The next morning came far too quickly.
Ben lay in bed, arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. The early sunlight streamed through the dorm window, birds chirping cheerfully as if mocking his sleepless night.
"…Ugh."
He rolled out of bed and groaned. His outburst yesterday replayed in his head like an annoying loop. For the first time since he arrived in this world, he'd genuinely snapped. And not just at anyone—at Yu Xiaogang, a known martial soul theorist who, for all his eccentricities, hadn't really wronged him.
Maybe the guy was overbearing. Maybe he did talk too much and made everything about his theories—but he didn't deserve to get his head bit off like that.
"Damn it," Ben muttered, rubbing his eyes. "I really went too far."
Grumbling to himself, he made his way across campus, eventually finding the small teacher's quarters where Yu Xiaogang stayed. The man wasn't technically faculty at Nuoding Academy, but he had a room provided for his research—or at least, that's what Ben had heard.
He knocked on the door.
There was a pause before it creaked open, revealing Yu Xiaogang. The bags under his eyes suggested he hadn't slept either—but when he saw Ben, his eyes lit up.
"Ah, Ben! I knew you'd come around!" he said, voice full of restrained excitement. "It's good to see you've reconsidered. I understand yesterday's frustration. Not everyone can digest theory so quickly, especially when it contradicts their experience. But I admire that you've reflected on it—come in, we'll begin with an analysis of your martial soul's energy nodes. I've developed a new framework overnight that may explain your unique absorption trait—"
"Whoa, whoa—slow down," Ben said, waving his hands like a flustered waiter about to spill tea. "I didn't come here for that."
Yu Xiaogang blinked. "You didn't?"
Ben let out a long sigh. "Look, I just… came to apologize. I said some things yesterday that were way out of line. You didn't deserve that. I get that you were excited, and I respect how much you care about your theories. Really."
Yu Xiaogang's posture slowly sank. "Oh…"
"But," Ben continued quickly, "I'm not here to be your disciple. My martial soul doesn't fit into any of your frameworks—not right now anyway. I appreciate your interest, but I'm figuring this out on my own."
There was an awkward silence between them.
Yu Xiaogang's hopeful expression fell, replaced by his usual guarded calm. He nodded slowly, forcing a polite smile. "I see. That's... admirable."
Ben gave a short bow—not the deepest, but enough to show respect.
"Thanks for understanding. And sorry again. Alright, I'll get going."
He turned and walked off without waiting for a reply.
Yu Xiaogang stood in the doorway a few moments longer, gazing at Ben's retreating figure. After a pause, he stepped back into his room and closed the door.
"…He's just like him," he murmured to himself.
Back outside, Ben exhaled. "That's done," he muttered, and stretched his arms. "Alright, what's next? Oh right—I still need to plan for the next skill…who am i kidding? The next one will probably be another random one from absorption
Meanwhile, in the forest near holy spirit village, at the edge of a forgotten glade…
Tang Hao moved like a shadow through the trees, silent but fast. His eyes scanned every familiar landmark—old stones, twisted roots, broken trunks—until he arrived.
His breath hitched.
The lake was ruined. Water churned wildly, flowing from the broken basin where once a serene waterfall had concealed the cave that held his everything.
Tang Hao stood there, unmoving. His expression darkened as he stared at the spot where the cascade used to fall. His heart thundered in his chest.
He stepped quickly into the exposed cave, his footsteps echoing with a sense of dread. The scent of moist stone filled his lungs, but he ignored it—he only had one thought in mind: Ah Yin.
He found it. The singular blue silver grass.
Still growing. Untouched. Unharmed.
A breath escaped his lips, shaky and shallow. "You're okay," he whispered.
But then, his gaze swept deeper.
The box. The lead one. The one containing the spirit bone—her spirit bone.
Gone.
The silence of the cave was pierced by a roar that shook the walls. His fists slammed into the stone, splitting it in a spiderweb of cracks. "Who did this!?"
He turned. "I'll find them. I'll destroy everything if I have to—!"
But before he could leave, a soft voice like wind brushing through leaves whispered behind him.
"Hao… it's alright."
Tang Hao froze. His pulse halted. Slowly, he turned.
There was no one behind him.
But the blue silver grass swayed despite there being no wind. The delicate fronds glowed faintly, and then, like mist curling into form, a gentle silhouette of a woman appeared—a phantom, vague but unmistakably her.
"A... Ah Yin?"
His voice cracked, trembling.
She nodded slowly. "I am... aware again. My spirit... has awakened."
He stumbled backward, nearly losing his footing. "But… how?"
Ah Yin smiled softly, her eyes closing. "Because of a child. A boy who took my spirit bone."
Her voice carried no resentment. If anything, it sounded almost... thankful.
Tang Hao's eyes narrowed, fury flashing again. "He took it? Who? Tell me, and I'll—"
"Stop."
Her words were soft, but they struck like a hammer.
"I don't know his name. But I know this—he meant no harm. I saw into him while he absorbed it... he was confused, terrified. It wasn't done by malice."
Tang Hao clenched his fists, shaking. "But why you? Why your bone?!"
Ah Yin looked to the ceiling of the cave, to something far beyond the stone and sky.
"As he absorbed it... I saw something. A being, colossal and divine. Its body was of shining silver, with wings like blades of light stretching from its back. He radiated... serenity, and power beyond anything I've ever seen."
Her voice grew distant, reverent.
"He was like no beast, nor man. His form was radiant, with eyes like twin suns, and behind him flowed rivers of light and time. He looked down at the boy, placed a hand over his core... and then vanished."
Tang Hao stared at her, silent.
Ah Yin looked back at him, smiling gently. "I believe that child was guided. Not by greed. Not by fate. But by something... greater. Perhaps even by the light itself."
Tang Hao exhaled heavily, sinking to one knee.
The cave was quiet again, save for the drip of water and the soft rustle of the blue silver grass.