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Feng Xiao slowly placed his hand on the transparent crystal ball. As the young Spirit Master injected his spirit power, Feng Xiao immediately felt a tremendous suction force from the crystal ball under his palm. At the same time, a strange warmth appeared within Feng Xiao's body, flowing from his palm up his arm and into the crystal ball.
In just an instant, the crystal ball lit up with a faint glow.
It seemed to be within the young man's expectations; seeing the crystal ball light up, he wasn't too surprised.
Inside the wooden house, a Dark blue light spread out like ripples. The Seven Stringed Zither in front of Feng Xiao floated in the halo, its strings vibrating subtly without wind, as if resonating with the awakening formation. The other children unconsciously held their breath, and in the corner, the sound of a bamboo basket being knocked over could even be heard—this was the most brilliant light they had seen today.
The children who awakened with Feng Xiao cast envious glances. Although they were still young, they all understood what this blue light meant—it was a symbol of spirit power, a chance to change their destiny.
The young Spirit Master looked at the blue light, paused slightly, and after a moment of silence, slowly said, "Four levels of innate spirit power. You can become a Spirit Master."
"Four levels…" A low gasp echoed in the wooden house, and the children's eyes held both envy and disappointment. For them, four levels of innate spirit power was an unattainable dream.
A genuine smile appeared on Feng Xiao's face. Although he wasn't sure if this spirit power came from his "old friend" the Seven Stringed Zither from his previous life, or from his persistent practice of the Eight-Section Brocade every day in this life, regardless, it meant he had taken a crucial step on this Douluo Continent. At the very least, he had obtained the admission ticket to the Spirit Master World.
Like any ordinary child, he smiled sweetly at the young man, his tone filled with sincere gratitude: "Thank you, Spirit Master."
The young man glanced at Feng Xiao and did not respond to his thanks, merely stating indifferently: "Since you have awakened your spirit power, you can go to a junior Spirit Master academy to study."
Feng Xiao nodded, not bothered by the young man's cold attitude. He knew that although four levels of innate spirit power were enough for him to become a Spirit Master, in the eyes of Spirit Hall, such talent was not outstanding, and could even be called mediocre. For the young Spirit Master before him, such a result would neither bring him extra merit nor attract any attention.
As a teacher in his previous life, Feng Xiao had seen too many similar situations. He understood the young man's psychology very well—whether it was awakening a Spirit or recruiting students, it was essentially a form of screening. No teacher would dislike exceptionally talented students, and his innate spirit power was clearly not enough to make him a "top student."
As for Spirit Hall, it would certainly not pay too much attention to a Spirit Master with only four levels of innate spirit power.
"Notting Academy's spring enrollment deadline is on the day of Jing Zhe." With that, the young man took out a piece of paper from his package and issued Feng Xiao an awakening certificate, handing it to him casually.
"Thank you, Spirit Master," Feng Xiao thanked him again, and the Seven Stringed Zither transformed into a stream of light and vanished into his palm. He could read the sigh hidden in the arc of the young man's cape as he turned, just like when he used to grade homework in the office and saw those test papers that always hovered just above the passing line.
This World is never short of mediocre talents; they are like spring bamboo shoots, destined to become stepping stones for others to ascend even before breaking through the soil.
Feng Xiao carefully folded the awakening certificate issued by the young man and put it into his embrace. At this moment, the young man had already put the formation stones of the awakening array and the crystal ball into his package. Without another word, he turned and left the wooden house. His silhouette stretched long in the setting sun, appearing exceptionally lonely.
After everyone dispersed, Feng Xiao stood alone in the center of the wooden house, looking down at the faint marks left by the formation stones on the ground, deep in thought. Suddenly, a crystal-clear jade plate appeared in his left hand. The plate was covered with mysterious patterns and emitted a faint glow. Feng Xiao examined it closely, a look of surprise appearing on his face.
"Innate Eight Trigrams Plate? Could it be that what Grandpa used to boast about when I was little was true?" Feng Xiao murmured, a strange expression on his face.
He recalled his name — "Yao," which is one of the basic symbols that make up the Bagua. And the surname "Feng" is said to originate from Sui Ren Shi, who was Fu Xi's father. Fu Xi took his father's surname Feng, and thus Fu Xi is also considered one of the ancestors of the Feng surname. Even more coincidentally, the earliest guqin is said to have been created by Fu Xi. All of this seemed to be subtly connected.
"Little Feng…"
Shi Yi's call pulled Feng Xiao back to reality. He quickly put away the Bagua plate and hurried out of the house, his steps somewhat urgent. Clearly, Feng Xiao was eager to further study his Spirit.
Stepping out of the wooden house, Feng Xiao saw Shi Yi leaning on his crutch, smiling as he approached. The old man's gaze was kind and warm, slowly settling on Feng Xiao as he softly said, "Congratulations, little Feng. It's been a long time since a Spirit Master appeared in our Ting Quan Village."
Feng Xiao's face showed a childlike, innocent smile, his voice filled with gratitude: "It's also thanks to your and the uncles' and aunties' care, otherwise, how could I have lived until now?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Yi slowly raised his hand and gently ruffled Feng Xiao's head, his eyes full of satisfaction: "Good boy…"
"Grandpa Shi, I'll go back and pack my things first. Tomorrow, I'll follow the uncles and aunties from the village who are going to the market to Nuoding City," Feng Xiao said with a smile to Shi Yi, his eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future.
Shi Yi nodded with a smile, his aged face full of affection, and said with much reassurance to Feng Xiao: "Good, Grandpa believes you will definitely amount to something… Remember to come back and visit when you have time, go on…"
"Goodbye, Grandpa," Feng Xiao bowed slightly to Shi Yi, his voice filled with gratitude and reluctance.
"Oh…" Shi Yi was about to say something more, but Feng Xiao had already turned and rushed towards his small house, his steps light, like a little bird about to spread its wings and fly.
Watching Feng Xiao's retreating figure, Shi Yi smiled and shook his head, murmuring softly, "This child…"
Over the years, Feng Xiao climbed the mountains daily, not only exercising his body but also finding many mountain goods. The surplus he would take to the market with the villagers to sell, accumulating some silver coins. Although not much, for a child, it was more than enough to sustain basic living.
Soon, Feng Xiao returned to his small house. This small wooden house was built for him by Shi Yi, who gathered the villagers. Although not large, with only a simple room, it was enough for Feng Xiao.
Feng Xiao sat on the stone stool in the courtyard, slowly raised his right hand, and with a thought, the Seven Stringed Zither appeared in his hand. He gently placed the zither on his lap, his fingertips brushing the strings, and familiar zither music slowly flowed through the small courtyard.
The zither music lingered, like a clear spring flowing through a secluded valley, and like a gentle breeze rustling through a bamboo forest, carrying a power that soothed the heart. The melodious and winding tune echoed in the air, as if transporting people into a tranquil and harmonious World.
Every technique, every melody, Feng Xiao knew by heart. His fingertips danced on the strings, as if conversing with the zither, and as if narrating his thoughts. The zither music gradually deepened, as if recalling past moments, and as if looking forward to infinite possibilities in the future.
The zither music lingered, like a clear spring flowing and a gentle breeze caressing, gradually attracting nearby villagers. They put down their tasks and gathered outside Feng Xiao's small courtyard, their faces showing surprise and delight.
"Little Feng just awakened his Spirit, and he's already so good at it! He plays so well!" A villager couldn't help but praise, his eyes full of admiration.
Feng Xiao smiled slightly, but his movements didn't stop for a moment. His fingertips danced lightly on the strings, as if he had merged with the zither. As the last note slowly dissipated into the air, the surrounding villagers applauded, cheers rising one after another.
"Beautiful! Truly beautiful!"
"Of course, in the city, only nobles can listen to this!"
"Little Feng, play another one!"
Facing the villagers' enthusiasm, Feng Xiao was not stingy. He nodded gently, his fingertips once again caressing the strings, and the melodious tune once more echoed in the small courtyard. The villagers might not understand the profoundness of music, but Feng Xiao's masterful skill allowed these simple villagers to truly experience the beauty of music.
The zither music was sometimes like a murmuring stream, sometimes like rustling pines, as if transporting people into a tranquil and beautiful World. The villagers listened quietly, their faces beaming with contentment. The sunlight spilled onto everyone's faces, freezing this moment into a warm picture.
Night fell. Feng Xiao, not understanding cultivation yet, could only go to bed early. In this World, there wasn't much entertainment. This World had no industrial pollution, and the clean night sky was Feng Xiao's only pastime. Fortunately, Feng Xiao now had his old friend. Lying on his bed, his gaze through the window, quietly looking at the scattered moonlight, Feng Xiao's thoughts surged like a tide.
Four levels of innate spirit power, while not low, according to the cultivation rules of the Douluo Continent, even if he tried his best, he would at most only reach the Spirit Emperor realm in his entire life, and might even struggle to break through to Spirit King. Since he had come to this World, Feng Xiao was naturally unwilling to stop there. He yearned to stand on higher peaks and experience what the World of the strong was truly like.
"A Tool Spirit with innate deficiencies, I can refer to Ji Juechen's cultivation method," Feng Xiao murmured softly, the image of that sword-wielding powerhouse from the original work appearing in his mind.
In Feng Xiao's view, Ji Juechen's cultivation method was extremely scientific—constantly keeping the Spirit released, using spirit power to continuously temper the Spirit, allowing spirit power and the Spirit to deeply fuse. This was just like when he learned the guqin in his previous life; sufficient proficiency was the prerequisite for perfectly playing a piece. Only by continuous practice, correcting every subtle mistake, could the completeness of the performance infinitely approach perfection. And only when the performer truly experienced the emotions poured into the zither music by their predecessors could they comprehend something of their own.
Solitary yin cannot grow, solitary yang cannot be born. Merely relying on a Spirit Master's diligent cultivation of spirit power while neglecting the Spirit will not lead far. Ji Juechen's cultivation method perfectly balanced both the Spirit Master and the Spirit.
"But…" Feng Xiao raised his left hand, and the Innate Eight Trigrams Plate quietly appeared in his palm. The jade plate glowed faintly in the moonlight, its patterns mysterious and profound. "How do I use this thing?"
Regarding the cultivation order of twin spirits, Feng Xiao already had a clear plan in mind. Compared to the Innate Eight Trigrams Plate, about which he knew very little, he decided to first focus on cultivating his "old friend"—the Seven Stringed Zither. After all, the zither was what he was most familiar with and the direction he was most confident in.
As for the Innate Eight Trigrams Plate, the direction Feng Xiao could think of for its development was formations. He recalled the scene of his Spirit awakening during the day; the awakening formation composed of formation stones left a deep impression on him. In the original work, the Clear Sky Sect and the Wind Sword Sect had both used multi-person linked formations, which indicated that formations truly existed in this World, and might even contain huge potential.
"Perhaps, this Innate Eight Trigrams Plate is my key to the path of formations…" Feng Xiao murmured softly, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.
The moonlight was like water, spilling on his face, reflecting a determined expression. He knew that the road ahead was full of unknowns and challenges, but he was ready. Both his old friend and the Innate Eight Trigrams Plate would become the cornerstones of his path to becoming a strong individual. And tonight's contemplation was just the first step on his journey.
Thinking of this, Feng Xiao slowly closed his eyes, understanding in his heart that from now on, he might no longer have so much time to sleep peacefully. However, despite his efforts to relax his mind, he still couldn't fall into a dream. The World of Spirit Masters unfolded continuously in his mind like a brilliant scroll, making his heart surge and making it difficult for him to calm down.
"Nuoding City…"
A year ago, Feng Xiao had followed the uncles from the village to the city once for the market. At that time, he unexpectedly discovered that his Ting Quan Village was so close to the protagonist's birthplace. This discovery made him both surprised and excited, as if fate had already arranged some wonderful connection for him.
Thinking of this, Feng Xiao couldn't help but slightly curl his lips, an unspeakable anticipation rising in his heart. More than that, it was a kind of curiosity. As a reader in his previous life, he had criticized and questioned various plots in the original work, and now, he finally had the opportunity to witness all of it firsthand, to verify those stories that once only existed in text.
Watching the stars outside the window, after an unknown amount of time, Feng Xiao couldn't help but yawn, turning over on his bed. Suppressing the excitement and anticipation in his heart, gradually, Feng Xiao's thoughts slowly settled in the moonlight, and his breathing became steady and long. Although his heart was full of longing and anticipation for the future, his tired body eventually led him into dreamland.
It seemed to be because he had successfully awakened his innate spirit power; this night, Feng Xiao, having let go of his inner burden, slept exceptionally soundly.
…