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As the midday sun bathed the arena, the day's intense competition was not yet over, but the tournament referee slowly ascended the central stage amidst the anticipation of the crowd.
The white-haired elder, with spirit power surging around him, projected his resonant voice throughout the entire arena:
"We are about to announce an important piece of news to everyone."
The entire venue immediately fell silent, everyone holding their breath.
The elder surveyed his surroundings, his expression solemn as he continued, "After investigation by the tournament organizing committee, it has been confirmed that Shi Nian, the vice-dean of Canghui Academy, is suspected of intentionally harming participating team members, which resulted in Shrek Academy's team being unable to participate in today's matches in a timely manner."
As soon as these words were uttered, a huge uproar erupted in the stands.
Discussions rose and fell among the spectators, some shocked, some angry, and even some revealing expressions of sudden realization.
"After deliberation by the tournament organizing committee," the elder raised his voice to quell the clamor, "Shrek Academy will receive a bye in the next round of matches."
In the resting area for the participating teams, representatives from each academy showed varying expressions.
Huo Wu of Blazing Academy suddenly stood up, her red hair flaring like fire; Feng Xiaotian of Shenfeng Academy thoughtfully stroked his chin; while the leader of Canghui Academy's team turned pale, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
In the VIP section, Feng Xiao's slender fingers gently pressed down on the trembling zither strings, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.
He slightly turned his head, his gaze drifting over Ning Fengzhi's warm, jade-like profile.
His fingertips merely tapped lightly on the armrest of his seat; while Qian Renxue, disguised as the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, maintained a graceful smile, only her deep eyes revealing a subtle, imperceptible unusual glint.
"It seems I won't be seeing Tang San in action for a while," Feng Xiao mused to himself, gently caressing the zither strings.
In the days he had been observing the matches, he would use ultrasonic waves to cover the entire venue daily, like an invisible spider web, capturing every detail.
The ingenious Spirit Ability combinations and unexpected tactical changes of the various academies were all disassembled and reassembled in his mind.
But what interested him most were Tang San's unique skills and combat techniques.
"I've seen pretty much everything there is to see," Feng Xiao murmured to himself, his white robes gently swaying in the breeze, "It's time to return to the Academy and properly digest these gains.
Breaking through to Spirit King before the finals is the priority."
He gently tapped the zither, collecting all the lingering spirit power fluctuations in the air.
The combat techniques, tactical changes, Tang Sect unique skills, and Heart Separation Control gained from observing the battles these days all required quiet contemplation.
He took one last look at the still-intensely ongoing match, then slowly rose and departed.
The midday sun streamed onto the empty corridor of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Feng Xiao's white robes standing out against the light and shadow.
The entire Academy was surprisingly quiet, most likely because the noble disciples had gone to the competition venue to watch the matches.
Inside the dining hall, a few students who couldn't attend the competition were sparsely seated.
Feng Xiao's gaze swept across the empty dining area, and he immediately spotted the Huang Dou Battle Team members sitting in a corner.
He calmly took a light meal, carrying the delicate porcelain plate as he walked towards them.
"Little Feng?" Dugu Yan was the first to notice him, a hint of surprise flashing in her purple eyes.
"Why are you back so early today?"
Feng Xiao gently placed his meal tray on the carved wooden table and sat down beside Yu Feng.
"The preliminary rounds are nearing their end," he said, picking up his jade chopsticks, his tone gentle, "I've seen most of the tactics I needed to see, and there's not much new to observe anymore."
He picked up a piece of bamboo shoot and continued, "It's better to come back and consolidate what I've gained during this period."
Dugu Yan nodded thoughtfully, unconsciously twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.
Yu Feng suddenly leaned over, grinning, and said, "Then we'll have to rely on Little Feng's command during our matches."
He deliberately made an exaggerated cupped-hand gesture, "Please take good care of us, Strategist!"
Feng Xiao chuckled softly, picking up a celadon teacup and taking a sip: "No problem."
"You guys should at least say something," Yu Feng spread his hands exaggeratedly, "It's just Sister Yan and I going back and forth like this, how awkward!"
Upon hearing this, the Shi Brothers exchanged an awkward glance, then scratched the back of their heads in unison.
Ye Lingling sat quietly to the side, only her lips curving slightly into a faint smile.
Oslo, however, snorted coldly: "Not everyone is as noisy as your Spirit."
Feng Xiao couldn't help but chuckle, his gaze sweeping over the four of them.
The stoicism of the Shi Brothers, the tranquility of Ye Lingling, the aloofness of Oslo—he suddenly realized that the influence of a Spirit on a Spirit Master's personality was even more profound than he had imagined.
"So, that means," Feng Xiao teased, "when I'm not around, no one talks to you?"
Yu Feng immediately nodded repeatedly as if he had found a kindred Spirit: "Except when Sister Yan gives orders, they just respond, otherwise they're like four walking stones!
He exaggeratedly clutched his chest, "Little Feng, you don't know what I've been through these past few days!"
Dugu Yan covered her mouth and chuckled, her purple hair swaying slightly with her movement: "Who told your Spirit to be a Wind Chime Bird?"
She winked mischievously, "The rest of them prefer quiet more than anything, so as vice-captain, I can only speak less, and besides, snakes also like quiet."
A burst of relaxed laughter immediately filled the dining hall, and even the usually stoic Oslo's lips curled slightly.
Sunlight streamed through the windows onto everyone, casting a golden glow over this rare moment of warmth.
The warm afternoon sun filtered through the gauze curtains, casting mottled shadows on the dormitory floor.
Feng Xiao sat cross-legged in the center of the quiet room, closing his eyes and concentrating for a moment before slowly opening them, a hint of determination flashing in his gaze.
"Since I'm consolidating these past few days' insights, I might as well do it in one go…" he murmured softly, his fingertips gently brushing over his storage spirit tool.
With a few streaks of light, several boxes of various materials were neatly arranged before him, subtly emitting different energy fluctuations.
Feng Xiao's gaze shifted among the boxes, his slender fingers gently tapping his knee.
"Spirit City is only a hundred li from Star Dou Great Forest," he mused, "but a suitable spirit ring is hard to come by, and the most urgent task is to break through the bottleneck first."
He first ruled out two boxes—the gilded box containing the Strange Velvet Sky-Reaching Chrysanthemum and the red jade casket holding the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.
While the former could temper the body, it wasn't what he needed at the moment; the latter's intense fiery energy was more suitable for fire-attribute Spirit Masters.
The remaining three immortal herbs each had their unique characteristics, making it difficult for Feng Xiao to choose for a moment.
"This fire-attribute one…" Feng Xiao's fingertip paused on a crimson jade box, a golden figure appearing in his mind, "It's quite suitable for her."
A faint smile unconsciously curved his lips.
Feng Xiao gazed at the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower in the red jade box, his expression gradually becoming lost in thought.
The immortal herb's scorching temperature radiated through the jade box, yet it made him think of that golden figure.
"Originally… I just wanted to find some protection," he murmured softly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the edge of the jade box.
When he first approached that "Crown Prince," it was merely to establish a mutually beneficial exchange of interests.
But he didn't know when this exchange of interests began to change.
Perhaps it was her waiting late at night in the cultivation grounds, or perhaps it was the hint of fatigue and loneliness that occasionally flashed in her eyes when she dropped her disguise, or perhaps it was when she opened her heart and began to appear before him in her true form.
Feng Xiao sighed softly, carefully putting the jade box away.
The fiery glow of the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower gradually faded within the box, but it left an indelible warmth in his heart.
That "Xue Qinghe," who was always noble and distant in public, would privately express her concern with veiled words.
"How ironic…" Feng Xiao shook his head self-mockingly.
He had initially approached her with a purpose, yet now he had become the one who understood her other side the most.
Feng Xiao's gaze involuntarily fell on the crystal-clear Yearning Heartbroken Red not far away, his fingertips trembling slightly.
Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on the pure white petals, vaguely reflecting that figure that haunted his dreams.
He took a deep breath, his spirit power circulating like a gentle stream within him, causing his blood and qi to surge.
A sweetness rose in his throat, and a mouthful of bright red blood sprayed onto the petals.
Just in that flash of lightning—
Memories surged like a tide.
Under the bright moonlight, that cold and aloof figure clearly appeared; but in an instant, the dazzling lights and debauchery of his previous life flashed in his mind.
Feng Xiao's mind wavered, and his consciousness experienced a momentary trance.
Blood droplets slowly slid down the petals, and the "Yearning Heartbroken Red" trembled slightly, its petals swaying gently, yet ultimately, it did not fall.
"As expected…" Feng Xiao wiped the blood from his lips with a bitter smile, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
He gazed at the still-standing flower, unsure whether to be relieved or regretful.
Under the sunlight, the Yearning Heartbroken Red emitted a faint glow, as if silently speaking of something.
Feng Xiao gazed at the Yearning Heartbroken Red, which remained motionless in his hand, letting out an almost imperceptible sigh.
His slender fingers gently caressed the petals, wiping away the bloodstains, his movements as tender as if he were handling a fragile dream.
"It really isn't working, huh?" he murmured softly, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes.
As he carefully put the immortal herb back into his spirit tool, a relieved smile instead appeared on his lips.
This outcome, in fact, had been within his expectations.
Having experienced two lifetimes in the mortal world and witnessed all its facets, how could he maintain a pure and flawless heart like Xiao Wu?
Those past memories, those worldly bonds, had long become a part of his soul.
Feng Xiao's gaze drifted out the window, his thoughts wandering.
He suddenly thought of Tang San.
"That guy, when he got it, he must have secretly tried it too," Feng Xiao chuckled softly, shaking his head.
Given Tang San's cautious and suspicious nature, it was clearly unlikely that he would have picked the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
Feng Xiao's gaze lingered on the three exquisite boxes, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table.
Each box emitted a unique energy fluctuation, intertwining into a wondrous rhythm within the quiet room.
"How should I choose among these three?" he murmured softly, his brows slightly furrowed.
Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he lightly raised his right hand: "I've got it."
With a thought, the ancient and mysterious Innate Eight Trigrams Plate emerged from his palm, radiating a faint mystical light.
"Appear!"
As spirit power surged, the ancient patterns on the Eight Trigrams Plate lit up one after another, and the eight trigrams—Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui—blossomed with brilliant light.
The Eight Trigrams Plate slowly rotated and expanded until it covered the entire room, casting a massive Eight Trigrams formation diagram on the floor.
Feng Xiao closed his eyes and concentrated, sensing the flow of energy from the three immortal herbs within the formation.
The white qi of the Narcissus Jade Bone concentrated in the Kan position, the fragrance of the Yearning Heartbroken Red lingered in the Zhen position, and the clear radiance of the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid resonated with the Dui position.
The light on the Eight Trigrams Plate flickered, seemingly deducing the most suitable choice for him.
Just as the Eight Trigrams formation reached its peak operation, Feng Xiao suddenly opened his eyes, a flicker of enlightenment in his gaze.
"So that's it…" he murmured softly, his gaze falling on the trigram representing the "Zhen" position.
The hazy glow of the Yearning Heartbroken Red perfectly blended with the Zhen trigram, forming a profound resonance.
Zhen represents wood, which perfectly aligns with the meaning of growth and vitality.
"No wonder it can evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda," Feng Xiao thought to himself.
Feng Xiao lightly flicked his sleeve, and the light from the Eight Trigrams Plate gradually receded.
He reached out and took the jade box containing the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
The moment his fingertips touched the box, a cool sensation flowed up his arm and straight into his heart.
"You're the one," he said, a slight smile on his lips, as he carefully opened the lid.
This was an unusually shaped immortal herb, its stem like a jade-carved vine, intricately coiling into an exquisite curtain-like form, its leaves fine as a comb, shimmering with an emerald luster.
At its apex, however, bloomed a golden tulip, its petals flowing with a brilliance like liquid gold.
When Feng Xiao held it, a rich fragrance instantly filled the entire room.
The scent was unlike ordinary floral fragrances; it carried an inherent sense of nobility, as if it could transport one to a magnificent, golden palace.
Every wisp of scent seemed to be substantial, condensing into a faint golden halo in the air.
Feng Xiao took a deep breath, gently bringing the flower bud to his lips.
As he breathed, the tulip's petals trembled slightly, scattering tiny golden specks.
Soon, a faint golden light began to emanate from his entire body, as if he were bathed in the morning glow.
Sitting cross-legged, Feng Xiao's hands naturally hung down, and both his Fuxi Zither in his left hand and Innate Eight Trigrams Plate in his right hand appeared simultaneously.
Under the golden light of the Yearning Heartbroken Red, the two Spirits underwent a wondrous transformation—ancient golden patterns flowed across the zither's body, and the trigrams on the Eight Trigrams Plate were plated with a brilliant golden edge.
The two resonated with each other, forming a profound golden force field around Feng Xiao, even distorting the air slightly under its power.
Feng Xiao's breathing gradually became long and deep, each inhalation and exhalation causing the golden light around him to ripple like water.
The Yearning Heartbroken Red floated before his chest, its pistil continuously exuding fine golden light points, like a pouring galaxy, flowing into his body.
The Fuxi Zither played itself; the Eight Trigrams Plate spun on its own, interpreting the profound principles of heaven and earth.
The resonance produced by the two formed a unique rhythm in the room, even the dust in the air danced lightly with the beat.
"So this is the secret of the Yearning Heartbroken Red," Feng Xiao realized in his meditative state.
This immortal herb was not strengthening his spirit power, but rather reshaping the essence of his Spirit.