Feng Xiaotian, Eldest Disciple

Jiang Lan waved her hand and said with a smile, "No need to be polite. Don't come empty-handed next time, remember to bring some Ju Zi- flavored candy."

Feng Xiaotian stood rooted to the spot, his expression shifting repeatedly, as if he were struggling with some extremely important thought.

He looked down at the Penguin Suit baby dangling its short legs on the bamboo chair, his mind replaying the words the other person had just said.

Every word struck at the spot he least wanted to face, yet every word was also like a lamp lit in the darkness.

"Jiang Lan." Feng Xiaotian suddenly spoke, his voice much lower than before, but carrying a solemn determination.

"Hmm?" Jiang Lan tilted her head back and blinked.

Feng Xiaotian took a deep breath, then bent his knees and knelt down on one knee.

He knelt down with utmost decisiveness, his knees slamming onto the bluestone slab with a dull thud.

Doro, who was queuing up for Ju Zi nearby, was so startled that his hand trembled, and an Ju Zi rolled under the table.

"I want to become your disciple." Feng Xiaotian lowered his head, his voice not loud, but each word was clear.

Jiang Lan's mouth was slightly open, as if she had been put on pause.

He expected Feng Xiaotian to return to his studies and to be moved by his actions, but he never imagined that this prodigy of the Godwind Academy would kneel down and become the disciple of a six-and-a-half-year-old child.

"You... you get up first! Don't do this, I can't take it!" Jiang Lan jumped off the bamboo chair, her short arms hurriedly reaching out to Feng Xiaotian's arm.

"I won't get up unless you agree." Feng Xiaotian raised his head, his eyes fiercely stubborn, a stark contrast to the young man who blushed when his secret was exposed. "I know my request is absurd. You're only six years old. If word got out that the captain of the Godwind Academy is apprenticing to a six-year-old, the entire Heaven Dou City would laugh at me."

"But so be it, I don't care. Your strength, your vision, your understanding of cultivation—all far surpass mine. In my twenty-odd years of life, this is the first time I've met someone like you. I don't want to take any more detours."

Jiang Lan looked at his slightly reddened eyes and didn't know what to say for a moment.

He subconsciously glanced back at Doro. Doro had already crawled under the table, picked up the Ju Zi that had rolled away, and was wiping the dust off with the corner of his clothes. When he saw Jiang Lan looking over, he only called out softly, meaning, "It's your decision."

"I'm not going to teach you any orthodox Soul Master theory." Jiang Lan tossed the Ju Zi peel into the bamboo basket at her feet, put her hands behind her back, and her expression became serious. "What I teach might be different from what you've learned before. It will be tough, strange, and even embarrassing. Are you sure you want to learn?"

"I'm sure," Feng Xiaotian said without hesitation, his tone even more resolute than before. "As long as it makes me stronger, I'll do whatever you say."

Jiang Lan was silent for a few seconds, then sighed.

Jiang Lan took a piece of Ju Zi candy from the pocket of her Penguin Suit, unwrapped it, and handed it to Feng Xiaotian: "Alright, get up, I'll teach you. But you don't need to kneel for the apprenticeship ceremony. You can call me Master, Little Guga, whatever you like. But there's one thing you need to listen to carefully. You'll practice whatever I tell you to practice, and you're not allowed to ask why."

Feng Xiaotian took the Ju Zi candy, paused for a moment, and then nodded emphatically. "Yes, Master."

Jiang Lan trembled at his call.

It sounds incredibly awkward coming from the mouth of a young man in his twenties.

Especially since Feng Xiaotian's expression was so solemn and dignified, as if he were shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

"Alright, alright, just call me Jiang Lan... Never mind, I'll call you Master for now, I need to get used to it." Jiang Lan scratched the back of his head, pulled his hat down to cover half his face, revealing only a pair of big eyes that were filled with shyness and pride.

Doro crawled out from under the table, looked up at Feng Xiaotian, then at Jiang Lan, held up the Ju Zi in his hand, and said earnestly, "Doro!"

"Wait a moment, I have something for you."

After Jiang Lan finished speaking, she jogged back to her room.

After rummaging through drawers and cabinets, Jiang Lan came up to Feng Xiaotian with a book in her hand.

"Take this for your cultivation, don't give it to anyone else, understand?" Jiang Lan said to Feng Xiaotian.

Feng Xiaotian took the book, looked down, and saw three neat small characters written on the cover.

The Wind Breath Art

"Wind Breath Art?" Feng Xiaotian murmured, his fingertips lingering on the edge of the page for a moment before carefully turning to the first page.

The first thing you see is a simple mantra for practicing internal energy, accompanied by a simple meridian diagram drawn crookedly by Jiang Lan.

A few lines are crooked and curved, with acupoints marked in smaller characters next to them. Although the handwriting is childish, each one is written in the exact location.

"This is an internal energy cultivation method, completely different from the Soul Power execution path you usually practice." Jiang Lan stood to the side, her two short hands behind her back, striking a pose like a little master. "Since you have a wind attribute Martial Soul and have created the Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes, it means you already have a foundation in understanding wind. This ' Wind Breath Art ' is perfect for you."

"Internal energy cultivation method?" Feng Xiaotian asked uncertainly.

In the Douluo Continent, Soul Master cultivate by meditating to enhance their Soul Power; there is no such thing as internal energy cultivation.

"You'll know once you practice," Jiang Lan said, looking at Feng Xiaotian.

Feng Xiaotian became increasingly engrossed in the book, his eyes gradually brightening.

The incantations seemed simple, but with each additional sentence he read, he felt as if his Soul Power was being gently stirred, and even his breathing unconsciously adjusted to the rhythm of the pages.

"Don't practice here." Seeing that he was about to sit cross-legged in meditation, Jiang Lan quickly reached out and pressed down on his knees. "Go back and find a quiet place to practice. Also, I'm telling you to memorize the first three pages first, and you're not allowed to engage in any actual combat for ten days. What you lack most right now isn't techniques, but to rebuild your foundation."

Feng Xiaotian said excitedly, "Thank you, Master."

Jiang Lan waved her hand. "It's alright, go back and cultivate properly."

Feng Xiaotian carefully put the "Wind Breath Art" away from his body, bowed deeply to Jiang Lan, and then hurriedly took his leave.

He moved with incredible speed, almost running through the back alleys of Honey Snow Ice City, heading towards the location of the Godwind Academy in Heaven Dou City.

His mind was filled with Jiang Lan's words and the mysterious formulas in the book, and even the pedestrians on the roadside and the sun overhead became blurry.

Halfway there, they bumped right into Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu, the brother and sister.

Huo Wushuang saw that it was Feng Xiaotian and smiled as he raised his hand to greet him. But when he had only raised his hand halfway, he saw Feng Xiaotian stride past him without even glancing at him.

His expression was so focused it was almost fanatical, and he seemed to be muttering something to himself, his face flushed with an unnatural redness.

"Feng Xiaotian!" Huo Wushuang turned and called out.