Exchanging Sincerity, the Beginnings of a Team

Feng Xiaotian grabbed Xiao Lin's wrist and strode through Godwind Academy's campus, completely ignoring the strange looks cast their way by the surrounding students.

He moved like the wind, his steps quick and steady, as though a fire burned within him.

"You have no idea. I've spent so many years in this damn academy, and I've never met anyone who understood me!"

As they walked, Feng Xiaotian rambled on, his voice carrying a long-suppressed urge to unburden himself.

"They all think I'm an idiot, abandoning my perfectly good Innate Full Soul Power instead of cultivating it, wasting my days on this 'useless' stuff. My parents don't understand me either. Every letter they send tells me to 'keep my feet on the ground' and stop thinking about nonsense all day. Even the academy teachers shake their heads and sigh, saying I'm wasting my talent."

He turned to look at Xiao Lin, stubborn light flashing in his eyes.

"But I refuse to believe that! What difference does it make whether I cultivate Soul Power earlier or later? It's not like I'm giving up on cultivation. I'm just focusing my energy on Self-Created Soul Skills first. Once I've completely perfected the Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Slashes, I can turn back to cultivating Soul Power. With a solid foundation, I'll burst forth and catch up all the same! Those people are all mediocre fools. They have no idea what I want."

Xiao Lin listened quietly without interrupting. He could feel the loneliness and unwillingness in Feng Xiaotian's words. To some extent, he understood what it felt like to be misunderstood and unrecognized.

Before long, the two arrived at Feng Xiaotian's dormitory. It was a modest single room. The moment the door opened, a smell of sweat mixed with paper rushed out to greet them.

The room was piled full of things. Several wooden posts, scarred from countless strikes, sat in the corner. A thick stack of densely written draft paper lay scattered across the desk, while several open books had been tossed onto the bed. There was barely anywhere to step.

Feng Xiaotian scratched his head sheepishly and hurriedly shoved the books on the bed aside, clearing out a place to sit. "It's a little messy. Don't mind it. Sit down first. I'll get you some water."

Xiao Lin waved a hand, but his gaze had already been drawn to the draft papers on the desk.

He walked over and picked up one sheet. It was covered in sketches of little figures and arrows, detailing the force exerted in every move and stance, the changes in angle, and the rhythm of their transitions.

The drawings were crude, but the contents were extraordinarily detailed. It was clear that they represented an enormous amount of effort.

"You organized all of these?" Xiao Lin asked, surprise coloring his voice.

Feng Xiaotian walked over carrying two bowls of wine. He glanced at the papers and nodded. "Yeah. I wrote down the key points of every move so I could revise them over and over. If you're interested, take a look."

Xiao Lin set down his bowl and fell silent for a moment before speaking frankly. "Brother Feng, to be honest, I came this time to ask you about your experience with Self-Created Soul Skills."

He briefly explained the state of his Jade Flute Swordsmanship, including its current progress and the problems he had encountered, then said,

"After fighting others with my Jade Flute Swordsmanship, I discovered that it still has some shortcomings. So I wanted to hear your opinion and see whether I could draw some inspiration from your Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Slashes."

Without another word, Feng Xiaotian pulled a thick stack of draft paper from his clothes and slapped it onto the table.

"This contains everything I've learned from researching the Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Slashes over the years. The techniques for exerting force, changes in rhythm, and methods of transition from the first slash to the thirty-sixth are all written here. Take it and read it. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me!"

Xiao Lin froze.

He had not expected Feng Xiaotian to be so generous, sharing the fruits of his years of painstaking research without holding anything back.

If these insights were put up for sale, countless Soul Masters would flock to buy them. Their value was likely far greater than Yu Xiaogang's so-called Ten Core Competencies Theory.

"Brother Feng, this... is too precious." Xiao Lin felt somewhat embarrassed.

"Precious, my ass!" Feng Xiaotian waved a hand and spoke carelessly.

"They'll just sit around if I keep them. If they can help you, that's their good fortune. Besides, there are plenty of things in your Jade Flute Swordsmanship worth learning from. This is called sharing ideas. Neither of us is losing out!"

Xiao Lin looked at the thick stack of papers in his hands, complicated emotions swelling within him.

He had known Feng Xiaotian for less than half a day. They had shared a meal, fought a battle, and drunk together once—and now Feng Xiaotian had handed over the culmination of years of research without reservation.

That trust, that sincerity, gave Xiao Lin a warmth he had not felt in a long time.

Honestly, since arriving in this world, he had made some friends—Dugu Yan, Education Committee Member Dream Divine Machine, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo—but each of those relationships contained, to some degree, an element of mutual benefit.

Part of Dugu Yan's affection for him came from his life-saving grace and that Immortal Herb. Part of Dream Divine Machine's care came from the talent and potential Xiao Lin had displayed. Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo's appreciation of him was also partly due to his strength.

Only Feng Xiaotian.

This eccentric genius whom others considered a fool had accepted and trusted him without reservation before Xiao Lin had shown any value at all.

"Brother Feng," Xiao Lin said, setting down the papers and looking earnestly at Feng Xiaotian.

"You and I were strangers, and we only met for the first time today. Yet you've handed something so precious over to me. Aren't you afraid I'll use the fruits of your labor to deceive people and make a name for myself?"

Feng Xiaotian paused, then burst into hearty laughter. He laughed so hard that he doubled over, tears nearly spilling from his eyes.

"Brother Xiao, that's far too formal of you." He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, raised his wine bowl, and took a huge gulp before continuing.

"I, Feng Xiaotian, may be called a fool, but I'm not blind. I can still tell whether someone is sincere or fake. When you fought me just now, the light in your eyes was exactly the same as mine—it's a light that only someone who truly loves Self-Created Soul Skills could possess."

He set down his bowl, and his expression turned serious. "Besides, do you think just anyone can understand this stuff? I've researched it for years and written down so many insights. You're not the only person I've shown them to.

But after looking at them, other people either think I'm talking nonsense or believe I'm wasting my time. They simply can't see their value. Only you, Brother Xiao. Only you can understand."

Xiao Lin fell silent.

He raised his wine bowl and drained it in one gulp, then let out a long breath. A relieved smile appeared on his face.

At that moment, Xiao Lin suddenly realized that perhaps he should not always remain a lone wanderer.

Since arriving in this world, he had always been cautious and calculating, never daring to trust anyone too easily or offer his sincerity lightly. He knew this world was filled with danger and schemes. One wrong step could lead to irreversible ruin.

But humans were social creatures, after all. No matter how powerful one person became, they could not fight alone forever. He needed a team of his own. He needed companions to whom he could entrust his back.