A flock of pigeons casually pecked around the ground, scrapping up any amount of food; uncaring of the many humans that ran past them.
Suddenly, a handful of bread crumbs were thrown on the ground and the pigeons stared at the food for a moment before they dove into the feast, their collective hunger overcoming any trace of caution. Within seconds, the once-scattered flock converged into a chaotic flurry of feathers and beaks, each bird vying for its share of the unexpected bounty.
"Hohoho. Easy now, little birdies. There's plenty of food for everyone," chuckled an elderly man as he watched the commotion unfold. His gentle voice carried over the frantic flapping of wings, momentarily calming the avian frenzy. With a twinkle in his eye, he continued to sprinkle breadcrumbs, relishing in the joy of witnessing nature's simple pleasures.
The elderly man who looked as if he was one step away from death, slightly leaned back into his reclining chair, and let out a sigh. "A new school year begins, huh. Oh how the time passes by. I see many familiar faces and new ones as well. I wonder, will that boy ever return? Causing such mischief in the outside world... Hahaha, these youngsters."
The man's reminiscence seemed to transport him to a different time, his gaze drifting into the distance as memories intertwined with the present moment. With a wistful smile, he reflected on the passage of time, the cyclical nature of life unfolding before him. A time when he roamed the world as a youthful handsome man, meeting his best friend and... her. A trio that were once the world's greatest geniuses.
'I wonder if they are doing well and kicking... Though they're probably doing much better than me.' He mused silently, the nostalgia enveloping him like a comforting shroud. Memories of adventures past danced in his mind, evoking both laughter and a tinge of melancholy.
"Morning gramps!"
He was startled out of his reverie by a cheerful voice, and he turned to see a familiar handsome "boy" with slightly feminine features standing before him, an excitable glint in his eyes.
It's been a few months and Wang Dong had grown up significantly; now standing a few inches taller than before, his blue hair with pink and purple ends seemed longer and tied into a high pony-tail, his body was lanky and lithe as always with how his school uniform hugged his body, and with his delicate white skin and pair of big, light blue and pink eyes, he was the perfect definition of a pretty boy.
The old man however, knew the truth(anyone would if they read up a bit more about her martial soul) and softly chuckled. "Hello child, isn't it a bit early for your classes to be over? You know how your teacher is..."
Wang Dong nervously chuckled. "Trust me gramps, I know full well how... strict teacher Zhou can be. But we really don't have any classes for the next few days until the advancement exam."
"Ah, silly me. I forgot about that little detail," the old man replied with a knowing smile. "Well, I hope you've been training hard for it. Advancement exams can be quite the challenge."
Wang Dong nodded eagerly. "Of course, gramps! I've been training hard every day with my friends. I'm determined to make it to the inner courtyard!"
For around nine months, Wang Dong trained hard alongside his friends, enduring countless grueling spars(beatings), pulling all nighters in order to cultivate harder and increased his proficiency in the Tang Sect arts and shinobi techniques that clone Huo Yuhao taught to him and Xiao Xiao.
They pushed each other to their limits and honing their skills through perseverance and determination, all for the sake of their shared goal.
'Yuhao...' He subconsciously clenched his fists.
The elderly man's eyes twinkled with pride. "That's the spirit, child. Always striving to better oneself, no matter the challenges. I have faith that you will achieve great things."
Wang Dong beamed with gratitude. "Thank you, gramps."
The old man tilted his head. "But then... why return to the dormitory? You only come back when it's nearing curfew."
"Ah, um, I..." Wang Dong stammered, flustered; looking like someone caught in a guilty act. He scratched the back of his head nervously, his eyes darting around as if searching for an excuse.
The elderly man raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"You don't have to say it, I understand. But unfortunately however, Huo Yuhao hasn't return yet," the elderly man said, interlocking his fingers on his lap and let out a huff.
"I...!" Wang Dong tried to deny it, his face completely red, but the elderly man's gentle gaze stopped him mid-sentence.
"It's alright, Wang Dong. I can see it in your eyes. You're worried about him," the old man said softly, his voice filled with understanding.
Wang Dong sighed, his shoulders sagging with the weight of his concern. "Yeah, gramps, I am. He's been gone... for far too long. I'm worried something might have happened to him."
'Especially since the clone he left behind has disappeared to Sea God knows where! Did... something bad happened to him?' he bit his lower lip in concern. The only saving grace here was that thanks to their connection of soul fusion, he could still feel that Huo Yuhao was alive.
"Hm? You already miss him? It's only been a month since you guys parted..." gramps remarked, his tone a mixture of amusement and sympathy.
Wang Dong froze, remembering that the old man in front of him didn't know that the real Huo Yuhao had long since left the academy to train and left behind a shadow clone to continue his studies and accompany his friends.
"Uh, a month is a long time gramps..."
"Hm. True." The elderly man nodded, rubbing his chin. "Still, even friends wouldn't be concerned to this extent after just a month of separation unless there's a deeper bond between them." he raised his brow at him, a teasing glint in his eyes.
Wang Dong shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how much to reveal. "Well, you know how it is, gramps. We've been through a lot together. W-We're not simply friends, were the bestest of friends! We're almost like brothers!"
The old man regarded him with a expressionless stare.
Wang Dong dumbly stared back at him.
"..."
"Ah, would you look at the time?" Unsurprisingly, Wang Dong was the first to break away from their staring contest and turned around. "Sorry gramps, but I gotta go! It's time for training!"
Without any hesitation, he ran away from the conversation, scaring away the pigeons and leaving the elderly man chuckling softly to himself.
Watching Wang Dong's departure, the old man's gaze softened, his thoughts wandering back to his own youth, filled with bonds as strong as the one he witnessed between Wang Dong and his friend, but a little less gay and strange.
"Ah, youth~"
.....
"Haa!" A loud yell echoed in the small forested area, two figures backed away from each other after exchanging moves.
A girl dressed in a form-fitting yellow jersey exhaled, putting away her kunais. Her palms suddenly turned jade-white, and a chilly mist emanated from her hands as she performed several handseals and wind began gathering in her palms. She clasped her hands together, compressing the swirling wind into her cold palms, creating a powerful gale that was ready to be used.
Without any hesitation, she charges at her training partner which was Wang Dong!
"Gale Palm!"
"Ruthless as ever, Xiao Xiao!" Wang Dong exclaimed as he sidestepped, continuously dodging her attacks.
That's right, this girl wearing a yellow jersey was Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's third teammate in the class competition and friend, Xiao Xiao!
Just like Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao had underwent changes as she matured over the last several months. Now taller, around the same height as Wang Dong, she also had a more confident aura surrounding her. Her beauty, that was the same as a pretty girl you know in your neighborhood, seemed to have become prettier.
Xiao Xiao smirked at Wang Dong's comment, moving a bit faster. "It's just payback for kicking my ass yesterday!"
"Bitch, you deserved that for turning my clothes pink! How did you even do that!?" Wang Dong yelled back with exasperation as he dodged Xiao Xiao's attack, the latter grinned savagely as she focused all her attacks at his face.
"Stop going after my face!"
"Your beautiful face is a crime and danger to all of girls!"
"You-!" Wang Dong gritted his teeth and swiftly lashed out a kick to her side, sending Xiao Xiao staggering back a few steps.
'An opening!' Wang Dong thought as he lunged forward, aiming to capitalize on Xiao Xiao's momentary vulnerability. However, Xiao Xiao quickly regained her balance, ducking under Wang Dong's attack and retaliating with a swift kick of her own.
The two sparred with impressive agility and skill, their movements fluid and precise as they exchanged blows in the forest clearing. Each strike was met with a counter, their dance of combat a testament to their years of training and camaraderie.
In the midst of their duel, a couple of girls watched them with amusement and awe.
One of them, a rather tall girl dressed in blue jersey with short golden hair and pretty face, turned towards her friend with a raised eyebrow. "You sure you don't want to join them in a three-way spar, sister Feng?"
Wu Feng sighed, wincing as she rubbed her side. "I want to, sister Ning Tian. But that bastard Dai Huabin's kick yesterday left me a bit sore. I'll just spectate for now." She winced again, feeling the ache from the previous day's class training.
The months that passed did well to both of them as well, especially since their puberty hit. Ning Tian looked more beautiful and confident than ever, her golden hair gleaming in the sunlight, her slightly freckled pretty face and blooming figure gave the image of a blossoming young woman. Wu Feng had very little change except for the lost of some baby fat on her face, making her more beautiful; she already had a very gifted figure, which had only become more defined with their rigorous training and cultivation.
Ning Tian huffed, crossing her arms. "That Dai Huabin has gotten brazen ever since clone Yuhao disappeared!"
"It's fine, sister Ning Tian. Besides, I already paid him back with a kick to his nuts. That guy won't walk straight for a while."
"Still... should we go corner him later and beat him up?"
"Sister Ning Tian?!" Wu Feng turned to her in shock, never expecting her young lady to say something like that! In fact, shouldn't she be the one to be this reckless and aggressive?
She paused when she saw Ning Tian smirking at her, making her huff.
"That idiot Wang Dong has corrupted you, sister Ning Tian."
"Oi! I heard that!" Yelled Wang Dong, yelping as Xiao Xiao almost hit his cheek with her sharp cold palms.
Ning Tian giggled at Wang Dong's protest, shaking her head in amusement. "But you know she isn't wrong, Wang Dong!"
"I call bullshit! Wu Feng hangs out with you more and you know how she is!"
"Oh fuck off, pretty boy!"
Wu Feng flipped him off and Ning Tian burst in laughter at their interaction.
Meanwhile, the spar between Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao continued with unabated intensity, each of them pushing themselves to their physical limits. Their movements were a blur of agility and skill, their camaraderie evident even in the midst of combat.
This fight would've gone entirely differently if they had used their martial souls but the two of them wanted to build up on their combat experience, stamina and refine use of their soul power to last longer in battle.
As the sun began its descent, casting long shadows across the forest clearing, the spar gradually came to an end. Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao exchanged a tired but satisfied smile, their respect for each other evident in their eyes as they sat across each other against a tree.
"That was a good one, Xiao Xiao," Wang Dong remarked, wiping the sweat from his brow. "You're improving well at using the Mysterious Jade Hands and wind jutsus."
Xiao Xiao nodded, sighing in defeat. "Yet despite that, I still didn't manage to beat you."
Wang Dong shrugged, a smug look on his face. "Don't forget, I'm now a Soul Elder while you're still a Soul Grandmaster. No matter what tricks you have, unless you're like Yuhao, you can never easily bridge the gap of our cultivations."
"Tch. Wait until I master Body Flicker and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track! Seriously, that second one is a mouthful."
"Pssh. Bet I'll still be faster than you!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Yeah-uh!"
Their banter was interrupted by the arrival of Ning Tian and Wu Feng, both handing a bottle of water to them.
"Thanks," Wang Dong nodded at Ning Tian and drank his water. After eagerly gulping it down, he let out a sigh of relief and blankly stared at the distant sinking sun.
'Yuhao... where are you?'
Somewhere at Great Star Dou Forest, a certain dark-haired young man furrowed his brows and sniffed.
"Yuhao? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. But I feel like someone's talking about me... I wonder who?"
....
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