Located in the southeastern corner of Asterisk City, Jie Long Seventh Institute's entire campus was enveloped by countless interconnected buildings linked by corridors. Scattered gardens and plazas were surrounded by these traditional Chinese-style walkways, giving the impression less of an academy and more of a grand palace.
In one corner of this campus stood a building called Huangchen Hall.
This three-story pavilion, constructed with vermilion beams and a roof of yellow glazed tiles, appeared no different from other structures at first glance. However, any student affiliated with Jie Long knew just how special this place truly was.
To be precise, it wasn't the building itself that was extraordinary—but the person who resided within.
The one who inherited the alias "Banyuu Tenra" was none other than the ruler of Jie Long Seventh Institute.
Inside Huangchen Hall...
"Master, it is time for the regular report."
A handsome young man with gentle, refined features walked across an elevated corridor and arrived before the great hall's doors. He bowed respectfully, pressing his left palm against his right fist in a formal salute.
The boy was petite in stature, and with his long hair, one might easily mistake him for a girl. Yet his posture was upright, and his steps carried a vigorous energy—clear signs of a martial artist.
With a creak, the redwood doors of the hall swung open, revealing a girl who appeared no older than ten.
"Oh, it's that time already? Hufeng, anything interesting happen this month?"
The childlike girl stepped out, lazily stretching with a yawn.
She had long black hair tied in a circular, butterfly-like style that complemented Jie Long's classical uniform. Adorably small, she barely reached Zhao Hufeng's chest in height.
To an uninformed observer, it would be impossible to believe that this little girl was none other than Fan Xinglou—the top-ranked fighter of Jie Long Seventh Institute, the largest academy in Asterisk, and the one hailed as the "Banyuu Tenra."
Jie Long Seventh Institute held a unique position even within Asterisk City. It was the only academy with a distinctly Chinese aesthetic, and its student population was the largest among the Six Flowers. Unlike the others, it boasted not only middle school, high school, and university divisions but also the sole elementary school section among the Six Flowers. This was because Jie Long's teaching philosophy placed great emphasis on martial arts, and the elementary years were considered crucial for laying a strong foundation—an exception unmatched by any other academy.
As for the alias "Banyuu Tenra," its history was even more ancient, its influence profound enough to rival the Jie Long Foundation itself, the organization behind the academy's operations.
"Whether it is interesting or not is not for this disciple to judge, but the events of this month were indeed significant—enough to even stir the Foundation."
Zhao Hufeng bowed once more, his demeanor flawlessly respectful, as he pulled up several holographic windows from his phone and projected them before Fan Xinglou.
"Ah, you went through the trouble of filtering them for me. Hah! The internet age is full of such tedious information. This old lady has no time to waste on such trivialities!"
Fan Xinglou praised Zhao Hufeng with satisfaction before eagerly fiddling with the holograms.
"It is this disciple's duty."
Zhao Hufeng replied with rigid formality.
Only after speaking did his gaze shift past Fan Xinglou, toward the space beyond the hall's doors.
The space behind the door was far larger than imagined. The structure, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, resembled a Buddhist pagoda, with an interior that branched out in all directions like an endless network of caves inhabited by countless bodhisattvas. Rooms extended infinitely beyond what the exterior dimensions suggested.
Dozens of Jie Long students lay sprawled across the floor, panting heavily, their faces etched with frustration.
Zhao Hufeng sighed. Seeing his master still absorbed in the news he'd brought, he stepped through the door and began helping the students up one by one.
This was a regular activity in Huangchen Hall. Periodically, Master Fan Xinglou would gather students to spar with her—though "spar" was a generous term. It was more like playful toying, even when facing forty or fifty opponents, all skilled martial artists. None could so much as touch a single strand of Fan Xinglou's hair. She took great delight in these sessions, calling them "tempering exercises," never tiring of toying with them.
There were benefits, of course. Anyone who managed to touch her would be taken as her disciple. Jie Long students considered it an honor to be chosen by Fan Xinglou, so they bore no resentment. Still, failing to land even a single blow despite outnumbering her was a crushing blow to any martial artist's pride. They had to overcome that themselves—just as Zhao Hufeng had once done.
As he helped the exhausted students to their feet and guided them toward the cave-like passages lining the hall, they vanished upon contact, like stones sinking into water.
Such was Huangchen Hall—a special space created overnight by the first-generation "Oushinden."
Its labyrinthine interior defied navigation, with countless corridors leading to unknown destinations and off-limits rooms scattered throughout. The technology behind it remained a mystery, one even corporate efforts had failed to unravel.
The first-generation Oushinden had existed since the founding of Hexa Pantheon, introducing the miraculous art of "Seisenjutsu." She built Huangchen Hall, trained Seisenjutsu instructors, and could be called Jie Long's founding ancestor. Before leaving Hexa, she established a rule: the next person to open Huangchen Hall's doors would become the second-generation Oushinden.
For over a decade afterwards, countless Jie Long students attempted to challenge Huangchen Hall, yet none could open its doors, let alone venture inside. Rumor had it the doors employed special technology, responding only to those with a specific type of astral power.
More than ten years after the first generation's departure, a young girl arrived at Hexa, opened Huangchen Hall's doors, and became the second-generation Oushinden.
Her name was Wang Xiaoyuan—ranked second on Hexa Pantheon's all-time Festa participant leaderboard. She was the first in Hexa's history to achieve the Triple Crown. After graduation, she remained at Jie Long to teach, nurturing numerous Seisenjutsu instructors and earning recognition as Jie Long's revitalizing ancestor. Before leaving Hexa, she too established the same rule: the next opener of Huangchen Hall's doors would be the third-generation Oushinden.
Another decade after the second generation's departure, a six-year-old girl arrived at Jie Long, effortlessly defeated its then-top-ranked student, opened Huangchen Hall's doors, and ascended to become the third-generation Oushinden at the tender age of six.
That was something that happened three years ago.
The third-generation "Oushinden" was none other than the nine-year-old girl before them—Fan Xinglou.
The third inheritor of this title had similarly inherited her predecessors' penchant for teaching, establishing a grand school within Jie Long Academy and taking in numerous disciples.
Currently, Fan Xinglou had nearly fifty disciples under her wing, all listed in the Book of Celebrated Disciples. Among the top twelve names on its opening page, a staggering eleven were her students—in other words, the entire top twelve ranking consisted of her disciples except for herself.
The beautiful, androgynous youth Zhao Hufeng, ranked fifth at Jie Long as the "Tenka Musou," was one of Fan Xinglou's disciples. He possessed extraordinary talent in manipulating astral power and held the title of Six Flowers' fastest before Roy's appearance.
Looking back, every generation of the Oushinden had made immense contributions to Jie Long Academy. The title represented absolute authority within the institution—not even the conglomerates were exceptions.
***
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