boyutpedia Chapter 26 Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School
Chapter 26 Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School
"Left side!" Yan Zu suddenly warned.
A cunning wolf darted out from the shadows on the side, aiming straight for Xiao Wu's throat.
Xiao Wu twisted her waist and activated the first soul skill of the Phantom Jade Rabbit, "Waist Bow". Her body leaned back at an incredible angle, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws. Then, her right leg lashed out like a whip, striking the demon wolf's waist and abdomen hard.
"Bang!"
The wolf howled and flew backward.
But at that moment, the wolf king, who had been waiting for an opportunity, made his move!
The speed of the thousand-year-old soul beast far exceeded that of a hundred-year-old. Its silver-gray figure transformed into a bolt of lightning, its target not being Xiao Wu, but Yan Zu, who was maintaining his soul skill! It had actually realized that Yan Zu was the core of this combination.
"Azu, be careful!" Xiao Wu's pupils shrank suddenly.
The distance is too close. The wolf king's claws are already in front of them. If Yan Zu tries to dodge, he will have to interrupt his soul skill, and Xiao Wu will be surrounded by five hundred-year-old demonic wolves. If he does not retreat, this claw will be enough to rip him open!
At the critical moment, Xiao Wu made her choice.
She shoved Yan Zu aside and used her petite body to shield him from the deadly claws.
"laugh--!"
Blood splattered.
"Xiao Wu!" Yan Zu's expression changed drastically, filled with panic and heartache.
Three deep, bone-revealing wounds were torn open on Xiao Wu's back, the immense impact causing her to fall forward. But in her fading consciousness, she managed to turn around and offer Yan Zu a pale smile: "Brother Zu... I'm alright..."
"No!"
Yan Zu's heart clenched instantly, as if something in his mind had snapped. Within his spiritual world, the phantom of the auspicious beast Qilin roared to the sky, and a vast, auspicious power erupted uncontrollably.
In an instant, the entire training ground was enveloped in jade-colored light.
The Qilin Martial Soul instinctively released its purest vitality, transforming into a tangible stream of light that surged into Xiao Wu's body. But this time, unlike previous treatments—stimulated by the life-or-death crisis, the two's mental frequencies reached perfect synchronization.
[Ding! Compatibility has exceeded the critical threshold...60%!]
[Congratulations, host, on achieving "Initial Martial Soul Resonance" with your bond partner, Xiao Wu!]
[Resonance Effect: When Xiao Wu is within the Qilin Domain (Corridor of Vitality), her speed increases by 10%, attack power by 20%, and spirit resistance by 30%.]
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Wu's shoulder wound had healed completely, leaving only a faint red mark.
She slowly opened her eyes and found herself being held tightly in Yan Zu's arms. The young man's handsome face was covered in sweat, and his eyes held a lingering fear she had never seen before, along with... something deeper.
"Little brother Azu..." Xiao Wu called softly, her face inexplicably turning red.
Yan Zu snapped out of his daze, released his grip, and awkwardly turned his face away: "Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore." Xiao Wu shook her head, suddenly recalling the strange resonance she had felt earlier. "Just now... I think I felt your..."
"It's the protective instinct of the Qilin Martial Soul," Yan Zu interrupted her, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. "You were injured for me, and it automatically activated its auspicious essence to protect you. Our Martial Souls... seem to have a higher compatibility now."
The night was deep, and the time allotted in the training ground was about to run out. The two consciousnesses returned to reality.
Xiao Wu turned over, facing Yan Zu's direction, and smiled silently in the darkness.
She could still feel the warmth of the Qilin's life force enveloping her shoulder, and that wondrous feeling of spiritual connection. She quietly touched her chest—there, something was quietly sprouting.
Every weekend, Yan Zu would take Xiao Wu back to the small courtyard in the west of the city.
Su's Medical Clinic is now quite well-known in Nottingham.
After Su Qing's "Qinghe" martial soul broke through level 30, her third soul skill "Revival of All Things" gained the ability to heal in an area. In addition, the fragment of "Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold" (obtained through system check-in) secretly provided by Yan Zu made the clinic increasingly crowded with commoners seeking treatment every day.
"Mother, this is 'Soul-Nourishing Tea.' Brew it every morning to solidify your soul's foundation."
Yan Zu handed a packet of emerald green tea leaves to Su Qing, a rare reward he had earned after signing in for three consecutive months.
Su Qing gently accepted the gift, looking at her son's increasingly composed demeanor, feeling both gratified and bittersweet: "Grandpa, you haven't suffered any mistreatment at the academy, have you?"
"No, everything is fine."
Yan Zu smiled and shook his head, his gaze shifting to Yan Hu, who was chopping wood in the courtyard. "Father's soul power has improved again?"
"Your dad recently took on a job guarding a merchant caravan, and thanks to the Soul-Gathering Pill you gave him, his 'Immovable Vajra' defense has increased by another 30%." Su Qing shook her head with a smile. "Now, all the Soul Masters in Notting City call him 'Vajra Iron Axe.'"
Upon hearing this, Yan Hu scratched his head sheepishly, "It's all thanks to the excellent cultivation techniques given by Grandfather. By the way, Grandfather, this is my reward for this mission: five gold soul coins. Take them, and don't mistreat yourself and Xiao Wu at the academy."
Yan Zu did not refuse, but secretly took out two "Body Tempering Pills" from his storage soul tool, crushed them, and mixed them into the soup for dinner.
At the dinner table, Xiao Wu wolfed down the braised pork that Su Qing had made, praising it indistinctly, "Aunt Su's cooking... is a hundred times better than the school cafeteria's!"
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Yan Zu smiled and wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth.
The first year passed quietly amidst cultivation and daily life. And the bond between Yan Zu and Xiao Wu, after that night of sharing life and death, had become unbreakable.
As the first warm breeze of spring blew into Notting College, Yan Zu knew it was time to begin the next phase of his plan.
The flame of culture is about to spread like wildfire.
The warm spring sun shone through the window, casting dappled shadows on the rough floor of Dormitory Seven. Yan Zu opened his eyes, and a system notification sounded in his mind:
[Ding! Today's check-in successful!]
[Congratulations, host, on reaching the seven-year growth milestone! This triggers the annual critical reward!]
[Talent Acquired: Literary Sensibility (Artistic Synesthesia)]
[Effect: Instantly master the essence of Earth's art, including master-level instrumental performance (qin, xiao, dizi), calligraphy, painting, seal carving, and the creation and appreciation of poetry and prose. This talent can be combined with soul power to endow works with a unique appeal.]
Yan Zu felt the vast amount of knowledge flooding into his mind—from the brushstrokes of the "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion" to the rhythm of the "Guangling San," from the lines of the flying apsaras of Dunhuang to the tones of Song and Yuan lyrics, countless artistic essences were integrated at this moment.
He raised his hand, his fingertips making a faint, almost imperceptible, ripple in the air, creating a rhythmic effect.
"It's time."
He looked out the window; the morning mist over Nottingham was slowly dissipating.
The lessons he learned in his first year made him realize that in this world where strength reigns supreme, mere force can only protect a few people around him; only the sparks of civilization and thought can illuminate a more distant future.
The condition for unlocking the Xuanyuan Sword—"the sword of civilization and tradition"—requires this kind of willpower that originates from the recognition of all living beings.
In a small courtyard in the west of the city, Yan Zu sat at a stone table under an old locust tree, his fingertips dipped in a homemade charcoal pencil, sketching on a stack of rough straw paper.
Xiao Wu lay on the opposite stone bench, chin in hand, her eyes sparkling as she watched the words and illustrations gradually take shape: "Little brother Azu, are these the stories you told me before?"
"Hmm." Yan Zu's pen continued to move, and a cunning fox leaped onto the paper, chased by a pack of snarling wolves. "But some changes are needed."
The paper had the book title written on it: "Starry Night Talks, Volume 1: Wisdom".
This was Yan Zu's first step after careful consideration. Directly presenting a monumental work like "The Epic of Roland" or "The Legend of King Arthur" that contained profound civilizational ideas would be too abrupt and could easily attract unnecessary attention.
He needed a point of entry that could both spread rapidly and attract readers from all walks of life, and subtly plant the seeds of civilization.
An adaptation of One Thousand and One Nights is the perfect choice.
He replaced the characters in his stories with spirit beasts, setting the scene in the Star Dou Great Forest—a setting that is both relatable and mysterious. Each short story contains a simple truth: wisdom triumphs over brute force, kindness is rewarded, and cooperation is essential for survival.
"But... how do we turn these stories into books?" Xiao Wu tilted her head. "We need to find someone to carve the plates, print them, and then we need shops to sell them... it's very troublesome."
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School..." A thoughtful look flashed in Yan Zu's eyes.
He had multiple considerations when choosing to cooperate with this sect.
Firstly, distribution channels. As the wealthiest of the three upper sects, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has a commercial network spanning both empires, with businesses ranging from small cities like Notting City to the capitals of Tian Dou and Xing Luo.
There is no better channel than this for the widespread dissemination of cultural products.
Secondly, his ideology. In the original work, although Ning Fengzhi was constantly forming alliances among various forces in an attempt to maintain the transcendent status of the three upper sects, he was not a stubborn and conservative person.
On the contrary, he has a keen business sense and investment acumen—from his decisive cooperation with Tang San when he first came into contact with hidden weapons, to his firm stance on Tang San's side in the later conflict with the Spirit Hall, all of which prove this point.
More importantly, Ning Fengzhi is under tremendous pressure.
Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has two titled Douluo, Sword and Bone, they are both getting old, and the school lacks successors.
Although Ning Rongrong possesses innate level nine soul power, she is ultimately only a support-type soul master.
Ning Fengzhi knew better than anyone that if the sect wanted to continue in the long term, it had to seek change, absorb new blood, and embrace new things.
Such collaborators would not look down on Yan Zu because of his youth or anonymity; on the contrary, they would value his potential worth.