The intense heat of the underground forging pavilion finally gave way to the crisp, chilling air of the night as Yoriichi stepped out into the bustling streets of the Outer Academy's commerce district. The sky had already turned to complete darkness, a velvety expanse of black pierced only by the distant, twinkling stars and the warm, golden glow of the market's hanging lanterns.
Despite the late hour, the market was still teeming with students, the pathways illuminated by the vibrant light of Dou Qi lamps and the bustling energy of commerce.
As Yoriichi navigated through the crowds, his mind was entirely occupied by the profound conversation he had just finished with Elder Long.
Before Yoriichi had left the forge, the eccentric elder had carefully inspected the newly forged, dual-layered katana. After praising it, Elder Long had offered him an incredibly rare opportunity.
"Come back tomorrow, brat," Elder Long had told him, his gruff voice laced with a genuine, masterly respect. "It's good that you can forge a Peak Tier 3 weapon with pure physical hammering and elemental brute force. But your technique is unrefined. You waste kinetic energy. You leak heat. Tomorrow, I will personally teach you the true art of the hammer."
Elder Long had gone on to explain the vast, intricate world of professional blacksmithing. He spoke of rhythmic hammering techniques that conserved a cultivator's stamina, precise temperature control methods that prevented carbon fracturing, and most importantly—the incorporation of Alchemical Energy Arrays.
"A blade can only hold so much raw energy before it shatters," the elder had explained, tracing a finger over the red and blue hamon of Yoriichi's sword. "But if you learn to carve arrays into the hilt and the fuller, you can exponentially boost the weapon's natural attributes. You can create a sword that passively draws in worldly energy, or one that amplifies your specific Dou Qi output by fifty percent. Tomorrow, we begin your true education."
Yoriichi thought deeply about these concepts as he stopped by a high-end textile merchant. He selected a few simple, durable black trousers for himself, and a set of elegant, soft blue robes made from the silk of a Rank 2 Frost-Weaver Spider for Xiao Yu.
'Arrays are essentially external meridians carved into the steel,' Yoriichi mused, paying the merchant with a handful of gold coins. 'If I can master that, I can likely create more refined and higher tier weapons. I can make weapons for others also with their likeness.'
He secured the wrapped clothing into his spatial ring and began walking toward the agricultural district to buy some fresh vegetables for dinner. His mind drifted briefly to Xiao Yu, who was still locked in her deep, anomalous meditative state. He was still worried about the sudden, beastial undertone in her bloodline mutation that Zhan Yue had mentioned, but he trusted the Academy's elite elders to monitor her safety. For now, he just had to focus on getting stronger.
As he turned a corner near the produce stalls, the rhythmic hum of the nighttime market was violently pierced by a loud, aggressive argument.
It wasn't just a simple haggling dispute; the voices were laced with genuine malice and the faint, warning hum of circulating Dou Qi.
Yoriichi paused, his highly attuned senses picking up a familiar voice among the shouting.
He silently altered his path, following the noise. As he approached a small, brightly lit square near a jade merchant, he saw a large crowd of students forming a circle, their faces a mix of excitement and nervous apprehension.
"See? Bai Shan's followers are troubling her now," a male student whispered loudly to his companion near the edge of the crowd.
"Bai Shan's faction?" another student gasped softly. "The one with deep connections to the Inner Academy?"
"Yes, exactly. And the girl they are surrounding is from Xiao Ning's clan. It's an open secret in the Outer Academy now. Since Xiao Ning humiliated Bai Shan by stopping his attack in the arena and then refusing his formal duels, Bai Shan has been intentionally targeting anyone associated with him."
Hearing this, Yoriichi's crimson eyes narrowed fractionally. His aura remained completely suppressed, but the ambient temperature immediately around him seemed to drop a few degrees.
The students whispering in the back suddenly felt a phantom chill run down their spines. They turned around, startled, and their eyes widened in absolute shock as they saw the stoic, red-eyed youth standing right behind them. They immediately scrambled backward, parting like the Red Sea to give him a clear path into the center of the circle.
Yoriichi stepped through the gap in the crowd and took in the scene.
In the center of the square stood Xiao Mei, accompanied by three other female students. Opposite them was a group of about a dozen older, smug-looking students wearing premium academy robes.
The tension was palpable. The opposing group had few Dou Shi cultivators among them, their auras intentionally pressing down on the younger girl's group.
Xiao Mei was holding her left arm, her face pale with suppressed pain and anger. A thin, jagged cut had sliced through the sleeve of her robe, and fresh crimson blood was slowly dripping down her pale skin, staining the cobblestone beneath her.
"What is the problem here?"
Yoriichi's voice was not loud, but it cut through the chaotic noise of the square like a physical blade.