Douluo Continent: The Twin Holy Dragons of Light and Darkness, the Dragon Emperor Breaks Through the

Beside her was a basket of washed green vegetables, as if they had just been picked from the garden, with water droplets still clinging to the tips of the leaves.

When Ling Feng entered the shop, Tang San had just finished forging the iron. He put the iron back into the furnace, took off his apron and hung it on the rack, and turned around: "You've come."

I happen to have a few newly made items; see if any of them are useful.

He walked to the shelves inside the shop, took down a few pieces of polished ironware, a short knife, a small hoe, an iron pot, and an iron ring, and placed them on the table: "These are just small things."

These items were sent to the neighbor; they'll pick them up tomorrow.

Ling Feng picked up the short knife, drew it out, and glanced at the blade.

The blade edge is ground very evenly, and the thickness of the back of the blade is also controlled just right, showing that the grinder has indeed put in enough time and effort.

He sheathed his sword and placed it back on the table: "It's more stable than the last one."

Tang San said, "This one is for the father of a child in the kindergarten."

He said his child was about to participate in the academy's selection process and he wanted to prepare a handy short knife for him.

Ning Rongrong peeked out from behind Ling Feng: "You even know the father of a kindergarten child?"

Tang San said, "I've been here twice and they mentioned it once, so I remembered it."

Jin Chen picked up the small hoe and weighed it in his hand: "This hoe is made much better than those sold in the market. It should save a lot of effort when digging."

Tang San said, "That was for the old man next door who grows vegetables."

He said his old hoe was too heavy, and he was too old to swing it, so he asked me to make a lighter one.

He leaned the small hoe back against the wall, picked up the iron ring again, twirled it gently in his hand, and then put it down. "This iron ring was made for Ah Yin. She needed a suitable hook when she was hanging clothes to dry, so I just made one."

Ah Yin put down the book she was holding at the door, stood up, walked into the shop, and glanced at the iron ring: "I just replaced the bamboo pole I use to dry clothes, it won't break so quickly."

Tang San didn't look up: "Then let's keep it for now, we'll need it sooner or later."

Ah Yin didn't say anything more. She sat down on the small stool next to the counter, sorted out the vegetables in the basket, picked out a few wilted leaves and placed them beside her, and then neatly arranged the rest.

Ling Feng watched Tang San's movements in the shop and the inconspicuous ironware, but didn't say anything more. He just stayed in the small shop illuminated by the furnace fire for a while longer, listening to the subtle sounds of the iron heating up in the furnace and the rhythmic sound of the hammer hitting the anvil.

As they walked out of the blacksmith's shop, the afternoon sun shone directly into the alleyway, illuminating the tiny cracks in the bluestone pavement.

At the entrance of the alley stands an old locust tree, its shade wider than inside the alley. On the stone steps beneath the tree sits a young man flipping through an old book, his back slightly hunched, but his gaze is focused, as if confirming some detail.

As Ling Feng passed by the man, the man looked up at him, as if he recognized him. He didn't say anything, just nodded slightly, and then lowered his head to continue reading.

The spine of the book was worn, and most of the writing on the cover was blurred, as if it had been read many times.

When they entered the main street of Wuhun City, the shops on both sides of the street had already opened one after another.

Ning Rongrong stopped in front of the candied hawthorn stall, bought a few skewers and shared them with the people around her, then handed one skewer to Ling Feng: "Try it."

Ling Feng took it and took a bite. It was sweet and sour, a taste he hadn't really savored in a long time.

Chapter 356 A Gathering of Geniuses

He finished the whole string of candied hawthorns, handed the bamboo skewer to Jin Chen, and continued walking along the street.

The selection process for new students at Tiandou Academy is held in late autumn, at a renovated old training ground in the west of the city.

Early in the morning, the area around the training ground was already crowded with people, all parents who brought their children to participate in the selection. Some were carrying water bottles and dry food, some were whispering instructions to their children, and some were squatting against the wall smoking without saying a word.

An examiner in an academy uniform stood in the center of the training ground, holding a list and calling out names one by one.

The children whose names were called walked to the center of the arena one by one and released their martial spirits in front of the examiners.

Some children's martial spirits are swords, some are plants, and some are tools.

When a boy with slightly curly hair was called by name, a swirling stream of water appeared in his hand.

The examiner wrote a few strokes in the record book, turned his head and said to him, "Your martial soul is water-attribute, and your control precision is good, but you still need to improve its stability."

"Go back and practice controlling the shape of the water flow more."

The boy nodded seriously and stepped aside.

Tang San sat under a locust tree at the edge of the training ground, watching the children who were being tested one after another. Tang San did not go far, and he could not explain why he came.

He might just want to see what kind of path those children born after him will take.

Ah Yin sat beside him, carrying the vegetable basket in her hand, as if she planned to buy some more vegetables before going back.

She watched the children releasing their martial spirits for a while and said softly, "That curly-haired child, his control is indeed quite good, more stable than many of his peers."

Tang San said, "It is steady, but its water flow is too soft and lacks penetrating power."

If he wants to take a combat route, he needs to compress the water flow even more.

Ah Yin didn't comment further, she just sat quietly.

A boy in a gray shirt squeezed out of the crowd, clutching a short sword in his hand, the edge of the scabbard worn smooth.

He stood on the sidelines for a moment, as if waiting for the right opportunity.

His mother stood behind him, holding a small cloth bag with a bit of dry food sticking out of the opening, and was whispering something to him.

He nodded, took a deep breath, and walked a few steps toward the old locust tree in the center of the field. He stood under the tree, as if he were checking whether the ground beneath his feet was level enough.

Then he called out, "Examiner, I'm ready."

The examiner glanced at the list: "Liu Jiachang, Martial Soul: Short Sword, Attribute: Metal, Innate Soul Power Level 7."

The boy gripped his short sword and swung it at the testing stone in the center of the arena. The blade struck the stone, producing a crisp sound, like the sound of repeatedly polished metal colliding—short, even, and without any lingering echo.

The examiner made a few notes in his notebook: "Solid foundation, the force and angle of the sword are well controlled, you can be considered for an aggressive attack route."

Liu Jiachang sheathed his sword and retreated to the sidelines. His mother quickly walked over and handed him some dry food from a cloth bag.

When a girl with pigtails was called by name, a spinning leaf appeared in her palm, its edges shimmering with a faint blue halo.

The examiner glanced down and wrote a few lines: "Martial Soul: Green Leaf, Attribute: Wind, Innate Soul Power: Level Six."

The control is good, but the duration is a bit short; development towards a support role could be considered.

The girl put away her martial spirit and retreated to the sidelines. Her father squatted down, as if confirming something with her. The girl nodded, her small face showing a thoughtful expression.

The selection process ended at noon.

The examiners put away the list, announced the list of those who passed, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

Ling Feng stood at the edge of the training ground and noticed that the boy with curly hair was squatting in the corner, with a ball of water slowly rotating in front of him, as if trying to compress it into a smaller shape.

He squatted down, with an old, faded bowl beside him, its rim chipped, but he didn't throw it away.

He tried several times, but the stream of water could not be compressed to the size he wanted. But he did not stop. He tried again and again until the stream of water finally shrank into a smaller ball in his palm.

He looked down at it for a moment, then put it back.

The girl with pigtails next to him was standing on the sidelines, holding a leaf in her hand, as if waiting for his next attempt. After watching for a while, she turned and left.

Ling Feng walked back along the road he had come from. When he passed the city gate, he saw a young man setting up a small stall there.

He squatted down by the roadside: "How much are these herbs?"

The young man looked up at him and said, "Three coins a bunch."

I just picked them this morning; the roots are still covered in mud. I can pick the best ones for you if you want.

Ling Feng asked, "Are you a Soul Master?"

The young man was taken aback: "How did you know?"

Ling Feng said, "There are traces of soul power flowing on the inside of your wrist. You must have just broken through recently and haven't fully mastered it yet."

The young man wiped his hands on his apron: "I just broke through recently and am still looking for the right path."

Ling Feng didn't ask any more questions. He paid three coins, took a bundle of herbs, and walked along the street toward the offering hall.

The young man continued to squat in front of his stall, waiting for the next person to stop and ask about the price.

Under a tree on the street, children are reading and elderly people are sunbathing.

Ling Feng slowed his pace compared to when he arrived, as if he wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere.

Those busy in the training grounds, in the blacksmith's shop, and in front of the herb stall are all living their lives the way they want, in their own way.

The sounds mingled together, circled around his footsteps, and then dispersed.

Ling Feng continued walking along the long street, past the city wall, past the city gate, and into the courtyard of the sacrificial hall.

Qian Renxue was sitting on the veranda when she saw him come in. She pushed the cup of tea that had cooled down to the opposite side of the stone table.

She didn't ask him where he had gone; she simply pushed the teacup towards him and waited for him to pick it up and drink it himself.

Ling Feng sat down on the stone bench, picked up the teacup and took a sip. The temperature of the tea was just right, as if it had been predicted that he would return at this time.

He didn't rush to speak, but simply held the cup of tea, sitting in the afternoon sun. Sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, casting dappled shadows on the back of his hand, like a map that didn't need to be filled in.

He felt the warmth of the tea slowly spreading, like a pause that had been carefully placed, finding its place in a long sentence, like a period that had been repeatedly polished and was waiting for the next stroke.

In the distance, flags on the city wall fluttered slowly in the wind, and from the direction of the city gate came a few scattered shouts, mixed with the soft sounds of the wind passing through the old locust trees.

Qian Renxue sat across the table, also holding a cup of tea, and neither of them spoke.

The steam in the teacup was rising slowly, twirling in the sunlight before dissipating.

That afternoon, the sunlight lingered in the courtyard, not moving for quite a while.

Chapter 357 Clash of Geniuses

Ling Feng placed the empty teacup back on the stone table. Qian Renxue did not refill the teacup. She simply sat opposite him, holding an empty cup in her hand, her gaze fixed on the old locust tree in the courtyard, as if watching the dappled light and shadow slowly move between the leaves.

She didn't turn her head, but she spoke: "The snow won't be too heavy this winter, and it won't get cold until later."

Ling Feng asked, "How did you figure that out?"

Qian Renxue said, "After the spiritual energy from the divine realm seeped in, not only did people change, but the trees also changed."

The old locust tree shed its leaves almost half a month later than usual this year, and after the leaves fell, the bark was a darker color than in previous years.

Ling Feng followed her gaze and saw that the branches of the old locust tree were indeed denser than in previous years, as if it was preparing for the coming year in a new way.

He looked away: "Then next spring, it will grow even denser than it did this year."

Jin Chen walked into the courtyard, carrying a fish that was still dripping with water in his hand, its tail swaying gently beside him.