Automatic Pickup

After what had just happened, Nanao was feeling considerably down. It seemed she wasn't in the mood to train today, either.

Wang Xun had intended to take Nanao back to her dorm first, then head to the training grounds alone to pick up some fragments.

But when they reached the fork where they were supposed to part, Nanao gently tugged at the hem of Wang Xun's clothes.

"I want to spend a little more time with you."

Seeing the slight redness at the corners of Nanao's eyes, Wang Xun nodded gently.

"Sure. Where do you want to go? I'll come with you."

"Let's go to the training grounds after all. You always used to sit nearby and watch me train. Today, I want to watch you train."

"...Okay."

Nanao looked up at Wang Xun.

"Did you just hesitate?"

"Huh? Did I? I don't think so."

Wang Xun began looking around.

"Hmm..."

"Haha, come on. There'll be more people there soon."

As night gradually fell, a few scattered students appeared on the training grounds.

Several Reishi lamps lit up, casting a soft glow.

Nanao sat on the wooden veranda along the edge of the Kendō training ground, quietly watching Wang Xun train in the open space.

Wang Xun picked a spot near a corner, slowly drew the Zanpakuto at his waist, and assumed a basic Kendō opening stance.

The blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight, and the lotus pattern on its guard shimmered as the light shifted.

Sweeping strikes, retreating strikes, glancing strikes, thrusts...

Wang Xun didn't hold back, displaying his level 4 Kendō in full.

Every move and every stance carried a natural, effortless beauty.

This level of Kendō, comparable to that of a high-ranking Seated Officer, was a rare sight even among the teachers at the Spiritual Arts Academy.

Nanao watched Wang Xun train in silence, feeling as though the gloom in her heart was drifting along with the flashes of his blade.

Wang Xun shattered it stroke by stroke, until it dissipated into the night sky.

Nearby students happened to notice Wang Xun's movements. Drawn in, they gradually stopped their own training.

One, then two...

Gradually, people began to gather around.

Some recognized Wang Xun. After all, he came strolling through the training grounds every few days, so most of them were familiar with his face.

Only then did they realize with surprise that the person with such exquisite Kendō skills was Wang Xun.

Several girls also came and sat down beside Nanao. They watched Wang Xun in surprise, unusual looks flickering in their eyes.

Only then did Nanao notice that a crowd had gathered around them at some point.

She watched the girls beside her grow increasingly captivated, and for some reason, an inexplicable trace of nervousness arose in her heart.

Nanao turned to look at Wang Xun again. She could feel her heart beating a little faster.

Only now did Nanao notice that although Wang Xun was usually lazy and spent every day with her at the library,

he seemed to be the type who was popular with girls.

Nanao glanced at the white-haired youth still working up a sweat on the training ground.

Then she looked at the girls around her, who seemed to have an excess of hormones and wouldn't stop chattering.

Her gaze sharpened.

The next moment, the girls sitting beside her suddenly felt a strange pressure.

They looked around and discovered that the short girl beside them had her head slightly lowered and was staring hard at them out of the corners of her eyes.

What's going on? That's scary...

Surprised and suspicious looks appeared on their faces. They exchanged glances, then, not daring to linger, all got up and left.

Seeing the girls beside her leave, Nanao turned her gaze back to Wang Xun.

Strangely, though, an unfamiliar feeling had arisen in her heart for some reason.

It was as though something that had once belonged only to her had now been stolen by someone else.

But she couldn't figure out where the feeling came from. It simply surfaced whenever she looked at Wang Xun.

I'm so annoyed.

Wang Xun was enjoying his training and hadn't paid much attention to his surroundings.

But all of a sudden, a chill rose in his heart.

Wang Xun stopped and looked back, only to see that Little Nanao had, at some point, begun sitting rigidly upright, staring straight at him.

Wang Xun was baffled.

What's going on? Why does she seem angry?

Who upset her this time?

Just then, Nanao stood up and dusted off her bottom.

"I'm tired, so I'm going back first. You can train on your own."

Wang Xun: ???

"What's wrong, Nanao? What happened?"

"Nothing. Don't mind me."

Watching Nanao get up and leave in a huff, Wang Xun scratched his head in puzzlement.

Just as he was hesitating over whether to follow her, the students who had been watching also dispersed.

The next moment, Wang Xun noticed the scattered fragments in the distance.

Oh, fragments.

I'll pick them up first.

While Wang Xun went to collect the fragments, Nanao had already reached the entrance to the training grounds.

She hesitated for a moment. Only then did she realize that she probably shouldn't have behaved that way.

A trace of regret suddenly arose in Nanao's heart.

Forget it. If Wang Xun follows me, I'll just pretend nothing happened...

Nanao secretly glanced back.

But Wang Xun was nowhere in sight.

Nanao left in a huff once again.

Inside the training grounds, fragments dropped by some of the students during their training floated where they had fallen.

Just as Wang Xun was preparing to walk over and touch them as usual,

the faint lights that only he could see suddenly drifted toward him as though drawn by some force.

Wang Xun was startled and immediately stopped.

The fragments seemed to have been grasped by invisible hands. The instant they touched his body, they turned into points of light and merged into him.

[Reiryoku fragments ×5 obtained, Spiritual Might EXP +25]

[Kendō insights ×5 obtained, Kendō EXP +25]

The system notifications popped up, but Wang Xun's surprise refused to subside.

This is...

Just then, Wang Xun sensed a fluctuation from his Zanpakuto.

The next moment, he was pulled into his inner world.

Between the clear skies and earth, a blonde loli stood proudly.

"Well, Master? Isn't the automatic pickup function I unlocked for you awesome?"

Wang Xun froze. "You did this?"

"That's right!"

Shackle Lotus sounded immensely proud of herself.

"I studied the system and helped develop its functions a little."

She hopped up and sat in midair, swinging her legs and gesturing with her fingers.

"Now, as long as they're within the range of your Reiatsu, Master, all absorbable fragments will be drawn to you automatically."

"The range changes with the strength of your Reiatsu. Right now, it's about... a three-meter radius?"

"Once you raise your Spiritual Might level a bit more, maybe you'll be able to get stronger just by lying down, meow."

"You... can actually do something like that?"

"Mm-hmm," Shackle Lotus said indifferently. "Actually, once your Spiritual Might level gets a bit higher, you'll be able to do this yourself. At most, I just helped you get there a little early."

"No need to thank me, meow~"

Wang Xun was silent for a moment.

Then he took a deep breath.

This really was a pleasant surprise.

It meant that the fragments he had previously needed to touch deliberately to absorb could now be absorbed automatically simply by covering them with his Reiatsu.

That saved him a lot of trouble.

"Renge, you did a great job."

Wang Xun praised her sincerely.

"Hehe, then could you give me a reward, Master?"

"What do you want?"

The next moment, Wang Xun saw the blonde loli rub her hands together in slight excitement, a particularly lecherous look on her face.

"Um, could you get me some H-books...?"