The morning sun cast long shadows across the grounds of Nuoding Academy, filtering through the towering pines that lined the entrance path. Kazuki and Tang San walked side by side, their footsteps muffled against the soft earth. Around them, groups of students gathered, their voices buzzing with excitement and tension.
Kazuki's sharp eyes caught snippets of conversation as they neared the main gate. Voices were low but urgent, threading through the air like whispers on the wind.
"Xiao Wu again? Fighting a senior?"
"Yeah, the senior tried to put her in her place, but she didn't back down."
"Some say she's looking for trouble, but no one's dared to stop her yet."
Tang San's expression tightened, a flicker of unease crossing his features. He glanced at Kazuki but said nothing. The murmurs continued, growing louder as more students poured into the courtyard, forming clusters around the source of the commotion.
As they stepped inside, the scene unfolded before them. A circle had formed near the academy's stone fountain, where Xiao Wu stood defiantly facing a group of senior students. Her stance was relaxed but radiated an unyielding confidence, eyes bright and challenging.
The seniors were taller, older, and clearly used to command. Yet, Xiao Wu showed no sign of fear. Her presence was a stark contrast—fiery and unpredictable in the ordered calm of the academy grounds.
Kazuki leaned casually against a nearby pillar, observing with cool detachment. To him, this was merely a skirmish in a much larger game. His mind was already sorting through priorities, plotting the next steps that lay beyond this petty conflict.
The senior leading the group sneered. "Little rabbit, you're treading on dangerous ground. Back down before you regret it."
Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled with defiance. "I'm not afraid of you. If you want to test your strength, then fight."
The senior scoffed and charged forward, fists blazing with raw spirit power. Xiao Wu moved fluidly, sidestepping and weaving through the attack with catlike grace. She retaliated with sharp slashes from her claws, quick and precise.
The crowd's excitement surged as the fight escalated. Blow met blow with thunderous impact, the spirit energy swirling visibly around them.
Suddenly, the senior landed a heavy strike on Xiao Wu's shoulder, forcing her to stagger back. But before he could press the advantage, Xiao Wu's martial soul flared—a soft, radiant glow surrounded her, manifesting the ethereal form of a swift rabbit that enhanced her agility and reflexes. Her movements became faster, more precise, like a blur darting through the crowd. Instead of claws, delicate bursts of spiritual energy pulsed from her fingertips, allowing her to strike swiftly and evade with uncanny grace.
The senior hesitated, eyes wide with surprise, before launching a desperate flurry of strikes. Xiao Wu dodged most but took a glancing blow to the ribs, grimacing.
From the sidelines, Tang San's brows furrowed with concern. He stepped forward, ready to intervene.
Before he could, Xiao Wu's gaze flicked sharply toward Kazuki. Her voice cut through the crowd, clear and challenging.
"Why are you just standing there? Aren't you going to fight? Or are you afraid?"
Kazuki's eyes met hers with cold calmness. "I'm here to study, not to fight."
A ripple of murmurs swept through the onlookers. Xiao Wu's smirk deepened, eyes narrowing with playful challenge.
"Studying without proving your strength? Then prove it to me—fight me. Or are you just another coward?"
Kazuki shook his head slowly, voice steady and resolute. "Fighting for its own sake is a distraction. I came for knowledge and growth, not pointless conflict."
Xiao Wu's grin wavered but soon returned. "Suit yourself. Don't expect me to hold back."
The tension thickened as the senior advanced once more, but the fight paused as Tang San raised his hand to calm the crowd.
"We don't need more violence. Let's settle this another way."
The crowd slowly dispersed, the air still charged with residual energy and unspoken challenges.
Kazuki turned away, stepping toward the academy's administrative building with measured calm, leaving behind the petty squabbles that held no interest for him.
Inside the Spirit Hall branch office, the sterile atmosphere was punctuated by quiet hums of arcane energy. Kazuki approached the registration desk, greeted by a receptionist's polite nod.
"Are you here to register your martial soul?"
Kazuki nodded, moving forward without hesitation.
An examiner gestured to a soul detection platform embedded in the floor. Kazuki placed his hand lightly on the smooth surface, and the system activated with swirling lights of blue and white.
Data streamed rapidly across the examiner's screen, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"The age of your soul ring… nearly a thousand years. And the soul power stored at fifteen marks—exceptional. I've rarely seen anything like this."
Kazuki's face betrayed none of the pride the examiner expected.
"This level of soul power grants eligibility for benefits and assignments through recognised channels," the examiner continued quietly. "Far more benefits than most spirit masters receive."
The examiner's curiosity deepened, sensing something rare. "Have you considered formally joining Spirit Hall? Your strength would make you an invaluable asset."
Kazuki shook his head. "Not yet. My priorities lie elsewhere. There are rare opportunities I must seize first—things that won't come twice."
The examiner nodded, updating records with care. "When you are ready, the doors of Spirit Hall will be open."
Walking back through the academy grounds, Kazuki's thoughts drifted to Tang San. The young spirit master was fiercely loyal to his master's teachings, yet Kazuki knew the truth hidden beneath those doctrines.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass martial soul was powerful, but its strength came not from sheer skill or will alone—it relied heavily on the rare bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor flowing through his veins.
Without that lineage, Kazuki believed Tang San's martial soul would have withered under the constant assault of toxins from toxic soul beasts. Poison was a double-edged sword; while it could be a potent weapon, it bore heavy burdens. Plants that relied on poison often suffered stunted growth, deformed or discolored leaves, brittle stems, and an overall lack of vigor.
In contrast, non-poisonous plants, while appearing less aggressive, often enjoyed longer vitality and resilience. They sacrificed offense for endurance—a trade-off Kazuki understood well.
Tang San's path, rooted in toxins and poison, was a narrow one. His survival owed as much to his bloodline as to his own skill. Without the Blue Silver Emperor's blood strengthening him, his martial soul might have been little more than wasted potential.
That was a truth Kazuki kept to himself.
As Kazuki strode back through the academy grounds, the tension from earlier still hung thick in the air. Xiao Wu's challenges and the murmurs of the crowd faded behind him as he focused on what lay ahead.
The man-faced demon spider's external soul bone, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well—these were rare treasures that could define a spirit master's fate. Seizing them required patience, strength, and precise timing.
Kazuki knew the world beyond Nuoding was vast and ruthless. Legends were forged not by chance, but by those who dared to grasp fate with both hands and shape it.
And so, with steady breath and silent determination, Kazuki prepared for the battles to come.