Chapter 151: Forging Weapons and Feeding Horses

When Xiao Nan stepped into the campus, the crisp sound of reading still lingered in his ears. In the martial arts training grounds, students were conditioning their strength, sweating profusely in the morning sun, and diligently practicing body-tempering techniques.

Naturally, most of these students were in their second year of high school.

There were also some first-year students, mostly practicing basic physical conditioning movements...

Such as running, stretching, and weightlifting. They were at the most crucial stage of their lives for building a solid foundation.

From external refinement to internal cultivation, from the spirit to the physical body.

Regardless of the type of cultivation, the official journey began in the first year of high school. This age was not considered early to start practicing, but it was certainly not late either.

Xiao Nan paused for a long moment.

Such scenes were vaguely familiar in his memory; they had been the daily routine of his predecessor.

Back then, he had toiled all day without making much progress. Yet, just like the untalented classmates on the playground, he had never given up trying.

Even though he knew back then that the chances of getting into a martial arts university were actually extremely slim.

Qin Shuang stood quietly beside him, waiting, as if time had flowed backward to a certain moment two years ago.

Of course, back then, as long as Qin Shuang was present, no matter how far away she stood, the gaze of every student would fall upon her.

At this very moment, however, things were no longer the same.

"Xiao Nan! That's Senior Xiao Nan. Didn't they say he has already reached the passing threshold for a prestigious martial arts university? Barring any accidents, getting in is a sure thing. What is he doing back at school?"

"Are you an idiot? Didn't they say the school's Void Crystal Chamber is opening today? It's an opportunity that comes once every five years; he'd have to be a ghost not to come to school."

"I want to go in and cultivate too. I heard that entering it allows one to advance by leaps and bounds, and even comprehend powerful techniques. It's our No. 1 High School of Yuanjiang's trump card. What a pity, I was born at the wrong time. If I had graduated a year earlier or five years later, that would have been fine."

These were clearly second-year students.

"Hah, what pipe dreams are you spinning? If you were a year early, competing alongside Xiao Nan and Li Shaohua, who could you possibly beat? Focus on running through the Divine Will Body-Tempering Technique completely first..."

Whispers from the distance drifted into his ears in waves, leaving Xiao Nan somewhat speechless.

It wasn't that he mocked these people's grand ambitions, but rather that he wasn't accustomed to others using him as a comparison.

No matter the time, he had never been pushed to the forefront like this, never been so conspicuous.

Along the way, female students approached him from time to time—some pretending to be unintentional, others genuinely so—with a smile and a greeting: "Good morning, Senior Xiao Nan."

"Good morning, Junior."

"Hello, Xiao Nan."

"Hello, Junior."

"Senior Xiao Nan, you are the pride of our school."

"You are too, Junior... No, Junior, you will soon become the pride as well..."

Xiao Nan smiled until his face felt stiff.

A flash of amusement crossed Qin Shuang's eyes as she said in a slightly brisk tone, "You seem to have become a school celebrity. How does that feel?"

"Not bad. I finally understand why you always keep a straight face and never smile. I learned for the first time that greeting people is also physical labor."

"Are you saying I'm fierce and not pretty enough?"

"Fierce?" Xiao Nan's gaze involuntarily lowered slightly, stealing a sideways glance, and he nodded. "Quite pretty."

Qin Shuang was stunned for a moment before she immediately noticed Xiao Nan's improper gaze. Her eyebrows arched, her calf twitched, and she kicked him. "Xiao Nan, you've changed; you're getting bold. How about the two of us spar? We haven't cultivated together in a long time, and I kind of miss it."

"Well, the weather is really nice today." Xiao Nan looked up at the sky and urged, "It's getting late. Teacher Tang and Principal Sun must be growing impatient. Let's walk faster."

"Hmph..."

Qin Shuang raised her chin slightly, cast a disdainful glance at Xiao Nan, but said nothing more.

The two crossed the playground, turned into the tree-lined path, and headed toward the small woods by the back lake of the school.

That was the location of the Void Crystal Chamber.

Only when he reached this place could he feel a different aura all around—one that was both familiar and strange.

It was the atmosphere of soldiers sharpening their weapons and horses being fed ahead of a major battle.

A bone-chilling cold permeated from the woods, the lakeside, the paths, and the bamboo houses...

Faint sounds of breathing merged into one.

Within Xiao Nan's sharp spiritual perception, it formed a blazing ocean of vital blood.

"This is the first time I realized that the No. 1 High School of Yuanjiang is hiding so many experts?"

A rough estimation by Xiao Nan revealed two or three auras above the Fifth Rank Marrow-Refining stage; the Fourth Rank Organ-Refining stage had as many as five people; and there were a full eleven practitioners at the Third Rank Bone-Refining vital blood stage.

These people were hiding in the woods, concealing their auras, blending seamlessly with the vegetation and the air, making themselves completely unremarkable.

Had Xiao Nan's spiritual power not reached the embryonic breathing stage, and had he not possessed the bronze mirror to amplify his perception, it would have been very difficult to spot them.

Even so, he only detected a few clues and could not tell precisely who was lying in ambush or who their target was.

He glanced back at Qin Shuang and saw a trace of worry on the young woman's face. As she walked, she regulated her vital blood, clearly infected by a certain emotional tension and on high alert.

She obviously knew the specific plan and might have even participated in it.

Seeing Xiao Nan's gaze upon her, Qin Shuang pursed her lips and whispered, "This is a rare opportunity, just focus on your cultivation. You should know I wasn't even granted permission to go in. Everything else has nothing to do with you; if something seems wrong, stay out of the way."

Was that even an option?

While Xiao Nan knew Li's actions were unusual, the No. 1 High School of Yuanjiang—including Tang Zhixuan—wasn't entirely oblivious either...

He just didn't know who the hunter was, who the prey was, or if there might even be an oriole waiting behind.

"I'm just here to cultivate, and perhaps I'm playing an inglorious role—the bait..." Realization dawned on him.

There was naturally a reason why Qin Shuang, Li Shaohua, and the others attached such importance to the Void Crystal Chamber.

Qin Shuang might simply want to rely on the stone chamber to raise her cultivation level and break through bottlenecks, but Li Shaohua—or rather, the Li family—had motives that were far from simple.

Their attitude was too urgent, and they had caused quite a commotion.

So, this was actually a game.

An interesting game where you think I don't know, but I know that you think I know.

Both sides were matching wits and courage, but who would prove to be one move ahead?

Since his own strength was not yet overwhelmingly high, it was naturally unwise for him to meddle in this at the moment.

Whether this was Qin Shuang's idea, or if Tang Zhixuan and Principal Sun shared it, they likely thought the same way.

"Xiao Nan, after Principal Sun opens the secret chamber later, just hide inside and focus on your cultivation. No matter what happens outside, unless it's a matter of life and death, you don't need to pay attention to it, understand?"

Tang Zhixuan let out a long breath, a hint of anxiety in her eyes, transforming into a naggy elder giving meticulous instructions.

Yet Xiao Nan could tell that these words weren't spoken because she liked to talk, but rather as an opportunity to steady her own state of mind.

After days of painstaking preparation, the truth was finally about to be revealed.

Even with Teacher Tang's thick nerves, she was actually somewhat unsettled.

"Okay." Xiao Nan nodded without objection.