to the skinny boy in the corner. "You got a problem too?"
"Of course. I'm Wang Jinxi. Zhang Yangzi and I have known each other for ages. Are you sure you want to fight?"
The two threatened him without the slightest hesitation, two against one. Although Wei Xiaofeng was a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, he didn't know how strong the other two were, so he clearly didn't dare make a move.
A triangle was a stable structure.
For the moment, no fight was breaking out.
But he still badly needed to establish his authority, so he turned his gaze to Xiao Mu.
"What about you, new guy? Got a problem?!"
Watching the scene, Xiao Mu wondered how he'd ended up with a bunch of troublemakers.
"Come on. Let's go to East Sea Park and fight. That way, you won't be able to complain. If you lose, you'll do all the dorm cleaning from now on."
Wei Xiaofeng froze, as if he hadn't expected the new guy to talk back.
"You—"
"What, you scared?" Xiao Mu shot back. He might have been a scientist with little combat ability, but that didn't mean he was weak.
Wei Xiaofeng gritted his teeth and said confidently, "Fine, let's go. I might as well tell you, I'm a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster. Don't come begging for mercy later."
"Then you'd better remember our bet." Xiao Mu gave a faint smile. Not having to clean the dorm anymore would be a nice bonus. "Remember, the one who beats you later is named Xiao Mu."
Zhang Yangzi glanced at Wang Jinxi. "Want to watch?"
"Sure."
The four left the dormitory one after another and headed out from Eastsea Academy.
East Sea Park was not far from Eastsea Academy. After leaving the academy, they took a side street around the grounds. About ten minutes later, they reached the park entrance.
East Sea Park was open to the public for free. It was still early, but plenty of people were already there for their morning exercise.
As they entered the park, the fresh scent of plants mingled with the fragrance of flowers, filling their lungs.
The deeper they went along the winding gravel paths, the taller the trees became.
By the time they reached the depths of the park, there were hardly any people around. Wei Xiaofeng stopped.
"We can fight here. We won't bother anyone else."
"Fine."
The two backed away fifty meters from each other. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi stood off to the side.
Wei Xiaofeng gave a brief warning, then activated Martial Soul Possession. His body suddenly grew taller, and his figure seemed to turn remarkably supple.
Two yellow rings rose beneath his feet at the same time, their light especially dazzling beneath the trees. Blue-green scales appeared on his neck, and his eyes turned into vertical pupils.
The next moment, he bent forward and shot toward Xiao Mu like a serpent's shadow. He was moving far too fast to seem human.
Watching him, Xiao Mu didn't move, as if he couldn't be bothered. He watched the blue-green blur rapidly swell in his vision.
Fifty meters. Thirty meters. Ten meters.
Wei Xiaofeng's vertical pupils already reflected Xiao Mu's face. He smirked. "Scared stiff, huh? I win..."
"Really?! What makes you think you can beat me!"