Prelude to Water Melody!

The flute notes gradually faded, the final note slowly dissipating into the night wind.

Xiao Lin lowered the flute and opened his eyes, letting out a long breath of stale air. He felt much better. As expected, music was the best medicine for healing.

Then he froze.

Because he discovered that a small head was peeking out from behind a large tree not far away.

It was a little girl, around five or six years old, with a long scorpion braid hanging down her back. Her big eyes sparkled beneath the moonlight like two black grapes.

She wore a little pink dress and was currently hiding behind the tree, half her body exposed as she watched him curiously.

Xiao Lin recognized her.

Xiao Wu.

A hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit who had undergone Soul Beast Transformation, and one of the future Shrek Seven Monsters.

"Who are you?" Xiao Lin spoke first, pretending not to know her.

Xiao Wu hopped out from behind the tree and skipped over to him. She tilted her head and looked him over several times before flashing a sweet smile.

"You played so beautifully! I was passing by and came over when I heard the music. What song was that? I've never heard it before!"

"Prelude to Water Melody," Xiao Lin answered casually.

"Prelude to Water Melody?" Xiao Wu blinked her large eyes. "What a strange name. But it really sounded so nice! Could you play it again?"

"Now?" Xiao Lin looked at the sky. "It's already so late. Shouldn't you be heading back to sleep?"

"I can't sleep!" Xiao Wu pouted. "I just started school today and changed to a new place, so I couldn't fall asleep. I was wandering around the courtyard when I heard your flute. It sounded so nice, so I came over."

As she spoke, she stepped closer, her bright eyes fixed on the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute in Xiao Lin's hand. "Is this your Martial Soul? It's so pretty!"

"Yes. The Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute." Xiao Lin nodded.

"Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute..." Xiao Wu repeated the name a few times, then suddenly smiled. "Then I'll dance for you! You play the flute, and I'll dance. How about it?"

Xiao Lin was taken aback. "You know how to dance?"

"Of course!" Xiao Wu proudly puffed out her chest. "I'm really good at it!"

Seeing the anticipation written all over her childish face, Xiao Lin could not help but smile. "All right. Then dance."

He raised the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute to his lips again. After a brief pause, he switched to another tune.

This time, he played "Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon."

The flute melody was light and lively, like moonlight passing through clouds, flickering between brightness and shadow, nimble and graceful. Hearing the tune, Xiao Wu immediately began dancing to the rhythm.

Her dancing was unexpectedly beautiful.

Though she was only six, her flexibility and coordination far surpassed those of children her age. She spun, leaped, bent, and raised her arms, every movement flowing naturally, like a little rabbit playing beneath the moonlight.

Her pink skirt fluttered in the night breeze, and her long scorpion braid swayed from side to side with her movements. Her bell-like laughter echoed through the woods.

As Xiao Lin played the flute and watched her dance, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind:

Rabbits really are rabbits. The moment they hear music, they want to dance.

When the piece ended, Xiao Wu finished with a lovely spin and came to a steady stop before Xiao Lin. Her cheeks were flushed from exertion, and her eyes shone as brightly as stars in the sky.

"Well? Well? Did I dance well?" she asked impatiently.

"Not bad." Xiao Lin praised her sincerely. "Have you learned dancing before?"

"No!" Xiao Wu said as though it were only natural. "When I heard your music, my body just wanted to move on its own!"

Xiao Lin smiled and was about to speak when his expression abruptly changed.

He sensed something.

The Soul Power within his body had actually increased by a trace without him noticing!

Though it was only a trace, nearly imperceptible, it had truly increased!

Ever since awakening his Martial Soul several days ago, his Soul Power had remained stagnant because he had no meditation method. There had not been the slightest change. Yet now, after merely playing two pieces, his Soul Power had loosened!

"What's wrong?" Seeing that his expression was off, Xiao Wu asked curiously.

"Nothing." Xiao Lin suppressed the shock in his heart and kept his face calm. "It's getting late. You should go back and sleep."

"Fine." Xiao Wu pursed her lips unwillingly, but did not press him any further. She turned and skipped away, then looked back after running several steps. "Will you still be playing the flute here tomorrow night? I'll come find you again!"

"...We'll see," Xiao Lin replied dismissively.

After Xiao Wu's figure had completely vanished into the night, Xiao Lin immediately lowered his head and stared at the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute in his hand, his eyes full of disbelief.

He had felt it clearly just now.

When he played "Prelude to Water Melody," the flow of Soul Power had been slow, and any changes were almost impossible to detect. But when Xiao Wu began dancing and he played "Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon," the rate at which his Soul Power increased had noticeably accelerated!

It was not because of Xiao Wu.

It was because of the music itself!

Or rather, because of the combination of music and Martial Soul!

The Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute's cultivation method was not ordinary meditation at all—it was performance!

Using melody to stir Soul Power, using music to commune with heaven and earth—this was the true cultivation method of this Martial Soul!

"So that's how it is..." Xiao Lin murmured, the corners of his lips slowly lifting into a smile.

"No wonder that idiot Yu Xiaogang told me to take the support path. He simply doesn't understand the essence of the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute. He only knows that a flute is meant to be played, but he doesn't know that the sound of the flute itself is a form of power."

He rose to his feet and looked up at the bright moon, a surge of bold ambition swelling in his chest.

He did not need a meditation method.

He did not need Soul Rings.

As long as he continued playing and constantly improved his mastery of melody, his Soul Power would naturally grow. This was the correct way to unlock the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute. This was his path of cultivation!

Over the following days, Xiao Lin's life became exceptionally regular.

During the day, he stayed in the dormitory studying sheet music and recalling the ancient melodies etched into his bones from his previous life. At night, once the academy lights went out, he would quietly slip into that small forest and practice the flute beneath the moon.

The Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute grew more and more responsive in his hands with each passing day. Pieces that had once required tremendous effort to perform perfectly now became easier with the power of his Martial Soul. More importantly, his Soul Power was indeed steadily increasing.

Each time he played, the Soul Power within his body flowed along with the melody, like streams joining a river—slowly, but without ever stopping.

The feeling was wonderful, as though his body itself were an instrument and his Soul Power were notes flowing across its strings. Every vibration tempered his meridians.

Xiao Lin calculated that, at this rate, he would reach the threshold of level ten in no more than half a month.

And during this time, he gained a loyal listener as well.

Xiao Wu.

This girl who had undergone Soul Beast Transformation seemed to possess an innate affinity for music. She especially loved "Prelude to Water Melody." Every time she heard it, she would quiet down and obediently sit on a nearby rock, resting her chin in her hands as she listened with rapt attention.

Sometimes, when the mood struck her, she would dance gracefully along with the melody, her figure beneath the moonlight as light as a true jade rabbit.

Over time, the two of them formed quite a good friendship.

Xiao Lin discovered that Xiao Wu was actually a very innocent girl. Other than loving food and fun, she had no ill intentions.

She never asked about Xiao Lin's origins, nor did she pry into his Martial Soul or Soul Power. She simply liked listening to him play the flute and dancing beneath the moonlight.

"Xiao Lin, Xiao Lin, what are you playing tonight?"

That evening, Xiao Wu arrived at their usual spot early. She sat on a branch of the old locust tree, her little legs swinging back and forth while her scorpion braid swished behind her.

"What's the rush? It's not even dark yet." Xiao Lin leaned against the trunk, lazily spinning the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute in his hand.

"I just can't wait!" Xiao Wu jumped down from the tree and bounced over to him, blinking her big eyes. "Yesterday's 'High Mountains and Flowing Water' sounded so nice. Can you play it again today?"

"No. Good pieces shouldn't be played every day, or you'll grow tired of them." Xiao Lin shook his head with the air of an old master artist. "We'll switch to something else today. I'll give you something with some punch."

"Something with punch?" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "What kind of punch?"

"'The General's Command.'" Xiao Lin smiled faintly. "It'll make you want to go to war the moment you hear it."

"I don't want to go to war!" Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose. "But if the song sounds good, I'll forgive you."

The two chatted and laughed, the atmosphere relaxed and harmonious.

Xiao Lin had to admit that having Xiao Wu as an audience gave him much more motivation to practice.

Though he was only six and had absolutely no interest in romance—dating early? He would electrocute anyone who tried it!

Still, having a like-minded friend was always a good thing.