Morning light filtered through the long corridors of Sun and Moon Academy, pale and cold, reflecting faintly on the metal rails embedded into the stone floor. The air carried the smell of heated alloys and soul power residue, a mixture unique to this academy—half cultivation ground, half giant workshop.
Lin Huang slowed his steps near the entrance of the training hall.
The feeling from yesterday had not disappeared.
It was subtle, like a thin thread brushing against his spiritual sense, not hostile, not friendly—just present. Someone was observing him with a kind of casual precision that made his instincts prickle.
His gaze shifted slightly.
Meng Hongchen stood not far away, arms crossed, her silver eyes glinting with faint amusement. Xiao Hongchen leaned against a pillar beside her, pretending to look bored. Wang Qiu'er remained a short distance behind them, her presence quiet, almost blending into the background.
And standing between them, calm and unhurried, was the unfamiliar elder.
The moment Lin Huang approached, Meng Hongchen straightened, the corner of her lips lifting.
"Still standing there? Afraid he'll bite you?" she said lazily, glancing at the old man before looking back at Lin Huang.
The elder's gaze lingered on Lin Huang, sharp yet unintrusive.
Meng Hongchen sighed and turned slightly. "This is my grandfather. Jing Hongchen."
The name carried weight.
Lin Huang felt it immediately—not as pressure of cultivation, but as the invisible gravity of reputation. His posture straightened by instinct.
"Senior Jing," Lin Huang greeted, offering a respectful bow. "It's an honor."
Jing Hongchen studied him openly now, his eyes moving from Lin Huang's calm posture to the steady rhythm of his breathing. For a fleeting moment, a faint ripple of mental pressure brushed against Lin Huang's spiritual sea.
It was light.
Testing.
Lin Huang did not resist. He simply let his spiritual power circulate naturally, clear and stable.
Jing Hongchen's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Interesting.
Before he could speak, Meng Hongchen snorted.
"If you're going to stare like that, at least say something nice. He's not some specimen you brought back from a lab."
Xiao Hongchen coughed, clearly used to this tone. Wang Qiu'er remained silent, her gaze calm, unreadable.
Jing Hongchen let out a low chuckle. "You've grown bold, girl."
Meng Hongchen lifted her chin. "I've always been bold."
The faint tension in the air dissolved slightly.
Jing Hongchen finally spoke to Lin Huang. "You carry yourself well for your age. Not many young cultivators can remain this composed when faced with someone stronger."
Lin Huang smiled faintly. "If I panic every time I meet a senior, I won't get very far."
The old man studied him for another moment before nodding once. "Good. Confidence without arrogance is rare."
Behind that calm gaze, Jing Hongchen's thoughts stirred quietly.
Such pure spiritual power… and such restraint.This boy will draw attention sooner or later.And attention, in this empire, is rarely kind.
He glanced briefly in the direction of the inner academy buildings, where the higher authorities resided.
So the Crown Prince has already moved?
He said nothing aloud.
A bell rang inside the training hall, sharp and clear.
The instructor's voice followed. "Those scheduled for combat drills, inside. Now."
Meng Hongchen shot Lin Huang a sidelong look. "Looks like you won't escape training today."
Lin Huang let out a small breath. "I wasn't planning to."
They moved into the hall together.
The training hall was wide, its floor reinforced with layered soul tool arrays to withstand heavy impacts. Several groups of students were already forming circles, preparing for rotation duels. The atmosphere was noisy, filled with the clash of soul power and the low hum of activated formations.
Lin Huang stepped onto one of the platforms.
Across from him, Xiao Hongchen rolled his shoulders, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
"Don't hold back just because we're teammates," Xiao Hongchen said. "I've been waiting to see how much you've improved."
Lin Huang raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like you just want an excuse to hit me."
"Maybe," Xiao Hongchen admitted cheerfully.
The instructor signaled.
The match began.
Xiao Hongchen moved first, his soul power flaring as he closed the distance with explosive speed. His strikes were sharp and direct, his movements far more refined than they had been half a year ago.
Lin Huang did not retreat immediately.
He stepped forward instead.
The faint outline of bestial essence traced his limbs, subtle yet present. His footing sank slightly into the reinforced floor as he met Xiao Hongchen's strike head-on—not with brute force, but with controlled redirection.
The impact echoed through the hall.
Several students turned to watch.
Xiao Hongchen's eyes lit up. "That's more like it."
They exchanged blows in quick succession.
Lin Huang kept his breathing steady, adjusting the rhythm of his movements, minimizing wasted force. Each clash was precise, controlled. He was not trying to overpower Xiao Hongchen—he was testing the stability of his own control after months of refinement.
Nearby, Zhang Lexuan observed quietly, her gaze focused. Xu Tianzhen stood with her arms folded, posture straight, eyes following Lin Huang's movements with careful attention. Su Mei and Ma Xiaotao watched from the side, both showing subtle signs of nervousness and anticipation.
Ma Xiaotao clenched her fists unconsciously. She could feel the faint heat stirring within her as she watched the exchange, and she forced herself to regulate her breathing, recalling Lin Huang's earlier advice.
Control first.Power comes later.
The instructor called for rotation.
Lin Huang stepped back, letting another pair take the platform.
Xu Tianzhen moved next, her movements crisp and composed as she faced her opponent. The faint pressure around her had grown more stable, her control far more refined than before.
Lin Huang watched her closely, noting the subtle changes in her posture, the smoother circulation of soul power along her meridians.
She's steadier than before.
When Ma Xiaotao's turn came, the temperature in the air rose slightly.
She moved with restraint, holding back the surge of flame within her martial spirit. Lin Huang's gaze sharpened. He noticed the tension in her shoulders, the slight instability when she exerted herself too forcefully.
Between exchanges, Lin Huang spoke in a low voice from the sidelines.
"Slow your breathing. Don't suppress it completely—guide it."
Ma Xiaotao gritted her teeth, adjusting her rhythm mid-motion. The next burst of heat was noticeably more controlled.
The instructor's eyes flicked toward Lin Huang, a hint of surprise crossing his face.
The session continued, the hall filled with the sound of impact and shifting soul power.
And above it all, Jing Hongchen watched in silence, his gaze lingering on Lin Huang longer than on anyone else.
The clang of metal and the dull echoes of soul power slowly faded as the training session drew to an end. Students stepped off the platforms in pairs, some breathing heavily, others still flushed with the excitement of combat. The reinforced floor bore shallow marks where impacts had landed, faint ripples of energy still lingering in the air.
Lin Huang exhaled slowly, letting the faint outline of bestial essence recede back into his body.
Xiao Hongchen stretched his shoulders and clicked his tongue. "You're annoying. Every time I think I've caught up, you're already somewhere else."
Lin Huang gave him a sideways glance. "That's what happens when you skip half your breathing drills."
Xiao Hongchen snorted. "Tch. You're really enjoying being surrounded, huh?"
Before Lin Huang could reply, Meng Hongchen stepped forward, arms crossed, eyes gleaming with lazy amusement.
"If you're jealous, just admit it," she said coolly. "At least he earns the attention. Try training harder instead of complaining."
Xiao Hongchen opened his mouth, then closed it again. "…You're really my sister, aren't you?"
Meng Hongchen ignored him.
Zhang Lexuan walked over, her expression calm but faintly amused as she looked at the group. "Your coordination is better than before. At least now you don't look like a pile of talents forced into the same room."
Xu Tianzhen nodded slightly in agreement. "There's less hesitation in everyone's movements."
Su Mei let out a small laugh of relief. "I thought I'd fall behind, but it doesn't feel as hopeless anymore."
Ma Xiaotao wiped the sweat from her brow, her expression serious. "It's still unstable… but I can feel it responding when I don't force it."
Lin Huang glanced at her. "That's progress. Don't rush the fire. If you try to dominate it every time, it'll only push back harder."
She met his gaze for a brief second, then looked away with a quiet huff. "You make it sound easy."
"I never said it was easy," Lin Huang replied lightly. "Just… manageable."
The tension of training faded into a more relaxed rhythm as the group drifted toward the side of the hall. The low murmur of other students filled the space, mixed with the distant hum of soul tool formations stabilizing.
For a moment, Lin Huang stepped aside, letting his gaze wander across the familiar yet distant faces of the academy.
One month.
It felt both long and short.
So much had changed—and yet, the rhythm of this place remained the same.
He closed his eyes briefly, organizing his thoughts.
If they were going to grow together, they needed structure.
A proper rhythm.
Morning: physical conditioning and controlled bestialization.Afternoon: real combat drills and coordination training.Night: spiritual cultivation and soul tool theory.
Not just random improvement.
A system.
His thoughts drifted further, slipping into concepts that did not belong to this world.
In his previous life, weapons were not just tools—they were partners.
What if soul tools here could grow alongside their users?
Blades that nurtured a rudimentary spirit, slowly synchronizing with their owner's soul power.Armor that did not merely block attacks, but guided circulation, reducing the burden on the body.Auxiliary gear that adapted to the user's cultivation stage, instead of becoming obsolete every few ranks.
It wouldn't be easy.
The materials, the theory, the arrays—it all needed to be rethought.
But the potential…
Lin Huang's fingers curled slightly.
If even one of these concepts took root in Douluo, it would change more than just combat. It would change how cultivators prepared for the future.
"Planning something dangerous again?" Meng Hongchen's voice cut into his thoughts.
He opened his eyes. She was standing closer than he realized, one eyebrow raised in faint amusement.
"Just thinking about training schedules," Lin Huang said.
"Liar," she replied flatly. "You only make that face when you're about to complicate everyone's lives."
Xiao Hongchen laughed. "She's not wrong."
Xu Tianzhen watched Lin Huang quietly, then spoke. "Whatever you're thinking… don't forget that we're not all as reckless as you."
Lin Huang smiled faintly. "That's exactly why I need you all."
As the group dispersed, Jing Hongchen remained standing at the edge of the hall, his presence blending almost seamlessly into the background.
His gaze followed Lin Huang as the young man walked away, expression thoughtful.
So composed… yet still too open.
The old man's eyes narrowed slightly.
That openness will attract wolves.
The Crown Prince would not ignore a talent like this.
In this empire, geniuses were either bound… or broken.
Jing Hongchen turned his head toward the distant inner grounds of the academy.
If the prince's plans truly move against this boy…
Will misfortune strike before those schemes even take shape?Or will this young genius's luck tear those plans apart before they begin?
Lin Huang stepped into the corridor bathed in fading sunlight, unaware that the quiet rhythm of his days had already begun to crack.