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Qin Ming's gaze slowly swept over the Shrek Seven Devils, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. Although Royal Fight won this battle, he knew very well that in terms of age and talent, the potential of these children in front of him even surpassed that of his own students.
"They are all geniuses like Feng Xiao." He sighed inwardly, but an unconscious smile of relief appeared on his face. Seeing his alma mater cultivate so many geniuses, this Royal Fight teacher felt genuinely proud.
"Alright," Flender said with a chuckle, putting his arm around Qin Ming's shoulder, "This isn't the place for reminiscing. Let's go to the hotel where we're staying and talk slowly." He winked at Yu Xiaogang and his nephew, tactfully leading everyone away first, leaving the space for these long-separated relatives.
The next day, at dawn, Feng Xiao finished a night of meditation and cultivation, feeling refreshed as he arrived at the hotel restaurant. He chose a window seat, ordered a pot of clear tea, and a few exquisite pastries.
"Good morning, you two."
The Shi Brothers, who had already started eating, saw Feng Xiao looking at them, put down their chopsticks, and showed their characteristic honest smiles.
Soon after, the Huang Dou Battle Team members appeared one after another:
Yu Feng, with two dark circles under his eyes, weakly greeted, "Morning." He had clearly gone on another date with some noble young lady last night.
Oslo nodded coolly to everyone, then proceeded to order his own breakfast.
As everyone was eating, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling arrived gracefully, arm in arm. Feng Xiao looked up and smiled faintly: "Sister Yan, Lingling Jie, good morning."
"Strange," Yu Feng looked around, "Why haven't Teacher Qin and the captain arrived yet?" Logically, today should be the day they set off back to the Academy.
Just as he was speaking, Qin Ming entered the restaurant with Yu Tianheng. He clapped his hands lightly, and the crisp sound immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"Good morning." Qin Ming's gentle gaze swept over everyone present, finally landing on Feng Xiao, "I have something I'd like to hear everyone's opinion on."
The Huang Dou Battle Team members looked at each other, their faces full of confusion.
"I plan to arrange for you to have a week-long exchange and study period with Shrek Academy." Qin Ming paused, carefully observing the changes in his team members' expressions, "A week-long exchange and study period."
"I agree." Yu Tianheng was the first to express his stance.
Yu Feng, Oslo, and the Shi Brothers remained silent—as children of Heaven Dou nobility, they were accustomed to following their teachers' arrangements. However, Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan were different: the special status of the Nine Hearted Sea棠 lineage, coupled with Titled Douluo Dugu Bo overseeing them, made them almost untouchable in the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Teacher Qin, is this really necessary?" Dugu Yan frowned slightly. Shrek's inability to lose yesterday had displeased her quite a bit.
Qin Ming awkwardly cast his gaze towards Feng Xiao. Feng Xiao looked thoughtfully at Qin Ming and Yu Tianheng, remembering Dugu Bo's earlier Entrust, and chuckled, "I have no objections."
Dugu Yan looked at Feng Xiao in surprise, then after a moment of contemplation, nodded and said, "For the sake of Teacher Qin and Feng Xiao, I agree."
Qin Ming looked at Feng Xiao with relief and gratitude: "Alright then, we'll set off after breakfast."
In the morning light, Qin Ming led the Huang Dou Battle Team towards the outskirts of Soto City. Feng Xiao and Dugu Yan walked side by side in the team, the latter asking in a low voice, "Feng Xiao, you're clearly in a hurry to go back and cultivate, so why did you agree to this?"
Feng Xiao's lips curved slightly: "What if Teacher Qin is going to guide them as a senior? Would Sister Yan feel better then?"
"Just for that?" Dugu Yan pouted, her green eyes full of disdain, "Are they worthy?"
Feng Xiao chuckled and shook his head: "When in a position, act accordingly." He looked deeply at Qin Ming's back, "Doing one's duty as a student will never be wrong."
Dugu Yan slightly narrowed her emerald eyes, suspiciously scrutinizing Feng Xiao: "No, you little rascal, you're definitely hiding something from me." She leaned in closer, lowering her voice, "Spill it, what exactly are you planning?"
Feng Xiao smiled without speaking, merely plucking a string of his zither: "Since it's an exchange and study, I must bring back some gains."
"What can you learn from that group of people?" Dugu Yan snorted disdainfully, "It's better to let Grandpa teach you a few more moves."
"It's only a mere seven days." Feng Xiao smiled meaningfully, "How much one can comprehend depends on individual fortune."
Seeing that Feng Xiao was unwilling to say more, Dugu Yan gave him an annoyed glare, but also let go of her prejudice. Just as Feng Xiao said, it was only seven days, just to give Teacher Qin face.
Before long, everyone arrived at Shrek Academy, hidden within the village. Sensing their arrival, Flender and Yu Xiaogang had already brought all the students except Tang San to wait at the entrance.
"Dean." Qin Ming bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities." Flender's shoe-shaped face squeezed out a smile, his lips twitching imperceptibly. For this reception, he had gritted his teeth and taken out a lot of gold coins from his private savings—although it was far from the luxury of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, at least he had to maintain basic appearances.
Dai Mubai extended his hand to Yu Tianheng, his eyes filled with genuine admiration. Yu Tianheng also shook it readily, and the two smiled at each other, a sense of mutual appreciation between them.
Feng Xiao bowed slightly to Zhu Zhuqing: "Miss Zhuqing, we meet again." Zhu Zhuqing remained cold, simply replying "Welcome." Feng Xiao was not offended and maintained his gentle smile.
When Feng Xiao turned to Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu had already been glaring at him for a long time. "Xiao Wu Jie, long time no see." He apologized, "I offended you a lot on the Douluo stage yesterday."
Xiao Wu snorted coldly and turned her face away. Dugu Yan, seeing this, bristled and was about to flare up, but Ye Lingling gently pulled her back. In contrast, Dugu Yan found the icy Zhu Zhuqing much more agreeable. She extended her hand to Zhu Zhuqing, who showed a hint of surprise in her cat-like eyes, and the two shook hands ceremoniously.
On the other side, Ning Rongrong elegantly extended her hand to Ye Lingling: "I've long heard of the Nine Hearted Sea棠's great name." Ye Lingling was also quite surprised: "I didn't expect Miss Ning to be here, I've also heard much about you."
Ning Rongrong's eyes flashed with a hint of unnaturalness upon hearing this—the "glorious deeds" she had left in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and Heaven Dou City were indeed not something to be proud of.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Flender clapped his hands: "Since you're here for an exchange and study, I hope everyone can learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses." He turned and led the way, "Follow me."
Everyone followed him to the so-called "training ground," which was actually just a patch of loess ground cleared in the village. Simple wooden stakes and stone locks were scattered among them, a world apart from the training grounds of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang turned to Qin Ming and said in a deep voice, "Teacher Qin, since this is an exchange and study, why don't we focus on practical combat training?"
Qin Ming nodded slightly: "That's exactly what I intended. At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, practical combat is a daily compulsory course." He paused, adding, "Of course, Feng Xiao's situation is slightly different."
Yu Xiaogang raised an eyebrow, looking surprised: "Feng Yao doesn't participate in practical combat training at Heaven Dou?"
Qin Ming looked at Feng Xiao helplessly, giving a bitter smile: "I'm afraid Feng Xiao is the only student in our Academy who doesn't need a teacher's guidance—because no one can guide his cultivation method at all."
These words made all the Shrek people turn their gaze to Feng Xiao, their eyes full of astonishment.
"You'd better explain it yourself." Qin Ming gestured to Feng Xiao.
Feng Xiao gently stroked his zither strings, and said softly, "All my abilities stem from the improvement of my zither skills. Playing the zither and meditating daily is the best cultivation. As for practical combat…" He played a clear note with his fingertips, "Too much desire for victory or defeat and excessive aggression would disturb the zither heart."
A sharp glint flashed in Flender's keen eyes, and he said thoughtfully, "No wonder… he doesn't even need to light up his spirit ring when using his abilities. If I'm not mistaken, you're taking an extreme development path similar to the Four Extreme Clans?"
Feng Xiao bowed respectfully: "Dean Flender is truly insightful."
"In that case…" Yu Xiaogang's pupils contracted slightly, his voice trembling slightly with shock, "All your abilities are self-created Spirit Abilities?"
Feng Xiao smiled and nodded, gently stroking the zither strings with his fingertips: "Precisely." He looked deeply at Yu Xiaogang, adding meaningfully, "Speaking of which, I have to thank Grandmaster for his insightful exchange back then."
"What?!" Flender's eyes widened instantly upon hearing this, his face filled with disbelief.
"I, Xiao Wu, and Tang San all graduated from Notting Academy." Feng Xiao gently plucked the zither strings, saying softly, "Back then, I had an exchange with Grandmaster, and he said—no matter what kind of Spirit, to exert powerful might, it must be supported by abundant spirit power, and the foundation lies in the spirit power's profoundness."
He looked up and smiled faintly: "So, all my spirit rings were chosen purely for spirit power amplification."
Flender was stunned upon hearing this, then suddenly realized. Yu Tianheng's face could not hide his smugness.
Only Yu Xiaogang's hands, clasped behind his back, involuntarily tightened. Only he understood the deeper meaning of Feng Xiao's words.
"Since that's the case…" Yu Xiaogang forced a smile, his voice slightly hoarse, "I wonder if Feng Yao could demonstrate his usual cultivation method?"
"My pleasure." Feng Xiao elegantly took out his Fuxi Zither, gently stroked the strings, and smiled, "How about I play a piece… Grandmaster's favorite 'Yangchun Baixue' from back then?"
Yu Tianheng's gaze towards Yu Xiaogang grew even more reverent upon hearing this. As for Grandmaster himself, his face twitched imperceptibly. Under his nephew's eager gaze, he could only force a stiff smile and nod in agreement.
"Then, this junior will make a fool of himself." Feng Xiao smiled humbly, and with that, he elegantly sat cross-legged on the ground, his moon-white robe spreading out around him.
Feng Xiao gently placed the "Fuxi" ancient zither on his lap, his slender fingers hovering above the strings. As the first note sounded, the air in the entire training ground seemed to fall silent.
When the first note sounded, the entire training ground fell silent. Yu Xiaogang frowned—he absolutely didn't believe this was Feng Xiao's cultivation method. Only powerhouses like Flender and Qin Ming could perceive that each note was precisely controlled at a specific frequency, and as the zither strings vibrated, subtle spirit power ripples spread through the air.
As the melodious zither music echoed in everyone's ears, an astonishing scene appeared—a faint blue halo gradually emerged around Feng Xiao, flowing like water without ceasing. This halo was not a simple release of spirit power, but contained a mysterious rhythm, flickering and changing with the rise and fall of the zither music.
"Wonderful." Flender couldn't help but marvel at Feng Xiao's extremely strong spirit power control, and transmitted a message to Yu Xiaogang beside him: "Why didn't you bring this kid to Shrek too? This kid's abilities, under his superb zither artistry, make him almost an all-rounder Spirit Master."
Yu Xiaogang's mouth twitched. He really wanted to tell Flender that Feng Xiao's innate spirit power was only level four back then, and he wasn't optimistic about Feng Xiao's future. Instead, he valued Feng Xiao's ability to assist in cultivation, and he even wanted Feng Xiao to focus on developing in that direction.
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang stared at Feng Xiao playing the zither, his eyes filled with an indescribable mix of emotions—shock, regret, unwillingness, and a hint of unconcealed envy.
He clearly saw: this young man, whom he had once judged as "mediocre in talent," had not only changed his own destiny in his own way but had also, with astonishing talent, developed a comprehensive combat system—support, control, and strong attack, perfectly integrated into those seemingly simple zither sounds.
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but silently compare his disciple Tang San with Feng Xiao in his heart, stirring up a stormy sea of emotions. He had to admit—aside from the advantage of twin spirits, Tang San was too far behind Feng Xiao in the comprehension of the Spirit's essence.
Every note of Yangchun Baixue silently confirmed Feng Xiao's words on the Douluo stage: excessive obsession with external techniques ultimately falls short of deeply cultivating the Spirit's origin. This realization stuck in Yu Xiaogang's throat, yet he had to secretly agree.
The zither music gradually faded, its lingering notes lingering. The field was silent—except for Qin Ming and Flender, two teachers with profound spirit power and extensive knowledge, all the Shrek members looked strange, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"Is this really cultivation?" The same question lingered in everyone's minds. But when their gaze fell upon the figure where the faint blue halo had not yet dissipated, they had to admit: to be able to integrate zither artistry and spirit power to such a degree, this strength could not be faked.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep look at Feng Xiao, then said to everyone, "Since Feng Yao's cultivation method is rather special, he won't need to participate in practical combat training."
Just as Yu Xiaogang was about to lead everyone to group training, Feng Xiao's voice slowly drifted over, "Grandmaster, I deeply apologize for what happened to Tang Tongxue last night. If Tang Tongxue wishes to hear Yangchun Baixue, I will certainly play a piece for him after he recovers, as an apology."
A sharp glint flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes. Feng Xiao's gentle, jade-like face now looked particularly pleasing to him. A hint of joy involuntarily appeared on his stiff face. In his opinion, Feng Xiao was planning to use his abilities to compensate his disciple.
Yu Xiaogang suppressed his joy, nodded impassively, and said, "I will have him come when he recovers."
Feng Xiao nodded slightly, then turned and found a quiet corner to continue his cultivation.
Ma Hongjun scratched his head and leaned towards Xiao Wu: "What's so special about this tune? It's not as good as what the girls in the brothel sing."
Xiao Wu gave him an annoyed kick: "What do you know? Back in Nuoding City, he could earn hundreds of gold coins a day just with this skill. Those noble lords really treasured it!"
"Hundreds a day?" Oscar's eyes lit up. His grilled sausages only sold for five bronze coins.
Upon hearing Ma Hongjun's words and seeing Oscar's money-grubbing look, the Royal Fight members all showed expressions of disdain.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai, and Ning Rongrong all looked embarrassed, thinking to themselves, "How shameful." They subconsciously and quietly moved a little further away.