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Yue Guan observed the subtle atmosphere among the four with interest, a meaningful curve playing on his lips.
He elegantly twirled the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum in his hand, its petals shimmering with an eerie glow under the moonlight.
"How wonderful it is to be young," he sighed softly, his voice carrying a hint of a veteran's teasing.
No sooner had he spoken than his figure flickered, his golden robe tracing a brilliant arc in the night sky, and he vanished from his spot like Gui Mei, leaving only a few scattered petals to mark his presence.
"Third Spirit Ability: Aura Barrier."
Feng Xiao seemed to sense something, raising his eyes to look at the barrier, a knowing smile appearing on his lips.
The scattered petals were not random; they subtly formed a barrier, enveloping the entire camp—this seemingly casual Chrysanthemum Douluo was, in fact, constantly fulfilling his duty of surveillance.
Seeing this, Feng Xiao bowed elegantly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "I thank Holy Maiden for arranging this for me."
Hu Liena's eyes flickered, and she turned to her companions, whispering, "Brother, you two go rest first."
Though her voice was soft, it carried an undeniable authority.
Yan looked at Hu Liena, wanting to speak but hesitating, his eyes full of worry: "Nana…"
Xie Yue exchanged a knowing glance with his sister, sighed helplessly, and stepped forward to pat Yan's shoulder: "Let's go."
He deliberately increased the force in his hand, hinting at the implications.
Yan glared at Feng Xiao unwillingly but was ultimately half-pulled, half-coaxed away by Xie Yue.
Under the moonlight, the two figures gradually disappeared into the shadows of the tents, leaving Hu Liena alone to face this unfathomable young man.
The night wind brushed past, rustling her golden hair and dispelling the momentary tension.
After the two had walked away, Hu Liena subtly let out a breath, the moonlight casting a silver glow on her exquisite profile.
She turned her head slightly, her voice unconsciously softening a few shades: "Follow me."
Feng Xiao nodded in acknowledgment: "Thank you, Holy Maiden."
He maintained an appropriate distance by Hu Liena's side, his gaze subtly sweeping the surroundings.
Under the moonlight, their shadows flickered between the tents, as if enacting a silent game of chess.
Hu Liena could clearly feel the faint aura coming from behind her, a sensation both familiar and strange.
She unconsciously slowed her steps, her fingertips instinctively twirling a strand of golden hair, seemingly pondering how to begin.
The night wind drifted by, bringing the faint crackling of a distant bonfire, adding a touch of warmth to the quiet night.
The two walked slowly along the gravel path between the tents, Hu Liena's pace unconsciously slowing.
Feng Xiao noticed her hesitation and spoke softly: "Holy Maiden, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Since I chose to come here, my stance is already clear."
His eyes held a faint smile, "Training talents for Spirit Hall is, after all, my duty as an honorary Elder."
Upon hearing this, Hu Liena abruptly stopped and turned to face Feng Xiao directly.
Under the moonlight, her foxy eyes glinted with sharp light: "Why, within your Domain, can I not even release my Slaughter God Domain?"
Her voice was very soft, yet it carried an undeniable persistence.
The smile on Feng Xiao's lips deepened a bit: "Slaughter God Domain?"
His slender fingers gently caressed the jade pendant at his waist, his tone meaningful.
Hu Liena stared at him unblinkingly, a moment of silence stretching between them.
The night wind stirred the stray hairs on her forehead, but it could not disperse the probing look in her eyes.
Finally, she slowly nodded, awaiting an answer.
Feng Xiao's fingertips lightly brushed the zither strings, emitting a clear, resonant tremor: "Holy Maiden, have you ever considered what the essence of a Domain truly is?"
"Essence?" Hu Liena's red lips parted slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
Looking at the confused expression of this favored daughter of heaven, Feng Xiao patiently explained: "A Domain, in essence, is a force field constructed by a Spirit Master through their Spirit, comprehending a power that can influence the surrounding environment within a specific range, belonging to their Spirit's abilities."
His fingertips condensed a wisp of spirit power, tracing mysterious patterns in the air, "The reason you cannot unleash your Domain is threefold."
Hu Liena unconsciously leaned forward, her golden hair gently swaying in the wind.
"Firstly," Feng Xiao's voice flowed like a clear spring, "the disparity in mental force."
He pointed to his own temple, "My mental force cultivation is higher than yours."
"Secondly," he continued, lightly tapping his chest, "your comprehension of killing intent is not yet sufficient."
This sentence made Hu Liena's pupils constrict slightly, making her recall her past in Slaughter City.
"As for the third…" Feng Xiao gently stroked the Fuxi Zither, its seven strings simultaneously glowing faintly, "The zither's sound possesses the ability to influence others.
Your Slaughter God Domain, in front of me, is like…" He paused, finding a fitting analogy, "It's like the midday sun melting ice; my Domain is extremely effective against the Slaughter God Domain."
Upon hearing this, a flicker of understanding passed through Hu Liena's beautiful, autumn-water-like eyes, but it was immediately replaced by confusion.
She lightly bit her red lips, then, after a moment of hesitation, asked, "Then how… how can I break through?"
Feng Xiao's fingertips gently brushed the zither strings, producing a clear, resonant sound: "Forgive my bluntness, but the Slaughter God Domain was never meant to be your primary path of cultivation."
Seeing Hu Liena's face suddenly change, he gently added: "This Domain, for you, is merely icing on the cake.
While it certainly gives you an overwhelming advantage against ordinary Spirit Masters, but…"
He changed his tone, his gaze falling on Hu Liena's waist: "Your path, in fact, has already been indicated by your Spirit.
If you can achieve the suppressive effect of 'Charm' solely through the power of your Spirit, then a truly unique Domain will naturally be born from you."
Hu Liena's delicate brows furrowed deeply, her fingertips unconsciously gripping the corner of her clothes.
The days of bloody battles in Slaughter City flashed back in her mind—the killing techniques comprehended on the brink of life and death, the cultivation achievements gained with blood, were they all to be completely denied like this?
Under the moonlight, a trace of unwillingness and struggle appeared on her beautiful face.
Feng Xiao's words were like a sharp blade, mercilessly dissecting her long-held beliefs.
But deep down, a voice was telling her: Perhaps, this young man was right.
Feng Xiao looked at Hu Liena's slightly trembling fingertips, his voice softening a few shades: "Perhaps my words are too direct, but your killing intent has no effect on me, and that is an undeniable fact."
His fingertips lightly tapped the zither string, emitting a clear chime, "However, for ninety-nine percent of Spirit Masters in the world, they will never even touch the threshold of a Domain in their entire lives.
From this perspective, you are already standing at a height few can reach."
The night wind brushed past, swirling a few fallen leaves between the two.
Feng Xiao's gaze suddenly became distant: "But in true master duels, often a difference of mere millimeters can mean the difference between life and death."
He paused, his voice suddenly lowered, "Do you still remember Clear Sky Douluo from the Spirit Master tournament?
He also possesses the Slaughter God Domain, but in front of him…"
He didn't finish his sentence, but Hu Liena already understood his meaning.
The towering figure, like a mountain, appeared in her mind.
At that moment, her clasped hands unconsciously tightened, her fingernails digging deep into her palms, yet she felt no pain.
Feng Xiao appropriately stopped speaking and instead said gently: "Tool Spirit Masters like Tang Hao are naturally more compatible with the Slaughter Domain.
The suppression of battle aura is, in essence, a clash on the mental plane."
His gaze softened as he looked at Hu Liena, "Your mental force is actually not weak, even far exceeding the level of an ordinary Spirit Emperor."
The night wind gently brushed, stirring the stray hairs on Hu Liena's forehead.
Feng Xiao's voice flowed like a clear spring: "It's just that your method of using mental force is too crude, overly relying on the Spirit Abilities granted by spirit rings and Spirit Bones."
He pointed meaningfully at Hu Liena's glabella, "The Spirit Ability in that skull bone awarded at the previous tournament, I presume Supreme Pontiff specially prepared it for you?
This kind of natural resource advantage is, ironically, a limitation for you."
"Hmph." Hu Liena lightly snorted, turning her face away, but she did not refute his words.
Under the moonlight, the lines of her exquisite profile were taut, her long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath her eyes.
Her slender fingers unconsciously caressed the Spirit at her waist, clearly indicating that he had hit a nerve.
Every word from Feng Xiao was like a sharp blade, striking directly at the core, causing a hint of irritation to appear on Hu Liena's exquisite face.
She couldn't help but interrupt: "You've said so much, but you still haven't told me how to break through."
To her surprise, Feng Xiao showed a surprised expression instead.
He frowned slightly, as if pondering something, then after a moment, he tentatively asked: "Did Supreme Pontiff… ever give you a book?"
"A book?" Hu Liena was startled at first, then seemed to recall something, and her jade hand swept across the spirit tool at her waist.
A beautifully bound classic appeared in her palm, its cover adorned with the gilded words "On the Progress of a Spirit Master," shining brightly under the moonlight.
"Are you talking about this?" She gently held up the book.
Feng Xiao sighed helplessly: "Precisely this book."
His slender fingers lightly tapped a page, "The answers you seek are all here.
Strange… I clearly presented this book to Supreme Pontiff a long time ago, yet you haven't read it?"
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Hu Liena's face, her fingertips unconsciously caressing the edge of the book, her fair cheeks instantly tinged with a blush, and her fingers unconsciously tightened on her clothes: "At that time… I had just come out of Slaughter City, and hadn't fully shaken off its influence, so…"
Feng Xiao's gaze was gentle with a hint of understanding: "That is precisely why I said you are not suited for the Slaughter God Domain."
He gently stroked the zither strings, emitting a clear, resonant tremor, "If you could truly control this power, you should have been no different from an ordinary person after leaving Slaughter City.
Losing control, precisely indicates that you are not compatible with this power."
Under the moonlight, Hu Liena's eyelashes trembled slightly, as if her thoughts had been exposed.
"Supreme Pontiff must have put in a lot of effort to help you re-adapt to normal life, right?" Feng Xiao asked softly.
Hu Liena nodded slightly, her voice unconsciously softening: "For a whole year… I was learning to sew clothes."
Her fingertips lightly traced the delicate hidden patterns on her sleeve; she had embroidered them herself, stitch by stitch.
A hint of admiration flashed in Feng Xiao's eyes: "That is indeed a good method for self-cultivation and nurturing one's temperament."
He looked at the flickering bonfire in the distance, musing, "The shuttling of needle and thread is most effective in calming the mind."
As Feng Xiao spoke, he suddenly covered his mouth and yawned, stretching lazily: "You should study that book well, and you will naturally find your own path.
Now…" He rubbed his eyes, "Take me to the tent, I'm a bit tired."
Hu Liena looked at the lazy young man before her, finding it difficult to connect him with the eloquent master from moments ago.
She muttered to herself, "How did such a lazy fellow cultivate to such a realm?"
"Let's go." She turned decisively, her steps much faster than when they arrived.
Under the moonlight, their shadows moved quickly between the tents.
Soon, Hu Liena led Feng Xiao to an empty tent.
Before Feng Xiao could even thank her, she turned and hurried away, her golden hair tracing a graceful arc in the night wind, clearly eager to return and study the classic book.
Feng Xiao watched her retreating figure, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The night wind rustled the tent flap, making a soft shushing sound, as if whispering something.
He shook his head, lifted the tent flap, and stepped inside, his figure gradually disappearing into the shadows of the tent.
Watching Hu Liena's hurried retreating figure gradually disappear into the night, Feng Xiao couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.
He turned and walked into the tent, unceremoniously flopping onto the bed and pulling the blanket over himself.
"Haaah—" He let out a long yawn, rubbed his face against the soft pillow, and comfortably narrowed his eyes.
Without Qian Renxue by his side, and without the aid of a mimicked cultivation environment, he simply couldn't be bothered to cultivate diligently at a time like this.
Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the tent flap, casting dappled light and shadow on his handsome profile.
Feng Xiao snapped his fingers, and a ripple passed through, extinguishing all the lamps in the tent.
"Cultivation or whatever…" He mumbled indistinctly, his voice growing softer and softer, "Let's talk about it tomorrow…"
Soon, even breathing sounds echoed within the tent.
The night wind gently swayed the tent flap, as if sighing helplessly at this genius Spirit Master's lazy waste of his talent.
And in his sleep, Feng Xiao still had a contented smile on his lips, as if dreaming of something wonderful.
At dawn, when Feng Xiao lifted the tent flap, a trace of sleepiness still lingered in his eyes.
He stretched, and the morning dew wet his sleeves.
In the distance, the Spirit Hall members were gathered around a bonfire, eating a simple breakfast.
As Feng Xiao took a few steps, he felt a scorching gaze.
Yan was staring intently at him, the dried rations in his hand almost crushed.
Feng Xiao smiled indifferently and slowly walked towards the group.
"Little Feng, come." Yue Guan waved him over, offering a piece of dried meat jerky and a hard biscuit, "Conditions are simple, just make do with these."
Feng Xiao took them with both hands and said softly, "You're too kind, Elder, this is already very good."
The morning breeze swept through the camp, bringing the fresh scent of burning pine wood, and a new day began.
Everyone quietly ate their breakfast, only Yan's expression grew even gloomier.