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As the sun grew hotter, the temperature by the lake steadily climbed.
Initially, only a few weaker students discreetly wiped sweat from their brows and reluctantly retreated from the crowd. Gradually, more and more people found it hard to endure—their luxurious school uniforms were soaked with sweat, and their delicate makeup began to smudge.
"Let's go, let's go. Didn't the teacher say that this mentor plays the zither by the lake every day? The sun is too strong today; it's not too late to come back another time when it's cooler." A student, wiping sweat from his forehead, was the first to turn and leave.
These words were like stones thrown into still water, creating ripples through the crowd. The students exchanged glances, their initial enthusiasm slowly replaced by hesitation.
"Hmph, I've listened for so long and haven't grasped anything. I have innate spirit power of level eight." A noble student shook his slightly damp palm. "I think he has no intention of teaching; he's just playing for his own enjoyment. Let's go!"
As time passed, the figures by the lake became increasingly sparse. Eventually, only a handful of people remained, persisting. Some sat cross-legged, others wrote furiously, secretly noting down the music Feng Xiao played.
Ning Rongrong surveyed the gradually thinning crowd around her, a hint of disdain flashing in her glazed tile-like eyes. She knew better than anyone the astonishing power of Feng Xiao's support system ability. Clearly, Feng Xiao had long seen through the impetuous nature of these noble children.
A mocking curve appeared at the corner of her lips, and she felt much more at peace. With fewer noisy onlookers, it was the perfect opportunity to calm down and practice Heart Separation Control.
Though Feng Xiao closed his eyes and played the zither, every rustle within a hundred-zhang radius was reflected in his mind as clearly as in a mirror. He perceived every departing footstep and every murmuring complaint with perfect clarity, yet he merely smiled.
True geniuses, like gold in sand, must be sifted through countless times. The path of cultivation has always been a journey for the solitary. These students, unable to endure the heat or the monotony, no matter how talented, were destined to be unrelated to the extreme path he walked.
Among those Spirit Masters who were accustomed to acquiring Spirit Abilities from spirit rings, how many were willing to calm their hearts and hone their Spirit skills day after day? Under the temptation of easily gaining powerful skills by hunting spirit rings, who would be willing to spend long years digging into the deepest potential of their own Spirit?
Acquiring spirit ring skills from Spirit Beasts was a natural growth point. However, most Spirit Masters were deeply entrenched in it, overly obsessed with pursuing powerful spirit rings and Spirit Abilities, to the point of putting the cart before the horse—they spent their entire lives pursuing the improvement of their spirit power level, but neglected the refinement of their Spirit skills.
It was this blind pursuit of spirit rings and Spirit Abilities that gave rise to the so-called "Extreme Flow" and "Balanced Flow" debate. After all, even a Titled Douluo standing at the peak could only bear nine spirit rings and six Spirit Bones—a mere fifteen skills. To try to cover all aspects, such as attack, defense, and speed, would be nothing short of a fool's dream.
In Feng Xiao's cultivation philosophy, a true Spirit Master hones their compatibility with their Spirit day after day, and through countless practical battles, comprehends the undeveloped skills of their Spirit. Only by doing so can they wield their Spirit with divine mastery—attacking like thunder, defending like an impregnable fortress, controlling like a net cast from heaven, with all changes originating from the heart.
This was like the cultivation of a peerless swordsman: the sword moves contained both fierce offense and exquisite defense, with offense and defense transitioning seamlessly. It was not like ordinary Spirit Masters who completely placed their hopes on fixed Spirit Abilities.
Feng Xiao subtly reined in his thoughts, no longer pondering these cultivation philosophies, and once again poured his full attention into the zither music. As he became more immersed, every detail of the surrounding environment appeared in his perception with astonishing clarity—the tremor of every leaf, the trajectory of every wisp of wind, and even the breathing rhythm of distant students, all were perfectly clear.
"Strange," he mused inwardly. "Today, with so many people and so much noise, my perception is actually sharper." His fingertips glided across the zither strings, producing a series of clear, melodious notes. "Perhaps it's because I'm too familiar with this place."
This thought flashed by, and Feng Xiao subtly adjusted his sitting posture, narrowing his perception range, letting the zither music guide his mental force, but he found nothing. Helpless, Feng Xiao could only continue his cultivation. The whispers lingering in his mind did not affect Feng Xiao; instead, they made his state of mind even clearer.
Time flew by, and a year passed in the blink of an eye. Feng Xiao's figure still appeared by the lake every day, and the zither music arrived as promised. However, today, his fingertips suddenly paused, and the zither strings produced a discordant tremor. Feng Xiao suddenly opened his eyes, and those eyes, usually slightly closed, now gleamed brightly.
The few scattered figures by the lake simultaneously looked up, gazing in confusion at Feng Xiao, who had suddenly stopped playing. They didn't understand why this mentor, who had always played with such fluidity, would so unusually stop playing the zither today.
Feng Xiao quietly sensed it, a hint of surprise welling up in his heart—that bottleneck, which had been stuck for so long, had quietly broken through without him realizing it. Level sixty, a realm that seemed unattainable in the eyes of ordinary Spirit Masters, was thus achieved naturally in the mysterious state of zither music and nature blending together.
Over the past year, Feng Xiao had almost daily cultivated diligently with Qian Renxue in the Ni Tai Training Field. As their spirit power levels gradually approached each other, Feng Xiao could clearly feel his cultivation speed increasing day by day—Qian Renxue's contribution was indispensable in this. However, previous breakthroughs had always occurred naturally during meditation after cultivation.
At this moment, Feng Xiao sat quietly by the lake, letting the breeze caress his face. Scenes from the past year flashed through his mind: a leap of five levels, from fifty-five to sixty. Yet, he never expected that this last major bottleneck would also be broken through naturally during his most ordinary zither playing.
"That mysterious feeling is becoming clearer and clearer. What exactly is it?" Feng Xiao gazed at the lake, pondering inwardly. As his spirit power increased, and his mental force diffused with the zither music every day, Feng Xiao felt a faint, elusive power.
"I'll ask Xue'er later; it's time to consider the spirit ring matter," Feng Xiao secretly thought.
"Little Feng, is something wrong?" Ning Rongrong gracefully stepped closer, her glazed tile-like eyes filled with concern. After a year of living together, Ning Rongrong, having understood Feng Xiao's attitude, gradually let go of her hostility towards him.
Feng Xiao withdrew his thoughts and smiled faintly at her: "It's nothing. It's just that when I was playing the zither just now…" His fingertips gently stroked the zither strings. "I had a sudden realization, that's all."
Feng Xiao's fingertips gently stroked the zither strings, and after a brief deliberation, a melodious tune flowed out once more. This time, the zither music had a few more layers of transparency than before, as if the breakthrough in the bottleneck had made the music even more harmonious and unrestrained.
The sun was directly overhead. Feng Xiao gently stroked the "Fuxi" zither as usual, then elegantly stood up. He looked at the students who were preparing to leave, his voice flowing like a clear spring: "You don't need to come for the next few days." His plain white robe fluttered slightly in the breeze. "I need to leave the academy for a while."
Upon hearing this, the students stopped in unison and bowed. The sunlight stretched their shadows long, and their uniform voices echoed by the lake: "We respectfully obey Mentor Feng's teachings."
Ning Rongrong's pupils suddenly constricted, her chest heaving as if struck by lightning. Her red lips trembled slightly: "You… you broke through to Spirit Emperor?" Her voice was filled with disbelief.
Feng Xiao's lips curved slightly, and his fingertips gently tapped the zither strings, producing a clear, trembling sound: "Mm, it was just a natural progression." His tone was as calm as if discussing the day's weather.
Ning Rongrong stood rooted to the spot, a terrifying thought constantly flashing through her mind—how old was this monster's fifth spirit ring?
Seeing her in a daze, Feng Xiao chuckled softly, picked up "Fuxi," and turned around: "You can also take a short break during this time." As his robes fluttered, his voice drifted with the wind, "Farewell."
Ning Rongrong's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she snapped back to reality. She nodded slightly, her glazed tile-like eyes still holding residual shock.
Feng Xiao stepped onto the horse-drawn carriage with gilded trim. The moment the curtains fell, the bustling streetscape of Heaven Dou City was shut out. Four snow-white steeds neighed with their heads held high, and the wheels rolled over the bluestone road, galloping towards the majestic imperial palace.
Feng Xiao walked calmly to the main gate of the imperial palace. With a flick of his finger, a gilded token shone brightly in the sunlight. The guards immediately saluted upon seeing it, and a servant was already bowing to lead the way. After passing through layers of palace gates, they soon arrived at the Crown Prince's East Palace.
When the servant led Feng Xiao to the study, Qian Renxue was languidly leaning on a soft couch, reviewing memorials. In her own private space, she rarely shed her usual dignified demeanor. Seeing Feng Xiao enter, she looked up in surprise, her golden eyes gleaming with joy: "Why are you free to look for me today?" She casually placed her quill beside the inkstone, her gilded long hair falling like a waterfall.
Feng Xiao's gaze shifted, remembering the purpose of his visit, and a barely perceptible hint of shame flashed in his eyes. He didn't directly state his intention. His lips curved slightly, his voice like a spring breeze caressing willows: "Usually, I see you busy with official duties." His fingertips subtly brushed over the pile of memorials on her desk. "From now on, I will surely come to bother you often."
Qian Renxue's golden eyes rippled slightly, instantly understanding the concern in Feng Xiao's words. Her slender fingers gently clasped Feng Xiao's wrist, her voice as soft as melting spring snow: "It's fine." Her fingertips lightly traced his palm. "I have a mission now, and your frequent visits would only arouse suspicion and delay your cultivation." Her gilded long hair fell over her shoulders. "We can just meet in the Ni Tai Training Field at night."
Feng Xiao's lips curved into a mysterious arc, and he leaned close to her ear, whispering: "Then I'll give you a surprise."
Qian Renxue's gilded eyes suddenly lit up, and her lotus-like arms wrapped around his neck: "Tell me quickly~" The end of her sentence carried a hint of sweet coquetry.
"Just now, while playing the zither, I already broke through to level fifty-nine…" His warm breath brushed her earlobe. "I've already broken through to Spirit Emperor."
Qian Renxue's golden eyes shone like stars, unable to hide her shock: "Breaking five levels in one year? This speed…" Her jade-like fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on his clothes.
Feng Xiao took her soft hand and kissed it: "Naturally, it's all thanks to you, Xue'er." His thumb caressed the pulse beating on her wrist. "The deeper our spirit power resonance, the faster my cultivation speed increases as our spirit power levels approach each other."
"Since that's the case…" Qian Renxue suddenly leaned in, her nose almost touching his. "Then how should you thank me?"
Feng Xiao chuckled softly, his breath intertwining with hers as he whispered: "How about… I offer myself to you?"
"Granted," she said, her red lips parting, her breath like orchids.
Their gazes met, and they suddenly smiled at each other. Qian Renxue's gilded eyes shimmered with water, and Feng Xiao's eyes also showed a rare gentle ripple. At this moment, all words turned into silent understanding, with only their laughter gently echoing in the study.
Feng Xiao gently cupped Qian Renxue's pretty face and softly asked: "How is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School doing recently?"
At the mention of this, Qian Renxue's lips curved into a triumphant arc: "That old fox, Ning Fengzhi… started contacting the Hall through Heaven Dou's Spirit Hall a year ago." She slowly pulled away and took a gilded teacup, taking a small sip. "They've provided quite a bit of overt and covert funding this past year." The tea reflected her all-knowing golden eyes. "Although it hasn't been publicized, their attitude is already clear."
Feng Xiao chuckled softly, his fingertips gently tracing the rim of the teacup: "This is nothing more than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's life-saving money." A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. "That old fox, Ning Fengzhi, never lets go of the hawk until he sees the rabbit." He picked up the teacup and took a sip. "Just a support system Sect…" His lips curved slightly. "Ultimately, they won't be able to stir up any waves."
Qian Renxue nodded slightly, her gilded long hair swaying with the movement: "However, for you now, a suitable spirit ring is indeed hard to find."
Feng Xiao's fingertips gently stroked her falling hair, his voice low: "I already have a target. It's just…" He frowned slightly. "There's one thing I don't understand about cultivation." When he looked up, his eyes held a rare confusion.
Qian Renxue's eyebrows raised slightly, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement: "Oh? Our youngest Spirit Emperor, Mentor Feng, also has a time to ask for guidance?" Her fingertips poked his chest with just the right amount of pressure.
Feng Xiao caught her mischievous hand and kissed her palm: "Aren't you the youngest Spirit Saint, Xue'er?" His voice carried a rare hint of flattery.
"Smooth talker~" Qian Renxue pulled her hand back, but couldn't hide the curve of her lips. "Go on, tell me. I might not know." A mischievous smile played on her lips.
Feng Xiao summoned "Fuxi," his fingertips unconsciously stroking the zither strings, his voice a soft murmur: "As my cultivation progresses, when I play the zither, I can always sense a faint, elusive, mysterious power…" He frowned slightly. "It seems both real and unreal, difficult to grasp."
Qian Renxue's gaze sharpened, and she mused: "Only appears when playing the zither? Have you sensed it during night cultivation?"
"Only when playing the zither," Feng Xiao nodded. "When my mental force flows with the zither music, resonating with heaven and earth, that power quietly emerges."
"Only when playing the zither can it be sensed…" Qian Renxue's gilded eyes narrowed slightly, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the table.
Suddenly, the scene from the opening ceremony flashed through her mind—the kingfisher perched on his shoulder, the Blue Silver Grass blooming, hundreds of students captivated. A startling conjecture exploded like thunder: Could it be that Little Feng had, unknowingly, embarked on the path of his ancestors?
Qian Renxue suddenly grabbed his wrist, her golden eyes bursting with astonishing brilliance: "Little Feng!"
Her voice trembled slightly with excitement. "What you sensed is the power of faith!"