"Uh..." Xuan Ziwen wore an embarrassed expression. It turned out that the person standing before him was the same transfer student who had skipped his classes for half a year, and who would have been expelled long ago if the dean hadn't suppressed the matter.
However, none of that mattered anymore.
Looking at him with sincere eyes, Xuan Ziwen said, "Very well, Feng Piaoling. Tell me your conditions first."
Feng Piaoling replied, "Join my sect."
"Uh..." Xuan Ziwen felt embarrassed once again, and most of his newfound enthusiasm instantly withered away.
Frowning slightly, he asked, "Is that absolutely necessary?"
Feng Piaoling smiled calmly and said, "A soul engineer's rank relies not only on their personal crafting skills, but also requires sufficient mental power and soul power as a foundation. This is the secret behind my ability to craft beyond my level. Secrets like these, which can enhance the depth of one's soul power and mental capacity, are bound to be closely guarded inheritances. Does Teacher Xuan think this is something that can be measured by mere material goods?"
Xuan Ziwen nodded noncommittally, then followed up with another question, "If you truly can help me craft soul devices beyond my rank, joining your sect won't be an issue. But may I ask, what is the name of your sect, and what is its purpose?"
"The Soul Hall. A sect dedicated to eradicating evil soul masters and awakening martial souls for the broader populace of soul masters," Feng Piaoling gave the exact same answer he had once given to Xu Tianran.
"I see." No matter where one went, evil soul masters were notoriously reviled.
Seeing that the teacher was still hesitant, Feng Piaoling added, "For the upcoming period, I will be here learning the fabrication techniques for fifth and sixth-class soul devices from you. During this time, I will demonstrate two specific techniques to you. If you haven't made up your mind yet, Teacher Xuan, how about you give me your answer after I complete my studies?"
Xuan Ziwen nodded and said earnestly, "Very well. As long as you can prove it to me, I will join the Soul Hall."
The two of whom reached an agreement right then and there. Following that, they commenced their lesson.
Before diving into the practical work, Xuan Ziwen first tested him on soul device theory. Feng Piaoling answered every question flawlessly. Furthermore, drawing from his unique perspective as a transmigrator, he expanded upon his answers with creative deductions, continuously causing Xuan Ziwen's eyes to light up in pleasant surprise.
In turn, Feng Piaoling would ask about certain complexities regarding soul devices, and Xuan Ziwen spared no effort in answering them for him. Before they knew it, Feng Piaoling was completely immersed in the ocean of knowledge, not departing until the sun had set.
The next morning, Feng Piaoling went beneath the waterfall to practice his Nine Swords of the Gale for half an hour, spent another half an hour comprehending sword intent, and then grabbed a quick bite to eat at the cafeteria before heading over to the laboratory.
Click! The moment he opened the laboratory door, a young girl caught his attention.
The girl looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, similar in age to Jiang Nannan. She wore rimless glasses, had wavy orange-red hair, and possessed incredibly flawless skin. With Feng Piaoling's sharp eyesight, he couldn't even spot a single pore on her pink, tender complexion, which looked as though it could burst with moisture at a mere pinch. The school uniform she wore perfectly accentuated her shapely figure.
When it came to pure beauty, she was not a single bit inferior even when compared to Jiang Nannan or Wang Dong'er, and her naturally innocent, spacey aura was particularly eye-catching.
"You must be that transfer student who missed half a year of classes. To not get expelled by Teacher Xuan is honestly a miracle. Teacher Xuan will be here in a little while. Go ahead and find a seat wherever you like. Oh, right, let me introduce myself. I am Ju Zi, also a student of the teacher. You can call me Senior Sister Ju Zi from now on."
At this moment, the girl was resting her arms on the wide laboratory table, trying to catch up on sleep, evidently having stayed up late the previous night. Hearing someone open the lab door, she fluttered open her drowsy, beautiful eyes, glanced at Feng Piaoling, and then lazily buried her face back into her arms, speaking in a languid tone.
"I know your name is Ju Zi. We've met before," Feng Piaoling said, looking at the girl's lazy posture as a faint, gentle smile surfaced on his face.
"We've met?" Ju Zi blanked out for a moment, forcing her heavy eyelids open to look at him with uncertainty. At first glance, he did seem somewhat familiar, but she simply couldn't put her finger on it.
Feng Piaoling smiled faintly and offered a hint, "Three years ago, the Prince's Estate. Two and a half years ago, the Sun Moon Empire's Imperial Palace."
When Xu Tianran had taken Feng Piaoling in, the Sun Moon Empire's Emperor's health had not yet deteriorated to its current dreadful state, so Xu Tianran spent the vast majority of his time residing at the Prince's Estate. Naturally, Feng Piaoling had been settled there as well.
Back then, his mind was entirely consumed by the desire to grow stronger. Coupled with his knowledge of why Xu Tianran had taken Ju Zi in, he had only shared a brief, passing encounter with her before plunging right back into his bitter cultivation.
By the time they crossed paths again, half a year had already gone by. On that particular day, Xu Tianran was bringing Ju Zi along to the imperial court as usual, only to end up ambushed and surrounded by rebel forces. Just as in the original trajectory of history, Xu Tianran had his legs severed.
However, it was worth mentioning that after receiving news of the ambush on the prince, Feng Piaoling had already used earth escape to reach the vicinity. He had watched with his own eyes as Xu Tianran was stripped of his legs and his lower anatomy. It was only when Ju Zi threw herself forward to block a blade for Xu Tianran that he finally took action to save both of them.
It was precisely after that incident that Feng Piaoling and Ju Zi became Xu Tianran's absolute confidants. Of course, that word "absolute" only truly applied to Ju Zi; for Feng Piaoling, a question mark still remained.
After all, though Xu Tianran had survived, his legs were gone, and he had been rendered a eunuch. Even if Feng Piaoling had saved him and Ju Zi in the nick of time, it was inevitable that he would still draw some suspicion from Xu Tianran.
Yet Feng Piaoling harbored no regrets. That day could easily be called the happiest day of his life since his parents had passed away. Had it not been for the consideration that he still needed to utilize the man's power and resources to deal with evil soul masters, he would have decisively chosen not to save him at all.
Feng Piaoling's words caused Ju Zi's thoughts to gradually drift back to three years ago, to the little boy that the man had introduced her to right after she was taken in. Her mind then shifted to two and a half years ago, to the young lad who had saved her and Xu Tianran just when she thought she was going to die while blocking that blade.
The two figures gradually merged with the appearance of the Feng Piaoling standing before her. Ju Zi's sleepiness instantly vanished, and her eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. "You are little Piaoling!"
"It's me, Ju Zi. Long time no see," Feng Piaoling said with a smile.
"You should be calling me sister," Ju Zi pouted her lips slightly. As she spoke, she stood up and quickly walked over to Feng Piaoling, first gesturing to compare their heights, and then sizing him up from head to toe. Faint dimples appeared on her pink, lovely face, blossoming into a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze. "Not bad, not bad at all. Having not seen you for a few years, you've really changed quite a bit. I almost couldn't recognize you."
"I was still small back then. I've grown a lot over these past few years, so it's only natural you wouldn't recognize me," Feng Piaoling laughed.
"Tell me about it! I constantly had to go find the Prin... to go find that Lord, yet every single time, you were nowhere to be found. I have no idea what you were doing locking yourself up in the training room all day. It wasn't until half a year ago that I heard from that Lord that you had come to the academy, but I still didn't see you around. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about your sister." Ju Zi huffed, displaying her dissatisfaction.
"It was just for the sake of cultivation. But speaking of which, Ju Zi, haven't you changed as well?" Feng Piaoling's expression suddenly turned serious.
Ju Zi blanked out for a moment, subconsciously looking down at her own body before asking in confusion, "I've changed? Changed where?"
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